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 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.

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

Watch Jordan vs Algeria from anywhere

Away from home this summer and want to watch Jordan vs Algeria? 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:

• Read More: How to watch World Cup 2026: TV Guide

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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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...

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'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 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…

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

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

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

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France vs Iraq odds from BOYLE SPORTS

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

France vs Iraq prediction

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Score prediction: France 4-1 Iraq

How to watch France vs Iraq

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Watch Argentina vs Austria for FREE

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

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

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

Watch Argentina vs Austria from anywhere

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

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

How to watch Argentina vs Austria in the UK

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

How to watch Argentina vs Austria in the US

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

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

How to watch Argentina vs Austria in Australia

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

Argentina vs Austria: World Cup 2026 Preview

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

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

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

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

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

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

Argentina vs Austria: Group J

Team News

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

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

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

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

FourFourTwo's prediction

Argentina 2-1 Austria

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

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Another quiz for you.

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

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

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

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

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

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

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

Quiz time!

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

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

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

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

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

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

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

It's the turn of Argentina, once again, at the World Cup today.

World Cup 2026 was lit up by Lionel Messi's stunning hat-trick for the holders last week – and now the GOAT goes again, so to celebrate, we're bringing you 20 questions all about his country.

Warning: some of these questions predate their iconic captain. So from Maradona to Messi, the Hand of God to the Lusail spectacular, how much do you know about the Albiceleste?

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

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

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

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

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

Let's go!

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.

Alexia Putellas has lived a football journey that once seemed impossible to the teenager that met Lionel Messi at Barcelona 14 years ago.

The Barcelona legend went from an 18-year-old fan asking Lionel Messi for a photo at the club’s training facilities when she first joined, to sharing the spotlight with him years later as two global icons of the game.

Speaking as part of Lay's World Cup campaign, Putellas reflected on her “crazy life” in football, her memories of meeting Messi, and why seeing him lift the World Cup was a special moment for any fan of the sport.

Alexia Putellas's 'crazy life' and Lionel Messi crossover

“I remember my first year at Barcelona - I was 18," Putellas said. "I was working in the afternoon at the training facilities and he was there.

“I asked him for a photo and it was a big moment for me because I was new at the club - he was so nice.

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“After a number of years, we met again in a commercial - so it's a crazy life now but I'm so happy and I always wish him the best because he's really good - the best player - but he’s a really good person too.”

The pair’s reunion this year comes through Lay’s latest World Cup campaign, with Putellas joining Messi, Thierry Henry, David Beckham in the No Lay’s No Game Most Epic Watch Party - bringing together legendary players from around the world.

For Putellas, the campaign stands out because of its connection with fans and how she is able to participate with players she grew up admiring.

“All the commercials of Lays are special,” she said. “I've been lucky to be in them with some legends who I admired when I was young and it’s so special because you are connecting with fans.

“I never imagined that everything that has happened could be possible so I just try to enjoy every day. To have this experience with Leo and the other players is something incredible that I will always remember.”

The Spain star also shared her admiration for Messi’s World Cup triumph, admitting that football fans everywhere could appreciate the significance of his victory, as he lifted the trophy with Argentina in 2018.

“If you love football, you love that Messi has won at least one World Cup.”

Messi left Barcelona in 2021 after 18 years with the club, while Putellas announced last month she is leaving Barcelona - both legends of the club.

In her 14 years, Putellas won 4 UEFA Women’s Champions League titles and 10 Liga F domestic league titles, as well as two Ballon d'ors.

Messi left Barcelona in 2021 after 18 years with the club, while Putellas announced last month that she is leaving after 14 years - two of the biggest legends in the club’s history.

During her time at Barca, Putellas won four UEFA Women’s Champions League titles and 10 Liga F domestic league titles, as well as claiming two Ballon d’Or awards.

The 32-year-old has been linked with a move to London City Lionesses as she closes the door on her historic Barcelona chapter.

"Of course we've been lucky because we have been part of an epic team," Putellas added, about her time at Barcelona.

"Not just with Aitana [Bonmati], but for me it was a pleasure to be part of this Barca era and of course being the captain.

"Being a player for 14 seasons at my childhood club, it was a perfect history for me."

Quiz anyone?

We're all loving watching the World Cup – and we're not the only ones. There are plenty of big names who were left behind by their managers (hi Phil, hi Cole), but today, we'd like you to name the ones who failed to get there in the first place.

As per Transfermarkt, we've listed the 20 players with the highest value in the world who failed to qualify for the tournament. Six minutes to do so…

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

FourFourTwo is proud to present a vast vault of football quizzes, all courtesy of Kwizly. We've a gaggle of World Cup quizzes ready for you, including a tricky test of naming every capital city of each nation at the 2026 World Cup.

Next is one for the international veterans, as we invite you to name every player at the 2026 World Cup with over 100 caps.

The goals have started flying in across the Atlantic, but can you name every World Cup hat-trick scorer since 1998? And then it's one of our favourites, as we serve you up 20 historic World Cup shirts with the badges removed to see how well you know your kit history.

FourFourTwo's Weekend Crossword 57 has clues on Belgian players, club name suffices, Bundesliga nicknames, World Cup Campbells and more. Remember to subscribe to our newsletter for your daily afternoon briefing of football trivia and analysis, and don't forget to join The Club: our free membership portal where you can secret hints and get on the leaderboard.

After the first round of World Cup 2026 matches, Group G couldn't be more finely balanced with all four teams on one point.

New Zealand vs Egypt, then, represents a great chance for both sides to take a definitive step towards what would be a first-ever knockout spot. With Chris Wood and Mo Salah in their respective ranks, they'll both fancy their chances of bagging a maiden tournament win that would do it, too.

Nevertheless, New Zealand will start as underdogs. The All Whites got their campaign underway with an entertaining 2-2 draw with Iran. Elijah Just twice put the Kiwis ahead, each assisted by Wood, but there were concerns defensively as they shipped 17 shots.

Egypt took a first-half lead thanks to Emam Ashour's well-hit strike but couldn't hold on against group favourites Belgium. The Pharaohs hope to tighten up at the back, though, to provide the platform for Salah and Omar Marmoush to thrive.

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

Watch New Zealand vs Egypt for FREE

Belgium vs Egypt 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, 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 New Zealand vs Egypt from anywhere

Away from home this summer and want to watch New Zealand vs Egypt? 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 New Zealand vs Egypt in the UK

In the UK, you can stream New Zealand vs Egypt on ITV1. Coverage starts at 1:30am BST, with kick-off at 2:00am BST.

How to watch New Zealand vs Egypt in the US

In the US, you can stream New Zealand vs Egypt 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 New Zealand vs Egypt in Australia

In Australia, you can watch New Zealand vs Egypt on the free SBS On Demand.

New Zealand vs Egypt: World Cup 2026 Preview

Searching for their first World Cup win, New Zealand showed plenty of attacking intent against Iran. Darren Bazeley’s side pressed high from the start and were rewarded for such high-tempo play when Just scored after just seven minutes.

The Motherwell midfielder linked brilliantly with Wood for both goals and will be full of confidence as he looks to add to his tally against Egypt. The biggest concern for Bazeley is at the other end of the pitch as Iran were able to carve out chance after chance.

Key to stopping attacks are the double pivots of Marko Stamenic and Joe Bell, who will once again be tested as they have to deal with the individual brilliance of Salah and Marmoush.

Neither player was on the scoresheet against Belgium, though Salah did set up his side's goal, but both will be desperate to have an impact and help Egypt secure a first World Cup victory and knockout spot.

While the Pharaohs possess plenty of quality at the top end of the pitch, it is defensively where there are some concerns. They struggled to deal with the physicality of Romelu Lukaku after his introduction in the second half and will face a similar problem with the hulking Wood.

Tasked with stopping the Nottingham Forest forward will be Al Ahly centre-back Yasser Ibrahim, who will need to deliver a disciplined performance to ensure he isn’t bullied by the powerful striker.

New Zealand vs Egypt: Group G

FourFourTwo's prediction

New Zealand 1-2 Egypt

FourFourTwo expects Salah and Marmoush to play a vital role in helping Egypt secure a first-ever World Cup win.

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Quiz, anyone?

Spain's Golden Generation did what many other countries' can't: win the ultimate prize of all, lifting the World Cup in sunny South Africa. La Roja didn't do it with a flurry of goals but a network of tightly-knit passes, unpicking the Netherlands apart 1-0 in the final at Soccer City.

So today, we're asking you which 11 players played in the victory. No time limit for this one. Can you name every Spaniard who started the 2010 World Cup final?

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

FourFourTwo is proud to present a vast vault of football quizzes, all courtesy of Kwizly. We've a gaggle of World Cup quizzes ready for you, including a tricky test of naming every capital city of each nation at the 2026 World Cup.

Next is one for the international veterans, as we invite you to name every player at the 2026 World Cup with over 100 caps.

