Is it coming home? Not quite yet. But there was plenty of cause for optimism in England’s 4-2 win over Croatia in their Group L opener.

The Three Lions, despite some defensive lapses in the first half, had too much firepower for their opponents after the break in Dallas, producing a fluid display of attacking football that significantly increased excitement levels.

Next up is a clash with Ghana in Boston on Tuesday, and a win will guarantee England finish as group winners and advance to the last 32.

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England vs Ghana odds from BOYLE SPORTS

• England WIN - 2/11
• Draw - 11/2
• Ghana WIN - 14/1

England vs Ghana prediction

England will be targeting a second successive win, which would allow them to rest players for the final group match against Panama on Saturday.

Ghana will likely see any result from this game as a bonus, after Caleb Yirenkyi’s injury-time winner gave them a crucial win over Panama.

Avoiding a heavy defeat will be key for Ghana, who could yet progress with three points, even if they lose to both England and Croatia.

Regardless, Carlos Queiroz is unlikely to set his side up to go all out against England.

That could mean the Three Lions have the majority of the ball and require some patience to break down their opposition.

England will be heavy favourites to record another win, particularly with the weather in Boston relatively cool, better-suited for a group of players used to lower temperatures.

The major talking points in terms of team selection are regarding Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka, who both have fitness issues.

Harry Kane, who has played a lot of football this season, will have his eye on the Golden Boot, so there will be no rest for him.

Even if Thomas Tuchel does make changes, England should have too much for Ghana, though it may not be as exhilarating as the Croatia victory.

Score prediction: England 2-0 Ghana

How to watch England vs Ghana

You can watch England vs Ghana in Group L of World Cup 2026 for free.

The match will be broadcast live on BBC One in the UK, FOX in the United States and SBS in Australia.

What's your England vs Ghana prediction? Let us know below...

Argentina forward Julian Alvarez has publicly stated that he wants a transfer away from La Liga giants Atletico Madrid.

Alvarez played the last half-hour of Argentina’s World Cup 2026 win against Austria on Monday, watching on at close quarters as Lionel Messi extended his newly minted lead as the World Cup’s record goalscorer.

The former Manchester City and River Plate striker has been linked consistently with a move in the summer transfer window, with Spanish champions Barcelona and city rivals Real Madrid at the forefront of the speculation along with Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain.

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Alvarez ‘can’t hide’ desire to move to Barcelona

Alvarez’s name got wrapped up in the politics of Real Madrid’s recent presidential election. Real Madrid claimed that they’d submitted a monster bid for the World Cup winner and Atletico openly laughed off Florentino Perez’s supposed interest.

In a bizarre statement posted on X – of course – Atleti issued ‘clarifications’ on the matter including the ‘clarification’ that they had not considered any offer for Alvarez.

Barcelona’s interest appears to be more substantial. According to The Athletic: “Alvarez is Barcelona’s No 1 transfer target and the Catalans are expected to return with a new offer in the coming weeks.”

Speaking to ESPN after Argentina’s 2-0 win against Austria, Alvarez left no room for confusion when it comes to his plans for the future.

“This isn’t the time to talk about this but I can’t hide it,” said the 26-year-old, talking about this. “I try to be an honest person. I spoke with Atletico de Madrid, and I think a transfer is the best option. I want to fulfil my dream.”

Alvarez joined Atletico from Man City two years ago. After 20 goals in 67 Premier League matches, the former River Plate youngster has continued to thrive in front of goal. He has scored 49 times in 106 appearances in all competitions for Los Rojiblancos, the fruits of a relationship that appears to be coming to an end.

Premier League champions Arsenal were also understood to have been keen on the Argentinian, whose move to the Metropolitano was handled to a significant degree by Andrea Berta, now the Gunners’ sporting director.

All indications are now that Barcelona are in the driving seat. Moving within La Liga would allow Alvarez to continue his efforts to become a league champion in a third different country as well as adding to the Champions League he won under Pep Guardiola three years ago.

He scored four goals in Qatar as Argentina won the World Cup for a third time in 2022. If Messi allows anyone else to get a look in on the goalscoring front, Alvarez will be eager to add to his 14 international goals in North America this summer.

Atletico Madrid are yet to deliver a withering response to his comments.

UK viewers will be watching keenly to see how Cristiano Ronaldo performs as Portugal face Uzbekistan in their second Group K match at the World Cup.

The European side are in need of a win having been held to a 1-1 draw by DR Congo in their opener, with both Ronaldo and Roberto Martinez left visibly frustrated.

This one will be on ITV1 in the early evening on Tuesday, so who will be providing the commentary and analysis of your post-work entertainment?

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ITV commentators and pundits for Portugal vs Uzbekistan

The game will be played in Houston, Texas, while ITV’s coverage comes from their swanky New York studio, with coverage starting at 5pm ahead of a 6pm kick-off.

Mark Pougatch will be the lead presenter for viewers in the UK.

He will be joined by a trio of former Premier League greats, and two of Ronaldo’s ex team-mates.

Gary Neville will be on the terrace again to assess Portugal’s performance against Uzbekistan.

He will be joined by Overlap and Sky Sports colleague and ex-Manchester United team-mate Roy Keane, who will certainly not mince his words if Portugal flatter to deceive again.

Making up the punditry trio is former Everton striker Duncan Ferguson, who missed out on Scotland’s appearance at the 1998 World Cup but will still be able to provide his attacking expertise.

Plenty of perceptive analysis to be expected, then, with all eyes on Ronaldo as he looks to take the headlines away from Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.

Portugal and Cristiano Ronaldo are in Houston on Tuesday, hoping that there isn’t a problem in front of goal.

Having been frustrated by a well-organised DR Congo side, Roberto Martinez’s Group K favourites will be expected to respond with a convincing win over underdogs Uzbekistan.

Lionel Messi made history on Monday, but Ronaldo can also put his name in the World Cup record books by becoming the first player to score at six tournaments. A free-kick or penalty might help him towards that goal, but who will be the referee in charge at Houston Stadium?

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Referee appointment for Portugal vs Uzbekistan

This Group K fixture will be officiated by a referee from the CAF confederation.

Moroccan referee Jalal Jayed has been a FIFA-listed referee since 2019, though he does not turn 40 until next year.

He has experience of refereeing at major tournaments, having officiated the third-place playoff between Egypt and Nigeria at last year’s Africa Cup of Nations.

And he has already taken charge of a match at the World Cup, overseeing Germany’s 7-1 victory over minnow Curacao in Group E.

He did not give any yellow or red cards in that game, although he did award Germany a penalty for a foul on Felix Nmecha.

Jayed is a top-tier referee in his home country, refereeing high profile top-flight matches since 2015.

He is the first Moroccan referee to go to a World Cup since 2002, when Mohamed Guezzaz officiated in South Korea and Japan.

Jayed’s compatriots Zakaria Brinsi and Mostafa Akarkad will be the assistant referees.

South African Abongile Tom will be the fourth official, with Uruguayan Leodan Gonzalez and Moroccan Hamza El Fareq the VAR officials.

Cristiano Ronaldo has watched on as Lionel Messi took his tally to five goals at the 2026 World Cup and broke the tournament’s overall scoring record.

He has also watched Kylian Mbappe net four times for France, Erling Haaland the same number for Norway, and a host of other attacking players get off and running at a World Cup so far full of goals.

But Ronaldo, after a frustrating opening game against DR Congo, has yet to score, and all eyes will be on him as Portugal face World Cup debutants Uzbekistan on Tuesday.

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Portugal vs Uzbekistan odds from BOYLE SPORTS

• Portugal WIN - 1/7
• Draw - 7/1
• Uzbekistan WIN - 18/1

Portugal vs Uzbekistan prediction

The match kicks off at 12pm US time (6pm UK time) at Houston Stadium.

Portugal will be out to get their first win of the tournament after they were held to a 1-1 draw by DR Congo last time out.

Uzbekistan, meanwhile, are aiming to produce a shock result having lost their opening match to Colombia, who currently top Group K.

A win here for Portugal will put them in a strong position to qualify in one of the top two places, before a tricky final group match against Colombia.

It remains to be seen if Roberto Martinez will make changes to his side following a somewhat impotent performance against DR Congo.

The big talking point, as ever, is Ronaldo, who at 41 appears to be a dwindling force at the highest level, having failed to score in his last 10 appearances at major competitions.

Dropping him seems out of the question for various reasons, but there will be serious questions asked if Martinez cannot get the best out of a team full of creative talent, including Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva, with Paris Saint-Germain’s Vitinha and Joao Neves providing control.

Uzbekistan were combative in their defeat to Colombia but not much is expected of the newcomers in a very challenging group.

If they are to keep Portugal at bay in Houston, they will need a strong performance from their key player, Manchester City defender Abdukodir Khusanov.

But this should, all things considered, be Portugal’s first victory of the World Cup.

Score prediction: Portugal 3-0 Uzbekistan

How to watch Portugal vs Uzbekistan

You can watch Portugal vs Uzbekistan in Group K of World Cup 2026 for free.

The match will be broadcast live on ITV1 in the UK, FOX in the United States and SBS in Australia.

What's your Portugal vs Uzbekistan prediction? Let us know below...

The successful bid to host World Cup 2026 in the United States, Canada and Mexico marked the first time football’s greatest show would be played across a continent, not in a country or two.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has overseen the growth of the World Cup to 48 teams, a number that not only threatened to weaken sustained interest in a mind-bogglingly large tournament of 104 matches but doesn’t provide a balanced bracket.

Talk of a 64-team centenary tournament in 2030 was repelled but the drive for expansion and the more logical format of a 32- or 64-team World Cup means it’s likely that 64 will be the next step.

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The World Cup could return to the United States as part of a bizarre transpacific bid

For now, 48 teams are more than enough. 104 matches already require multiple hosts and the first three-host World Cup in 2026 will be followed by another – indeed, technically a six-host World Cup – in 2030.

The 24th World Cup finals will be played in Spain, Portugal and Morocco. If two continents weren’t enough, there will be one centenary match apiece in Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay to mark 100 years since Uruguay held the first finals in 1930.

Somewhat conveniently, the inclusion of three South American nations in the 2030 bid ruled out all CONMEBOL countries from hosting the World Cup in 2034. CONCACAF, CAF and UEFA are also excluded because of FIFA’s rotation policy, paving the way for Saudi Arabia.

But what’s next? With FIFA’s quest to host a tournament in Saudi Arabia achieved without much friction, where else in the world can possibly play host to this quadrennial football behemoth?

FIFA’s rotation dictates that there must be two tournaments between hosts from the same confederation. With the AFC joining the ‘out’ list in 2034, the only options left on the table are Oceania or a return to CONCACAF.

Or, if New Zealand pursue and succeed with a unique proposal, both. Given the sheer size of the challenge, it might be the only way to take the tournament to a new host in 2038.

It was reported last year that New Zealand does indeed want to host the World Cup and had looked at creative ways of making it happen. AFC members Australia can’t be a part of the solution.

“It’s clearly not realistic we could ever host one on our own,” New Zealand FA chief Andrew Pragnell told The Athletic. “They’re getting bigger and the capacity requirements are well known. But we are certainly capable of hosting a group and a couple of knockout games, so the key for us is partnership.

“Given the limited stadium sizes in the rest of Oceania, we have to partner.”

The Athletic reported that a coalition with the United States could be the key to a successful 2028 bid for New Zealand, with Hawaii potentially at the forefront of a bid whose American leg could otherwise be primarily based on the West Coast.

“Fiji, meanwhile, is also currently exploring building a stadium,” according to The Athletic. Fiji’s long-running strategy includes the construction of a World Cup-ready stadium, while Hawaii’s stadium evolution plans are already in motion.

However the final bid takes shape, it appears that FIFA would need to have some uncharacteristic flexibility in terms of stadium capacities and travel expectations between games.

What do you think? Is a transpacific World Cup an elegant solution to a problem of football’s own making? Let us know…

When it comes to the sheer quantity of individual attacking talents, this World Cup is hard to touch.

Certainly, it is the most we’ve had for quite some time. Having Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Lamine Yamal, Vinicius Jr, Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise all at the same time is an absolute embarrassment of riches, and that’s just the headline names.

But even through all that, the top scorer, and the player who is most single-handedly pushing his team to victory, is still Lionel Messi, the Argentinian legend who turns 39 on Wednesday.

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Lionel Messi's GOAT credentials can wait for another day

Football discourse has grown tediously, fatuously obsessed with ranking everything in the internet age. What was once the preserve of spirited but ultimately empty pub debate has become the dominant mode of talking about the game. You only need to consider how the Ballon d’Or has been elevated from a minor Teletext headline to all-year-round Very Serious Business to understand how the culture has changed.

But even those of us who are resistant to that way of thinking would be given pause by what Messi has accomplished, and the possibility of what he might yet go on to do this summer.

Diego Maradona was permanently installed as one of the greatest of all time when he inspired a functional but otherwise largely undistinguished Argentina side to their 1986 World Cup triumph.

Messi could yet go on to do it twice in a row, at a time of his life when most players have already graduated into the pundit’s chair, coaching careers, or occasional appearances at overwrought major tournament draws.

