The Tartan Army and the rest of Scotland appear set to witness Neymar make his long-awaited Brazil return in the nations' final 2026 World Cup group stage match on Wednesday.

The superstar attacker has not featured for the Selecao since October 2023, but all signs suggest he is in line to earn minutes against Steve Clarke's side at Miami Stadium.

The 34-year-old Neymar missed Brazil's opening two Group C fixtures against Morocco and Haiti after suffering a calf injury in league play with boyhood club Santos FC, but an appearance in the Group C finale is possible if not likely.

Ancelotti: "Neymar can play the whole 90 minutes"

Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti seemed to all but confirm Neymar's involvement during Tuesday's pregame press conference, revealing the the country's all-time leading scorer is fully fit.

“He is available. He trained very well this week,” Ancelotti said. “He is fit and able and ready to play. We are very happy he is back. He is a high-quality player."

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“He can play from halftime or the whole 90 minutes. He is very well. He worked very hard, so he is ready," Ancelotti added.

Neymar's last appearance for Brazil came in a World Cup qualifier against Uruguay on Oct. 17, 2023, but injuries and other setbacks have prevented him from adding to his 128 caps and record 79 goals since.

Neymar's return would provide a significant boost for Brazil. as the five-time world champions look to secure the top spot in Group C.

The Selecao currently leads the group on four points, edging Morocco on goal difference, but Scotland could still finish first with a victory coupled with a Haiti draw or win over the Moroccans.

The Tartan Army — the collective nickname for Scotland supporters — has celebrated that possibility in festive fashion across Miami in recent days.

The Scottish fans have been seen throughout the city in the lead-up to Wednesday's clash, including on South Beach and at a Miami Marlins game on Tuesday that featured a march through Little Havana.

Brazilians have also joined in on the pre-game fun, helping create a rowdy atmosphere as the group stage of the 2026 World Cup begins to come to a close.

Do you see Scotland overcoming Brazil with Neymar? Tell us in the comments below.

England vs Ghana, despite its seemingly boring 0-0 scoreline, was full of drama from its first minute.

Would it be a major international tournament without England playing like part-time plumbers, part-time footballers?

The answer to that question often appears to be a resounding yes, but England escaped an even darker fate yesterday vs Ghana with a late Ezri Konsa challenge not resulting in a penalty, despite being nailed on, according to referee Christina Unkel.

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England avoided clear penalty vs Ghana due to 2026 World Cup 'directive', says referee Christina Unkel

The referee began her discussion on CBS Sports Golazo with an acknowledgment of a certain 2026 World Cup "directive."

Unkel described this as being a form of guidance to the referees, so that penalties are avoided if there's even "slight doubt" over the challenge in question.

"There's a bunch of consistent contacts not being given," claimed the referee.

"You can then see that the threshold for VAR is: 'Do not give them unless it is so significant, and so clear, that everyone would think you're crazy.'

"The France-Senegal penalty... there's this sense that if there's any kind of slight doubt... it feels like the direction is, it's got to be 110% before you send it down here," she continued.

Unkel described the Konsa challenge as falling into that pattern, despite being, in her view, a penalty.

"I would have rather seen a penalty here. But they want it to be 110%, not something that allows for a clip-debate-analysis," said the referee.

Konsa made a clattering challenge in the tail-end of England's face-off vs Ghana, as Prince Kwabena Adu drove in on goal.

The resulting sequence was calamitous, and hilarious, with the Ghana attacker going to ground from the seemingly mistimed challenge, before Antoine Semenyo blocked a following shot from Prince on England's goal-line.

Still, it appears that referees are beginning to confirm a pattern that many would have initially labelled conspiracy, with England being beneficiaries of exceedingly harsh officiating.

DR Congo will face Colombia this evening at 3am British time, and it's Michel Nkuka's time to shine.

The 'living statue' that follows his nation far and wide is out in full force, ready to stand his ground until the final whistle is blown.

But who is Michel Nkuka? What is his story, and why did he decide to become the living statue?

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Who is DR Congo's 'living statue' Michel Nkuka?

Michel Nkuka, known for his living statue routine, is a supporter and native of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Nkuku first appeared to showcase his routine in 2013, standing still amongst the crowd, and has done so ever since.

Often, Nkuka stands on a platform in the crowd, elevated above his fellow fans, and remains entirely motionless.

He typically wears a suit or outfit that is colour-coded to match the Democratic Republic of Congo's flag.

In interviews given to interested media, Nkuka has stated that his act is in tribute to Patrice Lumumba.

Lumumba served as the first Prime Minister of the First Congolese Republic, and had a statue erected in 2002 in Kinshasha.

The politician was assassinated in 1961, after serving as the leader of the Congolese National Movement for the three preceding years.

The living statue gained notoriety during 2025's Africa Cup of Nations tournament, as DR Congo made it to the Round of 16.

Hilariously, or tragically, Nkuka fell in a similar fashion to when Woody hears Andy's footsteps in Toy Story, as Algeria scored a 119th-minute winner.

The DR Congo faithful will hope for a better showing this evening, but one thing is guaranteed — as long as there is hope, the living statue will remain standing.

The BBC commentators, pundits and presenters for Colombia vs DR Congo, being broadcast tonight at 3am BST, have been revealed.

Colombia vs DR Congo might not seem like the greatest game on paper, however, recent fixtures and patterns tell us otherwise.

From nearly every late-night British time match being of seemingly high quality, to DR Congo's giant-slaying opener performance vs Portugal, fans should perhaps be more excited for this one.

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ITV's complete list of pundits, commentators and presenters for Colombia vs DR Congo, in Group K at the 2026 World Cup

On commentary, Seb Hutchinson will serve as the main voice for the event, as one of ITV's staple presences this tournament.

Assuming co-commentary duties is Andros Townsend, the ex-Crystal Palace man who has gone viral recently for his raw beef-eating habits.

As it stands, Colombia vs DR Congo is likely to be absent of a pundit and presenter line-up.

This falls in line with the decision to broadcast Sunday morning's face-off between Ecuador and Curacao without one.

Without confirmation, this is subject to change, however, football fans can brace for a night of dogfight football without a studio presence being experienced in-between.

The team that loves to sing about a “Wonderwall” couldn’t break down a yellow wall.

The Boston Stadium DJ eschewed playing England’s celebratory Oasis song. There was nothing to celebrate. They got a point, but that was all they deserved against the well-organised Ghana midfield and defence. England’s high hopes were broken on a low block.

Ghana were so well prepared by Carlos Queiroz. They blocked and intercepted and headed clear, so frustrating England in the first half that Jude Bellingham left a foot in on Jerome Opoku. An angry Queiroz made his displeasure very clear to Bellingham. Queiroz’s players were busy high-fiving as the half closed, scoreless and largely chanceless. Ranked 65^th in the world, Ghana were thwarting the fourth best in the Fifa billing.

England could not break Ghana down in their second Group L match

As against Croatia, England again got off to a nervy start. Tuchel shuffled his back-four to try to bring some more security. He brought Marc Guehi in as the left-sided centre-back. Guehi was promptly beaten in the air by Jordan Ayew. Tuchel partly opted for the greater pace of Djed Spence at left-back against danger man Antoine Semenyo, who promptly started on the other flank. Inaki Williams was up against Spence. Semenyo’s diligent work on the left included tracking back and joining Gideon Mensah in doubling up on Noni Madueke.

England fans grew in exasperation at the team’s travails but were initially unperturbed. They’d gathered in huge number for hours in advance outside the home of the Patriots, paying up to $200 for parking, singing about drinking all the local beer, as if the Tartan Army had left any.

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They chanted about Thomas Partey, about the 'World In Motion', the years of hurt and their determination to reach the final.

The game provided little evidence or hope of living with elite teams like France, Argentina or Spain. England lacked some magic, someone to provide the imagination or technical finesse to open up Ghana. Only Bellingham looked to have the class and the edge.

There were moments of promise until the hydration break killed off any semblance of momentum. Reece James had a promising run, Declan Rice put a free-kick over, James hit a long switch to Anthony Gordon, but it was largely uninspiring and unthreatening.

With temperatures hardly nudging above 20C, and drizzle in the air, Fifa’s deeply unpopular hydration break – commercial break – arrived to widespread derision.

The frustration was exacerbated as the game had just been stopped for James and Ayew to be assessed for concussion and patched up. Tuchel did take the opportunity of the subsequent hydration break to urge England to play it “short, short” and then “switch” and flood forward, trying to beat the block.

Madueke did finally break free, lifting in a cross that Rice headed over. Harry Kane wriggled his way down the inside-right channel but a yellow blanket was thrown across him. Jonas Adjetey and Opuku were immense, clearing danger whether airborne or on the ground. England simply lacked a game-changer. Queiroz outthought Tuchel.

Anthony Barry, Tuchel’s assistant, spoke at the break of the need for “patience”. Tuchel stayed patient with his starting XI before finally sending on Bukayo Saka for the subdued Gordon and Nico O’Reilly for Spence. Ghana remained a threat on the counter and Bellingham did well to dispossess the flying Semenyo.

The lively Marvin Seneya had a shot blocked but worse almost befell England just before the second hydration break. Jordan Pickford raced out of his area, attempting to beat Prince Adu to the through ball. In a blur of limbs, the pair fell to earth. It looked a free-kick to Ghana and a yellow card for Pickford. But the Honduran referee, Said Martinez, erred on England’s side – to some surprise amongst neutrals and considerable anger amongst Ghanaians.

The unnecessary extra break drew more boos.

Tuchel changed again, sending on Eberechi Eze and Morgan Rogers for Elliot Anderson and Bellingham. Ghana were looking more of a threat on the counter. With 13 minutes remaining, Prince fell under a heavy challenge from Ezri Konsa, who was incredibly fortunate to escape without conceding a penalty and collecting a card. Konsa leapt in and his right boot cut across the Ghanaian's knee.

Marcus Rashford finally came on as the clock ticked down and England desperately fought for the win. Saka cut in from the right and his low, left-footed shot was parried by Benjamin Asare. O’Reilly’s header hit the bar, Kane fired over, but Ghana’s defenders deserved their point. England have work to do, and cannot now rest and rotate against Panama on Saturday.

Croatia vs Panama will kick off at 12:00am British time this evening, with the game being played at Toronto Stadium.

The Luka Modric-led national side will look to capitalise on Group L's wide open state of affairs, after a hideous England display vs Ghana.

Croatia aim to bounce back after their loss vs the Three Lions last week, while Panama search for a World Cup win - but who is the referee?

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Who is the referee for Croatia vs Panama?

As it stands, Croatia and Panama are both on 0 points in Group L after losses to England and Ghana respectively, who played to a 0-0 stalemate tonight.

For tonight's game, Gabonese referee Pierre Atcho will serve as referee, with all to play for in Group L.

Atcho will be joined by fellow countrymen Boris Ditsoga and Amos Abeigne Ndong as his assistant referees.

Egypt's Amin Mohamed is the fourth official, and Australia's Jarred Gillett will assume VAR responsibilites.

Atcho has past experience on the biggest of international stages, particularly on the African continent.

The Gabonese referee has overseen multiple Africa Cup of Nations face-offs, including the Senegal vs Egypt semi-final in the 2026 tournament, which ended 1-0 to the former.

At that competition, Atcho has averaged over 4.5 bookings per game, and a penalty or red card every 2.5 games.

The 33-year-old also served as referee for Egypt's 3-1 victory over Benin in the same tournament, delivering a strong officiating performance in a clash that exceeded 90 minutes.

At the 2026 World Cup, Atcho also refereed Norway vs Iraq, which ended 4-1 to the former with an Erling Haaland brace.

Panama lost 1-0 to Ghana in their opening Group L match, and Croatia fell 4-2 to England in a revenge clash from their 2018 semi-final.

England vs Ghana promised exactly what the Three Lions' faithful might have expected: complete and utter regression.

Too many times have England proven they have the capacity to play high-quality football at major international tournaments, before suddenly losing the plot entirely just a game later.

But was a draw against Ghana, after an abysmal performance during which England managed a measly three shots on target, enough to secure knockout football for the Three Lions?

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Are England through to the 2026 World Cup knockouts after draw vs Ghana?

The most honest of Three Lions fans, or perhaps the most angry, will confess that a draw was perhaps flattering tonight.

In fact, prior to Harry Kane's mystifying miss on the verge of stoppage time, it was Carlos Queiroz's side who came closest to breaking the deadlock.

Unfortunately for England, although, entirely deserved, they did not secure knockout football with this evening's draw.

That also extends to the remainder of the day, with Croatia taking on Panama at midnight British time.

No result in that game could possibly have the kind of positive effects that England were hoping tonight to create for themselves.

Win, lose or draw for either of the other two Group L sides tonight, England are still not guaranteed to progress to the knockouts.

However, England can still claim top spot with a win against Panama, provided that Ghana don't upset Croatia in the group's final game.

In the event that both Ghana and England win their respective face-offs, the top spot would be decided by a newly-introduced set of criteria.

What will sting for England, however, is that, using that set of criteria, a win vs Ghana would likely have been enough to secure the top position and have mathematically sealed progression.

For now, England will hit the training ground, with knockout football still to play for in their deciding Group L clash vs Panama.

Jordan Pickford and England endured an abysmal opening 70 minutes against Ghana in their Group L clash at the 2026 World Cup.

As ever, the Three Lions have delivered a truly shocking performance in the aftermath of playing high-quality football; and that's how the England faithful will know an international tournament is here.

Up against a deep defensive block masterminded by Carlos Queiroz, Ghana appeared to be in on goal shortly prior to the second half's hydration break, causing a classic Pickford blunder.

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Should Jordan Pickford have been sent off vs Ghana?

After a first half which saw England fail to get a single shot out of six on target, their opposition threatened to break the deadlock in the second.