The goals have started flying in across the Atlantic, but can you name every World Cup hat-trick scorer since 1998? And then it's one of our favourites, as we serve you up 20 historic World Cup shirts with the badges removed to see how well you know your kit history.

FourFourTwo's Weekend Crossword 57 has clues on Belgian players, club name suffices, Bundesliga nicknames, World Cup Campbells and more. Remember to subscribe to our newsletter for your daily afternoon briefing of football trivia and analysis, and don't forget to join The Club: our free membership portal where you can secret hints and get on the leaderboard.

We could be set for another compelling encounter in Group H.

You will need no reminding that Cape Verde surprised and delighted the world by claiming a hard-earned goalless draw against Spain last time out.

Uruguay will be much less pleased that they also took a point from their opener against Saudi Arabia, and they will now be desperate to get a win on the board ahead of playing the European champions in their final group game.

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Uruguay vs Cape Verde prediction

The game is set to kick off at 6pm local time (11pm UK time) at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida.

Spain currently sit top of the group on four points after their 4-0 victory over Saudi Arabia earlier on Sunday, with the other three teams all on a single point.

That means that neither of these two sides can achieve progress to the round of 32 or get eliminated on the basis of the result here.

However, Marcelo Bielsa will expect to see a much better performance from his Uruguay side than they offered in their last game.

The South Americans were listless and unconvincing for much of the game against Saudi Arabia, and went a goal down before finally responding in the final half-hour of the game to rescue a 1-1 draw.

That inability to offer an attacking threat has been an all-too-common theme for Uruguay over the past couple of years - and they could have their work cut out for them again if Cape Verde can offer anything like the kind of spirited resilience they showed against Spain.

We are likely to see another attack-vs-defence showing here, with Cape Verde limited to chances on the counter-attack.

That could make it another difficult and frustrating evening's business for Uruguay - but they should have enough quality to get the result over the line.

With goal difference coming into play in the event of finishing level with a team they had drawn with, Uruguay will also take encouragement from the state of Saudi Arabia's goal difference after that heavy defeat earlier in the day. A win is likely to be enough to get them through, and that should focus a few minds.

• Score prediction: Uruguay 2-0 Cape Verde

Few would have predicted before the World Cup 2026 that Group H would be this tight after the opening round of fixtures, but with all four teams on one point, it remains wide open.

That means that Uruguay vs Cape Verde takes on vital importance. A win for either side – and just imagine that for the latter – and they'll be a stone's throw from the knockout stages.

Uruguay required a late equaliser to scramble a point against Saudi Arabia in Miami. The two-time champions produced a second-half onslaught to ensure they didn’t suffer the same fate as Argentina four years ago, with Maxi Araujo striking in the 80th minute to earn a deserved 1-1 draw.

La Celeste will hope to take more of their chances against Cape Verde, who produced an inspired performance in their opening game to draw 0-0 with Spain, the reigning European champions. Goalkeeper Vozinha made a host of top-class saves, as the African minnows held on for a deserved point in their tournament debut.

Bubista & Co. couldn't do it again, could they?

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

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Uruguay vs Cape Verde 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.

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How to watch Uruguay vs Cape Verde in the UK

In the UK, you can stream Uruguay vs Cape Verde on BBC One. The build-up starts at 10:30pm BST, with kick-off following at 11:00pm BST.

How to watch Uruguay vs Cape Verde in the US

In the US, you can stream Uruguay vs Cape Verde 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 Uruguay vs Cape Verde in Australia

In Australia, you can watch Uruguay vs Cape Verde on the free SBS On Demand.

Uruguay vs Cape Verde: World Cup 2026 Preview

No longer able to call upon the talents of Luis Suarez and Edison Cavani, Uruguay lacked a cutting edge against Saudi Arabia, with former Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez dragged off at half-time after a lacklustre performance. Hardly surprising, given he was deselected from Al-Hilal's squad in the Saudi Pro League in February, to make room for Karim Benzema.

Marcelo Bielsa’s side had no problems creating, ending the game with 27 shots on goal, but he will be hoping for more cutting edge against Cape Verde. That could mean El Loco makes some changes to the starting XI, with Agustin Canobbio one option to replace Nunez in the front three.

The South Americans will certainly expect to see plenty of the ball and will be confident that Real Madrid’s Fede Valverde, among others, will be able to break down a dogged and determined Cape Verde backline. They're starting to tire of Bielsa's high-pressing zeal, though.

While Uruguay were frustrated to only secure a point in their opening match, the Cape Verde players rightfully celebrated their incredible draw with Spain. The World Cup debutants defended resolutely, with 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha the hero thanks to his string of fine stops.

Having restricted Spain to just seven shots on target and looked comfortable with La Roja's slow pace of play, the Blue Sharks will enter this fixture confident they can produce another memorable result.

However, much will depend on their powers of recovery, having worked extremely hard for 90-plus minutes to earn their first-ever World Cup point.

Uruguay vs Cape Verde: Group H

FourFourTwo's prediction

Uruguay 2-0 Cape Verde

FourFourTwo expects Uruguay’s high-intensity and aggressive pressing to pay dividends as they secure all three points.

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Alexia Putellas insists Spain’s men’s team remain firmly in contention to lift the World Cup trophy this summer despite their frustrating opening tie against Cape Verde.

The European champions were held to a 0-0 draw by Cape Verde in their World Cup opener, a result that raised early questions about their status as one of the favourites of the 2026 World Cup.

But Putellas, one of Spain’s most decorated players and a key figure in the women’s team’s success on the international stage, believes there is no reason for concern.

Alexia Putellas sooths Spain World Cup fears

“I’m super excited,” Putellas said. “They are really good players so we are very excited and it was a draw, but we know it’s just the beginning so we are 100% confident with them.

“We have a lot of games so it’s not how you start, it’s how you progress . Now it’s too early to talk about favourites, but I’m sure we will see a great football and great games, I expect that.”

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Spain arrived at the tournament with significant expectations in Group H alongside Uruguay, Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde.

It felt like a given that La Roja, ranked second in the world would beat Cape Verde, who sit 65 places behind them in the world rankings and are embarking on their first World Cup, in the newly-expanded 48-team tournament.

Cape Verde’s historic World Cup debut was marked by a disciplined defensive display and a standout performance from 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha to restrict Luis de la Fuente's team to one point.

Spain are the reigning European champions and have already written their name into football history by winning the World Cup in 2010.

Putellas’ side matched that achievement in 2023, when they beat England to become World Champions for the first time, with the Barcelona legend knowing exactly what it takes to navigate the pressure of international football on the big stage.

She also knows the unique responsibility and feeling that comes with wearing the Spanish national shirt.

“I love when we play with the national team," Putellas added. "It’s a special feeling because you feel like you represent all of your country, everybody.

"It doesn’t matter the club you support, it’s the team of everybody you know so it’s very special.

“The feeling you have that everybody is watching the competition, all the world is focused on that so you feel that. It's super exciting because it's like everybody is watching what you are doing and what's happening on the pitch - that’s my favourite thing about World Cups."

When asked if the men’s tournament gets her excited for next year, when Spain will look to retain their title at the 2027 Women’s World Cup, Putellas said it was one of her objectives to ensure she is there competing in Brazil.

Spain are already looking forward having beaten Saudi Arabia 4-0 in their second group game, putting themselves in the driving seat to make the Round of 32 with their Cape Verde draw firmly in the rear-view mirror.

Putellas was speaking as part of Lay’s ‘No Lay's No Game’ campaign.

Belgium and Iran might not have willingly accepted draws in their first matches at World Cup 2026 but the state of Group G after 90 minutes suggests they can both be satisfied with their situations ahead of Belgium vs Iran on Sunday.

Belgium drew with Egypt in their first match and had to equalise in the second half in order to do so. Iran, whose preparation couldn't have been much more compromised if they'd set up camp on Mars, twice equalised against New Zealand.

With two games to play, Belgium will expect wins and Iran, with a point on the board, will take their chances.

Belgium might be on the wrong side of their so-called golden generation but the Red Devils continue to flatter to deceive on the biggest stage.

Drawing with Egypt is a solid enough start but the performance of Rudi Garcia's team was frustratingly toothless for long stretches of the opening game.

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

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Belgium vs Iran 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.

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How to watch Belgium vs Iran in the UK

In the UK, you can stream Belgium vs Iran on ITV. The build-up starts at 7:00pm, ahead of the kick-off at 8:00pm.

How to watch Belgium vs Iran in the US

In the US, you can stream Belgium vs Iran on FS1.

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

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Belgium vs Iran: World Cup 2026 Preview

Belgium boast a squad brimming with experience. Four players have more than 100 senior caps and were key players in their run to the semi-finals of the World Cup in Russia eight years ago.

The question of their direction of travel is up for debate. Belgium went out in the group stage in 2022 and were fairly timid against Egypt in Seattle this time round.