There has been even more of a sense of inevitability than usual about Messi so far this summer. Of course he got a hat-trick in the opening game. Of course he broke Miroslav Klose’s record in the second game with a brace against Austria. Of course those goals have put him in pole position for the Golden Boot.

For all the feints, stepovers and turns he has successfully executed in his career, the greatest trick Messi has ever pulled off is convincing us all that this is all just to be expected.

Comparisons to Cristiano Ronaldo have long since ceased to even be a debate. That’s no knock on the Portuguese, who is two-and-a-half years older at a point in their careers where that makes an enormous difference.

But it’s also a total irrelevance at this point. To define Messi purely in comparison to his greatest rival has always been reductive to them both, but especially now. Why enter into a side-argument when the greater pleasure is simply in marvelling that Messi remains so brilliant, so relevant, and such a joy to watch?

Messi is already the player our grandchildren will talk about the same way that our parents and grandparents talk about Pele. We have decades ahead of us for nostalgia, rankings, ratings, and pointlessly trying to settle where, precisely, he stands on the podium alongside the very best players football has ever seen.

But we may only have the next few weeks, at best, to regard Messi in the present tense; certainly on this kind of stage.

Luxuriate in it while you can.

Norway’s return to the World Cup after a 28-year absence has been accompanied by the widespread adoption of a synchronised fan celebration known as the 'Viking Row.'

The demonstration has become the defining visual element of the team's campaign both inside and outside the stadiums.

The ritual requires supporters in the stands to sit down, moving backward and forward in unison to a steady drumbeat, as if they were rowing a longboat. The motion is designed to mimic historic oarsmen, accompanied by a low, collective chant of 'Ro!' -which, if you can believe it, is the Norwegian word for row.

What is the origin of Norway's 'Viking Row' celebration?

The celebration is a recent development and not an ancient tradition, as many may have assumed.

It was first organised in 2025 by Ole Froystad, a coordinator within the national team's official supporters group, who sought to establish a uniform stadium identity ahead of the tournament.

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The celebration is timed to the track Vikingblod ('Viking Blood'), a song that recently reached No. 1 on the Spotify charts in Norway.

It is a display which has extended beyond matchdays and been adopted by fans in public spaces. It has been observed on public transport, escalators, and squares across host cities like Boston and New York, generating engagement on social media platforms.

National team players have now integrated the ritual into their post-match routine.

Following Norway's 3-2 group stage victory over Senegal at the New York New Jersey Stadium, a result that secured the team's progression to the knockout rounds, squad members, including captain Martin Odegaard and forward Erling Haaland, joined supporters by performing the rowing motion on the pitch.

Many of you may draw similarities between the 'Viking Row' and Iceland's 'Thunder Clap' at the 2016 European Championship. Something about those Scandinavians, eh.

USA vs Iran is a fixture that the entire footballing world would see, amid political controversy at the 2026 World Cup.

The USMNT have already secured knock-out football, however, Iran's progression to the next stage isn't yet guaranteed.

In the event they do progress, there does remain a chance that both sides could face off in a knock-out clash at this summer's tournament: here's how.

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Can USA vs Iran still happen at the 2026 World Cup?

Iran have faced a "nightmare" battle in their quest to secure knockout football at the 2026 World Cup, with Mehdi Taremi describing their conditions as such after their opening draw against New Zealand.

Despite the travel and fan support restrictions faced by the national side, the Iranians battled valiantly to another draw against Belgium, placing themselves second in the Group G table.

USA's spot in the Round of 32 is already confirmed, after victories against Paraguay and Australia in Group D.

If the pair are to face off, it would happen in the Round of 16, and only if Iran top their group.

That possibility remains firmly in the clutches of the Iranians, who will face off against current group leaders Egypt on Saturday.

If Iran prevail in that game, they could top the group with five points, unless Belgium beat New Zealand - in which case, the Group G top spot will be decided by a newly introduced series of metrics.

If Iran win and Belgium fail to secure victory, they will face a third-placed team in the Round of 32, with a solid chance of progression.

If both Iran and the USMNT win their first knockout face-offs, then the much-anticipated game will happen in the Round of 16.

So, for USA vs Iran to mimic its off the pitch controversy and battle at the 2026 World Cup, Iran will have to top Group G with a win against Egypt, then beat their Round of 32 opposition.

Mauricio Pochettino's men return to World Cup action on Friday against Turkiye.

The World Cup is a celebration of different cultures from around the globe...but some tabloid tropes die hard.

Rather than speaking to a Ghanaian football expert or something ahead of the Black Stars' meeting with England on Tuesday, the always culturally sensitive Daily Star instead got in touch with headline-seeking self-claimed 'witch doctor' Nana Kwaku Bonsam.

Funnily enough, it just so happened that he had something for them: he's apparently going to hex Harry Kane.

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Spurious hex claim for Harry Kane

The 'African witch-doctor' trope, specifically as it pertains to curses, has been criticised as a way of reducing the positive community work of traditional healers down to the subject of mockery.

The term is 'laden with centuries of colonial baggage', but remains part of the British media vocabulary nonetheless.

Nana said: “I am working on Harry Kane. I have shown what I am capable of before so I know what work I must do to stop him. I am very famous for my predictions."

We are here reminded of the possibly apocryphal memo attributed to BBC director general Lord Reith: “If a person is famous, it is superfluous to point out the fact; if he is not, then it is a lie."

In any case, Nana went on: "I am not wishing [Kane] serious injury. It will be just enough to stop him against my country. I will do my work so that it can help Ghana."

Nana has previously claimed credit for Cristiano Ronaldo's struggles with a knee injury ahead of the 2014 World Cup.

Ronaldo subsequently started every game for Portugal at the competition and scored the winning goal in a 2-1 victory over Ghana as both sides went out in the group stage. Danhausen has a better track record than that.

Ghana were not terribly convincing in their opening game of this summer's tournament, but nonetheless eked out a 1-0 victory over Panama thanks to Caleb Yirenkyi's 95th minute strike.

That puts them level on points with England, who beat Croatia 4-2 thanks to Kane's first-half brace and second-half goals from Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford

The two sides will meet at Boston's Gilette Stadium on Tuesday, with kick-off set for 4pm local time (9pm UK time).

A victory for either side could guarantee they will finish top of Group L, depending on the result in the later game between Panama and Croatia.

Quiz time!

He's one of the best strikers in the world and he's already taken World Cup football by storm: would you bet against him breaking a few records in this tournament, to go with all the other ones he's got?

We wouldn't: today, we'd like to test you on your Erling Haaland knowledge. 10 questions come up about the Scandi robot…

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

While remembering the iconic trophy lifts and famous tournament matches is great for a casual chat, a true mastermind knows how to dig beneath the surface of the global game. To see if your tactical stamina can keep pace with the unfolding drama of World Cup 2026 across North America, we've got a few more quizzes for you – courtesy of Kwizly.

We’re starting with a sharp look at the elite talent that missed out on the flight to Canada, Mexico, and the United States, challenging you to identify the most valuable players who didn't make it to World Cup 2026. Once you've audited the high-profile absentees, pivot to the clinical marksmen who absolutely seized their moment on the grandest stage of all by trying to name every World Cup hat-trick scorer since 1998. It is a ruthless trial of penalty-box perfection that separates casual summer fans from deep-cut archival experts.

If your scouting network excels at tracking veteran leadership or the deep-cut folklore of international history, we have an incredible double-header waiting for you in the tunnel. You can filter the current tournament rosters for ultimate longevity by trying to name every player at World Cup 2026 with over 100 caps, celebrating the evergreen leaders who bring invaluable experience to the big stage this month. Following that, throw yourself directly into the crossfire of our Ultimate World Cup Quiz to check your memory on nearly a century of iconic goals, shock losses, and unforgettable tournament controversies.

To lower your pulse after navigating that mountain of international history, find a quiet spot in the dugout to tackle FourFourTwo's Weekend Crossword 58, featuring clues on winners, losers and legends, featuring a brilliantly cryptic mix of footballing folklore. To ensure you stay one step ahead of the action as the group stage drama intensifies, make sure to subscribe to our newsletter for your daily afternoon briefing of hand-picked trivia. To completely cement your legacy this summer, join The Club, our free membership hub that serves as your digital dugout, where you can unlock secret hints for the toughest quizzes, climb our global leaderboards, and engage in tactical debates in the comments section as the matches play out.

Another Quickfire Quiz for your perusal.

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

Welcome to the ultimate tournament sanctuary: with the global showpiece fully underway, your screens are packed with non-stop action, but we are here to test if your brain can keep up with the frantic pace of the matches: courtesy of Kwizly.

Let’s start with the tactical masterminds currently patrolling the touchlines. We are challenging you to name every manager at World Cup 2026, a test of your up-to-the-minute knowledge of international tacticians, sudden appointments, and seasoned veterans navigating the high-pressure knockout environment. Once you've mapped out the dugouts, shift your focus from the technical areas to the geography books and try to name every capital city of every nation at World Cup 2026.

Next, see if you can name these historic World Cup shirts from a series of classic designs, separating the legendary jerseys from the template kits of the past. To pair with the apparel, we want you to look at the elite executioners of tournament history and name every player with 6+ World Cup goals. This spans decades of international football, tracking down the clinical icons who reliably turned up when the margins between glory and failure were at their absolute thinnest.

For fans of the home nations, we have tailored two specific historic deep dives that will push your memory of past campaigns to its absolute limit. Take on The Ultimate England Quiz to see if you can secure 50 correct answers, covering everything from iconic tournament heartbreaks to obscure squad selections and historic milestones across decades of Three Lions history. If you fancy a Tartan twist instead, try to name every nation Scotland have ever faced at a World Cup: it's a journey through Scotland's famous tournament appearances, forcing you to recall the group-stage adversaries and historic clashes that defined their travels across the globe.

For the true scholars who view standard trivia as a simple warm-up exercise, the real examination begins in the final stretch. Pre-Match Poser no.32 offers a devastatingly complex, elite-level football quiz question explicitly engineered to baffle the most confident pundits and find the fans who possess a truly archival mind. Once you have wrestled with that, grab a metaphorical pen and dive into FourFourTwo's Weekend Crossword 58. Cryptically themed around winners, losers and legends, this intricate grid demands sharp lateral thinking, a deep vocabulary, and an exceptional memory for the game's historic peaks and tragic troughs.

Your hard-earned tournament expertise deserves a permanent home rather than just a fleeting boast, so make sure to log your triumphs over at The Club, our free digital community hub. It is the definitive portal to archive your scores, earn bespoke digital badges for your profile, and see exactly where your footballing IQ sits on our global leaderboard. To ensure your mental conditioning remains at a championship standard throughout the thrilling weeks ahead, subscribe to our weekday newsletter to get a freshly curated dose of high-intensity trivia delivered directly to your inbox every single afternoon, keeping you perfectly prepped for the next kickoff.

Jordan and Algeria will both be aiming to claim their first points of World Cup 2026 when they meet in San Francisco.

World Cup debutants Jordan lost 3-1 to Austria in their opening game, while the Desert Foxes fell victim to Lionel Messi’s one-man show in a 3-0 defeat by Argentina.

It means both sides cannot afford another reverse if they want to qualify from Group J - here’s who will take charge of this high-stakes contest.

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Experienced official to referee Jordan vs Algeria

Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic will take charge of Jordan vs Algeria, with compatriots Tomaz Klancnik and Andraz Kovacic his assistants.

The 46-year-old has already officiated one match at the tournament, and it was a high-profile one: Brazil’s 1-1 draw with Morocco in New Jersey, which will host the final on July 19.

Vincic is no stranger to big games, having refereed Real Madrid’s 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund in the 2024 Champions League final at Wembley.

He also took charge of several matches in Europe’s top club competition last season, including Bayern Munich’s 4-3 win over Los Blancos in the second leg of their quarter-final.

The experienced referee will be familiar to Chelsea fans, too, having officiated their last-16 second leg against Paris Saint-Germain, which they lost 3-0, and their 3-0 victory over Barcelona in the league phase.

Vincic brandished six yellow cards and two reds in Bayern's win over Real, but he is not usually so card-happy - in the 27 games listed on transfermarkt that he has taken charge of since the start of the 2025/26 season, he has awarded 106 bookings and five dismissals.

That is an average of just under four yellow cards a game, and a red card every five matches.

Jamaica’s Oshane Nation will be the fourth official in San Francisco, while Caleb Wales, from Trinidad and Tobago, is the reserve assistant referee.

Jordan will be eyeing their first-ever point at the World Cup when they face Algeria, although they may feel only a victory will do, with reigning champions Argentina up next.

Meanwhile, the Desert Foxes are aiming to emulate their performance when they previously qualified for the finals in 2014, when they reached the knockout stage for the first time.

The ITV commentators, pundits and presenters for Jordan’s World Cup 2026 clash with Algeria have been revealed.

World Cup debutants Jordan fell to defeat against Austria in their first-ever game at the tournament, but Ali Olwan’s equaliser at least gave them something to cheer before they went on to lose 3-1.

Meanwhile, Algeria were on the receiving end of a Lionel Messi masterclass as the Argentina superstar scored a hat-trick in a 3-0 victory, which means both teams will be desperate to claim their first points in Group J in San Francisco.

