Jordan Henderson suffered a freak injury after England's World Cup win over Mexico.

England set up a World Cup quarter-final meeting against Norway in the early hours of Monday thanks to a memorable 3-2 victory over Mexico in the round of 16.

Thomas Tuchel's side made history at the Estadio Azteca by inflicting only a third defeat on the tournament co-hosts during a balmy encounter in Mexico City.

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Jordan Henderson injury latest confirmed

Henderson was among the headline makers for the Three Lions despite not playing any actual on-field involvement in the historic knockout encounter against El Tri.

The Brentford midfielder received a booking as an unused substitute for getting into an altercation while warming up on the touchline during the game's latter stages.

But Henderson's night took a dramatic turn shortly after the final as he fell over an advertising board while joining in the celebrations with his England teammates.

He was given oxygen and carried off on a stretcher with a suspected wrist injury which could now rule him out for the last-eight showdown and possibly beyond.

Match-winners Jude Bellingham and Harry Kane gave contrasting information on whether the former Liverpool captain had suffered a serious injury to BBC Sport.

Bellingham described Henderson's prognosis as 'a bit of bother' while captain Kane said: "Hendo just fell over there. I think he's ok. Something to do with his arm".

However Tuchel admitted post-match that the 36-year-old had been taken to hospital to undergo assessment on his wrist following the freak accident. He has stayed in Mexico City with a member of England’s medical staff rather than return to Kansas City with the rest of the squad.

“Jordan injured his wrist, it just doesn’t fit to the evening that Jordan is not with us," said the England manager. I don’t know the procedure, the doctor told me he is in the hospital.”

Henderson has featured just once for England at this World Cup with a late substitute appearance in their final group stage victory over Panama.

The England media team are yet to release an official update on Henderson, but it appears likely he will be unable to contribute any more to England's 2026 World Cup campaign in a playing capacity.

Neymar has announced his retirement from international football.

Brazil's World Cup journey ended at the round-of-16 stage in a shock defeat to Norway that proved to be the last game of Neymar's career with his homeland.

The forward scored a very late consolation strike for Carlo Ancelotti's side deep in stoppage time from the penalty spot to salvage a more flattering 2-1 score line.

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Neymar confirms Brazil retirement

That strike proved to be Neymar's first goal for the Selecao since 2023 and extended his record as the country's all-time record men's goal scorer with 80.

It also brought his journey full-circle after scoring on his 2010 international debut at the same MetLife Stadium that saw his fourth consecutive World Cup.

The world's most expensive footballer was a surprise inclusion in Ancelotti's squad for his fourth consecutive World Cup but only managed two substitute appearances.

He was unavailable for Brazil's opening two group matches against Morocco and Haiti due to a calf injury which also ruled him out of the warm-up friendlies.

Neymar found himself as an unused substitute as the four-time world champions dramatically edged past Japan in the round-of-32 at Houston Stadium.

This summer's tournament was widely expected to be the 34-year-old's final one in the iconic yellow shirt and fuelled by his social media post hinting at a 'last dance'.

But after losing to an Erling Haaland-inspired display, Neymar was visibly distraught as he fought back tears and waved to his supporters in the wake of their elimination.

He later confirmed to Brazilian media that he had played his last international game.

"I tried, I tried. Now it's over," he told Globo TV. "I started here, I finished here."

Despite his heartache, Neymar made history for Brazil by becoming only their second player after the legendary Pele to score in four World Cup tournaments.

England versus Mexico at the Estadio Azteca has a real blockbuster feel to it - and that's before considering the likely thunderstorm delays, suffocating altitude and hostile home atmosphere.

Thomas Tuchel's Three Lions are on the cusp of the World Cup quarter-finals but face a side who are yet to concede at this tournament, with four wins from four.

It's the sort of game that commentators and pundits dream of covering - here's who's on duty for the BBC?

BBC commentators, pundits and presenters for Mexico vs England

The full line-up of presenters, commentators and presenters for Mexico vs England, being played this evening at 1am BST, has been revealed.

Seasoned presenter and broadcaster Kelly Cates leads the channel's coverage alongside an experienced punditry team.

England legend Wayne Rooney is in the studio for this one, having appeared at several major tournaments for the Three Lions himself.

He and Cates are joined by Joe Hart and Micah Richards to offer their thoughts on this mammoth fixture.

Hart and Richards have 88 England caps between them, in addition to Rooney's 120.

Serving as the match’s main commentary voice is Guy Mowbray, a veteran broadcaster synonymous with the BBC.

Alongside him is the Premier League's greatest ever goalscorer and former England skipper Alan Shearer, taking on the role of co-commentator.

The winner of Mexico vs England will take on the victor of Brazil and Norway in the 2026 World Cup quarter-finals.

The last eight fixture is scheduled to be played on Saturday, July 11 at 10pm BST.

Folarin Balogun has been cleared to play in USA's World Cup clash with Belgium.

The USA were set to be without Folarin Balogun for their World Cup round-of-16 meeting with Belgium after being sent off in the win over Bosnia and Herzegovina.

However the Monaco forward will now be available as Mauricio Pochettino's side aim to reach the tournament's quarter-final stage for the first time since 2002.

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FIFA suspend Folarin Balogun's World Cup ban

Balogun has been the Stars and Stripes' most potent player in their first World Cup hosted on home soil since 1994, scoring three goals in as many starts.

But his hopes of leading his country into the last eight appeared to be dashed by a red card for planting his foot into Tarik Muharemovic's ankle during a collision.