That 33-year-old Romelu Lukaku's sheer physical presence was the major catalyst for the own goal that drew them level at Lumen Field might just tell us everything we need to know.

Iran's entire World Cup demands perspective. Their preparations have been disrupted at every turn and their flying in and out of the United States for all three of their games is a clear admission that they're not welcome.

To equalise twice in that situation takes some doing, even against lower-ranked opposition in the shape of New Zealand. Whether they can do the same against a team of Belgium's ability is a different story.

The Red Devils might have been a little off-colour in their first game but an Iranian win here would be the shock of the tournament so far.

Belgium vs Iran: Group G

Team News

Belgium XI: Thibaut Courtois (GK); Thomas Meunier, Nathan Ngoy, Brandon Mechele, Maxim De Cuyper; Nico Raskin, Kevin De Bruyne, Youri Tielemans; Alexis Saelemaekers, Romelu Lukaku, Leandro Trossard

After a telling contribution against Egypt, Lukaku gets the nod against Iran. Saelemaekers, Raskin and De Cuyper also come into the starting line-up for the Red Devils.

Iran XI: Alireza Beiranvand (GK); Saleh Hardani, Hossein Kanaani, Shoja Khalilzadeh, Ali Nemati, Ehsan Haji Safi; Ramin Rezaeian, Saman Ghoddos, Saeid Ezatolahi, Mohammad Mohebi, Mehdi Taremi

Shahriar Moghanlou misses out as Iran opt for one up front. Captain Safi comes in along with Kanaani and Hardani.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Belgium 2-0 Iran

FourFourTwo predicts a straightforward win for a motivated Belgium.

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Spain and Saudi Arabia will match wits in both sides' second game of the World Cup.

The Group H clash will be played at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium, with kick-off set for noon local time (5pm UK time).

The BBC have picked up the UK broadcast rights for this one, and they have duly assembled an array of big football names for the occasion. Literally, in one case.

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BBC pundits and commentators for Spain vs Saudi Arabia

The ever-reliable Kelly Cates will be in the presenter's seat in the Salford studio to guide her team of studio pundits through their attempts at analysis.

Sitting alongside her will be former England striker Wayne Rooney, former Spain defender Cesar Azpilicueta, and ex-Brentford and Tottenham boss Thomas Frank.

Rooney is Manchester United's all-time leading goalscorer, and once held the same distinction for his country as well before being overtaken by Harry Kane.

Former Chelsea stalwart Azpilicueta won it all in his 11-year spell at Stamford Bridge, including two league titles, a Champions League, an FA Cup, a League Cup, two Europa Leagues, a UEFA Super Cup, and a Club World. We're not sure why we said 'including' because that's all of it.

Frank enjoyed great success in getting Brentford promoted to the Premier League and establishing them in the division, and also was at Spurs for a bit last season.

It's then over to Atlanta for the match action, with Ian Dennis serving as the lead commentator.

Alongside him is former England goalkeeper Paul Robinson, who earned 41 caps, including starting all of the Three Lions' games at the 2006 World Cup.

Spain and Saudi Arabia were both held to draws in their opening games of the tournament, leaving the group all square going into this second round of fixtures.

The European champions were unable to find a way past tournament debutants Cape Verde in the biggest shock we are likely to see this summer.

Saudi Arabia meanwhile led Uruguay last time out, only to end up sharing the spoils in a 1-1 draw.

The 2022 World Cup final in Qatar was perhaps the most dramatic climax in the tournament’s storied history.

It was a match packed with momentum swings and individual brilliance, as Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi were the headliners, accounting for five of the six goals before the South Americans dethroned the defending champions on penalties.

Mbappe became the second player to net a World Cup final hat-trick when he dragged his side back from the brink to force extra time, before his side fell agonisingly short.

Leboeuf on Mbappe’s 2022 eruption

For Frank Leboeuf, a World Cup winner with France in 1998, Mbappe’s late surge, which saw him score 80th and 81st minute goals to force extra time, remains as extraordinary as it was bewildering.

“We didn’t play for 75 minutes,” Leboeuf tells FourFourTwo. “That was when Kylian decided to show up.”

At this stage, France were 2-0 down following first-half strikes from Messi and Angel Di Maria, a showing that Leboeuf believes flicked a switch in Mbappe’s mind.

“Our performance until that stage had clearly made him angry, and suddenly you saw this explosion,” he adds.

This was then the set-up to create the narrative of which this final will forever be remembered.

“You saw how difficult it is to contain a player with his ability for 90 minutes. It became the Mbappe vs Messi final.”

Former Chelsea defender Leboeuf is convinced that without Mbappe’s intervention, the final would have done and dusted early doors.

“We almost won that final – it would have been almost entirely thanks to Kylian.”

And for Leboeuf, it is this quality that separates the very good from the very best.

“The greatest players save their best for the biggest stage,” he adds. “Stages don’t come any bigger.”

Spain take on Saudi Arabia in a World Cup 2026 Group H game from Atlanta that has more riding on it than many predicted when the draw was first made.

La Roja, so disappointing in their opening round draw, desperately need Lamine Yamal to be fit from the off to kickstart their tournament. The Saudis fancy an upset.

Spilling points while stumbling over the first hurdle won't have been part of Luis de la Fuente's plan for Spain, but the end of their hopes a 0-0 draw with Cape Verde is not.

Sure, few pundits predicted anything other than a sizeable win for the European champions on the Blue Sharks' doozy of a debut, but 2010 winners Spain struggled. More fool us.

Saudi Arabia, and Salem Al-Dawsari in particular, love an upset. The skipper bagged a memorable winner to topple Argentina in 2022's group stages and the Green Falcons started with an impressive 1-1 draw with Marcelo Bielsa's Uruguay in their opening game here.

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

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Spain vs Saudi Arabia 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.

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How to watch Spain vs Saudi Arabia in the UK

In the UK, you can stream Spain vs Saudi Arabia on BBC One. The build-up starts at 4.30pm, ahead of kick-off at 5:00pm.

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In the US, you can stream Spain vs Saudi Arabia 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 Spain vs Saudi Arabia in Australia

In Australia, you can watch Spain vs Saudi Arabia on the free SBS On Demand.

Spain vs Saudi Arabia: World Cup 2026 Preview

Standing in the way of the European champions, and the three points that will almost certainly take them through to the round of 32, are Saudi Arabia, who start the game above their opponents on goals scored.

Abdulelah Al-Amri's goal against Uruguay is the difference and it came tantalisingly close to delivering a Saudi win. Uruguay's equaliser 10 minutes from time proved otherwise but Group H, while never looking a foregone conclusion in terms of a top two or three, is altogether closer after 90 minutes than expected.

Whether complacency, timidity or just sheer plain Vozinha explains their shortcomings, La Roja remain favourites to win Group H – for now. But they want – no, need – Yamal fit and firing.

When Spain won the World Cup, they lost to Switzerland in their first group fixture. In the second, Honduras were seen off with relative ease thanks to a David Villa double.

De la Fuente lacks a successor to the country's record scorer. They probably don't need one, at least not directly, but when they searched for a goal to squeak by Cape Verde, a devastating centre-forward would have been handy. Mikel Oyarzabal didn't touch the ball in the first half hour on Monday.

There's no reason on paper to suspect that Spain will falter again in Atlanta today. Big players thrive in big moments and De la Fuente's team have manufactured one all by themselves. Let's see what they can do with it.

Spain vs Saudi Arabia: Group H

Team News

Spain XI: Unai Simon (GK); Pedro Porro, Pau Cubarsi, Aymeric Laporte, Marc Cucurella; Pedri, Rodri; Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, Alex Baena; Mikel Oyarzabal

De la Fuente has selected Yamal from the start for his second World Cup appearance and the first from the start. The teenager comes in for Ferran Torres in one of four changes.

Saudi Arabia XI: Mohammed Al-Owais (GK); Saud Abdulhamid, Hassan Al-Tambakti, Ali Lajami, Abdulelah Al-Amri, Moteb Al-Harbi; Nasser Al-Dawsari, Abdullah Alkhaibari, Musab Al-Juwayr; Firas Al-Buraikan, Salem Al-Dawsari

Saudi Arabia make two changes from their draw with Uruguay. Nasser Al-Dawsari and Ali Lajami replace Mohammed Al-Shamat and Mohamed Kanno.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Spain 3-0 Saudi Arabia

FourFourTwo predicts a righting of the ship for Spain and a comfortable win to go through.

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Spain have already had more disappointment at this World Cup than they would have hoped for...and they're only one game in.

The goalless draw against a brilliantly resilient Cape Verde was a genuine surprise, and while the bulk of the credit should go their way, Spain will also know that their performance was some way short of their usual standard.

The difficulty level may only increase from here, too. Saudi Arabia caused just as big a shock at the last World Cup by beating Argentina in their opening game, and they led Uruguay for a long time in their opener this summer before having to settle for a 1-1 draw.