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ITV’s complete list of commentators, pundits and presenters for Jordan vs Algeria

The game kicks-off at 4am BST on Tuesday, June 23 and it promises to be an absorbing watch, with Jordan eyeing their first World Cup point and a talented Algeria side looking to live up to their potential.

Both teams know a defeat could prove terminal to their hopes of qualification for the knockout stage, especially as Jordan face a Messi-inspired Argentina in their final group game.

You can watch Jordan vs Algeria live on ITV where coverage will be presented by Semra Hunter, who is a familiar face to fans of Spanish football having formerly been an anchor on Real Madrid TV.

The California native will be joined in the studio by Karen Carney and Jobi McAnuff.

Former England star Carney has become a regular pundit on ITV in recent years, after an impressive playing career which saw her win more than 100 international caps and help the Lionesses finish third at the 2015 World Cup.

McAnuff spent most of his playing days in the EFL, where his notable achievements included captaining Reading to the Championship title in 2012.

The former Jamaica international, who won 32 caps for his country, has since become a respected voice across the BBC, ITV and Sky Sports, particularly for his EFL coverage.

Commentary will be provided by Joe Speight and Lucy Ward, who teamed up for Belgium’s 0-0 draw with Iran in Group G on Sunday night.

Away from the World Cup, Speight provides commentary for a host of broadcasters, including Premier League Productions and NBC.

Former Leeds United striker Ward has also become a familiar voice across several outlets and was named TV/Radio Pundit of the Year at the 2025 Football Supporters’ Association Awards.

Jordan and Algeria each fell to defeats in their opening Group J fixtures of World Cup 2026 and both sides know that another loss would virtually spell the end of their tournaments.

A draw will earn a stay of execution for both, but what they really need is a win to kickstart their respective campaigns. Remember, third place may be good enough...

Convincingly beaten 3-1 by Austria, Jordan nevertheless performed creditably against the European side, with the wide scoreline not an entirely accurate reflection of how the clash panned out. Ali Olwan gave Jordan a moment that will be treasured for generations, scoring their first-ever World Cup goal, and Jamal Sellami will have been quietly impressed with his side's general application.

For Algeria, the Fennecs could do nothing as Lionel Messi put in one of the best individual displays ever – already a pretty high bar – scoring a hat-trick without response in Argentina's 3-0 win. Vladimir Petkovic has a number of creative talents at his disposal, with Ibrahim Maza and Amine Gouiri front and centre.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Jordan vs Algeria in the FIFA World Cup 2026 online, on TV, and from anywhere.

Watch Jordan vs Algeria for FREE

Jordan vs Algeria will be free-to-stream across multiple regions, including ITV in the UK, RTÉ Player in Ireland, SBS On Demand in Australia, CazéTV on YouTube in Brazil, NOS in the Netherlands, RTBF/VRT in Belgium, SRF/RTS/RSI in Switzerland, and TRT in Turkey.

English commentary will be provided on ITV, RTE Player and SBS On Demand.

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How to watch Jordan vs Algeria in the UK

In the UK, you can stream Jordan vs Algeria on ITVX. The coverage starts on ITV1 and ITVX at 3:30am BST, before kick-off at 4:00am BST.

How to watch Jordan vs Algeria in the US

In the US, you can stream Jordan vs Algeria on FS1.

This channel is accessible via Fox's own streaming platform Fox One or via a cord-cutting platform such as YouTube TV, Hulu+Live TV, Sling (select markets), Fubo or DirecTV.

How to watch Jordan vs Algeria in Australia

In Australia, you can watch Jordan vs Algeria on the free SBS On Demand.

Jordan vs Algeria: World Cup 2026 Preview

It's been a historic occasion to even reach a first World Cup finals, but in their opening game with Austria, Jordan earned the respect of many neutrals with their never-say-die attitude and willingness.

Olwan wheeling away in celebration after scoring Jordan's first-ever World Cup goal will live long in the memory for those watching on back home. Now, head coach Sellami will hope for a full 90-minute performance from his side to keep alive their hopes of an improbable knockout stage qualification. Rennes forward Musa Al-Taamari, the only Jordanian squad member with elite European experience, will need to be at his best.

Algeria, who have Luca 'son of Zinedine' Zidane in goal, will pose a different kind of test. The North Africans could only stand and watch as Messi got his World Cup moment again, firing in three times to condemn them to an opening-round defeat in which they failed to register a shot on target.

Yet the Fennecs did have a seventh-minute goal ruled out by VAR, as Fares Chaibi was only narrowly offside after a well-worked move. Petkovic chose not to start ex-Manchester City star Riyad Mahrez mainly because 20-year-old playmaker Ibrahim Maza has starred for Bayer Leverkusen this term. Harnessing the talent is his goal.

Jordan vs Algeria: Group J

FourFourTwo's prediction

Jordan 1-3 Algeria

FourFourTwo predicts Algeria to emerge as the victor, with Amine Gouiri scoring.

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The World Cup 2026 match between France and Iraq in Group I has resumed after a weather break of around two hours and 15 minutes.

France vs Iraq was delayed at half time, with the second half not beginning as planned. The second period would typically have started around 11:00pm UK time (6:00pm local) but storms in the area forced the stoppage.

As the match restarted at 1:00am UK (8:00pm local), it was confirmed that the second half hydration break will not be taking place. France vs Iraq will be the first World Cup 2026 match without a hydration break in both periods.

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France vs Iraq delayed by two hours and 15 minutes in Philadelphia

France led 1-0 at half time thanks to a powerful left-footed drive from Kylian Mbappe. The captain's 15th World Cup goal put him three behind new all-time top World Cup goalscorer Lionel Messi, who took sole ownership of the record in Argentina's win over Austria.

Without further weather delays or a hydration break, the match will be completed before 2:00am and Mbappe will hope to be a goal or two closer to the record by full time.

Sport fans in the United States are used to matches being delayed by thunderstorms. Major League Soccer frequently experiences unplanned pauses in play on safety grounds and the World Cup is subject to the same requirements.

Weather delays at World Cup venues without a roof, such as the very exposed Lincoln Financial Field, where France vs Iraq is being played, trigger a protocol that require the pitch and the stands to be vacated.

The geographical radius varies but lightning within 10 miles or so can cause a match to be stopped for a minimum of 30 minutes, a 15-minute period without lightning in the area and 15 minutes for the players to warm up again as water is cleared off the pitch.

If lightning is detected in the area during that spell, the delay begins again.

The challenge faced by the teams could change the timbre of the second half but delays were expected at the World Cup and preparations should be in place for that eventuality.

France vs Iraq was subject to a weather threat before kick-off.

Similar concerns hung over Norway vs Senegal in the group's other game, which also kicked off at 1:00am UK time.

France vs Iraq at the 2026 World Cup kicked off at 9pm British time this evening, with Kylian Mbappe scoring the first half's only goal.

The Real Madrid star received the ball on the edge of the area after a deft cut-back from Michael Olise, before rifling it into the top corner.

Unfortunately for France, who could seal progression to the knockout stages of the World Cup this evening, the game has been repeatedly delayed due to thunderstorms — but has an abandonment ever occurred before?

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Which World Cup games have been abandoned?

In the build-up to international football's most prestigious tournament, there have been some bizarre abandonments.

During the World Cup qualifying phase, the precursor to the tournament itself, the following matches were abandoned.

Brazil vs Argentina (2021)

Brazil vs Argentina was called off just five minutes into the game in 2021, due to the breaking of quarantine protocol.

Brazilian health officials objected to the participation of three Argentina players who they believed broke said protocol.

Prior to the game, four England-based players for Argentina were told to quarantine by health authorities, however, they did not.

The players in question were believed to be Emiliano Buendia, Emi Martinez, Giovani Lo Celso and Cristian Romero.

The latter three all started the match, meaning the fixture was abandoned after just five minutes.

Malaysia vs Saudi Arabia (2015)

This World Cup qualifier, conversely, was abandoned extremely close to the full-time whistle.

The match was called off in the 87th minute, with crowd trouble being the reason cited.

The game was 0-0 through its first 70 minutes, before Malaysia opened the scoring.

Saudi Arabia turned the match on its head with goals in the 73rd and 76th, prompting fans to throw fireworks and flares onto the pitch.

As a result, the Group A Asian Qualifying match was abandoned, as both teams' players left the pitch and did not return.

Poland vs England (2012)

In the build-up to the 2014 World Cup, this qualifying match was called off after officials deemed the pitch unplayable.

Bizarrely, the stadium's retractable roof had been left open through torrential downpour.

This was the first time since 1979 that an England match had been called off, with the game occurring in Warsaw.

Hilariously, the rain had already stopped at the time of kick-off, however, the damage to the pitch was inflicted in the hours prior.

To add insult to injury, the travelling Three Lions faithful were asked to remain in their seats after the abandonment, so that the locals could leave first.

Has a World Cup game ever been abandoned before?

At the actual tournament, not during qualifiers, it appears that a game has never been abandoned before.

As France and Iraq edge closer to being the first teams in history to suffer a World Cup abandonment, here are two close calls at the event.

England vs Sweden (2018)

In the build-up to England's quarter-final clash against Sweden in 2018, there were fears surrounding extreme weather.

The venue for the event, Samara, was hit by a record-breaking heatwave in the days leading up to the quarter-final.

The temperature, which exceeded 36 degrees, was the highest the city had experienced since 1954.

The heat was so intense that water pressure in the region was said to be affected, with the water authority suggesting that people shower together.

That statement turned out to be comedic, and misconstrued by the media, which the authority later clarified, ending all fears that the quarter-final could be affected by the heat.

USA vs Germany (2014)

Back to rain and torrential downpour; USA vs Germany at the 2014 World Cup was at risk of being abandoned due to wet weather.

Downpour did not relent for 12 hours in the build-up to the event, with main roads being flooded.

What fell in six hours in Recife that day represented 25% of the region's monthly average, according to a CNN meteorologist.

As a result, USA vs Germany was at severe risk of being postponed or abandoned mid-game, with Ghana vs Portugal also likely to be affected in the event of such an occurrence.

Despite this, the crucial game went ahead as planned, with Germany prevailing 1-0 and topping Group G at the tournament.

France vs Iraq has footballing precedent in the states, as seen during Chelsea and Benfica's Club World Cup clash last summer.

That match was delayed also due to lightning strikes, requiring the game to be halted for at least 30 minutes.

Ultimately, the face-off ended nearly five hours after it was due to kick off, so, football fans across the globe shouldn't be surprised if further occurrences are seen of such delays at the 2026 World Cup.

Having seen fellow debutants Cape Verde and Curacao grab the headlines over the weekend, now is the time for Jordan to announce themselves at World Cup 2026.

Jamal Sellami’s side did not disgrace themselves in their opening Group J game against Austria, as Ali Olwan became his country’s first-ever goalscorer at the tournament in a 3-1 defeat.

But Jordan remain without a point and this meeting with Algeria in San Francisco surely represents their best chance of claiming a maiden World Cup victory, with a daunting clash with Argentina and Lionel Messi to follow.

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Jordan vs Algeria odds from BOYLE SPORTS

• Jordan WIN - 5/1
• Draw - 3/1
• Algeria WIN - 4/9

Jordan vs Algeria prediction

Sellami’s side were in the game for long periods against Austria, a team ranked 47 places above them in the FIFA rankings.

Indeed, they were 20 minutes or so from claiming a very respectable point in San Francisco, where they return for their second game at 4am BST on Tuesday, June 23.

The change of opposition is unlikely to lead to a change of tactics, with Jordan’s success built on giving up possession and hitting teams on the counter-attack.

That was evident against Austria, when they had under 37 per cent possession but still registered the same number of shots (11) and shots on target (4) as their opponents, while managing 21 touches in the Europeans’ penalty area.

However, that approach could prove risky against a talented Algerian side who boast several players capable of producing moments of magic.

The Desert Foxes’ most famous player remains former Manchester City and Leicester City winger Riyad Mahrez, who is still going strong with Saudi Pro League outfit Al Ahli.

However, the 35-year-old did not start Algeria’s 3-0 defeat by Argentina in their opening game and was introduced only in the 64th minute, showing the depth of talent available to manager Vladimir Petkovic.

Feyenoord’s Anis Hadj Moussa and Fares Chaibi, of Eintracht Frankfurt, got the nod on the wings, while Petkovic can also call on Bayer Leverkusen playmaker Ibrahim Maza - dubbed ‘Mazadona’ by fans - and Wolfsburg striker Mohamed Amoura, who topped the goalscoring charts in African qualifying.

You would expect that collection of players to click at some point, having understandably been outshone by Messi’s hat-trick in the opening game, and they will see this as a great opportunity to take three points and boost their chances of qualifying for the last 32.

Equally, Jordan will know they cannot rely on getting anything from their meeting with Messi - which could make for an entertaining contest here.

Score prediction: Jordan 1-2 Algeria

How to watch Jordan vs Algeria

You can watch Jordan vs Algeria in Group J of World Cup 2026 for free.

The match will be broadcast live on ITV in the UK, FS1 in the United States and SBS in Australia.

What's your Jordan vs Algeria prediction? Let us know below...

Senegal and Norway continue their World Cup 2026 campaigns tonight with an exciting-looking clash.

