Jude Bellingham, one of the standouts in England's revenge match win vs Croatia, will look to replicate his performance vs Ghana tonight.

The Real Madrid and England star will also experience a special event beyond the match itself, breaking a long-standing Wayne Rooney record.

The Three Lions are facing off against Ghana, with both sides taking three points in their opening 2026 World Cup fixtures.

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Jude Bellingham to break long-standing Wayne Rooney record vs Ghana - before he's even touched a ball

Bellingham delivered a top-class performance vs Croatia in last week's World Cup opener for the Three Lions, as his side entered the break in a 2-2 stalemate.

The England star appeared in the second and scored almost instantly, sending the Three Lions up a goal and securing victory for his nation.

Now, deserving for a player of Bellingham's quality, he has broken a long-standing Rooney record for his international side.

According to Opta, the 22-year-old has became the youngest player in England history to reach 50 caps for his nation.

Previously, Rooney held the record with an age of 23 years and 159 days at the time of his 50th appearance.

With a start this evening vs Ghana, Bellingham has claimed the record with an age of 22 years and 359 days on the evening of his 50th cap.

In that time, the youngster, who has played enough to practically be labelled a veteran, has scored seven goals for the Three Lions.

England fans will have fond memories of those strikes, perhaps none more special than his 2024 stoppage time bicycle kick.

From keeping England in the 2024 UEFA European Championship when all hope appeared lost, to spearheading England's victory against Croatia at the 2026 World Cup, the Real Madrid man is compiling an international highlight reel for the ages.

On the night of his 50th appearance, can he deliver another special moment for the Three Lions, and secure knockout football for his nation?

England take on Ghana at Gillette Stadium tonight, and after France saw their game stalled for more than two hours on Monday, fans are a lot more attentive when it comes to weather reports.

A lot has been made of the heat during the World Cup 2026, with the much-maligned hydration breaks intended to combat that.

However, extreme weather hit Philadelphia for the France vs Iraq clash with torrential rain and a thunderstorm causing the match to be paused. Will the same happen to England?

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Boston braced for rain and thunderstorm during England vs Ghana

The bad news is Boston, where the England vs Ghana game is being hosted, is expected to be hit by rain and stormy weather tonight.

However, the good news is that the conditions are not expected to be as extreme and we should not see any major interruption to the schedule of play.

According to National Weather Service meteorologist Rob Megnia, there will be rain showers and potentially thunder, but he and those keeping an eye on the weather are "not overly concerned."

Conditions in Boston will be warm and wet, with temperatures in the low 70s during the day before dropping into the 50s through the night.

It is thought we could see an inch and a half of rain during the course of the match, but play will not be stopped for that.

England take on Ghana tonight in their second game of Group L, and Thomas Tuchel has made a couple of changes to his starting XI.

After a convincing and thrilling win over Croatia last week, you would have been forgiven for thinking that Tuchel would not tinker with his team.

England can qualify for the knockouts if they beat Ghana, and it seems Tuchel wants something a little different in his line-up to get the job done.

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England starting XI announced for Ghana clash

Thomas Tuchel has shaken things up in his defensive line with two changes of personnel.

First, and probably not so surprising, is that John Stones has dropped out of the England XI to make way for his Manchester City team-mate Marc Guehi.

Stones has not played a lot of football this year, and is understandably lacking the match sharpness required to start a second game in a week – with Tuchel citing the “agility” of Guehi as a reason behind the choice.

Meanwhile, a more shocking decision from Tuchel is to pull Nico O'Reilly out of the line-up to be replaced by Djed Spence.

The Tottenham Hotspur man impressed when he came on against Croatia last week, exhibiting his immense speed and desire to get forward and threaten the opposition defence.

It is perhaps more a case of Spence forcing his way into the England starting XI rather than O'Reilly doing anything to lose his place.

The rest of the England line-up remains the same from that World Cup 2026 opener against Croatia.

Jordan Pickford starts in goal, while Reece James and Ezri Konsa join Guehi and Spence in defence.

A midfield trio of Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson, and Jude Bellingham will play behind a front three of Noni Madueke and Anthony Gordon out wide, with captain Harry Kane through the middle.

Portugal are finally firing on all cylinders as they lead Uzbekistan 3-0 at the break, and main man Cristiano Ronaldo has proved his critics wrong in the process.