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Spain vs Saudi Arabia score prediction in Group H clash

Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium will host proceedings, with kick-off set for midday local time (5pm UK time).

But locals who bought tickets hoping to see Lamine Yamal strut his stuff - and there were certainly plenty of them for the Cape Verde game - may need to be patient once again.

The Barcelona star came into the tournament carrying a hamstring injury, and although he has trained with his teammates, Luis de la Fuente is expected to manage his minutes, with Yamal saying that 'it's too soon' for him to play 90 minutes.

Nico Williams was in a similar position, and Spain badly missed the pair's influence in the final third of the pitch against Cape Verde.

With both wingers likely to play a limited role again, Spain will need to find a creative spark elsewhere against a stubborn Saudi side.

Saudi Arabia will be hoping for another big performance from goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais, who could be set for another busy afternoon between the sticks.

But it's hard to imagine Spain coming into this game looking as complacent as they were from the beginning against Cape Verde before it gave way to outright frustration.

De la Fuente will be banking on his players getting their slow start to the tournament out of their system and showing more of what they are capable of from here.

That makes it difficult to look past a Spain win.

• Score prediction: Spain 2-0 Saudi Arabia

Mention the words ‘penalty shootout’ to an England fan of a certain age and you’re likely to trigger a visceral reaction.

For a generation of Three Lions fans, the spot-kick defeats in 1990, 1996, 1998, 2004, 2006 and 2012 were enough to make them believe a level scoreline after 120 minutes meant a certain exit.

That run would finally come to an end in 2018 when Colombia were vanquished in the World Cup last-16 in Russia, with England having won two of their three subsequent shootouts.

Joe and Ashley Cole on England’s spot-kick record

Joe and Ashley Cole were both in the starting line-up of the 2006 World Cup quarter-final penalty shootout defeat to Portugal, a match which came two years after the pair were present for another spot-kick loss to the same opposition.

But while the memories of those defeats will never be shifted, the pair are at least able to take solace in the fact that England have been able to shift their penalty hoodoo.

“I think England have overcome that now,” Joe tells FourFourTwo. “But we lost a lot of shootouts from 1990 and it became a thing.

“You have to credit Jordan Pickford and the boys – they’ve turned that round, haven’t they? The Colombia game in 2018 was huge for this country.

“Now we have a keeper who can save penalties, and players used to taking them in big moments. I’m confident going into the next one.”

Ashley Cole believes that England’s improved record is down to the coaching staff taking a more holistic approach to how penalties are practised.

“All we did is practise,” the former Chelsea and Arsenal defender adds. “We had three big goals lined up, and you’d take a penalty against this goalie, another against that goalie, and a third against that goalie.

“But now there are so many strategies that help you – with your breathing, with your understanding, with so much stuff.

“We just put the ball down and it was, 'Pick your side, then go that side in the game.' We didn’t have any coaching or mental training.

“Now there’s a lot of data that goes into it, a lot of studies, so that’s why they’re well prepared in this day and age.”

Could It Be Coming Home? with Joe Cole and Ashley Cole is brought to you by Carling, official sponsor of the Emirates FA Cup and Adobe Women’s FA Cup. Watch the show on YouTube and Spotify, or listen to it wherever you get your podcasts

To make the transition from talented youth prospect to a top-level professional, a player will need plenty of qualities, not least talent, dedication and luck.

What also helps is having elite influences to help guide and shape your young career.

For Jeremy Doku, the journey from Anderlecht’s academy to the Manchester City first team has been made possible by two of the key figures in City’s recent history in Vincent Kompany and Pep Guardiola.

Doku on working with Vincent Kompany

Doku’s professional career began at Anderlecht, with Kompany’s arrival as a player-manager a key part in his development.

“Vincent Kompany came to Anderlecht, first as a coach and also as a player,” Doku recalls to FourFourTwo. “Playing next to him, him giving me passes… he was a legend for City, so it was a privilege.”

Although Kompany would step down as boss to focus on playing for one more year, he hung up his boots in 2020 to concentrate exclusively on management during Doku’s final few months with the club.

“He taught me a lot,” Doku continues. “When he was my coach, he reminded me a lot of Pep. I’m not surprised he’s been so successful at Bayern Munich.”

Doku made his Belgium debut as an 18-year-old when he was still playing under Kompany. A late substitute appearance against Denmark in the National League was followed by a start against Iceland, in which he scored in a 5-1 win.

For Doku, playing alongside the likes of Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku was a dream.

“It was crazy, because you watched them play on TV, then suddenly you were sitting next to them,” he explains.

“I was one of the youngest there, but I always had the mentality that, ‘I’m young, but I want to prove to you guys that I deserve to be here.’

“That’s what I did in training and I think I impressed them. Then, against Iceland, Kevin gave me an assist and I scored a nice goal.

“I fitted in quite well.”

When Youri Djorkaeff arrived in the Premier League in 2002, he had won just about everything there was to win in football, from the World Cup and European Championship with France, to the UEFA Cup with Inter Milan.

Even at the age of 33, logic would have dictated that the midfielder would have joined an established Premier League side, so when he rocked up at relegation-threatened Bolton Wanderers, more than a few eyebrows were raised.

But almost a quarter of a century on, the France legend views that move as one of the most rewarding periods of his career.

Djorkaeff on his Bolton 'challenge'

"It was more than just a challenge – it was about trying to achieve a miracle," Djorkaeff tells FourFourTwo about his move to one of the north-west's less fashionable clubs.

"Bolton were down near the bottom of the Premier League, and I didn’t know much about the club. But Sam Allardyce came all the way to Germany for lunch and told me he needed me to help save the team. When someone says that, you take it as a mission – the passion in his words convinced me. I was happy to be part of that project."

The 1998 World Cup winner was the first of several big names to be wooed by Allardyce, and he admits that the move was something of a gamble.

"Yes, a little," he continues. "I told Big Sam that in 2001, I’d won the Confederations Cup with France. In 2000, the Euros. In 1998, both the World Cup and the UEFA Cup. In 1996, the Cup Winners’ Cup. This time I wasn’t chasing another medal, I wanted to take on the challenge of helping a club that was in real trouble."

Djorkaeff also admits that he snubbed the likes of Liverpool and Manchester United to join the Trotters.

"Yes, but for me it was important to play, as I wanted to be at the 2002 World Cup. England had never been a priority in my career. It didn’t appeal to me. After living in Italy and Germany though, I opened my mind and was more willing to go there. I arrived at Bolton with 12 games left in the season. Big Sam told me that no matter what, I’d play every match, even if I wasn’t at my best.

"That’s not something Gerard Houllier or Sir Alex Ferguson could have promised. I felt it was better to go to Bolton for 12 games because I wouldn’t lose my credibility, then I could decide whether to stay or leave. In the end, I chose to extend my stay because I felt really good there."

Did he regret turning down Liverpool and Manchester United? "Not at all. I needed that Bolton experience in my life."

After calling the Parc des Princes and the San Siro home, it's also fair to say that Djorkaeff underwent something of a culture shift, admitting that plenty of things surprised him when he arrived at Bolton.

"A lot of things. Sam Allardyce surprised me, the atmosphere in English stadiums and even the training facilities, if you can call them that. They weren’t what they are today – there were basically two goals and a patch of grass. It all had a bit of an amateur feel, but authentic. I never complained. When I arrived at Bolton, I came with one mission: to save the club. I was eager to meet my new team-mates and be one of the group.

"There was no red carpet waiting for me, I was there to fight just like everyone else. The most important thing was to lift the mentality. I told the lads, 'I’m a World Cup winner, but I’m not here to stroll around, I’m here to give everything for Bolton.' That message got through."

Quiz time.

The last country to win the World Cup for the first time, Spain are a full-blown superpower on the global stage after a golden era for the name that saw them win three tournaments in a row during their magnificent peak.

The Spanish were the undisputed kings of the world from 2008 to 2012, winning the European Championship, the World Cup, and retaining their Euros trophy without a recognised striker – so today, we're taking you back to their dynasty, as we challenge you to name all 34 players to appear across those three tournament squads, in just eight minutes.

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

FourFourTwo is proud to present a vast vault of football quizzes, all courtesy of Kwizly. We've a gaggle of World Cup quizzes ready for you, including a tricky test of naming every capital city of each nation at the 2026 World Cup.

Next is one for the international veterans, as we invite you to name every player at the 2026 World Cup with over 100 caps.

The goals have started flying in across the Atlantic, but can you name every World Cup hat-trick scorer since 1998? And then it's one of our favourites, as we serve you up 20 historic World Cup shirts with the badges removed to see how well you know your kit history.

FourFourTwo's Weekend Crossword 57 has clues on Belgian players, club name suffices, Bundesliga nicknames, World Cup Campbells and more. Remember to subscribe to our newsletter for your daily afternoon briefing of football trivia and analysis, and don't forget to join The Club: our free membership portal where you can secret hints and get on the leaderboard.