Under FIFA rules, Balgoun's sending-off incurred an automatic one-match suspension that would have ruled him out of the showdown at Seattle Stadium.

Yet world football's governing body has again exercised an unusual rule from its Disciplinary Code that means the 25-year-old's ban is suspended for one year.

The probationary period covered by Article 27 allows bans to be paused provided they are not followed up with 'another infringement of a similar nature and gravity'.

It was previously used to clear Cristiano Ronaldo's red card to participate in the start of Portugal's group campaign after his sending-off in the World Cup play-offs.

Ronaldo's waived ban also opened the door for Ecuador's Moises Caicedo and Nicolas Otamendi of Argentina, who were both sent off in the same game, to play.

Balogun's case also received a helping hand from US President Donald Trump, who reportedly lobbied his FIFA counterpart Gianni Infantino to review the case.

The leader of the free world and the head of the global game have enjoyed a warm relationship that led to Trump receiving the first-ever FIFA Peace Prize last year.

Trump reacted to Balogun's overturned ban on his Truth Social social media platform by hailing FIFA for 'doing what was right and reversing a great injustice'.

The Royal Belgian Football Association (RBFA) have since released a strong statement in response to the suspension of Balogun's ban.

"The RBFA is astonished by FIFA's decision to declare suspended United States player Folarin Balogun eligible to play in the USA–Belgium match," it reads.

"FIFA bases its decision on Article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code. This provision states that the FIFA Disciplinary Committee may decide to suspend the enforcement of a previously imposed disciplinary sanction.

"However, Article 66.4 of the same FIFA Disciplinary Code clearly provides that a red card (sending-off) automatically results in a suspension for the team's next match, as has been the case for all previous red cards issued during this FIFA World Cup.

"Furthermore, and irrespective of the above, the decision is in direct contradiction with the provisions of the FIFA World Cup 2026 Competition Regulations, as set out in Article 10.5: 'If a player or team official is sent off as a result of a direct or indirect red card (second caution), they will automatically be suspended from their team's subsequent match. In addition, further sanctions may be imposed.'

"The automatic nature of such a suspension was also explicitly reaffirmed in FIFA World Cup 2026 Circular No. 16, which was distributed to all participating member associations on 12 May 2026.

"The same rule is reiterated at every FIFA World Cup 2026 Match Coordination Meeting prior to each match and is included in all FIFA World Cup 2026 workshop presentations. In order to safeguard the legitimate rights of all participating teams and to protect the fundamental principles of fair play in our sport, both at this FIFA World Cup and at future editions of the tournament, the RBFA is investigating all potential options."

Folarin Balogun will be available to play for the USA against Belgium on Monday after his one game ban following his red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina has been suspended.

Balogun was shown a straight red card in the Round of 32 game with Bosnia for a foul on defender Tarik Muharemovic after Brazilian official Raphael Claus was sent to review the incident on the VAR monitor.

A red card automatically carries a one game ban and it was understood that there was no route for appeal for Mauricio Pochettino's side.

But on Sunday FIFA released a statement saying that the striker would be able to play and that his ban had been suspended for one year.

In a statement, FIFA said: "The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has imposed the following sanction on United States national-team player Folarin Balogun, who was sent off as a result of a direct red card during the FIFA World Cup 2026™ match between the United States and Bosnia and Herzegovina played on 1 July 2026 at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium:

One-match suspension for breaches of articles 14 and 66 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code (FDC).

"In line with article 27 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code, the implementation of the match suspension is suspended for a probationary period of one year.

"If Folarin Balogun commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement."

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Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo avoided a suspension for the start of the World Cup in similar circumstances after FIFA handed the Portugal captain a three-match ban, but with the final two games suspended for “a one-year probation period”.

Balogun scored three goals in the World Cup so far and has started in all but one game for the tournament co-hosts, scoring twice in their opener against Paraguay. The forward was rested against Turkey in the final group-stage game before returning to score against Bosnia in the first-half.

He has registered at least one goal contribution in every World Cup game he has played in so far at this tournament.

The news will come as a boost to Pochettino who did not agree with the sending off in the first place and said after the game with Bosnia: “For me? Never a red card.

“Never an intention to step on the player. It was a normal action in football that happened by accident.

Meanwhile Christian Pulisic added: “It’s just so unfortunate, honestly.

“Looking back at it, it just seems so harsh. I just told him, he’s done so much for us, and now we got his back.”

The USA face Belgium in the Round of 16 game in Seattle on Monday.

England’s 2006 World Cup campaign in Germany was not short on subplots.

From the lofty pre-tournament expectations placed on the so-called Golden Generation to Wayne Rooney’s recovery from a metatarsal injury, the competition would ultimately end in another quarter-final exit, again on spot kicks.

But away from the pitch, a new phenomenon was born, as the word ‘WAG’ entered the nation’s collective consciousness.

Joe Cole on the media and their WAG obession

England were based in Baden-Baden for the tournament and as the squad settled into life at their base, the red-top media’s focus seemed to shift away from what was happening on the pitch and towards the activities of the squad’s wives and girlfriends.

As Joe Cole and Ashley Cole look back two decades on, the pair of former England team-mates believe that the squad themselves were unaffected by the growing media clamour.

“It was irrelevant to the players,” Joe tells FourFourTwo. “It gets talked about a lot. The girls were just doing what they’d usually do, having a nice time with the families. They’d go out for dinner, but the press made it what it was.”

Other members of that squad have suggested that the situation became a distraction, but Joe did not experience it in that way.