It didn't take long for Portugal to assert their dominance, with Ronaldo bagging within six minutes from close range.

That sealed a new record for Ronaldo, with the 41-year-old having now scored in six different World Cups. He notched another before the break, but the star forward is not the only player to receive praise from Gary Neville at half-time.

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Gary Neville praises Portugal full-backs

The truth is, Portugal are not a one-man team, and it's Roberto Martinez's full-backs who have caught the eye for Neville in the ITV studio.

Neville said: "We talked before the game about the fact that maybe the wide players, like Félix and Neto, weren't best suited to delivering the balls that Cristiano would want.

"Mendes and Cancelo have both delivered in that first part of the game. And yes, the man [Ronaldo] turned up.

"This first one comes from the underlap. Full-backs don't just overlap anymore, they go on the inside. But this time, it's a more simple movement by the full-back. The right-back, Cancelo, just supports from behind. He waits, he lets Neto do his stuff, and then he joins in. He just takes a couple of touches and swings it round. Just classic."

Cancelo's assist got the game going early on, and it was Mendes with the free-kick who doubled Portugal's lead later on, despite Ronaldo looking like he would take the set-piece.

Ronaldo's goals will be crucial to Portugal's hopes of going all the way at the World Cup 2026, but he is clearly going to need those around him to deliver, too.

Roy Keane has had his say on Cristiano Ronaldo's first half against Uzbekistan.

The Portugal talisman officially arrived at World Cup 2026 a week late to net two first-half goals and snatch a record for scoring at six editions of the tournament, with ITV pundits discussing the first 45 minutes at half-time.

And with Ronaldo the centre of attention, following Lionel Messi heroics yesterday, former team-mate Keane has spoken about Ronaldo's first-half performance.

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Roy Keane on Cristiano Ronaldo: “Why would you ever doubt him?”

“It is amazing: Messi becomes the man with the most goals in a World Cup, and Ronaldo now becomes the first man to score in six World Cups,” Keane began.

“Why would you ever doubt him? The guy's an amazing, amazing player; his stats are fantastic.

“There are no surprises here: no surprises that he would turn up today. If you give him some good delivery and he hangs around there long enough, it's a brilliant finish. Obviously, he has that immense confidence, and it's amazing what he's done in the game of football over the last 20-odd years, but you can still see the relief from him there. It tells you how much he cares about the game.”

Ronaldo might have taken a free-kick, too, to complete a second-ever World Cup hat-trick – but for Nuno Mendes taking the shot on himself – and Keane reckoned that it was all a ploy from the man himself.

“Yeah, well, everybody would be expecting Ronaldo to take this,” the Irishman said. “I think I'm the only one who didn't think he'd be taking it, as it was better suited to a left-footer.

“Ronaldo had already got his goal, obviously. I think if he hadn't scored yet, he'd be thinking, ‘I'm taking this,’ but he leaves it to his team-mates.

“The goalkeeper is obviously on his heels, probably distracted by Ronaldo, but the strike just hits the target with enough pace. Again, it's not great from the goalkeeper. He's blinded himself there.

“Listen, he's obviously not a top-level goalkeeper. The goalkeeping seems not that great, yeah, but listen, Portugal are up and running.”

After coming through a tough opening test, England will be seeking to cement a place in the World Cup 2026 knockout phase by overcoming Ghana at the Gillette Stadium.

The Black Stars also won their opening game in Group L and will know that a shock victory over England would be enough to secure a top-two finish and a place in the round of 32.

Heading into the tournament as one of the favourites, England overcame first-half defensive deficiencies to secure a resounding 4-2 victory over Croatia, with Harry Kane once again delivering on the big stage with two vital goals.

The Three Lions now attempt to overcome a Ghana side that were frustrated for large chunks of their opening game against Panama, before 20-year-old Caleb Yirenkyi finished off a sweeping counter-attack in the 95th minute to earn a 1-0 victory.

Will England need another rousing half-time team talk from Thomas Tuchel (and Anthony Barry) to advance? Or will the second-half surge be commonplace now?

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

Watch England vs Ghana for FREE

England vs Ghana 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, 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.

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Watch England vs Ghana from anywhere

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How to watch England vs Ghana in the UK

In the UK, you can stream England vs Ghana on BBC One. Coverage starts at 8:00pm, before kick-off at 9:00pm.