The two sides are in a tricky group with France and Iraq, so points are vital wherever they can be picked up.

The match will be shown live on ITV in the UK tonight and here's who will be taking viewers through the coverage.

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ITV presenter, pundits and commentators for Norway vs Senegal

Leading the team in the ITV studio will be presenter Laura Woods, who is one of three members of the network's presenting team.

She will be joined in the studio by two former players for the broadcast, with kick-off due at 1am UK time.

Woods will be joined in the studio by ex-Arsenal and Manchester City man Patrick Vieira.

The Senegal-born former midfielder won the World Cup with France back in 1998 and will be providing analysis on tonight's clash.

Alongside him will be ex-Chelsea and Manchester United man Juan Mata, who is another of ITV's star-studded lineup of pundits.

Like Vieira, Mata is also a World Cup winner, having played a part in Spain's successful squad in 2010.

The three will be discussing the game's big moments at half-time and full-time.

Meanwhile, the live play-by-play commentary for the game will be provided by Jon Champion.

He will be joined in the gantry at the MetLife Stadium by Ally McCoist.

The duo have become one of ITV's best-loved commentary teams due to their enthusiasm and on-air chemistry.

Argentina’s 2-0 win over Austria took them through to the round of 32 and all but confirmed them as the winners of Group J.

World Cup 2026 has so far been a breeze for the defending world champions, whose five unanswered goals against Algeria and Austria were all scored by captain and eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi.

Eight Ballon d’Or triumphs is a record, of course, and it’s just one of the very many to which Messi’s name is attached. Just before his 39th birthday, the Inter Miami man added a couple of beauties to the list.

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Record World Cup goalscorer

Most noteworthy among the avalanche of records broken by Messi in his career is the one he absolutely demolished in the space of two World Cup 2026 matches.

At the start of the tournament, Messi had scored 13 World Cup goals – three fewer than the World Cup’s record goalscorer, Miroslav Klose.

He was level with the former Germany striker by the end of the opening game against Algeria. Despite missing a penalty, he was ahead with 17 goals by half time in the win over Austria. He added number 18 four minutes into stoppage time at the end of the game.

Klose, Ronaldo and Gerd Muller are all retired but France striker Kylian Mbappe moved to within three goals of Messi almost immediately. We’re so sure his tally will grow very soon that we’re not going to put a number on it.

For now, Messi rules the roost.

Most World Cup matches won

The Argentina skipper shares the record for the most World Cups with Cristiano Ronaldo. Both played at their first World Cup in Germany in 2006 and have featured in every tournament since.

But it’s Messi who has played in the most World Cup matches (28) ahead of Lothar Matthaus (25), Klose (24) and Paolo Maldini and Cristiano Ronaldo (23), and he has the most minutes to boot.

Remarkably, Messi started tonight’s game against Austria level with Klose for the number of World Cup matches they’d won too. The Argentina captain’s record-breaking goals also took him to 18 wins, one clear of Klose’s 17.

Cafu of Brazil is third on the list with 16 wins. Five players – Wolfgang Overath (West Germany), Ronaldo (Brazil), Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Matthaus (all Germany) have won 15 games.

Of those, only Matthaus has a lower run-rate than Messi in terms of World Cup matches won. Mbappe has a better goals-per-match record than Messi along with Harry Kane, Enner Valencia, Cody Gakpo and James Rodriguez.

Technicalities. The World Cup-winning, multiple record-holding Argentinian skipper probably doesn’t mind.

It wouldn't a World Cup unless there were goalkeepers complaining about the flight of the ball.

Kylian Mbappe's opener for France against Iraq on Monday evening was just the latest long-range effort strike to be hit at a saveable height, only for the keeper to see it hit the back of the net despite getting a hand to it.

And former England goalkeeper Joe Hart is now even more convinced that the ball at this summer's World Cup is causing goalkeepers one very specific problem.

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'THRIKER!'

Speaking on the BBC, Hart said: "So many times I've seen this goal - way too many times for a World Cup for there not to be something up with that football.

"It's when it's that kind of shoulder height...as soon as they're not using the curling technique, as soon as that ball is not moving, it's not spinning, the goalkeepers are struggling.

"Mbappe gets it out of his feet, and of course, there's a few defenders in the way and that makes it difficult for Ahmed - but he has eyes on it from this moment onwards, right? And watch the ball, the trajectory of it, it is not moving (curling).

"Now that's not right in the corner - and this is not me coming for the goalkeeper, because I've seen it happen. I've seen it happen with Mendy, Zidane, Pickford - they just cannot seem to get their timing right with this World Cup football on anything above shoulder height was not a curled effort.

"He's got enough time, and a World Cup goalkeeper can get a step in here and dive, but it seems like it's on him before he's even ready to make contact.

"I was speaking to [fellow pundit] Gael [Clichy] during the first half, and saying: 'How many times at top level do you see the goalkeeper touch it, and it go in the goal?'. Very rarely, because they're good enough that if they do get contact, they get it wide.

"I'm noticing in this tournament that goalkeepers are getting touches on above their shoulder, and they're just not able to keep it out, so something's up."

Hart had given his view on the same issue earlier in the tournament, saying: "I'm noticing it with the higher balls (shots towards the top corner).

"I honestly feel like this ball is coming onto the goalkeepers a lot faster than they than they feel it is off the foot."

Pointing to one of Croatia's goals against England, Hart went on: "What you notice with this is Jordan Pickford flies at this ball and he just doesn't [keep it out].

"You'll ask, 'why has he gone with his thumb rather than his hand?'. It just feels like he's on him [faster than he anticipates].

"I noticed this with Mbappe against [Senegal keeper] Edouard Mendy earlier in the earlier in the tournament...as it leaves [Mbappe's] foot, it's a decent strike, of course it is, but Edouard Mendy is a Champions League winner, and he just doesn't get his hands up, he doesn't time it right. These are world-class goalkeepers at World Cup level.

"With Messi against Zidane - which is a random thing to be saying in a World Cup - as it leaves his foot, that's not a brilliant strike...it's a good strike, but [Algeria keeper Luca] Zidane is more than capable of saving that ball.

"But again, he doesn't quite time it right. It seems like it's on him before he's got his hands up there in the right position, and he ends up kind of pushing at it rather than pushing it over over the bar.

"I think as the tournament goes on and the guys get more used to the atmosphere and the speed of the ball and these specific World Cup footballs, we're going to see those shots saved."

France vs Iraq's first half concluded at approximately 10:45pm British time (5.45pm ET), with the former up 1-0 through a Kylian Mbappe strike.

The goal took Mbappe to three goals behind all-time leading goalscorer Lionel Messi (who set the record earlier this evening).

Due to weather chaos, including heavy downpour and thunderstorms, the clash was delayed, but what are the protocols for such an occurrence?

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Why was the second half of France vs Iraq delayed?

France began their 2026 World Cup campaign with a solid victory against Africa Cup of Nations finalists Senegal.

Mbappe and Michael Olise combined in the second half to defeat the Senagalese side, who battled admirably for much of the preceding minutes.

Now, after the two linked up in the 14th minute vs Iraq again to bring France a step closer to knockout football qualification, the game's second half has been delayed.

This follows earlier warnings from tournament organisers and local authorities in Philadelphia.

Due to torrential downpour and extreme weather warnings, fans outside of the city were advised to stay at home for the event.

There was heavy rain three hours prior to kick-off, and delayed gate openings were enforced as a result.

Then, the second half has was delayed due to lightning strikes for two hours, which prompted strict safety protocol adherence.

In the event of lightning within eight miles of the stadium, the game must be delayed for at least 30 minutes (15 minutes to wait after the last strike, and 15 minutes for the players to warm-up), and that break can recur or even restart following another strike.

In that time, fans and personnel are moved to secure areas or indoor shelters as the timer runs down from the weather event.

As a result, France vs Iraq was delayed until 1am UK time.

The game eventually did restart and France doubled their lead through Mabappe and then Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele made it 3-0 to send Didier Deschamps' side into the last 32 of the World Cup.

What did the players do during the delay?

As a result of the lengthy delay there was no hydration break in the second half, while there were just two minutes of additional time at the end.

"It was a very long evening," said Mbappe afterwards.

"We spent a lot of time waiting. It's emotionally and mentally draining because we had to stay fully focused and engaged in the dressing room.

"Staying in the dressing room for an hour and a half - almost two hours - while maintaining focus is very difficult. It demands a lot. The players made a huge effort, as did the staff."

So what did they do in the delay?

"We played cards," joked France boss Deschamps.

"No, well, we were waiting. We had slots that kept being pushed forward again.

"I was actually having a good time with my players and having fun.

"It's a question of safety. You cannot fight against the rain and lightning.

"It doesn't annoy me. These are very special circumstances and I do hope they don't happen again. It was important to take no risks."

France vs Iraq is currently paused, with the former up 1-0 through a Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise link-up in the 14th minute.

Mbappe, now just three goals behind all-time leading goalscorer Lionel Messi (who set the record earlier this evening), will look to increase his tally in the delayed second half.

But with weather chaos, heavy rain and thunderstorms causing disruption, the following protocols are designed to mitigate that.

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France vs Iraq struck by extreme weather warnings - what are the protocols?

France kicked off the 2026 World Cup with a comprehensive victory against Africa Cup of Nations finalists (winners?) Senegal.

Mbappe and Olise linked up once more to drive the French dagger deep into Senagalese hearts, after a valiant battle for most of the game.

A victory against Iraq would likely seal knockout football for the French side, however, extreme weather warning could affect that.

First, gate openings were delayed due to the threat of heavy rain, thunderstorms and potentially dangerous weather.

Prior to that, fans were advised not to travel to the event by tournament organisers and local authorities.

The game, taking place in Philadelphia, was also at risk of being delayed in its kick-off time, in the event of lightning.

The first half was able to conclude, but following protocol is now in place after lightning occured.

If lightning is detected within eight miles of a stadium, the game must be paused for at least thirty minutes.

Fans and personnel will be escorted to secure areas or indoor shelters, with the break occurring again or restarting at the next lightning strike.

Heavy rain was falling three hours prior to kick-off, and while the first half ran uninterrupted, this game has be affected by the warnings.

After the final lightning strike, players will be held for another 15 minutes, then they will be given a 15-minute window to warm up again.

It's always dangerous to assume anything about what lies ahead in a major tournament but Norway vs Senegal feels like Group I's decisive fixture at the World Cup 2026.

Two teams that, on paper, would appear to be battling out as group runners-up meet at the MetLife Stadium. A Norway win should lock off the top two but the opposite would blow the group wide open

Senegal lost 3-1 to France in their first match, but matched the two-time world champions for much of the opening hour. Norway, meanwhile, defeated Iraq 4-1 as Erling Haaland did Erling Haaland things to put his side top of the group on goal difference.

According to the live FIFA World Rankings, 17th-ranked Senegal are 10 places higher than Stale Solbakken's side. That gap was 16 places pre-tournament, when the last full and official version of the FIFA World Rankings came out.

A win for the Lions of Teranga in East Rutherford would open Group I back up again as they try to reach the knockout phase for for the third time. Another defeat, though, and they're in big trouble.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Norway vs Senegal in the FIFA World Cup 2026 online, on TV, and from anywhere.

Watch Norway vs Senegal for FREE

Norway vs Senegal will be free-to-stream across multiple regions, including ITV in the UK, RTÉ Player in Ireland, SBS On Demand in Australia, CazéTV on YouTube in Brazil, NOS in the Netherlands, RTBF/VRT in Belgium, SRF/RTS/RSI in Switzerland, and TRT in Turkey.

English commentary will be provided on ITV, RTE Player and SBS On Demand.

‼️ Outside one of these countries? Use Norton VPN to unlock your stream from anywhere in the world — more on that below.

Watch Norway vs Senegal from anywhere

Away from home this summer and want to watch Norway vs Senegal? All you need is a VPN, a handy piece of software that makes your devices appear to be in a different location.

This World Cup, our office friends at TechRadar are recommending Norton VPN:

How to watch Norway vs Senegal in the UK

In the UK, you can stream Norway vs Senegal on ITV. The build-up starts at 12:15am BST, ahead of the kick-off at 1:00am BST.

How to watch Norway vs Senegal in the US

In the US, you can stream Norway vs Senegal on Fox.

This channel is accessible via Fox's own streaming platform Fox One or via a cord-cutting platform such as YouTube TV, Hulu+Live TV, Sling (select markets), Fubo or DirecTV.

How to watch Norway vs Senegal in Australia

In Australia, you can watch Norway vs Senegal on the free SBS On Demand.

Norway vs Senegal: World Cup 2026 Preview

It's easy to normalise Haaland's freakish numbers. Just to be clear, his World Cup goalscoring record is two goals per game. That's from the smallest possible sample size, sure, but he plundered 16 to get Norway there in the first place.

Haaland's brace against Iraq set his team on the path to a first win in North America. A second against either Senegal or France would make it the country's most successful global tournament in terms of wins.

Norway made it out of the group when they last appeared at the World Cup in 1998, when Solbakken was a member of the playing squad, but only picked up one win.