“It didn’t bother me one bit,” he adds. “I’ve heard other players say it was a distraction, I was just happy that all of my family were having a great time, and so they should have been, because they were on a journey with you.”

For Ashley Cole, it was the logistical set-up that was the cause of any issues.

“Maybe the press shouldn’t have been in their hotel,” he argues. “It wasn’t the fault of the press, whoever arranged it shouldn’t have put both in the same hotel.”

Joe agrees that these circumstances made it easy for stories to emerge: “They’d be listening to get stories,” he says, with Ashley also chipping in: “Yeah, it was crazy…”

Former West Ham and Liverpool star Joe adds that the media landscape of the mid-2000s played a huge role in fuelling the WAG culture.

“Social media has changed things now – back then, the media needed to be fed with pictures of the girls going for a run or something like that, and it was going on the front page,” he continues. “I find it incredible that people are interested in that celebrity world. I just think it’s mental, but it sells, doesn’t it?”

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Ashley Cole would enjoy plenty of high points during his 107-cap England career, but one of his lows came at the end of the Three Lions’ Euro 2012 quarter-final clash against Italy.

England had held the Azzurri to 120 goalless minutes in Kyiv, meaning that their dreams of ending international football’s most famous trophy drought rested on a penalty shootout.

The Three Lions had lost their last four shootouts, and when Cole missed from the spot, it meant their wretched record continued.

Ashley Cole on his Euro 2012 penalty shootout miss

For Cole, the misery of his decisive miss was heightened by the fact that he had faced a similiar high-pressure spot kick just weeks earlier and duly converted. That came in Moscow, where Chelsea won their first-ever Champions League title by defeating Bayern Munich on spot-kicks, with Cole stepping up to score the Blues’ fourth penalty.

“I was disappointed because two or three weeks beforehand, I’d scored in the shootout against Bayern Munich in the Champions League final,” Cole recalls to FourFourTwo. “So missing killed me.”

While Cole was never a regular penalty taker for his club, he never shied away from the responsibility in shootouts.

“I was confident taking penalties,” he continues. “I thought, ‘OK, it’s just another penalty.’”

But as he stood over the ball against Italy and looked to legendary Azzurri goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, a seed of doubt was sewn.

“In the Italy game, I changed my mind,” he admits. “I knew that Buffon would have watched the Champions League final – he told me afterwards that he had watched it.

“I should have gone down the middle, but I tried to whip it and go the same way again.”

Buffon would duly make the save, leaving West Ham midfielder Alessandro Diamanti free to slot home the winning penalty.

“It was devastating,” Cole adds, almost a decade and a half on. “But it is what it is – you can’t score them all, I’m not the only one who’s missed a penalty.

“I’m saying that flippantly, but I held a lot on my shoulders for not helping the team to get through.”

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When a World Cup winner gives up Champions League football to move to a newly promoted Premier League side situated among the game’s giants in the north west of England, eyebrows are always going to be raised.

And that was exactly the case when former France and Inter Milan great Youri Djorkeaff was wooed by Sam Allardyce’s project at Bolton Wanderers in 2002.

Djorkaeff would go on to be one of the defining signings of Allardyce’s tenure at the club, helping establish the Trotters as one of the hardest teams to beat in the top flight.

Djorkaeff on working with Big Sam

“He was the best manager Bolton could have had at that time,” he tells FourFourTwo as he is asked to reflect on his time working under Allardyce.

“He didn’t have an elaborate tactical strategy, but he had a clear vision of what the team needed to stay in the Premier League.”

Rather than overloading his players with information and overcomplicating his approach, Allardyce worked to create belief in a squad that was one of the favourites to drop back down to the second tier.

“He gave us confidence and lifted the dressing room,” Djorkaeff continues. “Nobody wanted to play against us.

“We were tough on the pitch and we had a bit of magic with certain players – the perfect formula.”

Allardyce was a Marmite figure in the Premier League at the timer, with his direct style of play often criticised, with Djorkaeff admitting that there was more than a grain of truth to the long-ball label attached to the side by the media at the time.

“But it was true!” he says with a smile. “At first I argued with him.

“I told him he couldn’t keep asking us to constantly play long balls, just hoping Kevin Nolan or I would get a decent touch.

“He replied: “That’s how we play at Bolton.” It was tough, but little by little we improved and started playing better football. Without a doubt, his greatest strength was his personality and ability to convince the players.

“I adapted my game to what we needed.”

The United States are hoping to make history at this tournament.

Beyond co-hosting its first World Cup since 1994, the United States national team are potentially 90 minutes away from a fourth round-of-16 appearance in 20 years.

Goalkeeper Matt Freese has been key as Mauricio Pochettino's side prepare to face Belgium but his route to the tournament was a slightly unconventional one.

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Matt Freese's incredible World Cup journey

Freese is currently first-choice stopper at MLS franchise New York City, who are part of the City Football Group's network of clubs which also includes Manchester City.

In another universe, however, the 27-year-old could have been in direct opposition to Enzo Maresca's side after being offered an apprenticeship at Manchester United.

Instead he rejected most players' dream of a Premier League move in favour of studying economics at Harvard while playing for the university's Crimson team.

Turning down Carrington for Cambridge, Massachusetts paid off for Freese as he led the Ivy League's saves per game statistics for 2018, averaging six per game.

He also managed to combine both passions in an academic paper on penalty kick analytics which he has refused to publicly disclose the details of when asked about it.