How to watch England vs Ghana in the US

In the US, you can stream England vs Ghana 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 England vs Ghana in Australia

In Australia, you can watch England vs Ghana on the free SBS On Demand.

England vs Ghana: World Cup 2026 Preview

England’s opening game against Croatia was a real test of their potential World Cup-winning credentials. Facing one of Europe’s most consistent teams, they bossed large periods of the game and showed plenty of attacking prowess. The first 15 minutes of the second half were especially impressive.

However, Tomas Tuchel will have been concerned by his side’s fragility at the back, with Croatia scoring two goals that could easily have been avoided. Not afraid of making a big decision, the German coach may well decide to bring Marc Guehi into the fold at the expense of John Stones.

In attack, it was much more positive, with Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford both taking their goals extremely well. The latter will be pushing to start ahead of Anthony Gordon, while Noni Madueke is likely to keep his place as Arsenal team-mate Bukayo Saka is not yet fully match fit.

Scoring more than a solitary goal in a game has been an issue for Ghana for some time, but perhaps what was more concerning for head coach Carlos Queiroz was their inability to even create chances against Panama.

The Black Stars know that they will have to raise their level significantly to upset England, with forward Antoine Semenyo declaring that they “want to prove a point” in Boston.

The Manchester City forward is one player who can cause problems for England’s defensive line, especially as he is likely to come up against club-mates in Nico O’Reilly, Guehi and Stones.

England vs Ghana: Team news

As predicted, England make two changes at the back with Marc Guehi and Djed Spence coming in for John Stones and Nico O'Reilly.

England XI: Pickford; James, Konsa, Guehi, Spence; Anderson, Rice; Madueke, Bellingham, Gordon; Kane.

Subs: D Henderson, Trafford, O’Reilly, Stones, Chalobah, Burn, Quansah, J Henderson, Mainoo, Rogers, Eze, Saka, Watkins, Toney.

Ghana have also shaken things up, with Thomas Partey coming in for Elisha Owusu in midfield. Goalkeeper Benjamin Asare also starts after coming in to replace the injured Lawrence Ati-Zigi at half-time against Panama. The other two changes see Inaki Williams and Kwasi Sibo come in for Kamaldeen Sulemana and Ernest Nuamah.

Ghana XI: Asare; Mensah, Opoku, Adjetey, Senaya; Yirenkyi, Partey, Sibo; Ayew, Williams, Semenyo.

Subs: Ati-Zigi, Anana, Seidu, Mumin, Rahman, Oppong, Luckassen, Owusu, Boakye, Fatawu, Thomas-Asante, Baah, Sulemana, Nuamah, Adu

England vs Ghana: Group L

FourFourTwo's prediction

England 2-0 Ghana

FourFourTwo can see England sweeping aside a Ghana team that struggles to create clear-cut chances.

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After ITV got the first pick of England's World Cup matches and broadcast a memorable 4-2 win against Croatia, it's over to the BBC to provide coverage of Tuesday's clash with Ghana.

The pressure has been lifted somewhat, with Thomas Tuchel's side now in pole position to top Group L.

But fans will still be tuning in with high expectations as England look to make it two wins from two. Who will be providing commentary and analysis of the game for the BBC?

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BBC commentators and pundits for England vs Ghana

The match will be played in Boston, where the temperatures are considerably cooler than back home in England. Coverage on BBC One begins at 8pm UK time, with kick-off at 9pm.

Gabby Logan will be the lead presenter from the BBC studio.

She will be joined by a trio of pundits, all ex-England internationals.

Wayne Rooney, England’s second-most capped player of all time, will give his assessment of the game.

Former Three Lions No.1 Joe Hart, meanwhile, will provide a goalkeeper’s perspective of the action.

Finally, Micah Richards will provide some levity if things go badly, as well as some shrewd analysis of England’s defensive setup, of course.

The familiar voice of Guy Mowbray will be on commentary, with former England striker Alan Shearer alongside him.

Kelly Somers is on reporter duty, bringing the latest news and updates from the England camp.

And ex-referee Darren Cann will provide his expertise on any VAR talking points.

ITV's ambitious World Cup studio project has made headlines back home since its first broadcast outing shortly before the World Cup.

With a view of the Manhattan skyline and Brooklyn Bridge, ITV decided very early on into the location scouting process that what you see on your screens should be their base for the tournament.