Ibrahim Mbaye's stoppage-time goal was a short-lived oasis for Senegal in a difficult opener against France. They kept the 2018 winners more or less at arm's length for three-quarters of the match but suffered the expected defeat as Kylian Mbappe stepped up.

Senegal's World Cup starts here because it has to. Against Norway, Pape Thiaw's team face a serious challenge to their knock-out round dreams.

The only previous meeting between Norway and Senegal was in a friendly 20 years ago. Senegal claimed a 2-1 win in Dakar – they'd snap your hand off for the same again at the World Cup.

Norway vs Senegal: Group I

FourFourTwo's prediction

Norway 2-1 Senegal

FourFourTwo predicts a match that's otherwise close to call but settled by you-know-who. Cue more 'viking row' celebrations in the crowd.

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Norway are set to face Senegal as World Cup's Group I reaches its second round of fixtures.

Norway are looking to build on their impressive 4-1 win over Iraq in their opening game, while Senegal are hoping to bounce back from defeat to France.

Here's who will be in charge for the clash tonight.

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Brazilian man to officiate his second fixture of the tournament

Brazilian Wilton Sampaio made headlines when he refereed the opening match of the 2026 World Cup between Mexico and South Africa.

The official handed out three red cards in an action packed curtain raiser, suggesting that there will likely be more red cards at this tournament than any that have preceded it.

Sampaio will be in charge once again this evening for Norway's game against Senegal.

Since he dished out three reds in that opener, there have been another four brandished, taking the tournament total to seven and counting.

The most in any tournament is 28 red cards, which happened at the 2006 World Cup in Germany.

The Brazilian will be joined by his fellow countrymen Bruno Pires and Bruno Boschilia, both of whom will be assisting on the touchlines for tonight's clash.

New Zealand's Campbell-Kirk Kawana-Waugh will be on fourth official duties, while his compatriot Isaac Trevis will be the reserve assistant referee.

Sampaio will be hoping for a quieter match this evening, although with both Norway and Senegal desperate to qualify from their group to the knockout stages there's a lot on the line.

Prior to this year's opening fixture, the official has taken charge of more than 250 games across domestic and international football, including England's defeat to France at the previous World Cup.

He was also part of FIFA's inaugural Video Assistant Referee team which was introduced for the 2018 tournament in Russia.

Liverpool are on the verge of having two stars complete moves to the North London club this summer.

Tottenham Hotspur, who narrowly avoided relegation last season, are making moves to ensure such a scenario does not play out again.

Conversely, or not so much so, the 2024/25 Premier League victors are looking to get back to winning ways under new boss Andoni Iraola, after Arne Slot delivered a torrid sophomore campaign at Anfield.

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Liverpool on verge of having TWO stars pilfered by Tottenham Hotspur ahead of Andoni Iraola's first campaign

Liverpool's Andy Robertson departed from Anfield at the end of the 2025/26 season, ending a nine-year spell with the Reds.

The Scot, currently playing at the 2026 World Cup, could be joined in London by a fellow Red, also lighting it up on the world stage.

Cody Gakpo, currently enjoying a solid 2026 World Cup campaign with three goal involvements for the Netherlands, could join his former team-mate at Tottenham Hotspur next season.

According to a report from TEAMtalk, the North London club are in discussions with Liverpool regarding the Dutchman's future.

This arrives after the Reds signed Spain's Victor Munoz, a young but exciting La Liga talent who could rival Gakpo on the left flank.

It also arrives after Spurs' long-time pursuit of Manchester City player Savinho, with the North London club now, reportedly, weighing up the benefits of a move for Gakpo instead.

The Dutchman, who endured a poor season individually under fellow countryman Slot in 2025/26, is concerned about his starter status, or lack thereof, at Liverpool under his new Basque boss.

The signing of Munoz was personally pushed for by Iraola, making it unclear as to whether Gakpo's future lies in being a starting or rotational player.

Mohamed Salah's departure also raises alarm bells, with Gakpo's best years coming under the Egyptian's guidance, and his form dropping significantly without his wing partner performing to the usual level last season.

Despite this, Liverpool's 'out-of-form' stars could be amongst the most intriguing transfers of the 2026 summer window.

Almost every player who performed poorly under Slot last season has seen a significant upturn in form at international level, with Gakpo being no exception.

For now, the Dutchman's future remains undecided, but Spurs are probing and could see two experienced Liverpool players in their team next year.

Norway and Senegal go head-to-head tonight in what could be a thrilling match in Group I.

Erling Haaland impressed as the Norwegians got off to a strong start in their opener against Iraq, while Senegal battled valiantly in their defeat to France.

Here's how the game could play out this evening.

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Norway vs Senegal odds from BOYLE SPORTS

• Norway WIN - 11/10
• Draw - 23/10
• Senegal WIN - 23/10

Norway vs Senegal predictions

The bookies have Norway as the favourites for tonight's match and it's not difficult to see why.

Haaland and co were rarely troubled in their opening clash against Iraq, but tonight's test promises to be much tougher.

Senegal more than held their own for most of their game against one of the tournament's favourites in France, but they weren't able to keep them out in the end and things fell apart soon after the hour mark.

However, if they have any hope of progressing, a point is probably required at the very least from tonight's match, before they take on Iraq in the final game of the group stage.

A close game should be expected and it wouldn't be the biggest shock to see the underdogs claim the victory, but Norway are solid and should have enough to avoid defeat.

Score prediction: Norway 2-2 Senegal

How to watch Norway vs Senegal

You can watch Norway vs Senegal in Group I of World Cup 2026 for free. All the information you need is in our how to watch guide.

The match will be broadcast live on ITV in the UK, FOX in the United States and SBS in Australia.

What's your Norway vs Senegal prediction? Let us know below...

Denis Undav turns 30 on Sunday, July 19. A significant date for another reason – it's is the date of the 2026 World Cup Final which will be played at the cavernous MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to many if Germany were involved in it.

Undav is the unlikely hero, whose two goals off the bench saw Julian Nagelsmann’s team come from behind to beat Ivory Coast and win Group E with a match to spare.

Germany will play Ecuador in their last group fixture before meeting a third-placed team at Gillette Stadium in the round of 32. Undav’s unexpected impact could be exactly the springboard they needed.

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How revitalised Deniz Undav has become Germany’s secret weapon

If there are any Stuttgart flags on the way to MetLife for Germany’s clash with Ecuador on Thursday, FIFA officials will be checking them for images of Undav.

Germany’s attacking threat is more about maximising dynamic forward players than funnelling their play towards one focal point but Undav’s return to German football two years ago has seen him emerge as a potent source of firepower.

Undav also scored Germany’s seventh goal against Curacao in their first Group E match. Only Lionel Messi, the World Cup’s record scorer, has more goals in the early part of this summer’s tournament.

The 29-year-old centre-forward never represented his country at under-age levels and didn’t make his senior international debut until March 2024, at the age of 27. He scored his first international goal six months later.

Of his 11 caps, eight have been as a substitute. Nagelsmann has been able to extract from Undav a highly effective streak of useful goals that includes six goals in his last five appearances and three in two at the World Cup.

In all, the former Premier League striker has scored nine goals in 427 minutes of international football, a rate of nearly one every 45 minutes. That’s the sort of record that can make for a very handy tournament player.

If Undav seems to have come out of nowhere at the international level, his emergence won’t surprise anyone familiar with his time at Stuttgart.

Undav joined the Tony Bloom stable when he signed for Union Saint-Gilloise in 2020. After two prolific seasons in Belgium and five goals in 22 Premier League appearances for Brighton & Hove Albion in 2022-23, the Lower Saxony-born centre-forward went on loan to Stuttgart and hasn’t looked back.

Life in the Bundesliga has strapped rocket skates to a late-blooming hitman. Undav signed for Stuttgart permanently in August 2024 and has been scoring for fun ever since.

Just ask Borussia Dortmund against whom he scored a hat-trick last November, or Augsburg, who conceded two Undav goals on two separate occasions last season.

Nagelsmann might not have a truly elite centre-forward but what he does have in Kai Havertz and Undav is one forward who’s everything he needs and one with the wherewithal to turn things around if that doesn’t work.

Could Deniz Undav fire Germany to the World Cup final on his birthday? Let us know in the comments below…

France lived up to their pre-tournament billing when they dispatched Senegal 3-1 in their opening Group I clash last week.

The spotlight had firmly been on Kylian Mbappe and the Real Madrid man did not disappoint, scoring twice to claim top spot in France's all-time leading goalscorer list.

Next up for Les Blues is an Iraq side were left licking their wounds after Erling Haaland netted twice in a 4-1 victory for Norway in their opening clash.

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Who is the referee for New Zealand vs Egypt?

Kick-off is set for 4pm local time (10pm UK time) at Philadelphia Stadium, in the United States.

With France knowing that a win will seal a place in the knockouts, they will want to ensure there are no slip-ups ahead of their final group stage match against Nroway, while Iraq will be looking for a shock result that would reignite their hopes of progression.

The referee for this match will be Drew Fischer, who will be taking charge of his first-ever World Cup match.

The 45-year-old from Canada has been a FIFA referee since 2015, with the majority of his career so far being spent in the MLS, where he was named the league's Referee of the Year in 2024 and 2025.

Fischer has also been a regular presence at the CONCACAF Champions Cup, the Gold Cup and was also a Video Match Official at the 2022 World Cup on Qatar.

Running the lines for Fischer will be fellow Cannucks Micheal Barwegen and Lyes Arfa.

Swiss whistle-merchant Sandro Schärer will be the fourth official in Philadelphia, with his compatriot Stephane De Almeida as the reserve.

Up in the VAR booth, it will be American Joseph Dickerson.

He will be assisted by Uruguayan official Antonio Garcia.

One extra wrinkle to this evening's clash is that forecasted storms in the Philadelphia region may cause the match officials to trigger FIFA's bad weather protocols and delay the match.

The early to mid 1990s were something of a wild era in football history. The sport was trying to crack the lucrative American market via the ‘94 World Cup, but American television networks were terrified of a sport with 45 minutes of uninterrupted play and absolutely zero commercial breaks.

FIFA were also panicking after Italia '90, which remains one of the lowest-scoring, most defensively cynical World Cups in history, averaging a measly 2.21 goals per game and featuring a dreadful, foul-heavy final.

To ‘fix’ the game for American audiences and increase goals, FIFA seriously considered several radical changes. Four 25-Minute Quarters was one…

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In 1990 FIFA tried to introduce 25-minute quarters to accomodate TV networks

In March 1990, FIFA President João Havelange dropped a bombshell by suggesting football abandon its traditional two 45-minute halves in favour of four 25-minute quarters. The Goal? To blatantly accommodate American television networks like ABC and ESPN, who held the 1994 rights.

Television executives believed that without regular stoppages, the tournament would become a massive financial risk because there wasn’t enough space for commercials. Naturally, purists went ballistic.

UEFA, backed heavily by the traditionalist British Home Associations on the International Football Association Board (IFAB), fiercely guarded the sanctity of the game's clock and flatly refused to butcher football’s structure for advertising dollars.

Incredibly, making the goals bigger was also proposed. FIFA openly debated increasing the space between goalposts by a few inches to give strikers an advantage. A change Diana Ross would have appreciated. That idea was also ultimately shot down by UEFA and IFAB.

With clock changes and goal sizes sacrosanct, FIFA and IFAB had to find other ways to incentivise attacking football for USA '94. This resulted in rules we take for granted today like the back-pass rule, introduced in 1992 after a particularly tedious Euros final in Sweden.

USA '94 was the first World Cup where goalkeepers were banned from picking up deliberate back-passes from their teammates' feet. It completely eliminated the Italia '90 and Euro ‘92 tactic of wasting time by passing back to the keeper.

Three points for a win was introduced in 1981 but didn’t come into effect until USA ‘94. Designed to discourage teams from playing for a boring 0–0, the group stages in America awarded three points for a win instead of two for the first time in World Cup history.

Another first was that referees were allowed to wear colours other than traditional black (usually bright yellow, pink, or white) to avoid clashing with teams, and players finally had their names printed on the back of their jerseys.

Ultimately, the compromise worked. USA '94 became a massive commercial success, shattered attendance records that still stand today, and averaged a much healthier 2.71 goals per game — all without a single commercial break during play.

Kylian Mbappe is on track to becoming the World Cup's greatest ever player, having made it to two successful finals with France at the tournament.

The Frenchman has bagged four World Cup final goals, the most of any player ever, and won the 2022 edition's Golden Boot.

During Argentina vs Austria, Lionel Messi became the tournament's highest goalscorer of all time, but how close is Mbappe to him?

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How many World Cup goals does Kylian Mbappe need to overtake Lionel Messi?

If the Frenchman is indeed to go down as the greatest World Cup player ever, his rivalry with Messi is an integral part of the story.

Mbappe delivered perhaps the greatest performance from a player on the losing side against Argentina in 2022, but, four years prior, he was the standout for France in their 4-3 victory over Messi's team, en-route to their 2018 victory.

With Messi's brace vs Austria, two glorious, but typical, strikes slotted into the net, he bagged his 17th and 18th World Cup goals.

That number took him above the previous record holder, Germany's Miroslav Klose, who hit 16 for his national side.

Prior to Klose, the record was held by Ronaldo Nazario with 15, standing from 2006 to 2014.