A brand-new Pre-Match Poser, anyone?

They’ve only been to one World Cup final – they were on the winning side – and completed the grand slam of Europe’s top five leagues with Manchester City in 2021. Who are we talking about?

We'll reveal the answer this time next week in the next edition of The Pre-Match Poser – stay tuned for that – but for now, here's the answer to last week's conundrum…

Q. Which player follows the following sequence: Cafu, Marco Amelia, Alberto Gilardino, Toni Kroos, Andre Schurrle, Kylian Mbappe…

A. It’s Franco Armani. This is a list of every World Cup-winning player from the 21st Century who was born in a year in which their nation won the World Cup. 2002 winner Cafu was born in 1970 (no Brazilian from that squad was born in ‘58, ‘62 or ‘94), 2006-winning Italians Amelia and Gilardino were both born in 1982, Kroos and Schurrle were both born in 1990 (the year of West Germany’s last triumph), and Kylian Mbappe was born in 1998, months after France won their first World Cup. Argentine keeper Armani was the oldest member of the Albiceleste’s third World Cup-winning squad, born in 1986, the year of their last victory.

More football quizzes we know you'll love

You clearly possess the vision of a deep-lying playmaker, then: navigating those ungooglable riddles is the ultimate test of a footballing brain, but one masterclass is never enough – from career paths to scorers, we've got more quizzes courtesy of Kwizly.

We’re starting with a deep dive into the elite tiers of the continent and the clubs that dared to dream of glory. We’re challenging you to identify the kings of the European stage by naming the top 20 Champions League scorers by their clubs, a task that rewards those who can track an icon's movement across the map. Once you’ve honored the goal machines, it’s time to recall the surprise packages and the powerhouses that came within touching distance of silver by naming every club to have reached one of these major semi-finals since 2000.

If your expertise is more about the individual journey or the very fabric of the clubs themselves, we have two formidable hurdles waiting in the tunnel. You can prove your scouting network is world-class by trying to name these 100 players from their career path, a test of archival memory that covers everyone from one-club legends to the most nomadic journeymen. Following that, see if your eye for detail is sharp enough to name the team that wore these shirts. From the historic threads of the early 2000s to the bold designs of the modern era, it’s time to see if your visual memory is firing on all cylinders.

To decompress after that heavy lifting, find a quiet spot in the stands for FourFourTwo’s Weekend Crossword 58, featuring a special focus on winners, losers, and legends. Remember to join our newsletter for your daily afternoon briefing of curated triviam and truly cement your legacy as a terrace legend, make sure to sign up for The Club, our free membership portal where you can unlock secret hints for those impossible-to-finish quizzes, climb the global leaderboards and join the tactical debate in our comments section.

We all loved playing parachute games at school, but the idea of being unexpectedly involved in one against your will is a terrifying prospect, as we're sure you'll agree.

So we can only imagine the horror and humiliation of the poor person who got wrapped up in a gigantic Czech Republic flag ahead of the nation's 1-1 draw with South Korea at the World Cup.

The public embarrassment in blue, red and white did not go unnoticed by fans at Zapopan's Estadio Akron, who could be heard laughing uproariously at the poor victim's struggle.

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Czech flag envelops World Cup pitch staff

Every game at this World Cup gets under way with the squads from both nations gathering around the centre-circle with gigantic representations of their flags taking up most of their half of the pitch behind them.

Those flags are removed by a line of people grabbing one end and running across the surface of the flag to the other end until it is folded in half, and in half again, before being rolled up and carried off.

The problem is that if you trip and fall, or get outpaced by your colleagues, you can end up stuck inside the flag without anybody else noticing - which is exactly what happened here.

This kind of incident is not unheard of in North American sport. Fans of the Cincinnati Reds have long worshipped at the altar of the almighty Tarp Monster, which claims ground staff on a semi-regular basis throughout the baseball season.

Nobody really knows what happens to those unfortunate souls who get swallowed by the Tarp Monster.

Some say they emerge in some familiar yet completely alien alternate reality, or Mirror Universe if you prefer.

Others speculate that to be absorbed by the Tarp Monster is to become the Tarp Monster, and that the only way to escape is to claim another victim to take your place, like The Ring, Final Destination, or a reverse Santa Clause.

In this case, reports suggest that a confused Mexican national was spotting staggering around the streets of Prague wearing a high-vis jacket.

We wish them well in their journey home.

Estadio BBVA in Guadalupe is eagerly anticipating the World Cup Group F clash between Tunisia and Japan.

The stakes are very clear for Tunisia: having been pounded by Sweden in the opener, another defeat would leave them with no possibility of making it into the knockout stage, despite having replaced manager in the interim.

Japan have given themselves a decent platform with a 2-2 draw against the Netherlands already in the bag, and could join the Dutch on four points at the top of the group.

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BBC commentators for Japan vs Tunisia

The BBC will bring UK viewers coverage of this one, which is set to kick off at 10pm local time (5am UK time).

With coverage set to begin just ten minutes prior, that means the Beeb will continue their practice at this World Cup of eschewing the studio and instead throwing straight to their commentary team inside the ground in Mexico.

Commentator Robyn Cowen leads the BBC’s coverage of this fixture.

Due to the 5am kick-off time, the broadcaster decided a studio team of pundits and a presenter wouldn’t be a great use of resources.

For that reason, the BBC threw straight to live match coverage with lead commentator Cowen and co-comms Charlie Adam.

Adam played 26 times for Scotland between 2007 and 2015.

These days, he is set-piece coach at David Moyes’ Everton.

Changing managers during a major tournament isn't unheard of, nor demonstrably detrimental, but taking the decision to do so after one game of a World Cup suggests an earlier choice went wrong somewhere.

World Cup 2026 will be remembered in the hallways and history books of Tunisian football as the competition that started with Sabri Lamouchi in charge for 90 minutes against Sweden but will end, we assume, with the inimitable Herve Renard at the tiller.

Tunisia lost 5-1 to Sweden, not only the start they didn't want but one that leaves them with it all to do to keep their hopes of a place in the round of 32 alive.

Tunisia vs Japan betting odds from BOYLE Sports

• Tunisia WIN - 11/2
• Draw - 14/5
• Japan WIN - 8/15

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Tunisia vs Japan prediction

First up for the former Morocco, Zambia and Saudi Arabia boss is a second Group F fixture against Japan at Estadio BBVA. The group is finely poised from Japan's perspective after they started with a draw against the Netherlands.

Sweden lead the way with three points and take on the Dutch, meaning a win for Japan in Monterrey will see them make significant headway in the group as well as all but guaranteeing a knock-out berth.

Samurai Blue showed a little of what they're about in their first game. Digging out a couple of equalising goals, both quite soon after conceding, was typical of Japan's attitude under manager Hajime Moriyasu.

Giving away those goals in the first place was much more unusual after consecutive clean sheets against Ghana, Bolivia, Scotland, England and Iceland, a run of wins preceded by a 3-2 victory against Brazil.

This has become familiar territory for Tunisia, who have been eliminated from the last two World Cups in the group stage and have never gone beyond it.

For Japan, expectations both immediate and longer-term are rather more ambitious. The Japanese football authorities are openly working towards being capable of winning a World Cup decades from now and the direction of travel appears to add weight to their efforts.

After holding their own against the Dutch and with a third game against Sweden to come should they need it, Moriyasu's Japan are clear favourites today and should get out of the group unscathed.

Score prediction: Tunisia 0-1 Japan

Defeat for Tunisia would be the end of their World Cup 2026 road. With a maximum of three points available and a win against the Netherlands required to get them, getting walloped by Sweden would prove costly in any case.

For Renard, in his very first game in charge, it's already a case of now or never.

How to watch Tunisia vs Japan

You can watch Tunisia vs Japan in Group F 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 BBC in the UK, FS1 in the United States and SBS in Australia.

What's your Tunisia vs Japan prediction? Let us know below...

Tunisia vs Japan is a World Cup 2026 fixture between two Group F teams that, though winless after their opening games, delivered vastly contrasting performances.

A win for the Samurai Blue will put them in prime position to reach the knockout stages for for the third successive tournament, while the Eagles of Carthage badly need a morale-boosting display under their second manager of the tournament. Yes, already.

Tunisia became the third team in World Cup history – after themselves and South Korea, both at France 98 – to sack their manager mid-tournament, when dismissing Sabri Lamouchi after a 5-1 defeat by Sweden. In has come cult hero Johnny Bravo lookalike Herve Renard, whose tenure as emergency head coach begins with a tricky-looking encounter.

Japan earned a spirited point against the Netherlands thanks to Daichi Kamada's late header and looked typically busy, technically excellent and full of verve. Holding the Dutch to an entertaining 2-2 draw was a solid base for Samurai Blue to build from, with plenty of well-established names on show.