FourFourTwo were invited for a behind the scenes tour of the facility at the undisclosed location in New York City, making ourselves very comfortable in the pundits' chairs.

ITV Sport's amazing World Cup studio

There are three sets on the site, which overlooks an exclusive New York hotel and its rooftop pool, two of which are on the custom-built rooftop.

ITV began scouting locations as soon as Euro 2024 had come to a close and despite viewing several sites, it was the Brooklyn location they viewed first and subsequently set their hearts on.

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In order to achieve the best visual outcome, ITV built three metres up from the building's existing rooftop. After getting the lift up to the top floor, FFT were guided along a corridor, past commentary suites, the production team and gallery, and up another set of stairs to the outdoor studio.

Even though on the day of our visit, it was a cloudy morning, the view is sensational. Lower Manhattan and its skyscrapers dominates from one angle, whilst from the other, Brooklyn Bridge sprawls across the skyline connecting Manhattan with its sister borough.

The A and B sets are ITV's prized possession this tournament, even with the star-studded panels on show whenever the broadcaster is on air. Only when storm warnings are issued does production need to move downstairs to the indoor studio, which is less spectacular but more than fit for purpose.

Despite the scale of the project, which to the eagle-eyed can be spotted from the opposite side of the East River, ITV confirmed the studio only took seven weeks to build and become operational.

In addition to the presenter and panelists' set there is a huge green screen that allows ITV to broadcast unique World Cup themed imagery to its viewers and give the impression of an ornately decorated background when in actuality, what's behind the camera is a bunch of producers, camera operators, a director and large, plain black wall.

Perhaps the most unique aspect of the panelists' A set, is the implementation of cooling vents beneath each pundit's seat, intended to blow cool air up.

This is to ensure on-air talent don't get too warm in the New York summer weather, which can be particularly humid and sweltering - take it from us.

Compared to rival broadcaster the BBC's Salford setup, which will be replaced by in-stadium production for the latter stages of the tournament, ITV have hit this one out of the park when it comes to their studio.

There is no denying that both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are two of the greatest footballers of all time, but the Argentina icon is far superior when it comes to World Cup goals.

We are all lucky enough to have witnessed these two generational talents competing at the top level, at the same time, for the past 20 years.

But, if you're still debating who is the better footballer, the respective goals tallies of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo really does make the answer very clear indeed.

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Lionel Messi has scored more World Cup goals than Cristiano Ronaldo

Thanks to his exploits at the World Cup 2026, Messi is now the all-time top goalscorer at World Cups in footballing history.

The Argentina legend now has 18 goals in 28 appearances, including five at this year's tournament.

Meanwhile, Ronaldo is currently on ten goals. He bagged his latest two in the game between Portugal and Uzbekistan in the group stages of the 2026 World Cup.

That made him the first player to score in six different World Cups, with yet another record in the bag for Ronaldo. But the 41-year-old is still lagging behind his old rival in terms of output.

Another source of frustration for Ronaldo is the fact that he is still yet to score in a World Cup knockout game, with all nine of his goals coming in the group stages.

Cristiano Ronaldo has scored at six World Cup tournaments: no one has netted in more.

It's a sign of the Portugal captain's longevity that the same wonderkid who lit up Euro 2024 is still performing for his country 22 years later – but with all the talk of Lionel Messi racking up records yesterday, what does his long-term rival hold?

He's already the record scorer and appearance holder at international level, but he has a few World Cup records, too.

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Most tournaments played (shared)

Prior to 2026, no player had appeared at more than five editions of the World Cup – and no player had appeared in two World Cups 20 years apart.

That's all changed this year: Luka Modric first played in 2006 (though missed 2010's edition), while Ronaldo shares the record for having played at six tournaments with… you guessed it, Lionel Messi (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018, 2022 and 2026).

Most tournaments named in a squad (shared)

Only three players have been to six tournaments, whether they've played or not.

Obviously, Ronaldo and Messi are two: the other is legendary Mexican goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, who has gone to every tournament that the other two have been to, but hasn't played at all of them.

Most goals scored in qualifiers

There would be no World Cup records if you didn't qualify for the tournament itself, after all.

Ronaldo has scored a whopping 41 goals in qualification for the World Cup, from 2006 to present, which is more than anyone else.

The World Cup is ticking along nicely, with some enthralling games and surprising results produced already.