The reason for closely guarding that thesis is obvious after Freese's spot kick heroics against the likes of Wayne Rooney, Luis Suarez and Christian Benteke.

But his crowning moment from 12 yards came in last year's CONCACAF Gold Cup quarter-final against Costa Rica when he saved three efforts in the shootout.

USA's last-16 showdown with Belgium invariably evokes memories of their previous knockout game back in 2014 which set a new World Cup goalkeeping record.

Tim Howard produced 16 saves- a feat which still stands to this day - but was still powerless to prevent the Stars and Stripes' extra-time exit to the Red Devils.

The 'Secretary of Defense' title lauded on the ex-United and Everton man could soon be passed on to Freese - with the incumbent's blessing - if the moment arises.

When Tim Krul arrived at Newcastle United as a wide-eyed teenager in 2005, he joined a goalkeeping department containing two of the most experienced and driven stoppers in English football at that time.

A series of formative loan spells would duly follow before a first-team breakthrough, plus an ongoing battle for competition at St James’ Park.

By the time Krul had become a regular in the Magpies squad, he had already gained experience in Scotland, the lower leagues and in Europe.

Krul on his Newcastle journey

The Dutchman’s first Newcastle appearance came at the age of 18, when he kept a clean sheet away to Palermo in the UEFA Cup, a year after he joined the club.

“We went on a team walk in Palermo and Glenn Roeder said, “Are you ready for it?”” Krul recalls to FourFourTwo when asked about his debut. “It really kicked in that it was going to happen.

“I was never able to dream of having a debut for a club like Newcastle, or even winning that game 1-0. It was a dream come true.

“I’ve had a few games in my career where if you get into the zone and save two or three shots early on, you feel unbeatable.”

Loan spells to Falkirk and Carlisle followed, with Krul especially enjoying his time north of the border.

“Scotland was an amazing experience,” he continues. “The manager, John Hughes, said, “You’re going to play – no matter what. You’ll make your mistakes, but I trust in the talent.”

“That really shaped me in men’s football, having to realise that, especially at that level, people were playing for their win bonuses.”

Krul returned from these loan stints in 2009 and knew that he had plenty of competition for a place in the side.

“Fraser Forster was a similar age and the older guys, Steve Harper and Shay Given, pushed me to the limit,” he says. “They expected a lot from me and were really on my case. I think their mentorship helped me push even harder, because when you make your debut, you can sit on your laurels and think you’ve made it.

“That’s when you need experienced players to stay on your case. I started to become more of a regular in the team in the 2010-11 season.

France vs Paraguay is a battle of giant and giant-slayer, with the 2018 champions, and 2022 finalists, taking on a Germany-vanquishing Paraguay.

Didier Deschamps’ men have looked the side to beat at the competition, seemingly marching with ease to a third successive World Cup final come July 19.

In their way is Paraguay, and perhaps the hottest World Cup day on record thus far, who prevailed against Germany on penalties in the Round of 32 - but which presenters, commentators and pundits will compliment the event?

BBC commentators, pundits and presenters for France vs Paraguay

The full line-up of presenters, commentators and presenters for France vs Paraguay, being played this evening at 10pm BST, has been revealed.

Kylian Mbappe is in red hot form, with eight goal involvements in his four 2026 World Cup fixtures thus far, with tonight’s game being held at the Philadelphia Stadium.

Serving as presenter for the event on BBC is Mark Chapman, of Match of the Day fame and now one of the broadcaster’s staple presences at the 2026 World Cup.

Joining as pundits are a selection of former professionals.

Thomas Hitzlsperger, Joe Hart and Micah Richards offer their thoughts on this match.

Former German and English internationals, those three will have more than enough experience to provide cutting-edge analysis on the happenings in Philadelphia.

Serving as the match’s main voice is Steve Wilson, with the ever-iconic Stephen Warnock stepping in for the Round of 16 showdown as co-commentator.

The winner of France vs Paraguay will take on the victor of Canada vs Morocco in the 2026 World Cup quarter-finals, being played on July 9 at 9pm BST.

Marsch has claimed 'I’d rather be us than them [Morocco]' after Canada endured a 3-0 Round of 16 defeat at the hands of Africa Cup of Nations champions Morocco.

Canada appeared capable of turning the event in their favour throughout the first half, before a 55th-minute Azzedine Ounahi hammer put Morocco ahead.

He followed that with a second strike in the 82nd-minute, but Morocco weren't done. Soufiane Rahimi put the final nail in the coffin with a stoppage time clincher.

Jesse Marsch’s bizarre statement after Canada crash out

Speaking after the match, in which Marsch’s men created 0.86 xG (Expected Goals) and managed 10 shot attempts, the Canada boss offered an interesting take on the match.

While Morocco prevailed 3-0, their chance creation was less prolific, but ruthlessly clinical, from their measly 0.78xG.

“What a privilege our fans have had to root on a team like this, that goes after the game, that doesn’t play defensive, that shows they can be better, right?” said Marsch, calmly.

“Of course, we have to be in these situations more and more, and then we have to find ways to succeed, and then we have to build. But what a great team.

“I’d rather be us than them,” stated Marsch. “As good as Morocco is, I’d rather be us, right?

“Like, I’m really proud of our guys. We went after the game. They’re hurting right now, but my goodness, I couldn’t be prouder,” he concluded.

The interviewer closed his time with a thank you message from Canada, to which Marsch thanked the nation back.

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When the segment cut back to FOX Sports pundits, and ex-USMNT forwards, Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan in the studio, confusement settled in.