Ghana forward Prince Kwabena Adu was slipped in on goal, leading to a collision with England's man between the sticks, Pickford.

Despite the Ghana attacker failing to get the ball, neither did Pickford, clattering into his man on the edge of the area.

Queiroz went mad, as did the Ghana faithful, but, perhaps shockingly, the referee gave the call in England's favour.

While Pickford probably shouldn't have been sent off for the incident, if red cards were given for sheer clownery, he would be gone.

The Everton shot-stopper seemingly pulled out of a challenge, but used his body to obstruct the onrushing forward.

As a result, the opportunity for Ghana was entirely squandered, however, if Prince had gotten the ball, it would be a different story.

Still, the question being posed as such a large talking point is a damning indictment on England's pitfiul performance.

The event would never have occurred, or caused such controversy, had the Three Lions done their job in the preceding minutes.

Shortly before the 80th, inexperience on the world stage prevented Ghana from taking the lead, after a one-on-one was fluffed through heavy touches and a hilarious Antoine Semenyo clearance.

England vs Ghana, in comparison to the Three Lions' previous thriller against Croatia, was a snoozefest.

But would it be a major international tournament without England looking like a pub side for at least one game?

Despite a whopping 79% possession, the Three Lions have fallen to the defensive genius of Carlos Queiroz, and will need a far superior performance in the second half to prevail in Group L.

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England's failed preparation vs Ghana revealed by Anthony Barry, as Three Lions enter break with 79% possession and 0 SOT

England fans that know their Africa Cup of Nations history will be aware of Queiroz's brilliance.

The Portuguese coach managed Egypt to the 2022 AFCON final, conceding just two goals the entire tournament.

Anthony Barry is certainly aware, although, perhaps not as much prior to the game, speaking at half-time about Ghana's defensive prowess.

"We expected it to be a difficult challenge against a tough opponent," confessed the Englishman.

"They defend deep... probably even deeper than we expected, about 10 to 12 metres deeper than the last two opponents they played against.

"They have this incredible speed which allows them to cover those spaces quickly, so it's been difficult to break them down.

"The headline for us is probably patience," surmised the Three Lions assistant manager. "Ghana are a team that possess exceptional counter-attacking options, and we've negated that so far."

England will return in the second half hoping to shake off past demons on the international stage.

While Three Lions fans are used to such performances occurring after brilliant displays, if this is to be the year that it finally comes home, then being out-foxed by Ghana doesn't bode well.

For now, England remain the dominant side in possession, facing a Ghana side led by a defensive genius in Queiroz.

Alan Shearer slammed the referee's failure to call for the hydration break during England vs Ghana, during a separate stoppage.

The hydration break, one of the most-hated aspects of the 2026 World Cup, would have slotted in near perfectly during the stoppage.

The event occurred after Reece James and Jordan Ayew collided heads, prompting a brief break from the game.

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Alan Shearer slams suspect FIFA motive during England vs Ghana

Shearer, the highest goalscorer in Premier League history, was far from impressed after the event.

As the game was stopped, and the hydration break near, it did not sit right with the ex-England international that the referee refused to allow them to overlap.

Speaking on commentary duty alongside Guy Mowbray, the former Newcastle striker said: 'It's crazy for the referee to not just say 'let's have the hydration break now.'"

Mowbray then described a possible reason for the failed overlap, hinting at suspect FIFA motives: the esteemed commentator, one of football's most recognisable voices, surmised that it was likely due to advertising.

As there was no advertising schedule lined up at that time, the decision was instead made to keep the hydration break separate.

Both commentators agreed with the assessment, as England's battle to beat Ghana in their Group L fixture was momentarily derailed to accommodate for two separate breaks.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Why was the second half of France vs Iraq delayed?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What did the players do during the delay?

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

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

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

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

So what did they do in the delay?

"We played cards," joked France boss Deschamps.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

USMNT handed favourable route to World Cup semi-final

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The BBC revealed that Wednesday 17 June marked the single biggest traffic day on the BBC Sport app in almost two years.

Not since the historic sports Sunday of July 14, 2024, that saw Carlos Alcaraz face Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon just hours before England took on Spain in the final of the European Championship, had as many users accessed the BBC Sport app.

Over three million accounts were reported to have used the app for live text rolling pages, videos, and analysis spanning football, cricket, and tennis on Wednesday.

BBC enjoy ratings success in first week of 2026 World Cup

The record numbers arrive amidst a battle for tournament ratings between the UK's primary rights holders, the BBC and ITV.

The two networks have taken starkly contrasting approaches to their presentation of the tournament.

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While ITV opted for maximum visual impact by investing in a purpose-built, open-air studio in Brooklyn, New York, framing its pundits against the backdrop of the Manhattan skyline, the BBC have favoured a more conservative, cost-conscious strategy.

The corporation elected to keep its main presentation team grounded at its domestic headquarters in Salford, Greater Manchester. BBC presenters will remain in the UK studio for the entirety of the group stages, only flying out to North America once the knockout rounds begin.

Yet, the BBC's decision to anchor its linear coverage in Salford has clearly done little to dampen public enthusiasm for its digital output. World Cup match highlights were streamed 11.6 million times over the opening seven days - an 197% increase compared to the first week of Euro 2024.

Social media engagement similarly exploded, racking up 235 million views across BBC Sport accounts.

The most-watched digital clip of the week featured Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk discussing mid-match hydration breaks, pulling in 13.1 million views on its own.

Audience habits are visibly evolving, with a clear appetite emerging for interactive and visual-audio alternatives to traditional linear broadcasts. The BBC Football Daily video podcast attracted nearly a quarter of a million streams for a single episode, routinely generating over 100,000 viewers per upload on BBC iPlayer.

Furthermore, a newly introduced second-screen '3D Experience' tool was utilised more than one million times in its first week, driven largely by younger demographics. On the linear end, tech-driven records were shattered when France's group-stage clash against Senegal topped 600,000 concurrent streams, making it the largest Ultra High Definition (UHD) streaming event in BBC history.

"On top of the millions flocking to live games, even in the middle of the night, it’s fantastic to see the appetite for our on-demand World Cup coverage has sky-rocketed," Alex Kay-Jelski, BBC Director of Sport said. "Whether it’s our no-spoiler highlights, the visualised Football Daily podcast or our new shorts video tab, we are meeting audiences where they are, when they want."

Gary Lineker made a surprise appearance on ITV's broadcast of Germany vs Ivory Coast at the 2026 World Cup, earlier this evening.

The 65-year-old, renowned for being the face of BBC's Match of the Day, parted ways with his former broadcaster after being asked to take a break from the show due to political tweeting.

The ex-England international appeared to discuss FIFA's ticket prices for the 2026 World Cup, and his opinion on Harry Kane, who recently broke a long-standing record previously held by Lineker.

Gary Lineker slams FIFA ticket prices for 2026 World Cup, and makes bold Harry Kane claim

The former Match of the Day presenter now enjoys a successful podcasting career, as well as a Netflix show.

The majority of his 2026 World Cup coverage takes place on the streaming platform, in The Rest Is Football series.

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Lineker expressed discontent regarding FIFA's ticket prices for the North American tournament, slamming the event for forcing fans into difficult decisions.

The 65-year-old said: Well, FIFA will argue that the stadiums are all full, and they are... but fans [are] having to take out a second mortgage, or sell their car to be able to afford to watch.

"To fill the pockets of what is supposedly a not-for-profit organisation I just don’t understand what FIFA are doing and why they are making it so difficult," he continued.

"It’s incredible that so many fans have come here despite that. There seems to be a narrative building that the cost of US sport is always expensive... it is FIFA that sets the ticket prices."

The ex-England international also highlighted Harry Kane, who broke Lineker's World Cup goalscoring record for the Three Lions vs Croatia, making a bold claim about the Bayern Munich bagsman.

Lineker joked: “I was genuinely pleased for Harry, obviously, it’s taken him an extra World Cup to do it! And there have been a few penalties in there.

Harry is a way better number 9 than I was…I think he’s our best ever number 9," confessed the 65-year-old.

Lineker wasn't present at the half-time break for Germany vs Ivory Coast, with the latter currently leading 1-0, but his insights remain amongst the most honest of any pundit in world football.

The complete line-up of ITV's commentators, pundits and presenters for Germany vs Ivory Coast has been revealed.

Germany enter the 2026 World Cup clash in staggeringly hot form, having decimated Curacao by a scoreline of 7-1 in their previous fixture.

Ivory Coast, conversely, got off to winning ways in far more arduous fashion, prevailing 1-0 against Ecuador courtesy of a 90th-minute Amad Diallo strike.

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ITV's complete line-up of commentators, pundits and presenters for Germany vs Ivory Coast in Group E at the 2026 World Cup

Germany vs Ivory Coast at the 2026 World Cup will be played at the Toronto Stadium in Canada.

The game will kick off at 9PM UK time, and British viewers will be able to watch the event via ITV's broadcast, helmed by Laura Woods.

Woods will tonight be joined tonight by the one and only Gary Lineker.

Lineker, remembered as the face of Match of the Day, has embarked on a highly successful podcasting journey in recent years.

The Netflix series, The Rest Is Football, is his main platform for 2026 World Cup coverage, but his services will be present for ITV this evening.

Lineker, who once presented an episode of Match of the Day in just shorts, recently announced that he will repeat those antics should the 2026 World Cup see one major event.

The 65-year-old will also be joined by a star-studded punditry line-up of Gary Neville, Ian Wright and Duncan Ferguson.

Neville, known predominantly for his work with Sky Sports, recently provided punditry services for England's World Cup opener, expressing concern over the Three Lions' squad make-up.

Wright showed solidarity with his co-pundit tonight, Lineker, back in 2023 after the latter's tweets regarding government policy led to the BBC asking him to take a step back from Match of the Day, which Wright boycotted as a result.

Assuming commentary duties are Seb Hutchinson, and ex-Crystal Palace star Andros Townsend, who will be the game's voices for ITV.

The logical place to start this week is England’s 4-2 win over Croatia. I thought they were outstanding in the second half, playing with a brilliant tempo. The first half was okay, but you could sense how disappointed assistant coach Anthony Barry was when he gave his half-time analysis to ITV.

They then responded perfectly in the second half, and could have won by an even greater margin. It's a good start from England, but the only worrying thing is conceding the two goals. Saying that, there’s still good quality in that Croatia team, and these things can happen.

Clinton was speaking on behalf of Freebets.com.

England looked a bit nervous at the start of the game, and I was surprised Marc Guéhi didn’t start, as I thought he's England's number one centre back. But Thomas Tuchel went with John Stones and Ezri Konsa instead. There will be better teams that will cause England more problems at the back, but they will also create other teams plenty of problems too, as shown when Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Morgan Rogers came off the bench on Wednesday.

One of the stand-out performers was Jude Bellingham. I loved his tenacity, will to win, and the way in which he tracked back and closing down attacks. It just makes me laugh how he gets a lot of bad press when he's just a person who wants to win at all costs. He's world class, and proved it once again.

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He kept Rogers out of the line-up, who is also a top player. But in big tournaments, you sometimes need to go with a bit more experience. Bellingham got the nod and thoroughly deserved it. There's no question now that Bellingham should be starting in that number 10 role. He turns up at big tournaments.

All of the tournament big hitters have played now, and we’ve already seen some cracking storylines develop. Spain drawing with Cape Verde was a huge surprise, but they didn’t have the likes of Lamine Yamal or Nico Williams playing. Cape Verde’s goalkeeper Vozinha was also fantastic, going from being a player nobody had heard of before, to becoming one of the stars of this World Cup so far.

Nearly all of the superstars have scored, but the only one who hasn't is Cristiano Ronaldo for Portugal. Although, you have to give DR Congo a lot of credit for that. Meanwhile, Lionel Messi’s hat-trick was phenomenal and I thought that Argentina as a team were very convincing and really impressive.

Senegal made it difficult for France at the start, but Didier Deschamps’ side have some x-factor players. None more so than Kylian Mbappe after he scored two brilliant goals, and was arguably unlucky not to win a penalty too.

I don’t think Sadio Mané gets a touch on the ball. I was watching it live with my sons and I said straight away, ‘stonewall penalty.’ Mané's rushing back, and doesn't get any of it. They're trying to say Mbappé's left leg collides into Mané, but there's nowhere else he can put his back leg.

I thought it was a bad decision. And I don’t understand either of the two red cards for South Africa in their opening game against Mexico either.

Themba Zwane was penalised for swinging his arm, and then Yaya Sithole was sent off for denying a goalscoring opportunity after bringing down Brian Gutiérrez, but he wasn’t even through on goal and there were other defenders coming back across as well. But other than that, the refereeing has been good and we're not talking too much about it, which is nice.

The focus is now on the second round of group games and it’ll soon be time for England’s next game on Tuesday. I hope they play like they did in the second half throughout the whole match against Ghana.

I watched Ghana against Panama and thought they were lacking a lot of quality until Brandon Thomas-Asante came on to make an impact and set up the winner. Tuchel could go with the same team again, but he has a lot of options to change it around if he wants.

He could bring in Saka for Noni Madueke, or Rashford for Anthony Gordon. There was also a slight concern over Declan Rice, who appeared to go off with a little niggle, so we might see a change there too.

But you need to play your best team, as you only get one chance to top the group. It is so important to finish first and avoid playing one of the top teams sooner. If they play like they did in the second half against Croatia, they'll be too strong for Ghana, and against Panama in the last group game.

Football journalists, you’d think, would be quite handy on the pitch given their proximity to, and regular face-time with, the best in the world.

Unfortunately, interviewing and rubbing shoulders with the world’s stars means very little in terms of actual footballing ability. Take it from me. I am one of them.

Becoming a professional footballer was my life’s ambition until it became apparent that dream was behind a closed door, padlocked shut.