Before that, Gerd Muller held the record with 14 for almost three decades, but Messi's current record could last for just three games.

Mbappe has 16 goals for France at the tournament, bagging braces vs Senegal and Iraq.

The only other active player in the Top 10 World Cup goalscorers of all time is England's Harry Kane, with 10 strikes in tenth.

After Iraq, who conceded four to Norway, Mbappe and France take on the Erling Haaland-led national side on June 26.

Beyond the all-time scoring race, Messi also has a one-goal lead over the Frenchman in the hunt for the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot.

If an already qualified Argentina slow down and perhaps rest their ageing legend, then the Frenchman could be in business come Friday.

Elite-level footballers can earn an absolute fortune playing club football, but is it the same when they represent their nations at tournaments?

With the World Cup currently ongoing, players are taking time they would ordinarily spend on holiday with their families and instead competing for the highest international honour.

But are they doing it simply for the love of the game, or is there a financial incentive included too? Well, the answer is both yes and no.

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England players haven't earned any money for international appearances since 2007

England players are entitled to appearance fees from the FA for their international appearances, but since 2007, none of them have received those payments.

Instead, the fees, which haven't been revealed by the FA, but are thought to be a fraction of their weekly payments from their clubs at around £2,500, are donated to the England Football Foundation charity.

Since the beginning of this initiative, the players have raised more than £15m to charity.

Other nations' players will still receive their appearance money and it is up to their respective football federations to distribute payments as they see fit.

FIFA provides each nation with a participation fee, as well as bonuses for progressing to the next stage, and a winners' fee for the champions.

Overall, around £658m ($871m) will be distributed between the 48 participating countries, with the winners set to pocket $50m (£38m).

That marks a 15% increase from the £549m ($727m) handed out during Qatar 2022.

It isn't just England players who donate their fees to charity, either.

Kylian Mbappe famously donated his appearance fees for the Qatar World Cup, as well as his fees and prize money from the Russia World Cup in 2018.

It is yet to be confirmed if anyone else will be donating their fees from this year's tournament.

Kylian Mbappe broke France's goalscoring record, on matchday one at the World Cup 2026, and Les Bleus' skipper will be hungry for more as he leads his side against Iraq at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia today.

A win for France and they'll secure progress to the round of 32 with a game to spare, while the Lions of Mesopotamia seek a first-ever World Cup point that would keep their slim hopes of qualification alive.

Mbappe broke Olivier Giroud's all-time France tally in his side's 3-1 defeat of Senegal, while also surpassing Just Fontaine's national record of 13 at the World Cup. Mbappe started today on 14 tournament goals, just two behind all-time leaders Lionel Messi and Miroslav Klose. He's done it all in just 15 matches, and likely has another World Cup or two in him.

With France already three points to the good, their captain can look at the remaining group games as a chance to kill two birds with one stone: score the goals that take him to the top of the charts and the two-time winners to the round of 32.

Though Iraq equalised with Norway in the first game of their second World Cup, Graham Arnold's side faded to eventually fall to a 4-1 defeat. They are yet to pick up a point in tournament history, but if Cape Verde can do it, why not them?

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch France vs Iraq in the FIFA World Cup 2026 online, on TV, and from anywhere.

Watch France vs Iraq for FREE

France vs Iraq will be free-to-stream across multiple regions, including BBC in the UK, RTÉ Player in Ireland, SBS On Demand in Australia, CazéTV on YouTube in Brazil, NOS in the Netherlands, RTBF/VRT in Belgium, SRF/RTS/RSI in Switzerland, and TRT in Turkey.

English commentary will be provided on BBC, RTE Player and SBS On Demand.

‼️ Outside one of these countries? Use Norton VPN to unlock your stream from anywhere in the world — more on that below.

Watch France vs Iraq from anywhere

Away from home this summer and want to watch France vs Iraq? All you need is a VPN, a handy piece of software that makes your devices appear to be in a different location.

This World Cup, our office friends at TechRadar are recommending Norton VPN:

How to watch France vs Iraq in the UK

In the UK, you can stream France vs Iraq on BBC. The build-up starts at 9:30pm BST, ahead of the kick-off at 10:00pm BST.

How to watch France vs Iraq in the US

In the US, you can stream France vs Iraq on Fox.

This channel is accessible via Fox's own streaming platform Fox One or via a cord-cutting platform such as YouTube TV, Hulu+Live TV, Sling (select markets), Fubo or DirecTV.

How to watch France vs Iraq in Australia

In Australia, you can watch France vs Iraq on the free SBS On Demand.

France vs Iraq: World Cup 2026 Preview

There were 77 days between Iraq's inter-continental play-offs win against Bolivia to become the last World Cup 2026 qualifiers, and their first Group I game against Norway in Boston.

Aymen Hussein cancelled out Erling Haaland's opener with six first-half minutes to go, but the Manchester City striker soon restored the lead before the interval. The second half at Gillette Stadium was a procession, as Hussein's own goal meant he became the third player in World Cup history to score at both ends of the pitch.

That added the Norwegians to Paraguay, Belgium and Mexico as the teams to have beaten Iraq at a World Cup. Even Graham Arnold will do well to imagine a world in which France don't become the fifth.

Two-time winners France are the headline act for the World Cup's third game at the Linc, where the previous two both went the way of the favourites – Ivory Coast beating Ecuador and Brazil hammering Haiti 3-0 – in front of more than 68,000 fans.

Didier Deschamps' time in charge looks certain to extend into the round of 32. With a win in Philadelphia today, his team will make the final fixture against Norway immaterial. Nevertheless, France laboured for much of the first hour against Senegal and will want to put this game to bed as early as possible.

This is the first time Iraq have ever played France. Even a point would be one of the biggest surprises of the summer.

France vs Iraq: Group I

Team News

France XI: Mike Maignan (GK); Jules Kounde, Dayot Upamecano, William Saliba, Lucas Digne; Manu Kone, Adrien Rabiot; Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembele; Bradley Barcola, Kylian Mbappe

Lucas Digne, Bradley Barcola and Manu Kone have been brought in for their first starts of the World Cup.

Iraq XI: Ahmed Basil (GK); Hussein Ali, Zaid Tahseen, Akam Hashim, Marchas Doski; Amir Al-Ammari, Zaid Ismael; Ibrahim Bayesh, Zidane Iqbal, Ahmed Qasem; Aymen Hussein

Arnold also makes three changes, most notably in goal. Ahmed Basil replaces Jalal Hassan, while Ali Jassim and Ali Al-Hamadi also drop out.

FourFourTwo's prediction

France 4-0 Iraq

Iraq lost 4-1 in their first match of the tournament. FourFourTwo fears for them with Mbappe firing on all cylinders.

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Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick against Algeria to move level with German striker Miroslav Klose with a record 16 goals at World Cups.

After reeling Klose in just 76 minutes into World Cup 2026, the world was expecting the net to bulge when Argentina were awarded an early penalty kick via a VAR review against Austria in Dallas.

The Austrians felt the decision was harsh but they needn’t have worried. Messi aimed for Alexander Schlager’s bottom-left corner but missed the target. World Cup goal number 17 would have to wait – but not for long.

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What is Lionel Messi’s penalty record?

Messi fired Argentina into the lead with a classic Messi finish after 38 minutes against Austria. He is now the World Cup’s outright record goalscorer.

Perhaps surprisingly, eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi, who is regarded as an icon and is ranked at no.1 in FourFourTwo's list of the greatest players of all time, has admitted that penalties are a flaw in his game that he’s long wanted to improve upon.

“I would like to be more effective from the penalty spot,” he said in 2018. “But it's difficult to work on penalties. It's not the same taking them in training as it is in a game.

“You can have an idea in your head or something you have worked on, but it's more difficult than it seems. The goalkeeper has a lot to do with it, too. If they guess right, they save it. But it's obvious that I'd like to get better at taking penalties.”

The goalkeeper had no more to do with Messi’s missed penalty in Dallas than he did with the subsequent record-breaking goal, but the Argentina captain’s overall record from the spot is rather weaker than one might expect from a player of his stature.

His showdown with Schlager was the seventh World Cup penalty of his career and his third miss.

Messi has scored 116 penalties in his career for club and country, failing to find the net with a further 32 spot kicks. That’s a respectable enough success rate in the region of 78 percent, but respectable has never been enough for one of the game’s most beloved proponents and prolific scorers.

Messi’s fourth goal of World Cup 2026 came not from the spot but from a first-time left-footed finish after arriving at the edge of the box to meet a cut-back. It was textbook Messi and there could be no finer way to claim the undisputed record.

The challenge for Messi now is to stretch his lead as much as possible. He will turn 39 this week and is unlikely to play in another World Cup. France captain Kylian Mbappe, more than a decade his junior, has scored 14 goals in 15 World Cup matches.

What do you think? Will Mbappe catch Messi and become the World Cup’s record scorer? Let us know in the comments…

Jurgen Klopp has hit back at a series of incendiary comments made by former Netherlands attacker Rafael van der Vaart.

The Netherlands prevailed in a 5-1 victory against Sweden on Saturday, after drawing their opener against Japan in an action-packed 2-2 stalemate.

Van der Vaart was quick to criticise Virgil van Dijk, even after a comprehensive victory, which did not go down well with the centre-back's former manager at Liverpool.

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Jurgen Klopp fires back at 'attention-seeking' Rafael van der Vaart, after former Netherlands attacker criticises Virgil van Dijk

Jurgen Klopp is making it a habit to defend his former players amidst media and pundit criticism, despite his Anfield reign concluding two years ago.

The German was quick to defend Mohamed Salah late last year, after his former player came under scrutiny for an inflammatory interview.

Now, Klopp has came to Van Dijk's aid, after the former Netherlands attacker described him as akin to a Boeing 747 in his movements.

Speaking about the centre-back's speed, Van Der Vaart said: "I have to be honest: I was quite shocked by Van Dijk.

"I thought, 'that doesn't look good.' Especially while turning... a bit like a Boeing 747 turning. I hope he starts turning a bit faster during the tournament," he concluded.

In response, Klopp was ruthless in his total shutting down of Van Der Vaart's opinion, describing the former Netherlands attacker as "not worth mentioning."

"If he ever says something positive about any player at some point, then I'll be happy to take him seriously again," said the German.

Klopp continued: "You get the feeling he sees something, and then it has to be formulated in a flowery way.

"And then he's really against it. But that way, it's really not important," said the German, questioning the integrity of Van Der Vaart's criticism.

Van Dijk and the Netherlands currently top Group F with four points, despite tying on points, goal difference and head-to-head vs Japan.

Ronald Koeman's men return to 2026 World Cup action against bottom of the group Tunisia on Friday, hoping to maintain their top spot.

You've got to feel for Iraq in Group I.

Graham Arnold's side are playing in their first World Cup for 40 years, but had to play second fiddle to Norway and Erling Haaland in their opening, with the Manchester City striker helping himself to a brace in a 4-1 victory for the Scandinavians.

And after dealing with one world-class forward, they are now up against Kylian Mbappe, fresh from his two-goal opening performance in France's 3-1 win over Senegal.

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France vs Iraq odds from BOYLE SPORTS

• France WIN - 1/14
• Draw - 10/1
• Iraq WIN - 25/1

France vs Iraq prediction

The match is set to kick off at 4pm local time (10am UK time) at the Philadelphia Stadium in Pennsylvania, United States.

France begin the second Group I matchday sitting second in the group, behind Norway on goal difference, after the two European nations won their opening fixtures. Iraq and Senegal are both looking for their first points.

France, therefore, know that they are well placed to make the knockouts, but will want to make sure they head into their final group stage match against Norway on maximum points to ensure they are in the box seat to top the group.

That said, given the depth in Didier Deschamps' squad, it would be no surprise if he were to shuffle his pack somewhat and give the likes of Lucas Digne, Bradley Barcola and Manu Kone a start.

The French media have also suggested that Michael Olise will be moved into a number ten role, allowing Ousmane Dembele to his optimal right-hand side role, which could all be music to Mbappe's ears.

The Real Madrid man starts Group I's Matchday 2 sitting two goals behind Lionel Messi and Miroslav Klose in the all-time World Cup goalscoring chart and will fancy his chances of closing the gap on the German at least, with Argentina playing before France on Monday.

France have scored in each of their last 14 international matches and it's hard to see that streak ending in Philadelphia today.

Iraq's defensive frailties were evident in their opening defeat to Norway and from a talent point of view, it's near-impossible to make a case for Graham Arnold's side to spring an upset.

However, in a tournament that's thrown up some surprise results so far, the pressure will all be on the French, with another intangible being the forecasted storms that are predicted to batter Philadelphia tonight, which could add a pinch of unpredictability to proceedings.

But logic and conventional wisdom point to a comfortable win for the 2022 runners-up.

• Score prediction: France 4-1 Iraq

How to watch France vs Iraq

You can watch France vs Iraq in Group I of World Cup 2026 for free.

The match will be broadcast live on BBC One in the UK, FOX in the United States and SBS in Australia.

What's your France vs Iraq prediction? Let us know below...

France will look to build on an impressive opening World Cup victory over Senegal by booking their place in the knockout rounds on Monday.