The sentiment from the former United States national team legends was one of confusion, as Canada crashed out in the Round of 16 with just three shots on target.

Morocco will now play the victor of this evening’s France vs Paraguay showdown, as the Africa Cup of Nations champions gun for a second successive World Cup semi-final.

Lionel Messi’s match-winning displays for Argentina can only benefit MLS, according to former defender Greg Garza.

Messi has been the star man for Argentina as they look to defend their title from four years ago and Garza says that any young fans watching the global superstar and then discovering he plays his club football in America for Inter Miami can only help the growth of MLS.

Messi is one of 45 active MLS players who were selected to play at this World Cup and that number is impressive in itself as the league celebrates its 30th year.

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Messi has played a pivotal role in helping Argentina reach the last 16 of the World Cup, scoring seven goals so far - and he is now also the World Cup’s all time leading goalscorer with 20 goals.

Speaking exclusively to FourFourTwo, Garza said: “Lionel Messi representing MLS and also playing for the Argentinian national team in the World Cup is unbelievable.

“I think if you are a young boy you could have never fathomed the idea of watching YouTube for the very first time and thinking that that guy would ever be in this league and representing this crest and this badge within a World Cup.

“Way down to the 45th player is still an incredible opportunity for these guys to be in that position to represent their club, country, and community, and I think that's the coolest part as well from the fan base is to see them.

“To see these players that you watch week in, week out, come to a realization that you're going to be watching them on the big screen, representing their country and you're going to come to a realization that they are playing on the biggest stage.”

The MLS was born in 1996 - two years after the USA 94 World Cup - so with another tournament being co-hosted in North America, what can the benefits to MLS be from this tournament?

Garza, who played for Atlanta United and Cincinnati, added: “The continuation of growth within this country of what this sport can bring. I think the biggest goal for all of us is just the eyeballs that are on the platform of what soccer is in this country today, and I think the World Cup will continue to create that kind of fever and by creating more eyeballs to watch this league once the World Cup ends.

“And, we are already there. If we go through statistics and we go through the numbers, we are one of the most watched leagues in the world at the moment, which is pretty awesome.

“MLS is one of the most diverse leagues in the whole entire world. We have over 80 countries that represent this league in itself.

“So just the opportunities that I think, that this league has created for so many people to watch from around the world, has, has really created substantial growth over the past three decades. So it's just the continuity of the growth.

You look at it in terms of the players that are playing in MLS, the marketing that has done so well in growing this league, the promises that were made by Don Garber way back when in terms of getting another World Cup in this country, and by that time, where the league would be.

“I'm sure a lot of people probably would have said: ‘No, you're crazy. It's not going to happen,’ but now you can just look at it and just say ‘we told you so’.

Canada vs Morocco sees the first of three co-hosts to progress to the Round of 16 taking on Netherlands-slaying Morocco.

Canada narrowly edged their Round of 16 clash vs South Africa, with a winner just beyond the 90th-minute, while Morocco prevailed on penalties vs the Netherlands after a 1-1 draw.

Canada have already made history at this tournament, having secured their first ever World Cup point, their first win, first progression out of the groups, and their first knock-out victory.

ITV complete line-up of commentators, pundits and presenters for Canada vs Morocco?

The full line-up of pundits, commentators and presenters for Canada vs Morocco, being played tonight at 6pm BST, has been revealed.

Serving as presenter is Laura Woods, who boasts an impressive multi-decade-long broadcasting career and has been a staple presence at the 2026 World Cup.

Joining her as pundits are three ex-professional footballers on ITV, all of whom rank highly on FourFourList’s 2026 World Cup punditry tier-list, starting with Karen Carney.

The former Lioness enjoyed a 14-year-long international career with England, being awarded 144 caps and bagging 33 goals.

Bradley Wright-Phillips is next in the line-up, son of Ian Wright and New York Red Bulls legend, who enjoyed a playing career both in England and the United States.

Wright-Phillips began his career with Manchester City, before moving to Southampton for a fee of £500,000 - half of which was funded for by a fan who won a Coca Cola competition prize.

Jobi McAnuff is the final of the three, who represented Jamaica internationally and enjoyed a playing career exclusively in England, with the likes of West Ham United, Crystal Palace, Watford and Reading.

Serving as the main voice for tonight’s event is Joe Speight, and Lucy Ward will join for the Round of 16 clash as co-commentator.

Canada vs Morocco is being played at the Houston Stadium, with either side able to be the first at the competition to book a spot in the quarter-finals.

A place in the World Cup quarter-finals is up for grabs at Houston Stadium.

The round-of-16 meeting between the current and future World Cup co-hosts sees Canada take on Morocco for the right to face France or Paraguay in the last eight.

Jesse Marsch's side reached the second knockout stage courtesy of a second-place finish in Group A and eliminating South Africa in the first last-32 tie.

Referee confirmed for Canada v Morocco showdown

Meanwhile the Atlas Lions, who will stage the 2030 tournament with Spain and Portugal, were Group C runners-up before stunning the Netherlands on penalties.

But who will be refereeing the spectacle in the Lone Star State?

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Michael Oliver has been assigned to oversee this encounter as one of only two English referees selected for the World Cup alongside Anthony Taylor.

The Premier League official actually missed his opening match at this year's tournament in the Group E meeting between Ivory Coast and Ecuador due to injury.

However Oliver was soon back fighting fit to take charge of a further two group games involving France and Norway as well as the Netherlands against Sweden.

His World Cup foray came in the 2022 edition of the tournament in Qatar with two group fixtures and Brazil's quarter-final exit to Croatia after a penalty shootout.