Bukayo Saka helped develop New Balance's brand new Stone Island boots

The closest thing to it, I thought, would be to become a football journalist. I’m fortunate to have played at Spotify Camp Nou, Leeds United’s iconic Elland Road and Brighton and Hove Albion’s Amex Stadium. I haven’t come close to scoring once, but that’s by-the-by.

I’m not saying if I’d worn the New Balance Furon Elite FG V9 x Stone Island boots that I’d have come much closer. But, the fantasist in me started believing that might be the case when I visited the TRACK, a state-of-the-art multi-sport venue owned and operated by New Balance, in their home city of Boston.

New Balance provided for me the boots that Bukayo Saka wore in England’s World Cup 2026 opener against Croatia. As test drives go, it was an experience.

The Furon Elite V9 x Stone Island collab is, first and foremost, an aesthetically pleasing boot. And because New Balance are involved, nothing has been left to chance when it comes to performance, either.

Stone Island isn't a fashion brand that does bright, brash colourways, so it’s understandable that the Furon collab keeps it simple but unique. I would be lying through my teeth if I were to describe myself as a flair player, so the monochromatic colour scheme was appreciated.

The boot is marketed as being designed for ‘the most dangerous players’, of which Saka is undoubtedly one. No pressure, then.

We’ve all done it, you slip on a pair of boots for the first time, have a kick-around and end up with irritation or blisters in the foot and ankle region. I’ll be honest, when I discovered how snug the Furon Elite V9s were, this was at the front of my mind. Once bitten, etcetera.

As it turned out, I had nothing to worry about. There was no wear and tear on my heels once I slipped them off - not that I wanted to - following a skills and drills session on one of the indoor pitches at the TRACK.

The boots hugged my feet, allowing a close control feel whilst providing the necessary protection when striking footballs over and over. Because, of course, skills and drills descended into shooting practice, penalties and crossbar challenge.

What else I was struck by was how lightweight the boots are, perfect for speedsters down the flanks, of which I am not one.

Was this incredibly privileged test drive wasted on a player like me who gets a nosebleed every time he crosses the halfway line? Perhaps. But I don’t care. The boots were snug, sleek and comfortable - everything I’m not on the pitch.

For a man whose ankle ligaments have seen their fair share of strains and sprains, the ‘new boot-artificial turf’ combo was cause for concern, but after a while that fear evaporated. The Furon Elite V9 provided excellent traction for quick changes of direction during the drills session.

Whilst I cannot boast explosive movement myself, the fact Arsenal and England star Saka has been an active participant in the production of this boot, suggests the pair I wore were very much catered towards a player who is cutting inside at the drop of a hat, several times per game.

One thing I can guarantee is that the wearer does not feel inhibited by the weightiness of the boot - it is the most svelte I’ve felt on a football pitch in years.

As averse as I am to corporate-speak, I think it’s worthwhile circling back to the design, because there’s a fantastic feature that hasn’t been mentioned yet. Not only do they look the part, there’s science baked into the artwork, because it is heat reactive and changes with temperature.

I was not the only wearer of the Stone Island Furon V9 on my debut at the TRACK, and therefore each pair looked ever so slightly unique at the end of the session. Whilst that might not matter to everyone, if you’re a football boot nerd, I imagine that is something to get very excited about.

FourFourTwo’s verdict is this boot, or cleat if you’re one of our North American cousins, could be one of the best and most unique on the market. If you want to draw admiring glances from teammates and opponents as you glide past, the New Balance Furon Elite V9 Stone Island edition just might be for you.

The race for the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot has begun, and the list is largely littered with the usual suspects.

The World Cup, make no mistake, shapes a player's legacy, provided they possess a squad that can't be used as a viable excuse to justify underperformance.

As the group stage continues, these are the contenders for the award, and a list of players who, even if they haven't gotten off to the most prolific start, remain firmly in contention.

Who is going to win the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot?

On this list are players who have won the Golden Boot for their club at league level, on the European stage, and even previously at the World Cup.

And what sort of list would this be without the greatest football player of all time at the forefront of it? The one, the only, the man with nothing left to prove yet continues to do so: Lionel Messi.

Lionel Messi (Argentina - 5 goals)

Lionel Messi opened his 2026 World Cup campaign with a hat-trick against Algeria, scoring two glorious long range efforts to start and conclude the feat.

Despite his age, fans may have suspected that Messi would do this at the tournament - now relieved of the burdensome pressure that plagued him his entire career.

The lack of a World Cup victory, back when Cristiano Ronaldo's name was still floated in debates with him, was often used against the Argentine's GOAT claim, but no more.

With his historic 2022 run placing the final cherry on top of Messi's near perfect career, 2026 could be the World Cup version of him playing with the shackles off, and finally winning the Boot.

Messi added to his goals with a record-breaking brace against Austria, bagging his 17th and 18th strikes in the tournament's history to put him top of the World Cup's all-time goalscoring charts.

Kylian Mbappe (France - 4 goals)

Perhaps conversely to Kane, who could change the tide for himself this tournament, Kylian Mbappe is a man for the big occasion.

The Frenchman's goalscoring only appears to improve the bigger the occasion, so an opening game brace bodes extremely well for his Golden Boot chances.

Mbappe pipped Messi, despite losing the World Cup final, to the award in 2022, with a hat-trick in the last game.

The Real Madrid star is the first player in history to have bagged four World Cup final goals, and France look dangerously capable of making a third successive appearance in the event.

With four goals in his opening two appearances at the 2026 edition of the World Cup, there is a fierce two-horse race opening up.

Erling Haaland (Norway - 4 goals)

Erling Haaland opened his World Cup account with two goals in his opening game against Iraq.

The Manchester City striker announced himself on the World Cup stage with his first goal just before the half hour mark and then doubled his tally just before half time.

In Norway's second game against Senegal he again bagged another two goals at the New York New Jersey Stadium - this time his two goals came in the second half to put him firmly in the race for the Golden Boot.

Jonathan David (Canada - 3 goals)

Canada recorded an historic World Cup victory on Thursday evening, not least because it was the country's first.

The Canucks saw off nine-man Qatar by six goals to nil, prompting head coach Jesse Marsch to celebrate by putting six fingers in the air.

Three of those goals had come from Brooklyn-born attacker Jonathan David, who moved level with Messi thanks to his hat-trick.

While the game in question was marred by a serious injury to Ismael Kone, Canadians will look back fondly upon the match due to magnitude and significance of the victory.

It now means the co-hosts are likely to play in the knockout rounds for the first time at the World Cup Finals.

Deniz Undav (Germany - 3 goals)

There's been a little bit of patronising going on from the UK media, who remember Deniz Undav primarily from his short and unproductive at Brighton and Hove Albion.

Undav did after all finish as the second-highest scorer in the Bundesliga last season behind only Harry Kane, chipping in with 19 goals for Stuttgart to help fire the side to Champions League qualification.

The striker had also found form for his country, scoring against Ghana in a friendly in March and putting away a brace against Finland in the immediate run-up to the tournament.

A goal from the bench in a 7-1 win over Curacao was almost mandatory, but Undav's double against the Ivory Coast completely turned the game around in a 2-1 comeback victory. The question for Julian Nagelsmann now: put him in from the start, or continue to lean on Undav's new-found super-sub status?

Harry Kane (England - 2 goals)

Harry Kane, unlike Messi, already has a World Cup Golden Boot to his name, even if it's one of the weakest in recent memories.

The Bayern Munich and England bagsman has enjoyed the finest year of his career goalscoring-wise, even if that is largely thanks to the much-discussed 'Bundesliga tax'.

In 2018, Kane took home the award with six goals — an opening game brace against Tunisia, two penalties and a deflected goal against Panama, and a penalty against Colombia.

Even if the striker fails to progress as far as Three Lions faithfuls hope for England to go, the 32-year-old could feasibly bag the award through a solid group stage haul.

Never underestimate the Englishman's ability to feast against inferior opposition — this isn't an insult, it's a testament to his unrelenting drive, treating every game as if it's do-or-die.

Who are the other contenders?

Folarin Balogun, although unlikely, also sits on two goals and stands a chance at claiming the award.

If anything can get the USA forward over the line, it will be a historic group stage performance and high-scoring early knock-out rounds.

The 24-year-old is likely to play one or two knock-out games at best, but strong showings early on in the tournament could be the difference for the USMNT bagsman.

Elsewhere, Kai Havertz, who bagged a brace for Germany in their 7-1 demolition of Curacao, stands an outside chance, but, conversely, he will likely only do so if his national side progress to later stages.

The German is not known primarily for being a goalscorer, but he is a man for the biggest of occasions, having scored twice in two Champions League finals, and could repeat his heroics here.

Spain's Mikel Oyarzabal and the Netherlands' Brian Brobbey were both absent from the scoresheet in their sides' opening games, but both made up for lost time by scoring twice apiece against Saudi Arabia and Sweden respectively.

Brobbey's teammate Cody Gakpo matched that in the same game, with Crysencio Summerville also getting his second game of the tournament.

There have also been braces scored by Elijah Just (New Zealand), Johan Manzambi (Switzerland), Ayase Ueda (Japan) and Yasin Ayari (Sweden), if you're feeling especially bold and willing to back an outside horse.

Egypt's Mohamed Salah, although not the goalscoring titan he once was, could face an Iran, to Czechia, to USA run with Egypt in the tournament, after finishing second in the Africa Cup of Nations' goalscoring charts earlier this year.

With one goal and two assists already, if he can deliver very strong outings in those favourable fixtures, he stands a slim but possible chance.

Mexico's Julian Quinones stands an even better chance, having bagged a remarkable 33 Saudi Pro League goals last season.

It feels likely that if any of the co-hosts are to make a surprisingly deep run in the tournament, the Mexicans will be the ones to do it.

The Al-Qadsiah man is currently on one goal, however, his upcoming group stage fixtures against South Korea and Czechia are highly favourable clashes for an attacker of his quality.

Race for the Golden Boot

5 goals

• Lionel Messi (Argentina)

4 goals

• Kylian Mbappe (France)
• Erling Haaland (Norway)

3 goals

• Jonathan David (Canada )
• Deniz Undav (Germany)

2 goals

• Matheus Cunha (Brazil)
• Vinícius Júnior (Brazil)
• Cyle Larin (Canada)
• Harry Kane (England)
• Kai Havertz (Germany)
• Daichi Kamada (Japan)
• Ayase Ueda (Japan)
• Ismael Saibari (Morocco)
• Brian Brobbey (Netherlands)
• Cody Gakpo (Netherlands)
• Crysencio Summerville (Netherlands)
• Elijah Just (New Zealand)
• Ismaïla Sarr (Senegal)
• Mikel Oyarzabal (Spain)
• Yasin Ayari (Sweden)
• Johan Manzambi (Switzerland)
• Folarin Balogun (United States)
• Maximiliano Araújo (Uruguay)

Liverpool are making a habit of beating Newcastle to their summer transfer targets, after plucking Hugo Ekitike right from under their noses last year.

This time around, the Reds have obtained what is likely to be key signing for new manager Andoni Iraola.

The Basque boss will follow at Anfield in the stuttering footsteps of recently departed Arne Slot, who led Liverpool to almost nothing but misery in the 2025/26 season.

Liverpool scupper Newcastle again in transfer deal for highly-valued 22-year-old

Liverpool have triggered the £34 million release clause of Newcastle's summer transfer window target.

The 22-year-old, moving from Osasuna to Merseyside, has already completed his medical, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano.

The 22-year-old averaged over two dribbles at 40+% completion in La Liga this season, and nearly nine duels won per game.

His completion rate in those actions hovered at around the same figure: a forward truly unafraid to press and get stuck in.

In terms of creativity, this could be considered Munoz's key failing, however, the profile is there to be developed with so few young attackers excelling at both scoring and assisting.

For now, he will make a strong enough back-up to arguably oust a terribly poor Cody Gakpo from the left flank, should the Dutchman's abysmal form from last season continue in the Premier League.

Liverpool are expected to make other key signings, firmly in the mix for Yan Diomande and a breakout 2026 World Cup star, with the best player in their modern history, Mohamed Salah, departing at the end of their previous campaign and leaving a craterous hole to be filled.

Victor Munoz is the name in question: a La Liga standout for Osasuna last season who bagged six goals in 31 starts for his Spanish side.

Newcastle were initially believed to be winning the race for his signature, however, the Reds had other plans.

News of Munoz's Anfield arrival has been corroborated by transfer expert David Ornstein, with the 22-year-old joining after a late swoop.

Liverpool staff conducted the youngster's medical in the United States, following a speedy pursuit from Richard Hughes and Michael Edwards.

The Osasuna attacker is known for his complex game, perhaps not a standout star in any one attribute, but a solid all-round option.

Ghana vs Panama will hopefully continue the action-packed football that England vs Croatia displayed in Group L's opener earlier this evening.

Unfortunately for Ghana, who were once responsible for one of the World Cup's best and most devastating underdog runs, they don't appear likely to deliver such magic again.

Panama, opposite to what people may assume, have entered the North American tournament in far stronger form, but will that continue in their Group L face-off?

Ghana vs Panama prediction, Antoine Semenyo's men look to start Group L strongly at the 2026 World Cup

If Ghana are to prevail this evening, and have the best chance of securing knock-out football at the 2026 World Cup, it will likely be down to the efforts of their main man.

Antoine Semenyo was no longer the standout winger for a non-Big 6 side in the Premier League this season — well, he was for half of it — but he was the English top flight's best wide man for an actual title contender in Manchester City following his mid season move.

Ghana have lost six of their last seven games heading into the tournament, with their solitary result being a 1-1 draw against Wales.

In that time, they've shipped 13 goals, scoring just three of their own, with Semenyo playing in four of them.