A Kylian Mbappe brace helped the 1998 and 2018 champions see off the Africans last week and another three points will be enough to ensure France's safe passage into the round of 32.

For Iraq, playing in their second tournament following their 1986 tilt, it will be a case of dusting themselves down following their opening 4-1 defeat to Norway.

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BBC’s complete list of commentators, pundits and presenters for France vs Iraq

The game is set to kick off at 4pm local time (10pm UK time) at the Philadelphia Stadium in the USA.

The BBC will be broadcasting this game live in the UK on BBC One, with this the second game of a mouthwatering double-header on the Beeb, following Argentina's Group J clash with Austria.

The coverage for the France vs Iraq clash will be helmed by Match of the Day co-presenter Kelly Cates, who will be joined in the studio by three former Premier League and international players.

Olivier Giroud was usurped as France's all-time leading scorer by Kylian Mbappe when the Real Madrid man netted twice against Senegal, and the former Arsenal and Chelsea man will again be on call to run the rule over his former international team-mates.

Offering a defensive take on matters will be another ex-Arsenal and France star in Gael Clichy.

The 40-year-old earned 20 caps for his country and won the Premier League three times during his time at Arsenal and then Manchester City.

The final member of the BBC's in-studio punditry line-up is another ex-City man in Joe Hart, who turned out 75 times for England, playing at the 2010 and 2014 World Cups.

Up in the Philadelphia Stadium commentary box will be Steve Wilson, who has been a regular fixture on the BBC since the end of the 1990s.

He will be joined on the gantry by former Liverpool, Aston Villa and Leeds United left-back Stephen Warnock.

The 44-year-old earned two England caps during his career and went to the 2010 World Cup squad, but did not feature.

Argentina and Austria both started their World Cup campaigns with wins, beating Algeria and Jordan respectively.

The two go head-to-head this evening, where a victory will guarantee progress to the next round of the tournament.

Here's who will be in charge of the match.

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Egyptian officials to take charge of Argentina vs Austria

Egyptian referee Amin Omar has been selected for tonight's clash, alongside two assistants, also from Egypt.

This will be Omar's second match at the tournament after he oversaw the opening-round clash between Czechia and South Korea.

The 40-year-old has been taking charge of matches in the Egyptian Premier League for the last 13 years, but also has plenty of international experience, having been present at every Africa Cup of Nations since 2019.

In 12 regular-season games in 2025-26, he issued 53 yellow cards and sent off three players, all of them for two yellow cards, according to Transfermarkt.

He will be joined by assistants Mahmoud Abou El Regal and Ahmed Hossam Taha, who will be helping out from the touchlines.

The fourth official and the reserve assistant referee are Alejandro Hernandez and Diego Sanchez, both from Spain.

Omar averages between three and four yellow cards per match, as well as a red card every five matches during Egyptian club ties.

On average, he awards a penalty slightly less frequently than every other game in domestic club football.

A win for either side tonight would see them through to the next round of the tournament, while defeat wouldn't be the worst thing in the world.

With a game against Jordan up next for Argentina and Algeria awaiting Austria, there's still an opportunity for both to progress.

Is anyone surprised? Argentina started their World Cup campaign with Lionel Messi centre of attention. Business as usual.

It was the no.10’s show in La Albiceleste’s first Group J game, plundering three goals in under 80 minutes against Austria.

Can he repeat the trick? You wouldn’t bet against it.

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Argentina vs Austria prediction

Messi and co are back in action at the AT&T Stadium on Monday 22 June, with kick-off scheduled for 6pm BST.

Argentina could secure top spot in the group with a win, with one game left to play.

Austria and Algeria occupy very similar places in the FIFA rankings and in the football food chain, with hints of talent from top European sides, but nothing to blow the mind.

Algeria simply couldn’t live with Messi, and what makes him even more difficult to deal with is the players around him make him difficult to double up on.

Focus too much attention on the Inter Miami man, and you’re simply gifting more space to the likes of Lautaro Martinez – a sometimes underrated attacking force next to the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner – and Julian Alvarez, or a talent like Enzo Fernandez in midfield.

Even if Austria manage to spring a counter, they meet a Premier League-standard defence in Cristian Romero and Lisandro Martinez, plus multiple Yashin Award winner Emi Martinez.

In short, this looks like a tough one for Austria, but many of their best players – David Alaba and Konrad Laimer, to name two – operate primarily in defence by trade, so we don't expect quite the same rollover as Algeria.

Argentina aren’t immune to a shock – famously, after losing to Saudi Arabia in Qatar in 2022 – we just can’t see this being one of those days.

Another Messi hat-trick feels unlikely, but we expect him to influence heavily.

Score prediction: Argentina 2-0 Austria

Lionel Messi's hat-trick in Argentina's first match at World Cup 2026 took him level with German striker Miroslav Klose as the record scorer at men's World Cups. Now on 16 tournament goals, can he take the outright lead?

Messi & Co. face Austria at AT&T Stadium today as Group J's top two sides seek a win that would guarantee a spot in round of 32, with a game to spare.

Kylian Mbappe is the only active player anywhere near Messi and, though the France captain should one day take the record, for now, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner remains the game's biggest star attraction in the country where he plays club football. Messi's hat-trick was central to Argentina's 3-0 defeat of Algeria.

Austria, who defeated Jordan in their opening game, won a first World Cup fixture since 1990, despite a stubborn display from Jamal Sellami's tournament debutants. Ralf Rangnick's side may be the underdogs, but they'll be inspired to get the win that will guarantee group-stage progress for the first time in 44 years.

Read on as FourFourTwo brings you all the information you need to watch Argentina vs Austria in the FIFA World Cup 2026 online, on TV, and from anywhere.

Watch Argentina vs Austria for FREE

Argentina vs Austria will be free-to-stream across multiple regions, including BBC in the UK, RTÉ Player in Ireland, SBS On Demand in Australia, CazéTV on YouTube in Brazil, NOS in the Netherlands, RTBF/VRT in Belgium, SRF/RTS/RSI in Switzerland, and TRT in Turkey.

English commentary will be provided on BBC, RTE Player and SBS On Demand.

‼️ Outside one of these countries? Use Norton VPN to unlock your stream from anywhere in the world — more on that below.

Watch Argentina vs Austria from anywhere

Away from home this summer and want to watch Argentina vs Austria? All you need is a VPN, a handy piece of software that makes your devices appear to be in a different location.

This World Cup, our office friends at TechRadar are recommending Norton VPN:

How to watch Argentina vs Austria in the UK

In the UK, you can stream Argentina vs Austria on BBC. The build-up starts at 5:30pm BST, ahead of the kick-off at 6:00pm BST.

How to watch Argentina vs Austria in the US

In the US, you can stream Argentina vs Austria on Fox.

This channel is accessible via Fox's own streaming platform Fox One or via a cord-cutting platform such as YouTube TV, Hulu+Live TV, Sling (select markets), Fubo or DirecTV.

How to watch Argentina vs Austria in Australia

In Australia, you can watch Argentina vs Austria on the free SBS On Demand.

Argentina vs Austria: World Cup 2026 Preview

Argentina are strong favourites in Texas today. Lionel Scaloni's team are on an eight-game winning run, with their latest defeat against Ecuador in last September's final, inconsequential, World Cup qualifier.

Slightly more off-radar, Ralf Rangnick and Austria produced a qualifying campaign that was almost as emphatic.

In a group with eventual qualifiers Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria collected 19 points and dropped just five. They scored 14 goals against San Marino alone and flat-track bully Marko Arnautovic scored six of those.

The 37-year-old is midway through a two-year contract at Serbian SuperLiga giants Red Star Belgrade, where his goalscoring record remains very respectable even as his availability has dwindled.

This is the third time these nations have met, and the first competitively. The most recent encounter was a 1-1 draw in 1990. Manfred Zsak and Jorge Burruchaga scored the goals as the reigning champions warmed up for the World Cup.

Austria, who face Argentina with the Albiceleste as holders again, and are underdogs on that basis, but gegenpressing godfather Rangnick can be expected to have a plan for Messi that Vladimir Petkovic, Algeria's head coach, did not.

Argentina vs Austria: Group J

Team News

Argentina XI: Emiliano Martinez (GK); Nahuel Molina, Cristian Romero, Lisandro Martinez, Facundo Medina; Rodrigo De Paul, Alexis Mac Allister, Enzo Fernandez, Thiago Almada; Lionel Messi, Lautaro Martinez

Nahuel Molina replacing Gonzalo Montiel is the only change for Argentina as Messi goes off in hunt of his record goal.

Austria XI: Alexander Schlager (GK); Stefan Posch, Kevin Danso, David Alaba, Konrad Laimer; Nicolas Seiwald, Xaver Schlager; Romano Schmid, Paul Wanner, Marcel Sabitzer; Michael Gregoritsch

Kevin Danso, Michael Gregoritsch and Paul Wanner have been drafted in by Rangnick.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Argentina 2-1 Austria

FourFourTwo predicts a tougher task for Scaloni's world champions that ends with another historic day for his iconic skipper.

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Weather-wise, today is already a hot one, and temperatures are set to ramp up still further over the week. That makes wearing a hat a very good idea, as it will help you stay safe in the sun. Donning one emblazoned with the Three Lions of England or the Scottish Lion Rampant is, of course, even better, so that you can show your support for our two Home Nations competing in the FIFA World Cup.

Given the growing heat and England taking on Ghana at 9pm (UK time) for their second match tomorrow, followed by Scotland in their final group stage game against Brazil on Wednesday at 11pm, now is the time to equip yourself with a decent sun hat. I've been scouring the internet for the best England and Scotland bucket hats and caps currently in stock. Take a look at what I've found below; they're ideal for keeping cool outdoors or looking cool indoors.

If you're on the lookout for more World Cup merch, you might also be interested in our round-up of World Cup jerseys and the best retro England and Scotland shirts.

England World Cup hats

Scotland World Cup hats

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The Premier League has more players at this World Cup than at any previous edition of the tournament.

Across the 20 clubs in the top flight in 2025/26, plus newly-promoted trio Coventry City, Ipswich Town and Hull City, there are 182 players representing their country in North America.

However, pride is not the only reason that Premier League teams will keep a keen eye on their stars at the World Cup, as they stand to benefit financially, too.

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Why clubs will benefit if their players do well at the World Cup

Since the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, FIFA has paid clubs for releasing their players to represent their countries at the tournament as part of the FIFA Club Benefits Programme.

The money comes from revenue generated from the World Cup, with the governing body pledging to pay clubs across the planet $355m (approximately £267m) in total for this summer’s edition, up from $209m (£157m) for Qatar 2022.

The amount has sky-rocketed because this is the first World Cup cycle that FIFA will also compensate clubs for their players being involved in qualifying matches, which comprises $100m of the overall pot.

It is also the first time the World Cup has featured 48 teams, up from 32, which means more games and a longer tournament.

Payments are calculated on a “per player, per day” metric, which divides the total amount of money allocated by the total number of days spent at the World Cup by all of the players involved. All players are treated equally, so someone who plays 90 minutes of every match for their country will ‘cost’ FIFA the same as a team-mate who doesn’t make it off the bench.

For the 2026 tournament, clubs will earn $5,000 (£3,730) for every day that each of their stars spends at the World Cup, starting from May 25 - the date they had to release players to join their national squad, according to FIFA - right up until the day after their country's final match.

That means the players whose countries reach the final on July 19 will earn their clubs $285,000 (£214,000), as they will have been away for 57 days. The total rises further when counting qualifying matches, for which clubs earn $2,362 (£1,779) per day.

Therefore, a club like Manchester City - who have 19 players at the finals, including many with nations who are expected to progress to the latter stages - stand to earn millions from this World Cup.

City received the highest share from the 2022 finals of any club on the planet, taking home almost $4.6m (£3.4m) as a result of their players’ participation in Qatar. They earned slightly more than Barcelona ($4.5m), while Manchester United ($3.3m) and Chelsea ($3.2m) were the next highest-ranked Premier League teams.

Overall, English clubs received a whopping $37.7m (£28.4m) from the Qatar World Cup, with FIFA distributing the payments after the tournament via the member association, in this case the FA.

With both the total amount paid and the number of Premier League players at the World Cup rising further this summer, English clubs can expect an even bigger windfall to come their way soon.

The BBC commentators, pundits and presenters for Argentina’s World Cup 2026 clash with Austria have been revealed.

The reigning champions made the perfect start to their title defence as they beat Algeria 3-0 in their Group J opener in Kansas, courtesy of a Lionel Messi hat-trick.

The Argentina skipper needs just one goal to become the outright top goalscorer in World Cup history, having moved level with former Germany striker Miroslav Klose on 16, and he will hope to do that against Austria, who also took three points from their first match after beating Jordan 3-1.

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BBC’s complete list of commentators, pundits and presenters for Argentina vs Austria

There is plenty at stake in the 6pm kick-off (BST), with the winner sealing qualification for the last 32 and Messi chasing history - and you can watch it live on the BBC.

The coverage will be presented by Gabby Logan, who is a familiar face to British football fans having first appeared on Sky Sports 30 years ago.

Logan will be joined in the studio by three former players - and one in particular knows a fair bit about scoring goals.