As we head towards the end of matchweek two and look ahead to the final group games, it's worth looking at the handful of teams that already know their fate.

While some of the top teams in the World Cup have already qualified for the next round, there are some who will already be booking their flights home.

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The teams who are already out out of the World Cup

Any team that has lost their first two group games is almost certain of an early exit from the tournament, which means the following four nations are out of the World Cup:

• Haiti (Group C)
• Turkey (Group D)
• Tunisia (Group F)
• Jordan (Group J)

Haiti lost their opener to Scotland and were then defeated by Brazil, so they are bottom of Group C and will be going home after game three.

In a surprising turn of events, Turkey have struggled at this year's tournament and have lost their opening two games to Australia and Paraguay so they're out.

Tunisia have arguably been the worst team in the competition so far. They sacked their manager after one game, and then got hammered by Japan. Thanks to the head-to-head record determining group position, we know Tunisia will land at the bottom of Group F.

Finally, Jordan are out of the tournament after losing to both Austria and Algeria in Group J. They're up against holders Argentina next, so their fortunes are unlikely to improve, either.

Teams at risk of World Cup exit

There are two anomalies to the two defeats and out rule, with both Senegal and Iraq having lost their first two games but still having a chance to progress.

The Group I pair face each other in the final group game, and if one of them wins they'll be in the mix to qualify as one of the best-placed third-place teams.

Meanwhile, teams that only have one point on the board after two group games will need to produce something in the final game to have a shot at qualifying.

That leaves the likes of Czechia and South Africa (both Group A), Bosnia and Qatar (both Group B), Ecuador and Curacao (both Group E), New Zealand (Group G), and Saudi Arabia (Group H) all at risk of dropping out of the tournament after game three.

On a more positive note, there are a few nations already guaranteed to feature in the round of 32.

Here are the teams that have qualified from their groups:

• Mexico (Group A)
• USA (Group D)
• Germany (Group E)
• France (Group I)
• Norway (Group I)
• Argentina (Group J)

Harry Wilson was one of the Premier League’s standout players in 2025/26.

The Fulham winger scored 10 goals and got seven assists in what was comfortably the best top-flight season of his career so far.

He turns 30 in March next year, but that has not deterred any of the clubs interested in his services this summer.

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Leeds in talks to sign Wilson

According to journalist Ben Jacobs, Leeds United have held “positive talks” with the Wales international.

Wilson is out of contract at the end of June, after which he will become a free agent, assuming Fulham do not persuade him to sign a new deal at the eleventh hour.

Leeds are hoping to attract Wilson to Elland Road and fight off competition from clubs in the Champions League to do so.

The 29-year-old was reportedly close to a move to Leeds last summer, but the proposed transfer collapsed on the final day of the window.

Other clubs are said to be in talks with the player’s representatives, so the Whites may have work to do to complete his signature.

Aston Villa, playing in the Champions League next season, and Everton have also been linked with Wilson.

If Wilson departs, Fulham could be forced into something of a rebuild this summer, following the exit of manager Marco Silva to Benfica.

Leeds, meanwhile, are looking to build on a promising first season back in the Premier League under Daniel Farke.

In FourFourTwo’s view, Wilson would be an excellent signing for most clubs outside the division’s ‘big six’.

While he is about to enter his 30s, he would significantly improve Leeds’ attack as they look to become an established Premier League club once again.

England are in a strong position in Group L after a 4-2 win over Croatia in what looked to be their most challenging fixture.

The Three Lions face Ghana next in Boston on Tuesday, before ending the group stage against Panama in New York on Saturday.

But will victory over Ghana be enough to guarantee England’s place in the last 32?

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Will England be through to the knockouts with win against Ghana?

Beating Ghana would put England on six points from two games ahead of their final match against Panama.

It would leave Thomas Tuchel’s team three points clear of Ghana, who scored late on to beat Panama 1-0 in their opener.

Croatia will be expected to beat Panama after England’s match finishes, and, assuming they do, they will go three points behind the group leaders.

But victory will not only mean England secure their place in the last 32 - it will also confirm them as Group L winners.

That is because of FIFA’s change from goal difference to head-to-head as the primary tie-breaker when teams finish level on points in the group stage.

At previous World Cups, England could still have been overtaken by one of Croatia or Ghana - not both, because they meet each other in the final fixture - on goal difference with six points from three games.