The 41-year-old has experience in 812 competitive fixtures including in the Champions League and domestically taking charge of two FA Cup finals.

He also holds the record as the youngest Premier League match-appointed referee after making his debut in August 2010 at the age of just 25 years and 182 days.

Oliver will be assisted by compatriots Stuart Burt and James Mainwaring while Dutch duo Danny Makkelie and Hessel Steegstra serve fourth official and reserve assistant referee.

The winner of this game will play their quarter-final tie at Boston Stadium on 9 July.

When Michail Antonio turned out for Jamaica as a late substitute in a Gold Cup game against Guatemala in June, 2025, it capped a remarkable comeback for the striker.

Just six months earlier, Antonio had suffered horrific injuries in a car crash that had not just put his career in doubt, but also his life.

A lower limb fracture had kept him in hospital for most of December, with his injuries expected to keep him out of action for at least a year. But the former West Ham striker’s determination was able to fuel this stunning return to action.

Michail Antonio on coming back from injury

“I have no memory of it,” Antonio tells FourFourTwo when asked what he remembers about the crash. “I only know what I’ve been told about it, that I got found by a dog walker and the first responders who got there said I was in the back of the car.

“I was awake, but one leg was a quarter smaller than the other because it was completely shattered and raised up.

“Luckily they were able to take me to the Royal London Hospital, where they specialise in emergency surgeries – one of the best surgeons operated on my leg and that’s one of the reasons why I was able to play again.

“It doesn’t feel like I lived the crash though – I don’t remember any pain. As much as I was the one who was in the accident, it was my family who actually lived it, who were sent the photos of the accident, who had to rush to the hospital to see me and speak to the doctors to find out how I was.

“I don’t remember any of that. Later, when I went to see the car and the condition it was in, that hit me right in the gut.

“It made me emotional and believe that, honestly, I could have not been here today.”

Antonio’s contract with West Ham expired at the end of June 2025, but the club continued to support him in his rehabilitation, with his remarkable return to action coming when he came off the bench for Jamaica as an 85th-minute substitute against Guatemala on June 17, just six months after the accident.

“It was amazing, I absolutely loved it,” Antonio recalls.

“I actually shocked myself with how fast I was able to do it, and I was lucky to do it that quickly because West Ham didn’t give me a new contract, so I needed to prove to people that I was able to get back out onto the field.

“I’m extremely grateful to God for giving me that opportunity.”

Goalkeeper Gianluca Pagliuca was at the heart of Italy's 1994 World Cup campaign, which culminated in one of football's most iconic penalty shootouts.

The former Sampdoria and Inter Milan stopper, that tournament remains a mixture of personal redemption, near-disaster and a reminder that a whole football career can be defined by a single moment.

More than three decades on, Pagliuca reflects on that summer with both pride and a sense of 'what if' that still lingers on.

Pagliuca on his USA 94 journey

The 59-year-old's tournament began with him making unwanted history when he became the first goalkeeper ever to be sent off at a World Cup when he was dismissed against Norway on the group stage.

"At the time, it felt like a stab to the heart," Pagliuca recalls to FourFourTwo. "I’d gone to the World Cup with big ambitions and that red card could have cost me my place in the starting XI. I didn’t know what would happen when I returned.

"Luca Marchegiani, my backup, did really well in my absence. He was a friend, but I was worried, as I missed the game against Mexico and the last 16 against Nigeria. Before the quarter-final with Spain, assistant coach Carlo Ancelotti and goalkeeping coach Pietro Carmignani came to my room to tell me I’d be starting again.

"They also told me not to tell Marchegiani, because they’d handle it. I was overjoyed. During dinner, Luca asked if I’d heard anything. I said no, even though I already knew – they’d asked me to keep it secret. We still laugh about it today. Luca was a great keeper and a funny guy."

Italy would progress to the final, where Pagliuca produced one of the tournament's iconic moments when he kissed his glove and tapped the post against Brazil after Mauro Silva's shot went through his hands, hit the upright and came back to him.

"That moment changed my life," he admits. "If that ball had gone in, we would have lost the final because of my mistake. I’d have been scarred forever. I would have kept playing, but the error would have defined me. Just think about what happened to Walter Zenga during the 1990 World Cup semi-final, when Caniggia’s header ended Italy’s dream – that World Cup should have been ours, we were the stronger side.

"So yes, that post saved my life, and my future. Today, everybody remembers the kiss to the post and not the fumble. I was lucky – it came down to a matter of inches."

Pagliuca's luck would run out in that final, however, as Italy went on to lose the final on penalties.

"At first, when you lose a final like that, it doesn’t fully sink in," he continues. "You tell yourself you lost and life goes on. The real awareness comes 20 or 30 years later, when you realise what you actually lost. Those are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities.

"Look at Italy’s 2006 team: they’re all heroes today because they won on penalties. We lost and history remembers us differently. Life can change in a matter of seconds – or centimetres."

Guus Hiddink’s journey to the South Korea job began long before he took on the role in 2001.

A chance encounter at the 1998 World Cup began a chain of events that included unexpected phone calls, bold conversations and an innovative way of working that would ultimately result in the Dutchman making history with the Taegeuk Warriors.

When Hiddink did finally agree to take charge, he would lead the side to the semi-finals of the 2002 World Cup on home soil.

Hiddink on how he landed the South Korea job

“My first encounter with South Korea was in 1998, during the World Cup in France,” the veteran Dutchman begins to FourFourTwo. “I was head coach of the Netherlands, and they were in our group.