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

Watch Tunisia vs Japan for FREE

Tunisia vs Japan 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 Tunisia vs Japan from anywhere

Away from home this summer and want to watch Tunisia vs Japan? 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 Tunisia vs Japan in the UK

In the UK, you can stream Tunisia vs Japan on BBC One. Coverage starts a 4:50am BST, before a 5:00am BST kick-off.

How to watch Tunisia vs Japan in the US

In the US, you can stream Tunisia vs Japan 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 Tunisia vs Japan in Australia

In Australia, you can watch Tunisia vs Japan on the free SBS On Demand.

Tunisia vs Japan: World Cup 2026 Preview

Tunisia got off to the worst possible start after Sweden showed no mercy with a big 5-1 win in their opening game in Group F.

Technical director Mondher Kebaier was rumoured to take the reins, but the African side has since appointed 57-year-old Frenchman Renard, who is now managing at his third successive World Cup after past spells with Morocco and Saudi Arabia.

Tunisia began in a 3-5-2 formation against the Swedes under Lamouchi, but new boss Renard may consider switching to a back four with Omar Rekik and Montassar Talbi starting as his central defensive partnership.

Regarded by many as dark horses at this summer’s tournament, Japan came from behind twice to earn a point against Ronald Koeman's Netherlands.

Keito Nakamura’s low strike from the edge of the area and Crystal Palace man Daichi Kamada's header were impressive in their own right, with Hajime Moriyasu rightfully pleased with his side.

Ranked 17th in the world by FIFA, Japan have won five of their previous six encounters with Tunisia, most recently beating them 2-0 in a friendly held in Kobe in October 2023.

Tunisia vs Japan: Group F

FourFourTwo's prediction

Tunisia 0-2 Japan

Japan are much more organised and settled, so FourFourTwo predict them to win with ease.

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We're all getting used to those stoppages in play midway through each half.

The hydration breaks - or as we all called them until about a week ago, drinks breaks/water breaks - are in effect in every game at the World Cup, regardless of conditions.

That has come to the frustration of many fans, but certainly not to broadcasters worldwide, whose eyes turn into dollar signs every time the sides trundle over to the dugout to grab their bottles. But not ITV.

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Ofcom rules preventing ITV World Cup drinks break adverts

As a public broadcaster, the BBC of course cannot show adverts, other than those absolutely unbearable 'funny' reminders to buy a TV licence that we've already had to sit through approximately half a million times over the first week of the tournament. The sight of Marc Warren's face now makes us involuntarily sick.

But ITV are a commercial broadcaster who derive the bulk of their income from adverts - so how come they aren't cashing in on the drinks breaks?

Instead, ITV have tended to use the opportunity to throw back to their studio pundits for a quick bit of insight.

That is not an act of generosity to the viewer, though: ITV couldn't show extra adverts if they wanted to.

The reason is that Ofcom rules stipulate that ITV1, along with Channel 4 and Five, are limited to a maximum of 168 minutes of adverts per day.

On top of that, no more than 12 minutes of adverts can be shown in any single clock hour.

That means that any extra time ITV dedicate to adverts during a drinks break would need to be taken away from other programming; or, if they are already using the maximum 12 minutes during games, they would need to show shorter ad breaks before the game, at half time, or at full time.

ITV have evidently decided that is not worth the hassle, sticking to their usual matchday routine instead.

That leaves the UK virtually the only country in the world whose World Cup viewing experience is not interrupted by mid-game advertisements.

Bliss.

Ecuador vs Curacao may not promise goals, however, it does offer a dogfight face-off that could be one for the ages.

Whenever an international tournament comes around, it appears as if every nation with a moderately dependable selection of solid players becomes a 'dark horse' - and the 2026 World Cup is no different.

However, fans shouldn't be surprised if we see one of this pairing, likely Ecuador, make a one or two game knockout run at the 48-team tournament.

Ecuador vs Curacao prediction - dogfight at the 2026 World Cup in Group E

Let's get one thing straight, neither of these nations stand a chance whatsoever to win the World Cup outright.

But with Ecuador's rock solid defence, and Curacao's sheer grit, they are two teams that, when facing a side that isn't an international giant, could surprise fans across the globe.

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While much has been made of Curacao's comprehensive defeat to Germany in their Group E opener, the statistics paint a different picture.

From open play, the Germans created 3.43 xG to Curacao's 0.41, a slight over-performance in terms of goalscoring that yielded an anomalous scoreline, thanks to their stacked attacking depth.

But Curacao aren't facing Germany, and Ecuador are far from being in possession of forward talent that is even comparable, with a greater emphasis being placed instead on their defence.

And that's why this match could be one of surprising interest at the 48-team tournament, as fans shouldn't forget that, at one stage, Curacao showed the grit to level proceedings at 1-1 vs Germany.

Similarly, Ecuador's defence held out for 90 minutes against an Ivory Coast side that had Germany on the ropes for two thirds of their game today.

In many respects, the game feels impossible to predict. If Curacao are to get an early goal, they feel likely to get a result, despite 1-0 score-lines being easily surmountable at the 2026 tournament.

The same goes for Ecuador, with one of the world's best defences during World Cup qualifying making up for their attacking failures.

But, FourFourTwo prefers to back the underdog on this occasion, which is, indisputably, Curacao — at the first World Cup in their history.

They won't get a win, but their grit and heart will propel Dick Advocaat's men to a draw.

Prediction: Ecuador 1-1 Curacao

Kansas City is the stage for the Group E encounter between Ecuador and Curacao, with kick-off set for 7pm local time (1am UK time).

Because head-to-head record counts ahead of goal difference, and they have already lost to the Ivory Coast, Ecuador would be effectively eliminated from the tournament with a game to spare if they lose.

The same is not true of Curacao - but they realistically need to get something out of this game if they are to stand any chance of making it out of the group.

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Ma Ning set to referee Ecuador vs Curacao

China's Ma Ning will be the referee for this game as he makes his World Cup debut in that capacity.

47-year old Ma was selected among the AFC officials for the 2022 World Cup, serving as the fourth official in six games without taking the whistle.

Ma is no stranger to high-profile games having previously overseen proceedings at the Club World Cup and the Arab Cup.

The highlight of his career to date was the 2023 Asian Cup final (actually played in 2024...don't ask) - the equivalent of a Euros final.

Incredibly, that game saw Ma give three penalties to hosts Qatar over the 90 minutes, all of which Akram Afif scored to secure a 3-1 win over Jordan.

Assisting Ma as linesmen are his countryman Zhou Fei and Qatar's Saud Al-Maqaleh.

The fourth official is New Zealander Campbell-Kirk Kawana-Waugh, who once refereed a cup final on the same day his wife also refereed a cup final. Lovely stuff.

The lead VAR official is Fu Ming, so we can probably expect plenty of red cards.

Alongside him in the booth are Italian Marco Di Bello and Poland's Tomasz Kwiatkowski.

Ecuador fell to a 1-0 defeat to the Ivory Coast in their opening game, while competitions debutants Curacao suffered a 7-1 pummelling at Germany's hands.

Ecuador vs Curacao at the World Cup 2026 could scarcely have more riding on it.

Both sides lost their Group E openers and know another defeat would all but guarantee the earliest of exits. The South Americans start as favourites but the tournament debutants have proven (however briefly) they can bloody bigger boys' noses.

Ecuador's brilliant qualifying campaign – finishing second only to Argentina – counted for nothing as Amad Diallo's 90th-minute winner for Ivory Coast ensured defeat in their World Cup 2026 opener.

For large parts, La Tri showed their regimented defence remains a key strength and will now look to bounce back. Premier League stars Moises Caicedo and Piero Hincapie, of Chelsea and Arsenal respectively, will have to drag them through.

Curacao had their moment against Germany, thanks to Livano Comenencia's stunning 21st-minute equaliser, but were ultimately blown out of the water. Hammered 7-1 by the ruthless Germans, the World Cup's smallest-ever nation now faces an uphill task with two more tricky games to come.

Back in charge at a third World Cup, Dick Advocaat has his work cut out to secure the Blue Wave's first point.

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

Watch Ecuador vs Curacao for FREE

Ecuador vs Curacao 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 Ecuador vs Curacao from anywhere

Away from home this summer and want to watch Ecuador vs Curacao? 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 Ecuador vs Curacao in the UK

In the UK, you can stream Ecuador vs Curacao on BBC One. Coverage starts at 12:50am BST, with kick-off at 01:00am BST.

How to watch Ecuador vs Curacao in the US

In the US, you can stream Ecuador vs Curacao 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 Ecuador vs Curacao in Australia

In Australia, you can watch Ecuador vs Curacao on the free SBS On Demand.

Ecuador vs Curacao: World Cup 2026 Preview

After losing to the Ivory Coast in their opening game, Ecuador will be hoping to get back on track with a win against World Cup debutants Curacao.