Conversely, Panama enter the clash with two wins and three draws in their last seven, scoring 11 goals.

Even in a heavy loss to Brazil back in May, with a near full strength squad fielded by Ancelotti, Panama still struck two goals in a 6-2 defeat.

Ultimately, Panama are a superior unit to Ghana on the international stage right now, although, the gap isn't large enough to make the result so clear-cut.

With Semenyo in tow, Ghana are capable of producing magic at any given moment should the Manchester City man turn on the burners.

However, if Panama are to get their game plan correct, which appears likely given the confidence they must feel entering the match in surprisingly good form, the result is theirs for the taking.

Despite Panama having never won a World Cup game, or even drawn one, it feels more likely than not that they will finally get over the line and deliver a result for their country tonight.

Prediction: Ghana 1-2 Panama

All aboard the England rollercoaster. Probably only the famous nearby 'Six Flags Over Texas' theme park, home to the Rampaging Run ride, could rival England’s performance against Croatia for ups and down, thrills and spills. This was part attacking carnival, part defensive chaos from England.

A lover of American football, Harry Kane doubtless dreamed of one day finding the mark at the magnificent home of the Dallas Cowboys.

He scored twice, both from set-pieces, taking his England tally to 81 goals from 115 games. Few would now bet against Kane, 32, reaching a century of goals.

England's potential route to the World Cup final 2026

'Jude Bellingham produced a bravura display in England's World Cup opener'

Yet even Kane was eclipsed by a bravura display from Jude Bellingham. Whatever doubts that some observers have about his team-mindedness, Bellingham made a mockery of such doubts.

He made two important sliding tackles and few could have matched the brilliance of his goal. Luka Modric went over to congratulate his old Real Madrid team-mate. Even the Dallas DJ got in on the appreciation act, playing “Hey Jude”.

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Marcus Rashford, recently of Barcelona, added a fourth, reflecting England’s wealth of attacking options when replacing Anthony Gordon. But those with Three Lions on a shirt had their fans having kittens.

The first-half vulnerability was so unlike England. They let in as many goals in the first 45 minutes as in their preceding 21 games in all competitions. Jordan Pickford had kept eight clean sheets in the eight qualifiers. But even England’s 'Mr Reliable' looked uncertain before the break. Marc Guehi’s calm was missed, and Tuchel surely has to consider restoring the centre-back who has been England’s best defender over the past two years.

But this was a performance to savour, certainly the irrepressible attacking. Croatia immediately fell back into 5-4-1, inviting England on. Pickford pinged left-foot diagonals to Noni Madueke, whose pace was a constant threat to Croatia’s left flank. Josko Gvardiol and Ivan Perisic had to double up on Madueke. There was a welcome fearlessness to England in their attacks, a quality embodied by Madueke.

He won a penalty when Modric carelessly didn’t look, tried to clear but connected only with the onrushing Arsenal winger. It was a clear pen. And to think Arsenal fans had a petition – signed by 5,221 – to demand Arsenal not buy the then Chelsea player. Kane took responsibility for the kick. England’s captain had talked of the need for England to show a strong mentality to live with the expectation levels raised further by a huge number of England fans amongst the 70,389 crowd.

Kane needed his own nerves of steel after 12 minutes after he, strangely for him, put in a stutter in his run-up to a penalty and Dominik Livakovic saved. Sections of the Croatian media in the press box applauded. Briefly. Livakovic had strayed off his line, Clement Turpin ordered a re-take, and a reprieved Kane was gifted a second chance. He went the same way, to Livakovic’s left, but there was no stutter, only that familiar firm connection sending the ball flying in. England fans sang about being on their way to New York for the final.

Then came the loathed hydration break which started amidst boos from England fans and ended with chants of “what the f***ing hell was that?” Fears that it would damage England’s momentum were realised when Croatia equalised. Bellingham lost possession, Petar Sucic deceived John Stones, who dived in. England were opened up. Sucic laid the ball back to Martin Baturina, who swept it from the edge of the area past Pickford.

England hit back, inevitably via Kane, almost inevitably via another set-piece, this time a corner. Kane lurked on the edge of the area, bizarrely unmarked. Stones and Ezri Konsa occupied Croatian defenders but it was still strange that Kane was afforded so much room. As Declan Rice curled the corner out, Kane ran in, leaping between Luka Vuskovic and Petar Musa, and steering his header in. So simple. 81 in 115, and now level with Gary Lineker’s England record of 10 goals at World Cup finals.

Half-time beckoned. England’s defence never looked a safe haven. Chaos continued. England were far too slow to close Croatia down. Mario Pasalic dinked the ball in, Perisic directed his header across to Musar, who plays for local MLS side Dallas. Musar reacted too quickly for Reece James and stroked the ball past Pickford, again exposed, again unconvincing.

Tuchel hurried towards the tunnel. He had work to do, a situation to retrieve. Bellingham came to his aid two minutes after the restart. Elliot Anderson played his part, delivering the perfect ball to release Bellingham down the inside-right channel. Madueke also contributed, darting inside, a decoy run that worked. Bellingham tore into the space, proving too quick and strong for Pasalic. He looked up, saw where Livakovic and stroked the ball across the keeper and in. It wasn’t the cleanest of connections but it was firm and accurate and England were ahead again.

Seeking to refresh his attack, Tuchel made changes after 70 minutes, Rashford, Bukayo Saka and Morgan Rogers replacing Gordon, Madueke and Rice. It was bold from Tuchel. Bellingham dropped slightly deeper, almost alongside Anderson. Rogers played off Kane. Rashford applied the coup de grace, cutting inside Josip Stanisic and placing his shot past Livakovic. The rollercoaster rolled to a stop, leaving England fans breathless and joyful.

O’Reilly has only won five senior caps for the Three Lions heading into the finals, but has quickly cemented his place as Thomas Tuchel’s first-choice left-back.

As a former left-back himself, Bridge was perfectly placed to speak about the 21-year-old’s potential and hailed his physical and technical attributes.

Speaking exclusively to Freebets.com, Bridge said: "He's one of my favourite players of the season. I loved him ever since he came onto the scene.

Wayne Bridge: 'Nico O'Reilly can be England's World Cup star'

“He started as a midfielder but slotted into full-back really well. He ends up in positions where he's in the box, and he's a big lad. He's comfortable on the ball whatever position he's in, whether that’s in the attacking box, or receiving it on the wings with players around him.

“You just hope that the way England play is going to be very different to Man City. But I think he can cope in any scenario. I think this could be one of those tournaments where he really announces himself on the football stage."

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The former England full-back is excited by the midfield options at Tuchel’s disposal and feels there is enough cover in the wide areas to cope if Bukayo Saka’s injury problems resurface.

"I'd probably expect him [Saka] to start, but he's going to have to be assessed medically. You've got options — Noni Madueke, Marcus Rashford, Anthony Gordon. As important as Saka is, I think we've got enough in the squad to cope if he can't play.

“I think it's one of those things that if you're going to go on the big stage, in your head you'll know whether you should or shouldn't play — and I think the medical team should know that as well.

“Wayne Rooney was just a different breed in terms of what he would put his body through. But I'm sure they're not going to be stupid. On the biggest stage, you want to make sure you've got someone who's not going to hinder the team or hinder themselves."

Much was made about Tuchel’s decision to leave Cole Palmer and Phil Foden out of the squad, and while Bridge admits he would have taken Palmer, he insists there is more than enough quality to progress deep into the tournament.

"I was like every other fan — probably a Chelsea fan or a Cole Palmer fan — when he was scoring those goals, going 'why the hell is he not starting?' But it has been a tough season for him. Would I have taken him? I was swaying towards yes.

“But it's such a hard job and football is just full of opinions. I love Rashford as a player, I love Gordon as a player — I think they're direct and they're dangerous. I think there's too much talk on who's being left behind sometimes. There's enough quality in that team to go and do well. Me personally, I love Palmer and Foden — but they haven't had their best seasons. Palmer probably would have sneaked it in — I would have taken him, if I'm honest.

"We could have taken Palmer and I'd have named him straight away. But it depends who starts. If Rashford starts, then Gordon's coming on with fresh legs. You've got Madueke, who's quick. You've got Harry Kane as well — you can't forget about Kane. There are enough people in there with the ability to change a game.”

However, Bridge believes England will just fall short and fears their 60-year wait for major men’s trophy will continue beyond this summer, and is backing France to go all the way.

"My natural response if I've sat down having a pint with my mates is: we could be absolutely terrible, do nothing, or we could go on and win it. That is literally my response. That is tournament football. They could go all the way and win it, or it could go very wrong.

“It wouldn't surprise me if there are some surprises though — Morocco are dangerous, Japan could be a dark horse. If I had to pick one team, I'd be picking France. Sadly, I'm not picking England, but I'd love to see them go all the away."

Argentina got their World Cup title defence off to a flying start on Tuesday night in the United States' mid-west.

La Albiceleste had the little maestro to thank for their resounding victory against the Fennecs as the 38-year-old scored each of Argentina's three goals on the night.

Messi and co could so easily have been a goal down early on when Fares Chaibi struck beyond Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.

Lionel Messi scores first World Cup hat-trick at 38

However, the Algerian attacker was deemed to have strayed offside and VAR ruled out the North African side's opener.

Before too long, Rodrigo De Paul had split the Algeria defence, finding Messi on the turn and the Inter Miami attacker did as he has done for the past two decades and hit the back of the net from range.

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Upon the first blast of the referee's whistle in Kansas City, Messi had broken a record by appearing at a sixth World Cup Finals - but he wasn't done there.

Having scored at four of his five previous tournaments, South Africa 2010 being the uncharacteristic exception, Messi's 17th minute opener proved to be just the appetiser.

Shortly after half-time, Messi struck again, reacting fastest to a spillage by Algeria goalkeeper Luca Zidane, to go within one finish of equalling Miroslav Klose's all-time World Cup goals record.

The German striker netted 16 throughout his career with Die Mannschaft and has held the honour for the past 12 years.

But, on Tuesday evening, Messi went level, adding a third to his performance with a quarter of an hour remaining against the Algerians. And he managed it in trademark fashion, picking up possession on the edge of the penalty area, shifting the ball onto his favoured left foot and slotting into the bottom corner with precision from 18 yards.

There is now every chance Messi will surpass Klose and become the greatest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history.

He may even take home the Golden Boot having surged to the top of the 2026 top goalscorer standings.

Messi is the first player to net a hat-trick at this tournament, following a trio of braces, scored by Elijah Just (New Zealand), Erling Haaland (Norway), Folarin Balogun (USA), Yasin Ayari (Sweden), Kai Havertz (Germany) and Kylian Mbappe (France).

Messi also became the first active MLS player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup match with his triple against Algeria, as well as the oldest player in World Cup history to score a brace, and then a hat-trick.

Argentina's next two fixtures are against Austria on Monday, June 22 and Jordan on Sunday, June 28 - in both of which he may eclipse Klose's record.

The BBC commentators, pundits and presenters for Norway vs Iraq, being broadcast tonight at 11pm BST, have been revealed.

Norway remain the most likely 'dark horse' at the 2026 World Cup, with a quietly stacked line-up that appears capable of beating anybody on its best day.

After a perfect eight wins out of eight in their World Cup qualifying group, the stage is set for the Haaland-led side to announce itself as serious contenders against Iraq this evening.

BBC's complete list of pundits, commentators and presenters for Norway vs Iraq, in Group I at the 2026 World Cup

The match will be played at the Boston Stadium and will be available for British viewers via a BBC broadcast.

At the presenting helm is Kelly Cates, an esteemed broadcaster known for her work with the BBC, Sky Sports and ESPN.

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Cates is the eldest of Sir Kenny Dalglish's four daughters, and rose to broadcasting prominence in the early 2010s.

The Scottish presenter will be joined by two pundits for the broadcast - both ex-professionals with plenty of insight to offer.

The first of which is Ashley Williams, ex-Everton veteran and Wales international.

Williams did not get to play in a World Cup tournament for his nation, however, he was awarded over 80 caps for his nation.

The second is Ellen White, who knows well what it takes to win on the grandest of international stages.

The former Lioness achieved UEFA European Championship glory with England in 2022, just a month before her retirement.

Commentator information to follow...

Norway and Iraq will take to the 2026 World Cup stage this evening at the Boston Stadium, broadcast by the BBC at 11pm.

Despite Group I being referred to by football fans across the globe as the 'Group of Death' - there's no better test for Norway to show the world whether they're contenders, or pretenders.

With a remarkable 24/24 points in their World Cup qualifying group, Iraq face off against a Norway side with a point to prove, but is the outcome really as pre-determined as it appears?

Norway vs Iraq prediction, 2026 World Cup in Group I

It goes without saying: there is no easy match at the World Cup, not even with a +16 team expansion that many argued would jeopardise competitiveness in the earlier stages.

That has been made crystal clear over the tournament's first week, with Cape Verde holding Spain to a remarkable 0-0 draw, Egypt battling valiantly against Belgium, and Japan turning up in the clutch against the Netherlands to secure a 2-2 stalemate.

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The first issue that Iraq will encounter is the Erling Haaland problem. For a striker used to playing in one of England's most well-oiled systems, you'd expect him to struggle a little for Norway, right?

Obviously, we know that to be false, and the Norwegian has little difficulties translating his game to the international stage as his ridiculous World Cup qualifying record proved.

18 goal involvements in eight games. Read that one more time. The man scored 16 goals, and bagged a couple of assists, in eight games as Norway marched to a perfect qualifying record against Italy, Estonia, Israel and Moldova.

And Iraq's squad is amidst many nations who failed to qualify for the North American tournament in the FIFA world rankings - this isn't a dramatic leap in opponent quality for the Norwegian bagsman.

His speed and power makes him a chance magnet, and his presence in March's friendly against the Netherlands, who won 2-1 against Norway, was sorely missed.