“The day before the match in Marseille, we were allowed to train for an hour on the Stade Vélodrome pitch, and South Korea would train afterwards. My team were training with such enthusiasm that I thought, ‘Let them go on for a bit.’ The South Koreans were lined up neatly on the sideline.

“We were 15 minutes over our allotted time slot when a FIFA official came up. I said: “Ah, give us five more minutes.” That became 10 minutes, then 15. We would’ve stormed the field, but South Korea’s team manager just stood there. Later, I understood – it was a part of their culture.

"More than a year on, I got a phone call. Unknown number. “Yes, hello Mr Hiddink,” came the voice on the other end of the line. “We met in Marseille, I’m Ka Sam-hyun, one of the team managers from 1998. I’m staying at the Amstel Hotel in Amsterdam, across from where you live. Can we meet?”

"I thought, ‘How does he know where I live? How did he get my number?’ He explained to me that he wanted to meet because of the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea. It was November 2000 at the time. I was curious about what he wanted to discuss with me, so I walked over to the hotel.

"He turned out to be the right-hand man of the Hyundai CEO. “We need to reach the last 16,” he said. “Otherwise we will lose a lot of face.” I thought, ‘The last 16? Where are you now in the FIFA rankings, 70th?’ South Korea had been to the World Cup before, but had never won a match. The idea of going to a World Cup appealed to me, after experiencing Euro 96 and the 1998 World Cup with the Netherlands.

"As the conversation progressed, I came up with two pieces of advice, or proposals. I said: “If you want this, you have to take a completely different route toward the World Cup.” I suggested that the national team should be trained and managed as if it was a club team. All the internationals who were playing in South Korea should be given leave from their clubs in order to work together for a year to 18 months.

“The second piece of advice was that a budget must be made available to fly around the world with those players and staff, to play friendly matches against major football nations. Previously, South Korea had prepared for World Cups by playing against countries like Malaysia and Singapore.

“If they won those games, everybody would be thinking, ‘Oh, the form looks good.’ But at a World Cup, you face completely different opposition. The players needed to travel the world, learn from other cultures and gain new experiences. Sometimes you’ll get a slap in the face, but they needed to be taken out of their comfort zone.

“Another theme was refreshing the squad. In South Korea, they clung rather rigidly to men who were aged around 34 and older. It was time for a fresh wind within the group.

“I was curious whether or not they could actually do something with it. It wasn’t that I thought, ‘Oh, I’m really going to start working for South Korea.’ In fact, I wasn’t particularly enthusiastic about it. We said goodbye, and about 10 days later, my phone rang again. It was him. “Yes, I’m back at the hotel, can you come by?” he asked. I walked over and he said: “Point one: the international players can be kept together at all times. Point two: the budget to fly around the world has been arranged. Point three: here is your contract.”

“I thought, ‘What is happening?’ His decisiveness and eagerness to make something of it triggered me. I didn’t sign immediately, but I soon decided that I wanted to take that adventure.

“Off I went to Seoul.”

The build-up to the 1998 World Cup final is one of the most surreal episodes in modern football history.

After lighting up the tournament on the Seleção’s way to the final, striker Ronaldo suffered what was then a mysterious medical episode in the hours before kick-off.

Rumours swirled around the Stade de France about whether or not the reigning Ballon d’Or winner had been put on Brazil’s team sheet as Mario Zagallo’s side stood on the brink of retaining the title they had won in the USA four years earlier.

Youri Djorkaeff’s pre-match Ronaldo visit

It would later transpire that Ronaldo had suffered a convulsive fit on the afternoon of the final, losing consciousness and spending three hours in a local hospital. After preliminary tests did not flag up any abnormalities, Ronaldo was discharged shortly before kick-off and stated that he intended to play.

Ronaldo was at Inter Milan at the time and the final pitted him against one of his club team-mates in Youri Djorkaeff, who was compelled to take time out of preparing for the biggest game of his life to check on his friend.

“That’s true,” Djorkaeff tells FourFourTwo. “I went to Brazil’s dressing room. Mario Zagallo opened the door. I told him I’d heard something had happened to my friend Ronaldo and wanted to know if he was OK.”

Djorkaeff and Ronaldo had struck up a close friendship during the previous season at the San Siro, as they added a friendly rivalry to their training day routine.

“I said to Ronaldo: “Don’t leave me out there playing alone.” That season, after every training session in Milan, the two of us stayed behind to practise hitting the crossbar.”

The pair had been crucial parts of Inter’s successful season which saw them finish second in Serie A, but win the UEFA Cup, when they saw off Lazio in the final, with Ronaldo scoring the final goal. During this time, the extra-curricular sessions on the training ground had even led to a running joke between the two stars that would culminate that evening in Paris.

“We used to tease each other that whoever got the most points would win the World Cup,” he continues. “He couldn’t miss that final.”

Djorkaeff’s show of his support would culminate with a reminder of the pair’s competitive spirit.

“I’m going to beat you,” I told him,” he added, with the midfielder going on to be proved right as France beat a shellshocked Brazil side 3-0.

But ultimately, the mutual friendship and respect would remain intact. “After the match, we swapped shirts,” Djorkaeff confirms.

The referee for Colombia vs Ghana is Clement Turpin, a respected and experience official from France.

Colombia and Ghana are set to fight it out for a place in the World Cup round of 16, where the winner will face Switzerland in Kansas city on July 7.