As it is now, a win in their second game will make it impossible for Croatia or Ghana to catch England.

That should provide all the motivation they need to get the job done in Boston and set up a potentially more favourable route to the latter stages of the World Cup.

If England finish first first in their group, they will play one of the third-placed teams from Groups E, H, I, J or K.

As things stand, that could potentially mean a last 32 clash with Cape Verde, Uruguay, Senegal, Algeria or DR Congo, amongst various other possible opponents.

It's hot, very hot, here in the UK, and it's going to get a lot hotter before the weekend. Temperatures are 30+ degrees in many parts of the south of England right now, which is loads hotter than the expected 21 degrees in Boston, when England take on Ghana tonight. Kick off is 9pm (UK time).

Scorching days means hot evenings watching the World Cup, so to help make enjoying the football a cooler affair, I've put together a list of useful heat-busting items currently reduced in price at Amazon (plus some great deals on TVs and soundbars).

Amazon Prime Day (well, three days to be more accurate) sales are currently in full swing. I've scoured Amazon's listings for the best deals on all the stuff I've listed below. To get the lowest prices and free delivery though, you'll need an Amazon Prime account that costs £8.99 a month. You can get a 30-day trial for free, but just remember to stick a reminder in your phone to cancel it before the trial ends.

For more World Cup-related gear, check out our articles on England and Scotland retro shirts, bucket hats and caps, and Lego World Cup sets.

Mini fridge and cooler deals

A mini fridge or cooler in front of the TV means you won't miss a moment of World Cup action while grabbing extra refreshments. I've picked out some compact models that are ideal for the living room or the garden – if watching outdoors.

Tower fan deals

A decent fan that moves swathes of air around can make all the difference indoors when the temperatures are high. There's decent savings to be had on these models that will keep things cooler during World Cup fever.

BBQ deals

Admittedly, standing in front of a barbecue is unlikely to make you any cooler. Your standing will improve in the opinion of all your mates when you cook up a feast for your World Cup garden party, though.

Outdoor shade deals

If you're having an outdoor World Cup watch party, getting some shade to keep you cooler and stop the sun from reflecting on your TV is a must. Here are a couple of different shady options with worthwhile discounts.

TV deals

Ok, technically a new TV won't keep you cool, but the ones I've selected do look pretty damn chill. Maybe you could stick one in the coolest room in your house? I'm stretching the theme way beyond breaking here, but I couldn't resist as these are all top deals.

Soundbar deals

Not many soundbars are renowned for their cooling properties, but if you're watching the World Cup with a crowd or need to project the match commentary outdoors, you will need some hefty audio. Handily, you can pick up one with a decent discount right now on Amazon.

Heading into the World Cup, there was a sense of expectation around a Portugal squad that possessed a host of technically gifted footballers. But as they prepare to face Uzbekistan in Houston, there is mounting pressure on the players and coach Roberto Martinez.

In their opening Group K fixture against DR Congo, Portugal were expected to sweep past the African side, playing their first World Cup in over 50 years. They did take the lead but Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes, Bernardo Silva and co struggled to create clear-cut opportunities and it came as no great surprise when Newcastle forward Yoane Wissa grabbed a deserved equaliser.

Now, Portugal must deliver a vastly improved display against an Uzbekistan side that were competitive for long periods of their opening game before falling 3-1 to a talented Colombian team that lie in wait for Martinez’s men in their final Group K match.

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

Watch Portugal vs Uzbekistan for FREE

Portugal vs Uzbekistan will be free-to-stream across multiple regions, including ITVin the UK, RTÉ Player in Ireland, SBS On Demand in Australia, CazéTV on YouTube in Brazil, NOS in the Netherlands, VRT/RTBF 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 Portugal vs Uzbekistan from anywhere

Away from home this summer and want to watch Portugal vs Uzbekistan? 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 Portugal vs Uzbekistan in the UK

In the UK, you can stream Portugal vs Uzbekistan on ITV.

How to watch Portugal vs Uzbekistan in the US

In the US, you can stream Portugal vs Uzbekistan 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 Portugal vs Uzbekistan in Australia

In Australia, you can watch Portugal vs Uzbekistan on the free SBS On Demand.

Portugal vs Uzbekistan: World Cup 2026 Preview

While Portugal may have dominated possession for long periods of their opening game, they only had seven shots against DR Congo, with João Neves’s early opener the only attempt on target across the 90 minutes.