Former France striker Olivier Giroud has appeared regularly on the BBC’s World Cup coverage this tournament, and the 39-year-old - who until last week was Les Bleus’ all-time top goalscorer - will surely be keeping a close eye on Messi’s quest to make history.

The ex-Arsenal star will be flanked by two former defenders, including Chelsea legend Cesar Azpilicueta.

The 36-year-old spent 11 seasons at Stamford Bridge and went to five major tournaments with Spain, including three World Cups.

Completing the panel will be former Wales skipper Ashley Williams, who captained his country to the semi-finals of Euro 2016 and is a regular pundit on the BBC.

Steve Bower will be providing commentary on BBC One, having first represented the broadcaster at the World Cup in 2010.

He will be joined on the gantry by co-commentator Danny Murphy, another familiar figure on and off the pitch.

The former Liverpool and Fulham midfielder regularly appears on Match of the Day throughout the domestic season and has become a key part of the BBC team.

France vs Iraq could be at risk of delays this evening as forecast storms threaten to keep fans out of their seats.

The two are due to play their second World Cup group stage match against one another this evening, with France heavy favourites.

However, inclement weather looks set to disrupt the game at Philadelphia's Lincoln Financial Field.

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Severe storms are expected over Philadelphia this evening

Big storms are expected for tonight's match between, meaning FIFA officials are preparing protocols put in place for such an eventuality.

Included in those measures are fans being kept either in concourses or emergency shelter facilities.

The FIFA regulations state that the game will have to be halted if lightning strikes within eight miles of the stadium, with fans removed from their seats.

The game then cannot resume until there have been 30 lightning-free minutes.

Should the game continue to be interrupted, it's possible that it is pushed back until tomorrow.

Lauren Lambrugo, chief operating officer of Philadelphia Soccer 2026 told The Mirror: "They'll start to evacuate the stadium to the main concourse and seek emergency shelter.

"And then it has to wait 30 minutes prior to them bringing everybody back on the field.

"They will make sure that the match is broadcast and played tomorrow."

Storms had been expected to cause problems for games at this summer's tournament, but as of yet no matches have been affected.

Only a warm-up game between England and Costa Rica has suffered delays.

Last summer's Club World Cup, which was also held in the USA, was a different story with several games delayed or temporarily suspended due to inclement weather.

If you didn't know Yan Diomande before the World Cup began, you certainly do now.

The 19-year-old RB Leipzig winger claimed 12 goals and nine assists in the Bundesliga for RB Leipzig last season, and has carried on his impressive form with the Ivory Coast with eye-catching performances against Ecuador and Germany.

Liverpool already had their eye on Diomande as a potential Mohamed Salah replacement, with reports suggesting they have had a transfer bid worth €100m (£86.7m) rejected amid claims of rival interest from PSG.

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Yan Diomande 'would add a lot to Liverpool' - Alan Shearer

Former England striker Alan Shearer believes Andoni Iraola desperately needs a player like Diomande, telling Betfair: "Liverpool need a host of players in their forward line because with Salah gone, you are left thinking...who have they got?

"They've got Isak. They've got [Florian] Wirtz. They've got Ekitike, but he's going to be out [injured]. And you’ve got [Cody] Gakpo, and [Ryan] Ngumoha.

"There's no doubt they'll need another striker in there, and a forward that's ready to go, and ready to come in and score 15 goals.

"They are linked with Yan Diomande and he's a really talented player.

"He would add a lot to Liverpool, but what the fee would be, I'm not quite sure.

"It would obviously be a lot of money, and I guess if they do buy him, then they've watched him several times.

"So, I think it would be a good buy for them."

For FourFourTwo, it comes down to just how much value Liverpool would put on signing another player for a forward line that received big investment last summer.

Shearer is not wrong in his assessment that the squad is light on the wings, even if Ngumoha were to step up to play a more prominent role.

Gakpo and Federico Chiesa have their uses, but are not wingers you would especially want to build a renewed title charge around.

A youngster like Diomande who has already shown what he can do in a Big Five league and still has room to get better feels like a very very solid investment.

Shearer's claims that they need another centre-forward is valid given Ekitike looks set to miss roughly the first half the season - and a 15-goal striker, rather than a 30-goal player, feels about right given the Frenchman was a rare shining light for the side last season and will not be out indefinitely.

It is clear that Liverpool desperately need recruits in the back line, however, so quite how far they deign to go with that may come down to a resource allocation issue and what sales they are able to secure in the window.

Arsenal are closing in on the signing of Leicester City wonderkid Jeremy Monga, according to reports.

The winger made his Premier League debut last April aged just 15 and featured regularly for the Foxes in the Championship last season.

Monga’s performances have caught the eye despite Leicester’s double relegation, with Arsenal among a host of clubs across Europe who have reportedly been monitoring the 16-year-old.

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Jeremy Monga chooses Arsenal over Premier League rivals

Arsenal enjoyed their best season in a generation in 2025/26, as they won the Premier League for the first time since 2004 and reached the Champions League final, losing to Paris Saint-Germain.

However, manager Mikel Arteta is already planning for the future, with the Gunners chasing 17-year-old Georgian starlet Andria Bartishvili, in addition to Monga.

Arsenal faced intense competition to land the Leicester youngster but appear to have won the race, according to TEAMtalk, who claim that Monga has agreed to join the Premier League champions.

The report states that the two clubs are set to enter discussions over a compensation package for the teenager, with the final deal expected to cost between £10m and £15m.

TEAMtalk claims that Monga has opted to join Arsenal despite interest from several other big-hitters, with Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea all attempting to hijack the transfer.

The England Under-19 international does not turn 17 until July 10, when he is due to sign his first professional contract with Leicester, which is why compensation must be agreed.

The report adds that Monga wanted the Foxes to receive a significant financial boost in the event of his departure, as a result of the role the club played in his development.

Monga made seven substitute appearances in the Premier League towards the end of last season and has played 37 times for Leicester in total, scoring in a 2-1 defeat by Preston North End last August.

If he completes his move to Arsenal, he would join an exciting group of youngsters at the Emirates Stadium, including Max Dowman, 16, and 19-year-old Myles Lewis-Skelly.

Indeed, Monga and Dowman played together for England Under-19s on several occasions in the early part of last season, despite being aged just 16 and 15 respectively at the time.

Lionel Messi has already caused a stir at World Cup 2026.

He needed just 76 minutes of this summer’s tournament to complete a hat-trick of finishes, in Argentina’s first Group J game against Algeria.

But just four minutes after his third, boss Lionel Scaloni took his nation’s superstar off.

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Is Lionel Messi injured?

That substitution will be worrying for La Albiceleste, given their no.10’s run-up to the tournament.

A few weeks prior, he was taken off for Inter Miami while clutching his leg, the issue later cited as “muscle fatigue” by his club.

At that stage, the forward had not formally confirmed he was going to the World Cup, but he’s made the tournament.

Thankfully, it doesn’t seem Messi’s substitution against Algeria was related to any injury.

Since coming off in that May fixture for Inter Miami, he was on the bench for a friendly against Honduras, and played just 20 minutes against Iceland.

That was upped to 80 minutes against Algeria – a clear positive that those contributions are growing.

It therefore seems that, following some discomfort last month, Messi and Scaloni are simply managing the talisman’s minutes.

Turning 39 years old during this tournament, it seems clear this will be Messi’s last World Cup.

He lifted his first-ever World Cup last time out, in Qatar in 2022, and is bidding to add a second this summer.

Only 20 players in history have claimed the trophy twice, with Pele sitting out on his own with three.

Another quiz for you.

We all know that Lionel Messi has played a lot of times and scored a lot of goals for Argentina (that would be too easy a quiz, wouldn't it?) – in fact, he's scored more than any other South American ever.

But if we give you 10 minutes, can you name the top 25 players each for most goals and most appearances for the Albiceleste?

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

While remembering the iconic trophy lifts and famous tournament matches is great for a casual chat, a true mastermind knows how to dig beneath the surface of the global game. To see if your tactical stamina can keep pace with the unfolding drama of World Cup 2026 across North America, we've got a few more quizzes for you – courtesy of Kwizly.

We’re starting with a sharp look at the elite talent that missed out on the flight to Canada, Mexico, and the United States, challenging you to identify the most valuable players who didn't make it to World Cup 2026. Once you've audited the high-profile absentees, pivot to the clinical marksmen who absolutely seized their moment on the grandest stage of all by trying to name every World Cup hat-trick scorer since 1998. It is a ruthless trial of penalty-box perfection that separates casual summer fans from deep-cut archival experts.

If your scouting network excels at tracking veteran leadership or the deep-cut folklore of international history, we have an incredible double-header waiting for you in the tunnel. You can filter the current tournament rosters for ultimate longevity by trying to name every player at World Cup 2026 with over 100 caps, celebrating the evergreen leaders who bring invaluable experience to the big stage this month. Following that, throw yourself directly into the crossfire of our Ultimate World Cup Quiz to check your memory on nearly a century of iconic goals, shock losses, and unforgettable tournament controversies.

To lower your pulse after navigating that mountain of international history, find a quiet spot in the dugout to tackle FourFourTwo's Weekend Crossword 58, featuring clues on winners, losers and legends, featuring a brilliantly cryptic mix of footballing folklore. To ensure you stay one step ahead of the action as the group stage drama intensifies, make sure to subscribe to our newsletter for your daily afternoon briefing of hand-picked trivia. To completely cement your legacy this summer, join The Club, our free membership hub that serves as your digital dugout, where you can unlock secret hints for the toughest quizzes, climb our global leaderboards, and engage in tactical debates in the comments section as the matches play out.

As the group stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup nears its conclusion, the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) have positioned themselves strongly for a deep tournament run on home soil.

Following a pair of convincing victories, a clearer picture of the team's potential knockout route has emerged, fuelling optimism among American 'soccer' fans.

The USMNT opened their campaign with a 4-1 victory over Paraguay at Los Angeles Stadium, establishing early control of Group D.

USMNT handed favourable route to World Cup semi-final

Mauricio Pochettino's squad followed that performance with a 2-0 win against Australia at Seattle Stadium.

Securing six points from their opening two matches has guaranteed advancement to the Round of 32 as group winners and generated a more bullish outlook regarding the team's ceiling this summer.

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The bracket configuration suggests the Americans have avoided several traditional footballing powerhouses in the initial knockout rounds.

The USMNT's projected path to the semi-finals shapes up as follows:

Round of 32: The USA are slated to face Bosnia and Herzegovina as it stands, who are expected to finish third in Group B.

Round of 16: A victory in the opening knockout game would move the USMNT into a fixture against either New Zealand or Czechia.

Quarter-Final: The competition intensifies in the final eight, where the winner of the previous round will face one of four potential sides: DR Congo, Ghana, Uruguay, or Austria.

While a potential quarter-final clash against a team like Uruguay or a disciplined Austria side would present a stern tactical test, the consensus indicates that the USMNT have landed on the more favourable side of the tournament bracket.

With two wins already secured and a clear, navigable path, Pochettino's men remain on track to meet, and potentially exceed, pre-tournament expectations of reaching the quarter-finals.

Quiz time!

France are back in action, and as one of the world's great superpowers, they've sprung into the upper echelons of the elite in the last 30 years, with four World Cup finals: no one else can boast that many in that time.

So today, we're looking for all 51 players to have been involved in one of those games – in 1998, 2006, 2018 and 2022 – in just eight minutes. Off you go!

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

While remembering the iconic trophy lifts and famous tournament matches is great for a casual chat, a true mastermind knows how to dig beneath the surface of the global game. To see if your tactical stamina can keep pace with the unfolding drama of World Cup 2026 across North America, we've got a few more quizzes for you – courtesy of Kwizly.

We’re starting with a sharp look at the elite talent that missed out on the flight to Canada, Mexico, and the United States, challenging you to identify the most valuable players who didn't make it to World Cup 2026. Once you've audited the high-profile absentees, pivot to the clinical marksmen who absolutely seized their moment on the grandest stage of all by trying to name every World Cup hat-trick scorer since 1998. It is a ruthless trial of penalty-box perfection that separates casual summer fans from deep-cut archival experts.

If your scouting network excels at tracking veteran leadership or the deep-cut folklore of international history, we have an incredible double-header waiting for you in the tunnel. You can filter the current tournament rosters for ultimate longevity by trying to name every player at World Cup 2026 with over 100 caps, celebrating the evergreen leaders who bring invaluable experience to the big stage this month. Following that, throw yourself directly into the crossfire of our Ultimate World Cup Quiz to check your memory on nearly a century of iconic goals, shock losses, and unforgettable tournament controversies.

To lower your pulse after navigating that mountain of international history, find a quiet spot in the dugout to tackle FourFourTwo's Weekend Crossword 58, featuring clues on winners, losers and legends, featuring a brilliantly cryptic mix of footballing folklore. To ensure you stay one step ahead of the action as the group stage drama intensifies, make sure to subscribe to our newsletter for your daily afternoon briefing of hand-picked trivia. To completely cement your legacy this summer, join The Club, our free membership hub that serves as your digital dugout, where you can unlock secret hints for the toughest quizzes, climb our global leaderboards, and engage in tactical debates in the comments section as the matches play out.