Ultimately, Iraq will be forced to adopt the age-old game plan of sitting back and praying.

But as Cape Verde showed us, that approach is not always doomed to fail, and Norway's defence - who conceded in 50% of their World Cup qualifying games - can be exploited.

Unfortunately, Iraq lack the sort of player who could turn water into wine with that defensive approach, hitting the Scandinavians on dangerous counters.

A Norway victory feels all but guaranteed, and for a team making its first World Cup appearance since 1998, an early goal against inferior opponents could shake off any nerves and lead to a bloodbath.

Prediction: 3-0 Norway, with goals arriving from Haaland (x2) and Antonio Nusa.

It's been a difficult first week for England at the 2026 World Cup, and Thomas Tuchel's men haven't yet kicked a football.

England will face Croatia in their opening Group L fixture on Jun 17, held at the Dallas Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Unfortunately for the Three Lions, their plans were first derailed by a bizarre World Cup robbery, and now a late Tino Livramento injury, resulting in a controversial replacement decision.

Trevoh Chalobah replaces Tino Livramento in late England squad swap-out, 2026 World Cup

The Newcastle prodigy was forced to back out of the tournament by a calf injury, leaving space in the England squad for a replacement.

Livramento's inclusion was a surprise to begin with, having missed the Magpies' final five fixtures of the season with a thigh issue.

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Trevoh Chalobah has stepped in for the 23-year-old, but will still miss the opening match of the tournament against Croatia.

Instead, the Chelsea centre-back will head to Kansas City - the base in which England were heading to at the time of their World Cup robbery - in preparation for the Three Lions' next game.

Chalobah's newfound place in the England 2026 World Cup squad has, naturally, ignited significant fan debate.

Among the names not selected by Tuchel, neither in his initial 26-man squad or in this last minute inclusion, are Lewis Hall, Harry Maguire and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

All three were surprising misses then, making their absences even more surprising now, particularly in the cases of Hall and Alexander-Arnold who would have filled the now vacant position more effectively.

Tuchel is now left with just Reese James and Djed Spence as natural right-back options in the squad, with Livramento being replaced by a centre-back instead.

Chalobah has just one senior international cap, which arrived against Senegal in a 2025 friendly that England lost 3-1.

The 26-year-old is currently en-route to the United States, where he will join forces with fellow Chelsea player James, but only time will tell whether online football fans know more about their national team than Thomas Tuchel does.

Arsenal are looking to build on their strongest season yet under Mikel Arteta with a busy transfer window this summer.

Arsenal prevailed as Premier League champions at the fourth time of asking under the Spaniard, and made it to an rare Champions League final.

Unfortunately for Arteta's men, PSG prevailed in Europe, however, a strong summer transfer window is looming for the Gunners, now weighing up a move for one of a full-back misused by ex-Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim.

Arsenal weigh up the move for an exciting European full-back, rivalling Manchester City and Newcastle for his signature

According to a report from Sport Witness, Arsenal are weighing up a move for Ivan Fresneda, one of Europe's most sought after full-backs.

The Spaniard rose to prominence at Real Valladolid in La Liga, before making the move to Sporting Lisbon in 2023.

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Fresneda's release clause currently sits at €80 million, with the Primeira Liga side deeming him untouchable.

Despite this, the 21-year-old, a long-term target of Arsenal's and more recently Newcastle, is attracting enough potential suitors to possibly soften Sporting Lisbon's stance.

Fresneda struggled to excel during the managerial tenure of Ruben Amorim, making just 10 appearances during his debut season in 2023.

The arrival of Rui Borges prevented a quick departure to Como, who saw something in the young talent that ex-Manchester United boss Amorim did not, making tactical changes and aiding Fresneda in developing his mentality.

Fresneda was a standout player for Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League this season, particularly against eventual winners PSG.

The 21-year-old covered 11km and recorded nine defensive contributions in a 2-1 win over the the two-time champions.

While it would appear silly to suggest that Arteta could have been swayed by that performance in particular when looking back at the 2025/26 season, it remains possible.

PSG look to be the dominant European force for years to come, and if Arteta is to break Arsenal's Champions League curse, then perhaps a strong move for a player who knows how to beat the French champions and is also being pursued by the Gunners' biggest domestic rivals makes too much sense to pass up.

Uruguay's 2026 World Cup opening game didn't go as planned, for a national team with one of the greatest footballing minds in modern history at the helm.

Marcelo Bielsa led his Uruguyan troops into battle against Saudi Arabia yesterday evening, stuttering en-route to a 1-1 draw.

And for the many issues displayed on the pitch at the World Cup this summer by Uruguay, more have occurred off the pitch – but why did the national team face such a travel nightmare?

Uruguay travel issues at the 2026 World Cup explained

Bielsa's men were the dominant force on the night against Saudi Arabia, recording nearly three times the xG of their opposition.

Off the pitch, something highly aggravating at best and genuinely result-altering at worst had occurred during Uruguay's travels.

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The national side were left stranded in Mexico just 24 hours before their opening World Cup match, after the craft was unable to depart.

To begin with, their initial flight was cancelled, followed by the delay of a second flight which compounded issues, causing them to be roughly two hours behind schedule so near to their opener.

The reason behind this incident was cited as being due to missing or incorrect paperwork, which has led to a blame game between all involved parties.

While the Uruguayan FA blamed FIFA directly, they, in turn, blamed an airline permitting error in Mexico for the disruption.

And a disruption it truly was – despite Bielsa disagreeing that it had an effect – with national team captain Jose Maria Giminez describing the ordeal as "difficult" and full of "complications."

This is now beginning to feel like an ever-growing trend at the 2026 World Cup, with travel and visa issues becoming a recurring issue.

Last night, Iran forward Mehdi Taremi described his national team's ongoing travel situation as a "disaster" and expressed how his side are constantly tired due to their situation.

Earlier this month, Somali referee Omar Artan was denied entry to the US, prompting FIFA to still pay his World Cup salary despite being unable to work at the event.

As teams and individuals continue to face such problems off the pitch, the strength of the game on the pitch falters.

For now, Uruguay will rest ahead of their next match in Group H against Cape Verde, and pray that more external difficulties don't come their way.

In 2022, Lionel Messi was the beneficiary of the ultimate World Cup fairytale in what appeared to be the ending of his international career.

Now, Cristiano Ronaldo has the opportunity to match his greatest rival, as he has tried to do his entire career, but there are question marks surrounding his starter status for Portugal.

The World Cup has not been the Portuguese maestro's playground, in an otherwise near spotless career, but new data has given Portugal an easy decision regarding his playing time this tournament.

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Cristiano Ronaldo's starter status is now an easy decision for Portugal at the World Cup, new data shows

Famously, Ronaldo has never scored in the World Cup knock-outs, despite being often touted as the man for the big occasion.

The Portuguese maestro's career has been largely stain-free, with a UEFA European Championship victory and Champions League 'three-peat' under his belt over the years.

New data has shown how Ronaldo has been able to maintain an elite level of play this season, now 41 years old and ready to make one final impact on the biggest of international stages.

WHOOP data has revealed that during the 2025/26 season, in which Ronaldo finally achieved an elusive Saudi Pro League title, the Portuguese icon did nearly everything right off the pitch.

While leading Al-Nassr to top-flight jubilation, the 41-year-old entered a remarkable 45 out of 46 matches in the Yellow or Green zones, according to WHOOP data.

Those zones dictate how ready a player is in terms of fitness and recovery to play at an elite level during the match.

Amazingly, Ronaldo achieved a rate of 98% match readiness, using saunas, ice baths, warm baths, breath work, stretching and red light to build elite performance.

WHOOP data tracks the science behind how a player can optimise their performance through off the pitch actions.

At 41, off the back of a remarkable veteran season leading his club side to domestic glory, Portugal have an easy decision to make regarding his starter status at the World Cup 2026.

If the goal involvements, of which he had 34 in 37 matches, weren't enough to guarantee a place for Portugal, his consummate professionalism and dedication off the pitch surely should be.

Ronaldo's Woop data in full – Key data points

• Entered 45 of 46 matches in either the Green or Yellow recovery zones (98% match readiness)

• Averaged 65.6 recovery on match mornings throughout the season and recorded an 8-day Green recovery streak

• Maintained an average match strain of 15.0 across 46 games

• Sauna emerged as the strongest recovery habit, associated with a +5.7 point recovery boost, followed by Ice Bath (+4.7), Warm Bath (+4.2), Breathwork (+3.5), Stretching (+3.3) and Red Light Therapy (+2.8)

Elite performance is built in the hours between training sessions, travel, recovery, and sleep. Ronaldo's data offers a rare look into how an athlete sustains world-class performance over decades, not just seasons.

The 2026 World Cup has seen its fair share of 'giant slaying', less in the form of wins and more so draws, with Spain and Belgium the latest to be left frustrated.

Yesterday evening, Japan delivered a top-quality performance against the Netherlands, coming back from a goal down twice to secure a 2-2 draw.

Today, Egypt battled Belgium in a 1-1 stalemate, and Spain were frustrated by Cape Verde in a 0-0 result - but just how much money was lost on that game?

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Spain frustrated by Cape Verde as biggest lost bet at 2026 World Cup is revealed

Spain delivered a catastrophic performance by their high standards against Cape Verde this afternoon, being held to a 0-0 draw. One of the biggest upsets in World Cup history.

The Group H fixture even saw one Spanish forward break a pitiful 60-year-long record at the World Cup... and a staggering amount of money lost by one individual.

According to Polymarket Sports, one individual was aiming to secure a return of roughly $85,000 with a Spain victory today.

To achieve that? The bet was placed for a whopping $1 million, all of which was lost with Spain's eventual draw.

To make matters worse for the individual, the result was a statistical anomaly in every sense of the phrase, and should have resulted in a Spanish victory in almost all parallel realities.

Luis De La Fuente's men created over 10x the xG that Cape Verde did, with 2.10 to their opposition's 0.20.

They also ended the game having had 74% possession, and 27 shots to Cape Verde's six.

To rub salt into the wounds, it was Cape Verde's goalkeeper, Vozinha, who picked up the game's Man of the Match award, having saved seven Spanish shots.

Six of those came from inside the box, with Vozinha preventing a whopping 1.45 xG by his hands.

For now, the unlucky better - if they can even be called that, with $1 million to throw around in the first place - will take the title of being the 2026 World Cup's biggest loser so far.

The 48-team tournament kicked off last Thursday, with co-hosts Mexico dismantling South Africa in a 2-0 victory.

So far, it has been a tournament of surprise underdog performances, exemplified by the determination of Egypt and Cape Verde against Belgium and Spain today in two draws.

Elsewhere, USA delivered a frighteningly strong opening game effort against Paraguay, and Japan shocked the Netherlands yesterday after coming back from a goal down twice to draw 2-2.

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The one thing that has to happen for Gary Lineker to wear just pants at the 2026 World Cup, on The Rest Is Football

But what is the one thing that Gary Lineker must see happen to make a return to pants podcasting at the 2026 World Cup?

The ex-England international has priors in this department, having already done so for Leicester's title victory on Match of the Day.

The USA started their tournament stronger than football fans across the globe may have expected, but the idea that they could win the tournament remains a distant possibility.

That is for everyone besides Donald Trump, the USMNT and the American population... but Gary Lineker is still a doubter.

Speaking on The Rest Is Football, Lineker made another pants pledge, this time if the USMNT are to prevail at the 2026 World Cup.

"What I am going to do is I am going to double down. And I'm just going to say that if the USA win the World Cup, I'll do the last episode of this series in just my pants," said the 65-year-old.

When asked for clarification on what pants, by guest star Niall Horan who asked if they would be "naked cowboy", Lineker confirmed that they would be American flag pants.

The 65-year-old also revealed his 'dark horse' for the tournament - a nation that typically wouldn't be befitting of the label.

"I quite like saying that Germany are a dark horse," confessed Lineker. "Nobody's talking about [them], they didn't get through the group stage in the last two World Cups.

"Are they now the kind of country that you go, actually, if they get to the quarters, they're actually doing really well?" asked Lineker, who believes the Germans could spring a surprise tournament victory.

When Lionel Messi entered the 2022 World Cup with a fairytale script to end all others resting upon his shoulders, the Argentina national team were stunned by a 2-1 group stage loss to Saudi Arabia.

Shortly after, social media was flooded with 'cope' - a reminder that 2010 World Cup victors Spain also lost their first game, and that Messi's loss wasn't guaranteed to be costly.

Those people were right, whether their intentions were calculated or emotional, and Messi lifted the World Cup trophy against France by the tournament's end - but which champions also had poor starts?

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World Cup winners who made poor starts: Argentina 2022, Spain 2010... and Italy 1982

Between Spain's opening fixture loss, a 1-0 defeat to Switzerland in Group H, and Argentina's World Cup victory, Germany kicked their 2014 campaign off with a comprehensive 4-0 win.

That was over Portugal, during which centre-back Pepe received a red card and Thomas Muller bagged an opening game hat-trick.

But before Spain's group stage loss to World Cup jubilation, many moons had passed since a champion side got off to a poor start.

In 2006, Italy prevailed in their opening clash, as did Brazil in 2002, and France in 1998.

Eventual winners Brazil beat Russia 2-0 in 1994, and West Germany battered Yugoslavia 4-1 in 1990.

In 1986, when Diego Maradona delivered arguably the greatest individual World Cup campaign in history, Argentina kicked off proceedings with a slim 1-0 win over Uruguay.

But, before that, eventual victors Italy delivered a pitiful group stage performance in 1982 - not just in one game, but all three.

With the tournament expanding from 16 teams to 24, an identical scale-up to this edition, Italy drew all three of their Group 1 games and still secured a spot in the later stages.