After a run of 19 games without defeat, the South American outfit were well fancied coming into the tournament, but now have work to do in order to secure passage to the knockout stages.

Sebastian Beccacece suffered only his second loss as Ecuador boss in the 1-0 reverse against the Elephants, but his side managing only one shot on target is a worry.

Curacao were handed a rude World Cup welcome, hammered 7-1 by Germany in Texas.

Despite getting their moment when Livano Comenencia equalised, thus sparking wild scenes at the NRG Stadium, the Blue Wave conceded another six times as Julian Nagelsmann's side ran out clear winners.

Curacao managed an xG of just 0.41 and this game could be low scoring given Ecuador’s defensive solidity and inconsistencies in attack, where they still rely on 36-year-old Enner Valencia.

Ecuador vs Curacao: Group E

FourFourTwo's prediction

Ecuador 2-0 Curacao

Ecuador are tight as they come at the back and FourFourTwo expect a win for the South Americans.

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In 2017/18, when Manchester City won the Premier League with 100 points, Sunderland were acclimating to Championship life.

The season prior, when Chelsea stormed to a 93 point victory of their own, the Black Cats finished rock bottom of the table on just 24 points.

In 2025/26, their journey home was complete – now, after achieving qualification to Europe during their first top-flight campaign in nine years, the Black Cats have more representation on the world stage than a selection of European superstars.

Sunderland have more players at the 2026 World Cup than these European giants

In the time that Sunderland were absent from England's top-flight, the competition transformed into the world's domestic best.

From Guardiola's Cityzens, to Klopp's 'Mentality Monsters', to Tuchel's Champions League-winning Blues – the Premier League displayed, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the highest quality of football in the world for what is now nearing a decade.

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Prior to their relegation in the 2016/17 campaign, Sunderland failed previously to ensure top-flight survival in 2005/06.

On that occasion, the Black Cats had bounced straight back, playing Premier League football from 2007-2016 uninterrupted.

In the nine years it took to see Regis Le Bris' men eventually return to England's top-flight, Sunderland fans also grappled with the harsh reality that, this time, it may not be accompanied by a guaranteed stay.

Bizarrely, beautifully, even, the Black Cats achieved qualification to the UEFA Champions League in 2025/26, attaining 54 points and landing in seventh position.

Now, the 2026 World Cup is here, and Sunderland is represented on the world stage greater than both Liverpool and Real Madrid.

During the Black Cats' Premier League absence, Liverpool won the competition twice, breaking a 30 year drought in 2019/20.

They prevailed again in 2024/25, just the season prior to Sunderland's return, and the UEFA Champions League in 2018/19.

In that period, Jurgen Klopp's side lifted three domestic cup trophies, the UEFA Super Cup, the Club World Cup, and made it to three Champions League finals.

As for Real Madrid? They were victors in the two finals that Klopp's men lost, and an additional Champions League in 2023/24.

Now, Regis Le Bris' side are providing greater representation for their club at the 2026 World Cup than either of those European giants, with 12 players present in North America.

At the time of writing, Brian Brobbey, one of said players from the Black Cats' 'Dynamic Dozen', just bagged a brace against Sweden.

Earlier in the week, Granit Xhaka delivered a mammoth performance against Bosnia and Herzegovina, capping the day off with a 97th minute penalty in Switzerland's 4-1 Group B victory.

With every game played that contains a Sunderland player, the odds of the Black Cats' name being invoked on the world stage increases.

Only Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Manchester City have more players in North America this summer.

And that's a beautiful thing – not just for English football, but for the game. Hope truly is the best of things, and how wonderful is that?

Germany and the Ivory Coast may have won their respective opening games at the World Cup 2026, but the contrasting manner in which they each delivered maximum points in Group E ensures a fascinating contest in Toronto.

It matters, too. The winner books a spot in the knockout stages – the Europeans for the first time since they won the 2014 tournament and the Elephants for the first time in their history.

In their opening fixture, Germany were at their merciless best as a Kai Havertz brace helped deliver a thumping 7-1 victory over World Cup debutants Curacao.

Pegged back in the 21st minute, the four-time champions overcame a brief scare in Houston before turning on the style and will now aim to take complete control of Group E by making it two wins from two.

However, they can expect a far sterner test against an Ivory Coast side that showed great defensive resilience as they earned a narrow 1-0 victory over Ecuador, thanks to a late strike from substitute Amad Diallo. The 19-year-old winger Yan Diomande has plenty in the German camp worried, too, after a fine season for RB Leipzig.

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

Watch Germany vs Ivory Coast for FREE

Germany vs Ivory Coast 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 Germany vs Ivory Coast from anywhere

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How to watch Germany vs Ivory Coast in the UK

In the UK, you can stream Germany vs Ivory Coast on ITV1. The programme starts at 8:00pm BST, before the kick-off at 9:00pm.

• Read More: How to watch World Cup 2026: TV Guide

How to watch Germany vs Ivory Coast in the US

In the US, you can stream Germany vs Ivory Coast 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 Germany vs Ivory Coast in Australia

In Australia, you can watch Germany vs Ivory Coast on the free SBS On Demand.

Germany vs Ivory Coast: World Cup 2026 Preview

More than half an hour into their opening game, it looked as though a shock could be on the cards as Germany found themselves level with Curacao. Yet there was no sense of panic as Julian Nagelsmann’s side continued to probe and press, carving out chance after chance and eventually hitting the tiny Caribbean nation for seven.

Key to the victory was Nagelsmann’s ability to get the best from his wealth of attacking options. The movement and creativity of Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala was on full display, while two-goal Havertz provided an attacking focal point.

The only slight concern for the German coach will be his side’s defensive vulnerability, particularly in transition. Curacao were able to bypass the press on occasion and the Ivory Coast have plenty of players capable of breaking at speed.

The Elephants were perhaps a bit fortunate to secure all three points in Philadelphia, with Ecuador hitting the woodwork three times. However, Emerse Fae's side showed their resilience as they held firm before striking late through Manchester United forward Diallo.

The Ivorians must be no less as disciplined if they are to keep the German attack at bay and will need big performances from captain Franck Kessie in midfield and centre-backs Emmanuel Agbadou and Wilfried Singo.

The counterattack could also prove pivotal and Fae may start Diallo on the opposite flank to rising star Yan Diomande, a Liverpool target, who has the pace and skill to unsettle even the most assured of defences.

Germany vs Ivory Coast: Confirmed line-ups

Germany XI: Neuer; Kimmich, Tah, Schlotterbeck, Brown; Nmecha, Pavlovic; Sane, Musiala, Wirtz; Havertz.

Ivory Coast XI: Y Fofana; Kossounou, Singo, Agbadou, Konan; Diomande, Kessie, Sangare, Oulai; Bonny, Diallo.

Germany vs Ivory Coast: Group E

FourFourTwo's prediction

Germany 2-1 Ivory Coast

FourFourTwo predicts there will be no clean sheet for Germany, but they will have too much quality in attack to edge an entertaining encounter.

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Graham Potter and Sweden couldn't have asked for a better start to World Cup 2026 but the suddenly in-form Scandinavians have a sterner Group F test ahead of them in Houston, against three-time runners-up the Netherlands.

In today's all-European clash, Sweden know a win will ensure a place in the round of 32 (with a game to spare), while the Netherlands are determined to stamp their authority on the group.

Putting five goals past Tunisia in their Group F opener, and getting both Viktor Gyokeres and Alexander Isak off the mark, certainly ticked the biggest boxes for Potter & Co. It was also their best goalscoring performance at the World Cup for 88 years.

The Dutch, meanwhile, will be eager to show more against Sweden than they did in their opening encounter with Japan. Ronald Koeman's team had to settle for a draw after twice surrendering the lead. Daichi Kamada struck the late equaliser that left the Dutch frustrated.

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

Watch Netherlands vs Sweden for FREE

Netherlands vs Sweden 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 Netherlands vs Sweden from anywhere

Away from home this summer and want to watch Netherlands vs Sweden? 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 Netherlands vs Sweden in the UK

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

How to watch Netherlands vs Sweden in the US

In the US, you can stream Netherlands vs Sweden 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 Netherlands vs Sweden in Australia

In Australia, you can watch Netherlands vs Sweden on the free SBS On Demand.

Netherlands vs Sweden: World Cup 2026 Preview

Of the seven goals scored by these teams in their respective first matches, six came courtesy of players at English clubs.

Brighton's Yasin Ayari, who scored twice, complemented Isak and Gyokeres on the Swedish scoresheet, while Van Dijk and Summerville bagged for the Netherlands.

Sweden's last win against the Dutch came in qualifying for the 2012 European Championship. Kim Kallstrom, Sebastian Larsson and Ola Toivonen got the goals.

Last time Sweden qualified for the World Cup in 2018, they reached the quarter-finals before England chased them off. Their 2026 qualification was nerve-racking, and needed play-off victories against Ukraine and Poland, but the Scandinavians have started the tournament itself in style, with Potter transforming his side's fortunes and style since his October arrival.