Unsurprisingly, this has led to plenty of criticism, with pundit Thierry Henry putting much of the blame on Cristiano Ronaldo by saying: “the team needs to score, not you need to score”.

Defender Diogo Dalot has revealed that the players expected a backlash if they failed to perform, but it leaves Martinez with a big decision to make. Will he drop the 41-year-old Ronaldo for the more mobile and harder-working Gonçalo Ramos? Or will he put his trust in his captain?

Uzbekistan may have lost to Colombia but there were plenty of positives for their head coach, World Cup-winning defender Fabio Cannavaro, to take from the game. The Italian is working with a well-prepared group of players and it showed, as they came close to making the game 2-2 in the 90th minute when Akmal Mozgovoy curled a shot just wide of the post.

Dangerous on the counter-attack and aggressive in the press, they will look to frustrate Portugal with a disciplined defensive display. Key to delivering this will be Man City’s Abdukodir Khusanov who, despite being just 22, is very much a leader at the back.

Cannavaro will also be looking to Abbosbek Fayzullaev to provide some creativity in attack. The 22-year-old winger grabbed the equaliser against Colombia and is a genuine threat with the ball at his feet.

Portugal vs Uzbekistan: Team news

The major team news for Portugal is that captain Cristiano Ronaldo has kept his place in the side, despite heavy criticism for his display against DR Congo. They are two changes from the game, with Bernardo Silva and Tomas Araújo dropping to the bench. Ruben Dias and João Félix come into the team

Portugal XI: Diogo Costa; Dias, Veiga, Cancelo, Mendes; Fernandes, Neves, Vitinha; Ronaldo, João Félix, Neto. 

Subs: Sá, Rui Silva, Semedo, Araújo, Dalot, Inácio, Samú Costa, Nunes, Bernardo Silva, Neves, Ramos, Trincão, Leão, Guedes, Conceição

Uzbekistan have also made changes from the side that lost 3-1 to Colombia. Goalkeeper Utkir Yusupov drops to the bench and is replaced by Abduvohid Nematov, while Aziz Ganiev and Odiljon Hamrobekov also come into the side.

Uzebekistan XI: Nematov; Khusanov, Ashurmatov, Nasrullaev, Abdullaev, Karimov; Shukurov, Hamrobekov, Ganiev, Fayzullaev; Shomurodov. 

Subs: Yusupov, Ergashev, Alijonov, Sayfiev, Eshmurodov, Ulmasaliyev, Urozov, Mozgovoy, Iskanderov, Jiyanov, Urunov, Khamdamov, Esanov, Amanov, Sergeev.

Portugal vs Uzbekistan: Group

FourFourTwo's prediction

Portugal 2-1 Uzbekistan

FFT expects Portugal to just have the edge in what could be a very tight contest

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England face Ghana on Tuesday looking to make it two wins from two at the World Cup and confirm their place in the last 32.

Thomas Tuchel’s side go into the match with plenty of momentum after an impressive second-half performance in last week’s 4-2 win over Croatia.

England benefitted from a penalty - retaken and scored at the second attempt by Harry Kane - against Croatia, but who is the referee for the Ghana clash?

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Referee appointment for England vs Ghana

A referee from the CONCACAF federation will take charge of England vs Ghana.

Honduran referee Said Martinez will officiate the Group L contest in what will be just his second World Cup match.

The 34-year-old previously refereed the 1-1 draw between Qatar and Switzerland.

There was some controversy in that match when Switzerland were awarded a penalty for a foul on Remo Freuler, who appeared to be in an offside position.

After a VAR check, though, the penalty stood and Breel Embolo converted it.

Martinez, who has been a FIFA-listed referee since 2017, brandished three yellow cards during Qatar vs Switzerland.

He became the Honduran top flight’s youngest-ever referee when he took charge of his first match at the age of 18, while studying maths at university.

Since then, Martinez has regularly refereed CONCACAF international matches, being rewarded with a place at the World Cup.

His assistant referees will be fellow Hondurans Walter Lopez and Christian Ramirez.

China’s Ning Ma is the fourth official, while Mexican Guillermo Pacheco is the VAR.

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.

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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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Watch Jordan vs Algeria from anywhere

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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.

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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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.

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…