The results? 0-0 against Poland to begin their campaign, followed by 1-1 stalemates against Peru and Cameroon.

The Italians went on to prevail against West Germany 3-1 in the final, beating reigning champions Argentina by a scoreline of 2-1 in the earlier phases.

Two teams that are expected to be serious contenders in the 2026 edition have endured opening match draws: Spain and the Netherlands.

German economist Joachim Klement has, in fact, predicted the latter to win the tournament outright, after backing the eventual winners with those same calculations at the previous three editions.

If Spain and Argentina's opening game defeats made it seem as if a trend was quietly forming at the World Cup, perhaps a draw could enter the equation this year.

Going full-circle back to 1982, where Italy strung together one of the more impressive later stage runs of any team in the tournament's history, perhaps a poor start is needed to kick teams into gear.

For now, it is reasonable to say that history has proven the opener is less important than many would assume, and the World Cup 2026, shaping up to one of the tournament's best, remains wide open.

As fans might have expected, Group H's opening fixture contained endless waves of Spanish first half dominance.

Perhaps less expected, Spain entered the break at half-time tied 0-0 with Cape Verde, despite a whopping 13 shots and 1.33xG in their favour.

Amidst the goal-line scrambles and heroism on display from Cape Verde's goalkeeper, Vozinha, one Spain player managed to break a remarkable World Cup record, held for 60 years.

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Spain striker Mikel Oyarzabal breaks incredible 60 year World Cup record against Cape Verde in Group H

Spain's frontline, with the notable absence of Lamine Yamal, did not have a clinical first half against Cape Verde.

Out of the 13 shots that the Spaniards failed to convert in the first half, their striker, Mikel Oyarzabal, did not get involved until just before the 40th minute, breaking a pitiful World Cup record.

The Real Sociedad striker enjoyed a prolific La Liga campaign during the 2025/26 season, bagging 15 goals.

For his club, he averaged over 37 touches per game in his 34 appearances, but football fans would not have been able to tell in the first half against Cape Verde.

Oyarzabal failed to touch the ball in the first 30 minutes of a World Cup game - the first time since 1966 at the tournament.

Getting the ball to the bagsman's feet continued to be an issue, even after he received his first long-awaited touch of the football.

The 29-year-old ended the half with two opportunities, both headers, forcing a save from one and sending the other wide of the right post.

Despite Spain's difficulties in getting Oyarzabal involved, the first half went the way of Luis De La Fuente's men in every action, except for finding the net.

The Spaniards completed well over double the passes of Cape Verde, maintaining 70% possession, and conceded three shots with a combined xG total of 0.04.

The game culminated in a disappointing 0-0 draw, so, if Spain are to do better going forward, perhaps getting the ball to their striker before the 30th minute would be a good plan.

England take on Croatia on Wednesday at World Cup 2026 in Arlington, Texas.

It's a rematch of the 2018 semi-final at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow, Russia, following a more stressful week than Thomas Tuchel's men would have liked.

England's World Cup 2026 opener is fast approaching: here are all the details of the clash with Croatia that you need.

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When and where is England's first game, against Croatia at the World Cup 2026

England were robbed en route to Kansas City earlier this week, losing a significant amount of inventory before the situation was resolved.

Tuchel's men have established their base in Missouri, where they will remain for the next three weeks at least, ahead of a Texas-set opening game against Croatia.

England will play their opening Group L face-off in Arlington, Texas, at the Dallas Stadium - one of the tournament's largest grounds.

The match will take place on Wednesday, June 17, being broadcast at 9pm for British viewers, on ITV1, ITVX and STV – that makes it a 3pm kick-off, local time.

The event will mark the second time that the Three Lions have faced off against Croatia at the World Cup, and is largely a grudge match after England's 2018 semi-final exit to the opposition.

Starting the World Cup strongly hasn't been too much of a difficulty for the Three Lions, having won four and drawn three of their last eight tournament openers.

The solitary loss in that time came against Italy at the 2014 edition - in a 2-1 defeat with Daniel Sturridge initially sending them a goal up.

In terms of World Cup appearances, England maintain a strong edge over the Croatians, boasting 17 tournaments to their opponent's seven.

The two have faced off three times previously in major international tournaments this century, with the head-to-head in England's favour.

The Three Lions have prevailed twice at the UEFA European Championship, while Croatia lead the World Cup head-to-head 1-0.

World Cup 2026 saw its first kick of a football on June 11, as co-hosts Mexico faced off against South Africa.

Since then, it has been one of the highest-scoring World Cups in recent memory, Cape Verde sprung a surprise holding Spain to a goalless draw and the golden boot race has got off to a flying start.

As we enter round three of the group stage matches, here is your essential World Cup 2026 round-up.

• Today's Games
• Yesterday's Scores
• World Cup Scores So Far

World Cup Scores So Far

Today's Games

World Cup 2026: Today's Results & Upcoming Fixtures

Wednesday will see the first batch of final group games in groups A, B and C.

Starting with Group B, Bosnia and Herzegovina face Qatar with both teams on one point and knowing a win will give them a chance of progressing. Switzerland and Canada both have four points and will look to top the group with a win.

In Group C, Morocco face Haiti while Scotland look to progress from the group for the first time in their history when they face five-time champions Brazil in Miami.

Group A sees Czech Republic face Mexico. Co-hosts Mexico have won both games and are through while Czech Republic need a win to stand a chance of going through to the last 32. In the other game South Africa play South Korea.

Today's fixtures (KOs UK time)

Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Qatar, 8pm, Group B

Switzerland vs Canada, 8pm, Group B

Morocco vs Haiti, 11pm, Group C

Scotland vs Brazil, 11pm, Group C

Czech Republic vs Mexico, 2am, Group A

South Africa vs South Korea, 2am, Group A

Yesterday's Scores

Yesterday's World Cup Scores (June 23)

• Portugal 5-0 Uzbekistan
• England 0-0 Ghana
• Panama 0-1 Croatia
• Colombia 1-0 DR Congo

Group Standings

Group A

Group B

Group C

Group D

Group E

Group F

Group G

Group H

Group I

Group J

Group K

Group L

When do England play next? Check out our complete England World Cup 2026 Match Schedule & Fixtures

England's next game is on Saturday, June 27 at 10pm BST.

The Three Lions' opponents will be Panama, who have already been knocked out. Los Calaneros could have got a result from both of their first two games in Group L, though, so the clash in New Jersey may not be as straightforward as it seems for England.

Panama conceded a last-gasp winner to lose 1-0 to Ghana in their opening game, before falling to the same scoreline against Croatia, despite being the better team in the first half.

What has happened at the 2026 World Cup so far?

The tournament's opening clash was an eventful 2-0 win for co-hosts Mexico, with goals from Raul Jiminez and Julian Quinones, two red cards for South Africa and a sending off for the victors.

South Korea vs Czechia followed: with the latter going 1-0 up after 60 minutes, before the South Koreans turned it around to prevail 2-1 with 67th and 80th minute strikes.

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World Cup 2026: The Story So Far

Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina was next. The co-hosts fell to an early Jovo Lukic hammer, a glorious Sead Kolasinac goal-line clearance, then substitute Cyle Larin levelled the score to end Group B's opening fixture in a 1-1 draw.

After drama between ex-USMNT forward Clint Dempsey and Canada boss Jesse Marsch, the final nation of the three co-hosts, USA, delivered the strongest performance of the trio with a 4-1 victory over Paraguay.

Then came Qatar vs Switzerland, ending 1-1 with a late own goal from Swiss left-back Miro Muheim tying the score in the 94th, before Brazil vs Morocco showed what the Africa Cup of Champions were made of, also ending in a 1-1 stalemate with the Moroccans being the dominant force.

John McGinn gave the Tartan Army a night to dream of in Group C, as his 28th minute strike saw Scotland prevail 1-0 over Haiti in their first World Cup victory for 36 years.

Australia vs Turkey in Vancouver gave the Socceroos a 2-0 win in a far closer clash than the scoreline suggested. Nestory Irankunda struck first with a classic World Cup strike, before Connor Metcalfe doubled the lead with 15 minutes remaining.

Germany battered Curacao in what is quickly becoming a staple blow-out World Cup victory for the Germans, prevailing 7-1. They are now responsible for three of the five World Cup games this century in which a team has scored seven or more goals.

Netherlands vs Japan followed with an absolute classic that saw the latter come back from one goal deficits twice to tie the final score at 2-2, before Ivory Coast bagged a late 1-0 win over Ecuador courtesy of a brilliantly instinctive Amad Diallo goal.

Goals from Alexander Isak, Viktor Gyokeres, Yasin Ayari and Mattias Svanberg yielded a strong 5-1 victory for Sweden against Tunisia, before Spain were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw by Cape Verde, which led to the biggest lost bet in 2026 World Cup history so far, and Egypt sprung a dominant performance against Belgium to secure a point for themselves in Group G, ending 1-1.

To complete an evening of draws, Saudi Arabia held two-time champions Uruguay 1-1, before New Zealand – who earned three draws last time they reached the World Cup 16 years ago, and left South Africa unbeaten – were locked in a 2-2 stalemate with Iran.

France defeated Senegal 3-1 thanks to an inspired second half performance, led by Michael Olise. Iraq and Norway returned to the global stage playing out a 4-1 scoreline, in which Erling Haaland, unsurprisingly, netted twice.

But, anything Mbappe and Haaland can do, so can 38-year-old Lionel Messi. The Argentine turned back the clock to any calendar year in the past 20 by netting a first World Cup hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Algeria. Evergreen.

Portugal kicked off their World Cup by taking an early lead against DR Congo but squandered their opportunity to make a fast start. The African nation equalised through Yoane Wissa and that is how it stayed. Cristiano Ronaldo was, predictably, not pleased.

England's defensive display gave their fans kittens, according to FourFourTwo columnist Henry Winter, on location in Dallas for the 4-2 win over Croatia. Goals from Harry Kane (2), Jude Bellingham and Marcus Rashford did the business for the Three Lions.

Ghana were unconvincing elsewhere in Group L, but secured victory over Panama thanks to a 95th-minute goal from Caleb Yirenkyi.

The final game of the first round of fixtures saw Colombia take a 3-1 win over Uzbekistan to put themselves top of Group K above DR Congo and Portugal.

The Czechs were once again left frustrated by their inability to hold onto a lead against South Africa in the first of the second round of group games, with Mchael Sailek's early opener cancelled out by Teboho Mokoena's 83rd-minute penalty.

That leaves both sides in need of a result in their final game, thanks to Mexico making it back-to-back wins by beating South Korea 1-0 in the later game in Group A to become the first team to book their place in the knockout stage.

Fellow hosts the USA joined them there the next day with a 2-0 win over Australia. The Americans made certain to top their group despite still having a game to play, thanks to head-to-head record taking primacy over goal difference.

At the effluent-coated end of that stick, Turkiye were the first team to be mathematically dumped out of the competition after they lost a hilarious encounter with Paraguay. Miguel Almiron become the first player in world football to be sent off for covering his mouth while talking to an opponent just before half time, but Turkiye were unable to make any of their 33 shots count for anything and ended up losing 1-0 to a second-minute strike from Matias Galarza.

Canada claimed their first-ever win at a men's World Cup in comprehensive fashion with a 6-0 win over ten-man Qatar that featured a Jonathan David hat-trick - but the occasion was marred by a horrible double leg break for Ismael Kone that has taken the midfielder out of the tournament.

That left co-hosts and Switzerland both needing just one more point to guarantee a knockout place after the Swiss claimed a bizarre 4-1 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina - and we say 'bizarre' because the first goal didn't come until the 74th minute, with the Bosnians having a man dismissed late on for good measure.

Scotland lost 1-0 to Morocco to leave themselves on a knife-edge with Brazil still to come and a place as one of the best third-placed teams by no means assured. The Selecao sent Haiti out of the competition with a 3-0 win to move to the top of an otherwise tight, competitive group C.

Sweden were not as bad as the 5-1 scoreline would suggest against the Netherlands, but that will have come as little comfort to Graham Potter as he waited to see how Group F rivals Japan and Tunisia would fare in the later kick-off.

Germany breathed a sigh of relief after trailing Ivory Coast at half time, only for super-sub Deniz Undav to save the day by equalising midway through the second half before popping up with a 94th-minute winner that guaranteed top spot in Group E.

Curacao put some respect back on their name after their Germany experience with a goalless draw against a frustrated Ecuador, which does little for either side in terms of progressing but which was much greater cause for celebration for the tiny island nation.

Spain got their first win of the World Cup as they thrashed Saudi Arabia 4-0, Mikel Oyarzaba scored twice and Barcelona teen sensation Lamine Yamal scored his first World Cup goal.

But Belgium continued to struggle at this World Cup as they were held yet again, after drawing with Egypt in their first game, they were held to a goalless draw by Iran.

Cape Verde followed up their goalless draw with Spain with an equally impressive 2-2 draw with Uruguay. With two points from their opening two games and Saudi Arabia to come, the debutants will fancy their chances of progressing.

New Zealand struck early against Egypt, but a goal and assist from the remarkable Mohamed Salah gave the North African side a 3-1 win.

Salah bagged his fifth goal involvement in just four World Cup games, having led Egypt to the second and third tournaments in their history, and now their first ever win in the competition.

Speaking of individuals making history, Lionel Messi commanded his side to a 2-0 win against Austria, as the Argentine became the World Cup's all-time leading goalscorer.

Messi bagged his 17th and 18th World Cup goals in the victory, moving him two beyond previous holder Miroslav Klose.

The half-time break for France vs Iraq ended up taking over two hours thanks to storms in the Philadelphia area. There was no dramatic twist to make the wait worthwhile as Didier Deschamps' side built on their one-goal lead to ease to a 3-0 victory, thanks to another brace from Kylian Mbappe - one of which was the cheapest goal you will ever see in your life - and an additional strike from Ousmane Dembele.