The Netherlands reached the last eight at Qatar 2022 and will expect even more of themselves this summer. They conceded just four times in qualifying, but were nervy against Japan and Van Dijk, Micky van den Venn and Spurs newbie Jan Paul van Hecke must improve.

Making sure of a place in the round of 32 with a win today would be a significant leap towards their target but Sweden looked potent against Tunisia. The Dutch, just a little leaky against Japan, must be careful.

Netherlands vs Sweden: Group F

Team News

Netherlands XI: Bart Verbruggen (GK); Denzel Dumfries, Jan Paul van Hecke, Virgil van Dijk, Micky van de Ven; Ryan Gravenberch, Frenkie de Jong, Tijjani Reijnders; Donyell Malen, Brian Brobbey, Cody Gakpo

Crysencio Summerville was booked against Japan and drops to the bench in Koeman's only change. Sunderland striker Brobbey is drafted in to spearhead the attack.

Sweden XI: Kristoffer Nordfeldt (GK); Gustaf Lagerbielke, Isak Hien, Victor Lindelof; Alexander Bernhardsson, Jesper Karlstrom, Yasin Ayari, Gabriel Gudmundsson; Benjamin Nygren; Viktor Gyokeres, Alexander Isak

Potter sticks with an unchanged side and keeps the front two that thrived as Sweden dismantled Tunisia. Gudmondsson recovered quickly from a minor injury and Lindelof leads the defence against former clubmate Malen.

FourFourTwo's prediction

Netherlands 2-2 Sweden

FourFourTwo predicts another draw for the Dutch. With Tunisia to come, a point here would be no bad result.

We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

When Ashley Cole travelled to the 2002 World Cup as a 21-year-old, the then-Arsenal full-back was one of the youngest members of Sven-Goran Eriksson’s England squad.

This tournament came at the beginning of a fruitful international career for Cole, who would go on to be one of the finest left-backs to ever pull on a Three Lions shirt, and it would prove to be an eventful introduction to tournament football.

More than two decades on, it’s still a period that Cole looks back on as one of the defining experiences of his career, even if it ended in disappointment.

Ashley Cole on the 2002 World Cup

When asked to choose his favourite major tournament with England, Cole is quick to bring up this first taste of international action.

“I think my first, 2002, just to understand I was capable of playing with top players and doing OK at major tournaments,” Cole tells FourFourTwo.

“We went to Japan and it was the first time I was around big names, representing my country at a major tournament. I thought I did well, but knew there were still levels to reach.”

Cole would prove that he was well capable of reaching these higher levels, going on to win 107 England caps, but one frustration still rankles.

“The regret is I never played in a final for my country,” he admits. “We played in a lot of other finals [at club level], but not at a World Cup or Euros, that part is disappointing.”

England’s 2002 campaign ended against Brazil in the quarter-finals, when Ronaldinho’s speculative free-kick caught David Seaman flat-footed and snuck in under the crossbar. It’s a goal that has been endlessly debated, but does Cole believe that the Brazilian meant it?

“If he did, that just sums him up,” Cole says. “He was a genius and to put it where he put it at that moment in the game… I don’t know, only he knows the truth.”

England were able to defeat South American opposition in the group stage, when David Beckham’s penalty saw off Argentina, four years after the France ’98 clash, which saw the Argentinians celebrate by banging on bus windows.

“There was something about swapping shirts,” Coles says when asked if England were tempted to celebrate in the same manner.

“I think we wanted to swap shirts and someone said: “No, they won’t swap because something happened in 1998.” I wanted to swap – I might have even done it, I think I got Ariel Ortega’s shirt. It was amazing to win that game. The stadium we played in was indoors.”

Could It Be Coming Home? with Joe Cole and Ashley Cole is brought to you by Carling, official sponsor of the Emirates FA Cup and Adobe Women’s FA Cup. Watch the show on YouTube and Spotify, or listen to it wherever you get your podcasts

Quiz time.

Germany began the 2026 World Cup with a 7-1 victory: for those of a Selecao persuasion, that would have reawakened traumatic memories of the Mineirazo, as it would become known.

With no Neymar, Brazil took to the World Cup semi-final almost in mourning of their talisman – but it soon became clear that Big Phil Scolari's boys were at a loss without both the star and defensive rock Thiago Silva. What followed became infamous across the world – and now, we'd like you to tell us the 11 players Germany fielded from kick-off in that fixture.

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

FourFourTwo is proud to present a vast vault of football quizzes, all courtesy of Kwizly. We've a gaggle of World Cup quizzes ready for you, including a tricky test of naming every capital city of each nation at the 2026 World Cup.

Next is one for the international veterans, as we invite you to name every player at the 2026 World Cup with over 100 caps.

The goals have started flying in across the Atlantic, but can you name every World Cup hat-trick scorer since 1998? And then it's one of our favourites, as we serve you up 20 historic World Cup shirts with the badges removed to see how well you know your kit history.

FourFourTwo's Weekend Crossword 57 has clues on Belgian players, club name suffices, Bundesliga nicknames, World Cup Campbells and more. Remember to subscribe to our newsletter for your daily afternoon briefing of football trivia and analysis, and don't forget to join The Club: our free membership portal where you can secret hints and get on the leaderboard.

Quiz, anyone?

The Selecao have blown hot and cold at the World Cup since they last won the competition in 2002, and we're going back to that day in Yokohama for this quiz – plus a couple of others in Pasadena and Saint-Denis.

Brazil played in three consecutive finals – 1994, 1998 and 2002 – winning two and losing the one in the middle. But we'd like you to tell us the 29 players who appeared in those finals. You have just six minutes…

Handpicked football quizzes we know you'll love

FourFourTwo is proud to present a vast vault of football quizzes, all courtesy of Kwizly. We've a gaggle of World Cup quizzes ready for you, including a tricky test of naming every capital city of each nation at the 2026 World Cup.

Next is one for the international veterans, as we invite you to name every player at the 2026 World Cup with over 100 caps.

The goals have started flying in across the Atlantic, but can you name every World Cup hat-trick scorer since 1998? And then it's one of our favourites, as we serve you up 20 historic World Cup shirts with the badges removed to see how well you know your kit history.

FourFourTwo's Weekend Crossword 57 has clues on Belgian players, club name suffices, Bundesliga nicknames, World Cup Campbells and more. Remember to subscribe to our newsletter for your daily afternoon briefing of football trivia and analysis, and don't forget to join The Club: our free membership portal where you can secret hints and get on the leaderboard.

France's 1998 World Cup win was a defining moment in the nation's footballing history, as Les Bleus won their first-ever major tournament and completed a major turnaround in their fortunes.

Four years earlier, a defeat at home to Bulgaria had meant that a talent-packed France team had failed to qualify for USA '94, missing out on the World Cup for a second consecutive time.

For a young Youri Djorkaeff, the disappointment was especially painful. The then-Monaco midfielder had just broken into the national team and quickly found himself witnessing the turmoil from inside the dressing room.

Djorkaeff on his French debut and missing out on USA '94

Gerard Houllier handed Djorkaeff his first taste of international football, as the 1994 qualification campaign was reaching its climax. For Djorkaeff, it was a life-changing opportunity.

"I was called up for the first time to play the last two qualifiers for the 1994 World Cup, against Israel and Bulgaria in Paris," Djorkaeff recalls to FourFourTwo.

"Gerard Houllier called me, and my first reaction was “wow!” It was my big chance to go to the USA – we only needed one point. When I arrived in the dressing room though, I quickly realised that the atmosphere was strange. There was tension between certain players."

The Parc des Princes defeat to Bulgaria has gone down as a low point in recent French football history. France needed only a draw to book their place at the tournament in that final qualifier, with Djorkaeff unable to make his mark on the match.

"Bulgaria equalised while I was warming up," he continues. "I was going to be the second sub, but while I was putting on my shirt, the Parc des Princes was chanting David Ginola’s name – he hadn’t even warmed up, but went on instead of me.

"It was a small disappointment, but qualification was the important thing. In the last minute, Emil Kostadinov scored to make it 2-1. A nightmare. We were crushed. There were even fights in the dressing room. It was one of the biggest disappointments in France’s football history. How could we not be at that World Cup?

"You can’t win without a good atmosphere in the dressing room. We weren’t united – that only came later, from 1995 onwards."

As he made his way into the France set-up in those early days, Djorkaeff did not have to look far for inspiration, as his father Jean won 48 caps for his country and proved to be a significant source of inspiration.

"Having a father who was a footballer was incredible, especially as he was also captain of the national team. I can remember going to watch him at the stadium. People would stop him in the street, they wanted to talk to him – they had so much respect for him.

"It wasn’t a normal childhood with my father being who he was, having played for Lyon, Marseille and PSG. He’s always been an inspiration to me."