And once again, Erling Haaland matched his peers with two goals of his own for Norway, and will only be irritated to have missed out on a hat-trick after hitting the post with an open goal in front of him. Marcus Holmgren Pedersen had opened the scoring; Ismaila Sarr's double for Senegal set up a nervy finish, but Norway held on for a 3-2 win.

Algeria staged a second half comeback to beat Jordan in the final game of Monday to keep their hopes of progressing alive.

Cristiano Ronaldo announced himself at this tournament with two goals as Portugal beat Uzbekistan 5-0. England were left frustrated by Ghana as the Three Lions were held to a goalless draw.

Ante Budimir helped Croatia to their first win of the World Cup as they beat Panama 1-0 and in the final game of Tuesday, Colombia finally got the better of DR Congo with Crystal Palace defender Daniel Munoz getting the only goal of the game.

England were robbed en-route to Kansas City in the build-up to their World Cup 2026 opener against Croatia.

Thomas Tuchel's men were reportedly thieved down to just one football, according to a Daily Mail report yesterday morning.

Missing inventory included the boots of star players Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham, and key equipment used for analysis purposes - but just how much was really stolen in terms of monetary value?

Extent of theft revealed after England robbed prior to World Cup 2026 opener against Croatia

Of everything stolen, the most valuable threatened to be Thomas Tuchel's whiteboards and analysis equipment used by the England staff.

While it was initially unconfirmed as to whether that inventory contained potentially sensitive information pertaining to England's tactics, the cost of the missing items has now been revealed.

According to a report straight out of Kansas City, two men have now been charged by prosecutors in Jackson County, Missouri.

The total value of the equipment stolen has been revealed to be roughly $18,000, or £13,500.

England were en-route to Missouri to establish a base ahead of the next three weeks, at least, of World Cup football for the squad.

Jackson County prosecutor Melesa Johnson said of the crime: "We thank the Kansas City Police Department and our on-call attorneys for their quick work investigating this incident and filing charges immediately.

"Our office is committed to holding these individuals accountable. It's understood that much of the stolen equipment has been recovered."

The BBC previously reported that the majority of England's stolen equipment had been returned.

The report also confirmed that nothing game-critical had been taken, and no elite boots.

The England squad will now prepare for their Croatia face-off in Group L with slightly clearer minds, having received a positive outcome to a more bizarre than most World Cup situation.

Carlo Ancelotti and Brazil endured a difficult afternoon yesterday in their Group C face-off against Morocco, which ended in a 1-1 stalemate.

Facing off against the reigning Africa Cup of Nations champions — albeit, the strangest champions in the tournament’s history — the anticipation was high.

Brazil, footballing royalty, likely did not anticipate a first half of Morocco dominance, and national team boss Carlo Ancelotti made a worrying admission about his side in the aftermath of their performance.

‘Nerves all over the place’ admits Carlo Ancelotti after Brazil vs Morocco, World Cup 2026

The Brazilians had the opportunity to prevent Morocco’s first half dominance before it had even fully began, with a golden chance after just 13 minutes.

That opportunity fell to Brentford striker Igor Thiago, fresh off the back of a whopping 22 goal campaign in the 2025/26 Premier League season.

Bizarrely, the bagsman produced a miss that left pundits mystified and afraid to speak their mind, sending his header off target.

The opportunity amounted to 0.52xG, a staggering amount for an open play opportunity, with the ball travelling halfway to the corner flag.

Shortly after, Morocco opened the scoring with a glorious finish, entering the second half with a solid momentum and well-deserved lead.

In the second, Vinicius Jr was the hero for Brazil, scoring a wonderful goal of his own, and it’s perhaps no surprise that he was the man to do it considering Ancelotti’s post-match comments.

Vinicius knows how to handle and prevail over nerves at the highest level, having scored in and won two Champions League finals with Real Madrid.

Speaking after the match, Ancelotti said: “I think the team was a bit anxious in the beginning. Nerves were all over the place.

“[We] didn’t keep a lot of ball possession. In the second half, it was a lot better, but it was still tough. I’m sure the team will play better next match,” he continued.

While Brazil’s play did improve in the second half, Ancelotti’s side did not reach the same heights as Morocco’s early dominance, and created less attacking threat than their opponents.

Vinicius, arguably the best player for Brazil on the day, also offered firm words for his teammates, echoing Ancelotti’s concerns.

“We’ve got to hold onto the ball,” said the La Liga star. “We’ve got to move better… but I don’t think there’s a lot to say now. I think we really have to improve.”

The ITV commentators, pundits and presenters for Australia vs Turkey have been revealed.

Australia will face off against Turkey in their Group D showdown this evening, at BC Place in Vancouver, Canada.

Turkey boast an impressive six wins in their last seven matches, compared to the Socceroos’ two wins, with the majority of those victories coming during World Cup qualifying.

ITV’s complete line-up of commentators, pundits and presenters for Australia vs Turkey in Group D at the World Cup 2026

The game will kick off at 5AM UK time, making it possible for only the most hardcore of British football fans to watch the Group D showdown.

British viewers will be able to watch the ITV broadcast for the match, presented by Laura Woods who is joined by two footballing legends as pundits.

It wouldn’t be right for Britain to broadcast an Australia World Cup showdown without one of their most beloved Aussies in attendance, and Ange Postecoglou has obliged.

The ex-Tottenham Hotspur boss, who oversaw the breaking of a prolonged trophy drought for Spurs with a Europa League final victory over Manchester United, will work alongside Woods as a pundit for the broadcast.

Speaking of London sides and the Red Devils, another footballing legend who played for both will join Postecoglou for the ITV event.

Juan Mata, who gave 11 years of his playing career to Chelsea and Manchester United in the Premier League, will also offer his punditry services.

On commentary, Joe Speight will serve as the main voice for Australia vs Turkey, and is joined by Lucy Ward as his co-commentator.

Ward, an ex-professional player, has a prolonged career as a broadcaster at international events, dating all the way back to 2007 when she covered the Women’s World Cup in China.

I’ll start this week by talking about the drive I had around Manchester with Micah Richards and Roy Keane, where I got Roy’s perspective of what happened in Saipan back in 2002.

It was fascinating to get his insight. I asked him, “Do you have any regrets?” I thought he was going to say, “Maybe.” But he said he doesn't really have any, and was just disappointed by the way it was handled. He said if Mick McCarthy had come up to him, knocked on his door and just apologised, Roy Keane would have still been at the World Cup.

Clinton was speaking on behalf of Freebets.com.

Republic of Ireland 2002 star: 'Mick McCarthy felt he didn't have anything to apologise for'

But McCarthy felt he didn't have anything to apologise for. Maybe in hindsight, McCarthy looks back and thinks that he shouldn't have confronted him about the newspaper article where he criticised Ireland’s preparations in front of the whole squad. But then he might think, “I'm the manager and I shouldn't have to apologise to players.” There are a lot of nuances to the debate. But I thought Roy was outstanding in the way he spoke about it.

Looking back on the whole incident now, I don't think McCarthy was right to question Roy in front of everybody. All that Roy wanted was for everything to be done up to scratch. However, if he had waited another day, FIFA had sorted out what was one of the best facilities ever after we left Saipan. The whole situation could have been handled totally differently, and if it was, Roy Keane would have been there playing with his country and helping us progress.

We had a good tournament, but we would have had an even better one with him there. You do miss a player of his calibre. But these things happen, and that was probably the most talked about thing in the tournament because he is such a high-profile name.

Personally, I couldn't believe that our best player was leaving before the World Cup started and about to go home. He played a big part in us qualifying, and was our leader, our captain. You speak to Roy about it now and he believes what he believes. He didn't have regrets because he didn't leave, he got sent home.

It didn’t divide the dressing room though. Everyone was together and it galvanised us. We knew we were losing our best player and everyone thought we were going to struggle. But it motivated us and we did better than people probably expected. We got out of the group stages and we shouldn't have lost to Spain on penalties. I think Ian Harte missed a penalty in normal time, and if he scores that we go through.

We had a great chance to get to the quarter-finals and maybe beyond that, the way we were playing. We had great team spirit and had club-level camaraderie. It would have annoyed and upset people that Roy had left, but we stuck together and managed to do well.

I have to say that I love Roy Keane, and got on with him so well. He's got so many one-liners, and you never know from his face whether he's being serious or not. You don't captain Manchester United for so many years if you're not a top player, and he was exactly that. When we meet up, we always have a laugh. He’s just a top guy, a top player, and now, a top pundit. He doesn't say things just for the sake of it. He gave me his time too. Whenever I wanted to sit down and ask about football or life, he'd always give me advice.

Looking ahead to this summer now, and I feel that England’s biggest barrier to winning the World Cup is not themselves, but the strength of the other teams in this tournament. However, there’s no question they can go all the way this summer.

Thomas Tuchel has picked a squad which he feels can go and win it. One of his big concerns is around Bukayo Saka, who might not start or finish every game, given the injuries he suffered during the season.

But if England turn up in every game, they're good enough to go on and win it because they have talented players, and one of the best strikers in the world in Harry Kane. He's had a phenomenal season at Bayern Munich. He's the key. If he stays fit, England have a great chance.

People will criticise Kane for dropping deep, but that’s something he has done his whole career. The key is to have other runners in behind him. Jude Bellingham is also so important. I know there's a debate between Bellingham and Morgan Rogers, but Bellingham has to be playing in my opinion. He turns up on the big stage.

Although, I have to say France are the favourites right now. They have so many game changers going forward, and their starting 11 is outstanding. Then you look at the bench and they have so many top-quality players who can come on in those attacking areas.

You can’t rule out the South American teams though, whether it’s Brazil or Argentina. Brazil are being seen as dark horses, which is strange when they’ve got a serial winner in Carlo Ancelotti in charge. There are some seriously talented players in the squad, while Spain also have some outstanding young players, with the likes of Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams.

I think the winner comes from one of France, Brazil, or Argentina, but don't rule out Spain, England, or Portugal.

During USA’s opening fixture of the World Cup 2026, the co-hosts became the beneficiaries of a new rule that has now been debuted at the tournament.

Facing off against Paraguay, the USMNT scored three goals in the first half during a seemingly endless wave of American attacks.

Ten minutes into the second half, fortune favoured the USA once more, this time not through a goal, but through the use of a long-awaited ‘mistaken identity’ ruling — but what is that?

The ‘mistaken identity’ yellow card reversal rule, debuted during USA vs Paraguay at the World Cup 2026

USA's Tim Ream seemingly delivered a crunching tackle on Paraguay forward Miguel Almiron, sending the latter crashing to the ground.

It appeared that Ream clattered into Almiron’s body without touching the ball, causing the USMNT captain to receive a yellow card… until the World Cup debuted its new rule.

The ‘mistaken identity’ rule allows a yellow card to be overturned through a VAR check, which resulted in Almiron instead receiving a booking for simulation.

The technology intervened, prompting referee Danny Makkelie to visit the screen and see whether his initial decision was incorrect.

After a period of deliberation, the Dutchman concluded that his ruling was the result of deception from Almiron, who simulated contact.

In turn, the ‘mistaken identity’ rule allowed Makkelie to overturn his decision, reversing Ream’s yellow card and giving it instead to Almiron.

This marked the first VAR intervention for mistaken identity at the World Cup, named ‘mistaken identity’ to describe when a player deceives the referee.

The USMNT are on their way to a remarkable Group D opening fixture win, with goals from Folarin Balogun, who bagged a brace, and a Paraguay own goal courtesy of Damien Bobadilla.

The latter goal, the match’s opening strike, arrived through Christian Pulisic trickery, dribbling past multiple players on the left flank.

USA limited Paraguay to zero Big Chances in 70 minutes, creating four for themselves, in front of a packed, largely home crowd at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, before Julio Enciso set up Mauricio for a strike back in the 73rd minute.

Giovanni Reyna then hit a final dagger into Paraguayan hearts with a wonderful trivela finish in the 97th minute.

The USMNT will now look ahead to their next Group D fixture against Australia on June 19, as the Americans aim to secure knock-out football.

England will kick off their World Cup 2026 campaign against Croatia on June 17 in Arlington, USA, but their tournament has already undergone a hitch.

Thomas Tuchel’s men are the victims of an audacious World Cup heist, having had equipment thieved from them en-route to Kansas City.

According to a report from Daily Mail Sport, key belongings, including analysis equipment and Tuchel’s whiteboards, were taken from the travelling England squad — a bizarre setback ahead of their Group L World Cup 2026 opener.

Balls, boots and analysis equipment thieved from England ahead of World Cup 2026 opener against Croatia

England were robbed during a trip from West Palm Beach in Florida to their base in Missouri, where they will remain for the next three weeks at least.

According to the report, Thomas Tuchel’s men were robbed all the way down to just a solitary football, with key player belongings notably absent.

There are fears that Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham’s boots were thieved during transit, and the FA are now liaising with local police to recover the inventory.

While England fans will certainly disagree that this is the first time the men’s national team have been robbed, it could be just as costly as certain on-the-pitch decisions.

England face off against Croatia this upcoming Wednesday, leaving little time to recover a selection of highly important items to Tuchel’s men.

Perhaps the most shocking and important of all: crucial inventory used for analysis and tactical purposes ahead of their World Cup opener are also gone.

The report does not offer insight into whether that equipment, including Tuchel’s whiteboards, contained information that could potentially scupper England’s tournament.

If it does, the travelling squad could face a drastic setback in their quest to deliver a World Cup trophy.

According to the report, security staff suspect that the drivers entrusted to deliver the inventory could be involved in the bizarre World Cup heist.

The FA were also approached for comment by Daily Mail Sport, but did not speak on the matter.

Group B’s opening fixture, Canada vs Bosnia and Herzegovina, proved that even the most unassuming of World Cup games contain moments of awe.

Canada, co-hosts of the World Cup 2026, fell early to a 21st-minute Jovo Lukic strike, assisted by ex-Arsenal player Sead Kolasinac.

The game quickly turned on its head, with Canada attacking mercilessly, before a moment of sheer brilliance from Kolasinac left fans scratching their heads.

Kolasinac makes incredible goal-line clearance against Canada

In the 53rd minute, Canada staged another threatening attack, which seemed all but certain to translate into a goal for the World Cup co-hosts.

Canadian left-back Richie Laryea snuck into the box, curling an effort past the Bosnian goalkeeper with his right foot, before the ex-Arsenal man intervened.

As the ball edged nearer to the goal, Kolasinac latched an outstretched foot onto Laryea’s effort, causing it to ricochet off the crossbar.

The action prompted BBC commentator Jonathan Pearce to label his intervention as "as good as a goal", before Bosnia surged forward hoping to twist the dagger further into Canadian hearts.

Moments later, Ermedin Demirovic missed a golden opportunity for Bosnia after being sent in on goal with just the Canadian keeper to beat.

His effort was saved, denying the Bosnians a sequence of events which would surely have gone down in World Cup history, if Kolasinac’s miraculous clearance hadn't already.

The World Cup co-hosts equalised late on in the match, courtesy of a link-up between two Canada substitutes.

Cyle Larin launched a delicious strike into the right side netting past Nikola Vasilj, after being teed up by Promise David.

Shortly after, Kolasinac dropped to the floor, requiring Bosnia’s medics to enter the field and escort him off.

The ex-Arsenal man hobbled off the pitch, relieving himself of the captain’s armband, but his earlier clearance and overall performance sealed a vital draw for Bosnia in Group B.

His side will face off against Switzerland next, hoping to make a quick return from injury as his nation looks to secure World Cup knock-out football.

Elsewhere, Canada will play Qatar as Jesse Marsch's men look for an elusive World Cup win.

Newcastle have reportedly lodged an official bid for Osasuna's highly-rated winger, Víctor Munoz.

According to football transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, the Magpies have formalised their interest in the Spanish winger, who has emerged as a top target following the departure of Anthony Gordon earlier this summer.

Negotiations are now said to be actively ongoing on both the club and player side as all parties attempt to reach a final agreement.

Newcastle chase £30m deal for Spanish attacker

The proposed package, reportedly worth an initial €30-35 million (£26-30m) plus add-ons, would comfortably smash Osasuna's previous record sale, which has stood for almost 20 years since Raul Garcia joined Atletico Madrid for €13m (£8.5m) in 2007.

However, the financial mechanics of the deal are somewhat complicated.

When Real Madrid sold Muñoz to Osasuna in July 2025 for €5 million, recruitment sources, and now Romano, claim the LaLiga giants retained a 50 per cent sell-on clause.

This means that last season's runners-up in Spain are owed exactly half of whatever Newcastle end up paying for the attacker, presenting a major windfall for the Spanish capital club.

This will also inflate the price Osasuna are likely to command for Munoz, given half of their earnings are expected to be forfeited to Madrid.

Born in Barcelona, 22-year-old Munoz spent his early years developing at the famous La Masia academy before moving away.

In 2021, he made the controversial cross-country switch to join Real Madrid’s youth set-up, eventually thriving for their reserve side, Real Madrid Castilla.

Known primarily for his pace down the flanks, Munoz can operate as a direct winger on either side of the pitch or as an advanced forward.

Last season, he proved a vital spark for a struggling Osasuna side, registering a respectable return of seven goals and five assists across 36 appearances in all competitions.

His stellar domestic performances even earned him a senior international debut for Spain in early 2026, where he caught the eye by scoring in a 3–0 friendly victory over Serbia.

The 28-year-old forward faces a highly uncertain future upon returning from the 2026 World Cup with England.

Having spent the past two seasons out on loan, first a brief stint at Aston Villa followed by a resurgent year with LaLiga champions Barcelona, Rashford has not played for his boyhood club in years.

Despite his 28 goal contributions in Spain, Barcelona have so far opted against triggering their £26 million permanent purchase option, instead finalising a reported €80 million (£69m) deal for ex-Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon.

Marcus Rashford to Arsenal? Don't rule it out

Gordon's arrival in Catalonia effectively ends Rashford's time at the Camp Nou, while his reported £325,000-a-week wages mean Man United are keen to offload him permanently.

Reflecting on the situation, Brown believes the psychological gap created by Rashford's multi-year absence changes how a move to Emirates Stadium would be perceived compared to past betrayals.

"Would it hurt to see Marcus Rashford in an Arsenal shirt next season? Yes and no," Brown stated. "He’s already played for Aston Villa and Barcelona so it wouldn’t feel like he’d be going straight there, and that’s a little bit different. He’s not played for Manchester United for a good few years.

"Danny Welbeck leaving [Man] United to join Arsenal was the one that hurt because he was so young and I don’t think he wanted to go. It was down to Louis van Gaal.

"I think it would be a little bit different for Marcus. It'd be weird to see him in an Arsenal shirt but I thought that when I saw him playing for Aston Villa too."

With Gordon occupying his favoured left-wing berth abroad and Michael Carrick building a new era in Manchester, a permanent move to North London could provide the clean break Rashford needs to reignite his Premier League career.

Wes Brown was speaking to Compare.bet, who offer the latest Betting Sites.”

The USMNT best World Cup performance came in 2002 when they reached the last eight and former striker Brian McBride says the Class of ‘26 have to at least match that.

McBride played in three World Cups for the USMNT - 1998, 2002 and 2006 - and believes that success this summer will come down to the players sticking together and playing as a team rather than relying on any individual.

“Getting to the quarter finals is success,” McBride exclusively told FourFourTwo. “Typically you say getting out of your group is classed as success but I think this time around the quarter finals, because you're at home, would be a success.

'USMNT need to reach quarter finals for World Cup to be a success'

“I think that the squad itself is extremely talented. But it's really going to come down to how much continuity they have and how they fight together and how they get through those hard, gritty periods of a World Cup. If they can do that and stick together and have the same goal, I think they'll do well.”

Much has been made of the form of AC Milan’s Christian Pulisic who had not scored a goal for club or country for five months before finding the back of the net against Senegal in last week’s 3-2 friendly win. Pochettino’s side followed that up with a narrow 2-1 defeat by Germany.

And McBride does not believe the pressure to perform should solely fall on Pulisic's shoulders and says that other players need to step up as well for the USMNT to have a successful World Cup.

McBride, who is now working as Director of Soccer at USL side Brooklyn FC, added: “At any World Cup you need high performing players. And if you don't have three or four high performing players, you're not going to be able to achieve the heights that you would.

“So definitely we need Christian to be at his best, but also we need Folarin (Balogun), and we need Weston (McKennie), and Chris Richards to all be at their best too.

“And then you fill in around with with guys that can make an impact, and you get some success.”

When McBride was playing up front for the USMNT the one thing he always knew is that there was a top class goalkeeper behind him - whether it be Kasey Keller, Brad Friedel or Tim Howard. But this time around he says there is not a keeper of that calibre in the squad.

There is healthy competition between New York City FC's Matt Freese, the New England Revolution's Matt Turner, the Chicago Fire's Chris Brady who are all vying for the No 1 shirt for the USMNT opener against Paraguay at the Los Angeles stadium on Friday.

Freese looks like he will get the nod from Pochettino, but whoever it is, McBride hopes they can emerge as a star this summer.

He said: “I think it's the first time we're going into a World Cup where we don't have a considered world-class goalkeeper. And that's not to say that the guys we have are bad.

“It's just more, there's more weakness with this goalkeeper pool. Whenever you go into a World Cup you hope that there's going to be two or three surprise players, and I hope one of them's a keeper because we're going to need it.

“We've seen it at every World Cup that we've done well in, our goalkeeper has saved us a few different times and I’m sure that will be the case this time as well.”

The last time the USA hosted the World Cup was 32 years ago in 1994, and the immediate impact of that tournament was the birth of MLS two years later.

This time around with MLS already established, it is projected there are 32 million new football fans in the USA alone and McBride is excited about what this World Cup can do to boost the sport.

The former Fulham and Everton striker added: “The biggest impact from the World Cup could be the corporate sponsorship. As soon as you have that sort of money coming in then things can change.

“If you look at the start of MLS in 1996, they had Mastercard and Snickers as sponsors, top Fortune 500 companies. That kind of influx of money allows teams to build infrastructure and to buy better players.

“For the United Soccer League (USL) to grow and keep getting better players an keep having a better product on the field that is what we need.”

It has been 38 years since the United States won the hosting rights for the 1994 FIFA World Cup.

This decision caused plenty of controversy: the USA hadn't played in a World Cup since 1950. And unlike fellow bidders Brazil and Morocco, soccer wasn't the number one sport in the country. It was barely a footnote.

But FIFA saw the potential to tap into the biggest sports consumer market in the world and set the path for soccer's rise to relevance in the USA.

The 1994 World Cup kickstarted soccer's ascent to popularity in the USA

Their gamble proved correct: 32 years later, the 1994 edition is still the most financially successful World Cup ever with overall attendance of 3,587,538 and an average attendance of 68,991 per game.

Back in 1994, soccer ranked as America's 67th-favourite sport, behind tractor pulling. 71% of Americans didn't know the World Cup was coming to their country, whilst 29% didn't care. Fast-forward to today, and you'd be hard-pressed to find a department store, supermarket or restaurant that isn't actively promoting the 2026 World Cup.

MLS is the legacy of the 1994 World Cup

But the greatest impact was had on the United States' soccer infrastructure. FIFA awarded the USA the 1994 hosting rights on the condition that they implement a professional soccer league, with the U.S. lacking a top division since the North American Soccer's League demise in 1984.

This void was finally filled by Major League Soccer in 1996. And whilst MLS will be paused until July 16, they'll nevertheless be playing an integral role in the co-hosting process of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, proving to the world that the USA is indeed a soccer country now.

Five MLS stadiums will host World Cup matches, whilst 14 MLS and MLS NEXT PRO clubs will host national teams at their official Team Base Camps. More than 20 other MLS club facilities will host different events like pre-World Cup matches, pre-World Cup camps, fan festivities and official Venue-Specific Training Sites.

"When the U.S. was awarded the World Cup in 2018, we said, 'We've got this north star to look at, an 8-year ramp-up," stated MLS Chief Communications Officer Dan Courtemanche to FourFourTwo. "Since 2018, we actually have experienced significant growth with nine new soccer stadiums and two more on the way in New York and Chicago, and we certainly believe Boston in the coming years."

"We've added 12 new training facilities, we've increased player sales by 5.75% and we've also increased attendance by 33%. Eighteen of the top 50 most valuable soccer clubs are in MLS, and you need to have those special homes and the world-class training facilities not just for the first team, but for the second team and youth academies."

When Courtemanche joined in 1995, MLS was getting ready to launch with 10 teams playing in borrowed football stadiums.

Today, 27 of the 30 clubs play in stadiums built or renovated for soccer, the result of a cumulative $11 billion invested in soccer-specific stadiums, elite training facilities, youth academies, and community-based infrastructure projects.

More than anything, MLS has helped to install a professional soccer pathway for kids across the U.S. and Canada, with over 650 homegrown players arriving in the league (the majority since 2020). Some of these players, like Weston McKennie, Alphonso Davis and Ricardo Pepi, will be playing in the World Cup.

MLS academies have absorbed the costs for elite youth players, including training, coaching, travel, and tournament fees, ensuring that talent is identified on merit and not affluence. These players have daily access to professional facilities, sports science, and nutrition, and with MLS Next Pro launching, they now have a bridge from youth soccer to first-team soccer.

Major League Soccer is the United States' legacy of the 1994 World Cup. More than just providing a professional soccer league, they've sowed the seeds for soccer to take hold in the U.S. with an elite soccer infrastructure and heightened accessibility for young players across North America.

"We have become a top league when you look at our infrastructure, our facilities, the valuation of our clubs, and a total attendance that is second in the world to the Premier League, added Courtemanche. "For us, the World Cup presents an incredible opportunity for Major League Soccer to showcase where the league's at and where it's going."

Starting out at any new job, school or university can be daunting, as you try to navigate hierarchies while proving your own worth.

Now imagine how more difficult that would be when your new colleagues are Wimbledon's infamous Crazy Gang - arguably the most macho and mischievous squad in British football history.

For former goalkeeper Neil Sullivan, who broke into the Wimbledon first team in 1986, with the Crazy Gang in their wild pomp, it was an education that he’ll never forget.

‘You had to look after each other’ Sullivan recalls the dealbreakers every Wimbledon player had to adhere to in the club’s most notorious era

“It was tough,” admits Sullivan, speaking exclusively to FourFourTwo ahead of the World Cup via PayPal casinos UK. “I was just fresh out of school on the YTS in 1986, so that was kind of leading up to the FA Cup win. So there were the likes of Fash and Vinny.

“It was tough but it was good as well. It was a great education into football, obviously coming from school into the real world. You had to work hard, you had to fit in with a team and you had to look after each other. So yeah, tough, but good fun as well.”

Asked if the dressing room banter of the time would be accepted in today’s era, Sullivan is adamant.

“God no, not in a million years,” chuckles the 28-cap Scotland international, who stayed at Wimbledon until 2000. “Yeah, there were hijinks pretty much every day. There was always something going on.

“I think you've probably heard the tales that you're allowed to hear already, but there was just loads of things going on every single day. You’d come in and someone would have done something.

“You’d get in your car to leave at the end of the day and someone's nicked your keys and done something to your car, or you're getting dressed and someone's cut your gear up. You never went into work with your best gear, put it that way.”