Nestor Lorenzo's Cafateros have reached their third knock-out match in as many tournament appearances after topping Group K ahead of Portugal.

Referee confirmed for Colombia vs Ghana clash

The Black Stars are set for a third latter-stage involvement in 20 years following their finish among the top eight best third-placed teams with four points from Group L.

But who will be in charge of their encounter at Kansas City Stadium?

Turpin has been appointed to oversee this clash, having been a FIFA-listed referee since 2010 and joined UEFA's Elite group in 2012.

The Frenchman boasts experience of 674 competitive matches with most of them taking place in his native Ligue 1 but is also well versed in major international fixtures.

He has been assigned to matches at three World Cups including two group games of this year's tournament, as well as European Championship matches in 2021 and 2024.

Turpin also officiated successive European showpieces including the 2021 Europa League final before being handed the Champions League final in Paris just 12 months later.

The 44-year-old is one of the more measured referees when it comes to disciplinary action with his yellow card count averaging out at just over three per game.

He will be assisted by compatriots Nicolas Danos and Benjamin Pages as part of a European line-up for the clash between the teams from South America and Africa.

Spanish duo Alejandro Hernandez and Jose Enrique Naranjo have been named as fourth official and reserve assistant referee respectively ahead of the showdown.

Switzerland will await whichever nation progresses thanks to a 2-0 win over Algeria.

Germany's World Cup exit has opened the door to a much-touted move.

Julian Nagelsmann resigned as Germany head coach in the wake of their shock World Cup round-of-32 exit to Paraguay despite his contract running until Euro 2028.

The four-time world champions have now suffered back-to-back tournament exit after also bowing out of Euro 2024 to eventual winners Spain under Nagelsmann.

Jurgen Klopp confirms Germany talks

The German FA (DFB) confirmed the one-time Bayern Munich manager's departure as well as their preference for him to be succeeded in the role by Jurgen Klopp.

Klopp has been heavily touted with taking charge of Die Mannschaft dating back to his time at Liverpool, where he ushed in an unprecedented new era of success.

He led the Anfield club to glory in the Champions League as well as ending a 30-year wait to be win the Premier League title before stepping away in May 2024.

Since leaving the Reds, the 59-year-old has been out of club management but remains actively involved in the game as Red Bull's head of global soccer.

Away from his current role, Klopp has been a pundit for German television at the World Cup and confirmed that talks are taking place over his potential coronation.

“Yes, I can confirm the talks. Things moved pretty quickly. Julian stepped down. The DFB are looking for a successor and they’re talking to me," he told Magenta TV.

He added: "I’m [still] under contract with Red Bull. I’ve said I’m interested in the talks. They will be intensive because this isn’t only about Julian Nagelsmann.”

If appointed, Klopp's first game in charge of his homeland would be a trip to the Netherlands in September at the start of the Nations League group stage.

Should Germany qualify for Euro 2028, the former Borussia Dortmund boss could be set for a return to Liverpool if his side are drawn in one of four potential groups.

Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium will host four matches involving Groups A, C, D and E as well as a last-16 tie between the runners up from Group A and B.

A third World Cup round of 32 encounter has been decided by a penalty shootout.

Egypt are set to see their World Cup journey extended after overcoming Australia on penalties in Friday's knockout showdown at Arlington's Dallas Stadium.

Both teams were level at 1-1 after extra time failed to settle matters, bringing it all down to the lottery of a shootout which the Pharaohs went on to win 4-2.

Who is Mat Ryan?

Just moments before the end of the additional 30 minutes of play, the Socceroos took the unusual decision of replacing their first-choice goalkeeper Patrick Beach.

Mat Ryan replaced his understudy for the shootout but was unable to prevent Egypt from converting all four of their spot kicks while his teammates missed two efforts.

Fans of the Premier League and La Liga will be very familiar with the 34-year-old, who has represented the likes of Arsenal, Brighton, Valencia and Real Sociedad.

He has also enjoyed spells in Serie A with AS Roma and Ligue 1's Lens, who narrowly missed out on Conference League qualification in his season with them.

Despite playing over 100 times for Australia, Ryan has fallen out of favour with head coach Tony Popovic initially replacing him with Aston Villa stopper Joe Gauci.

The New South Wales native's proficiency from the penalty spot may have earned him another cap in Texas but it did not save him ahead of the 2022 World Cup.

Ryan himself was substituted in the 120th minute of his country's play-off against Peru for Andrew Redmayne, whose sudden death save secured qualification.

Teams changing goalkeepers ahead of a penalty shootout is not uncommon and increasingly less so at the World Cup, where the Netherlands blazed a trail in 2014.

Louis van Gaal replaced Jasper Cillessen with Tim Krul at the end of extra time in their quarter-final showdown with Costa Rica before it went down to the wire.

It paid off for the Dutch, who won the shootout 4-3, but Australia weren't so lucky.

The World Cup's round of 32 draw has thrown up a real David versus Goliath clash.

Argentina will aim to continue their World Cup defence against Cape Verde, which pits the reigning holders against the tournament's feelgood story.

Whichever team emerges successful from the encounter at Miami Stadium is set to face Egypt in Atlanta in the next round on July 7.

ITV complete line-up of commentators, pundits and presenters for Argentina v Cape Verde

The Albiceleste maintained a 100% record in their Group J campaign with captain Lionel Messi scoring six times across the wins over Algeria, Austria and Jordan.

Cape Verde, meanwhile, pulled off one of the early World Cup shocks by sealing an unlikely second-place finish in Group H after a three-match unbeaten streak.

The 67th-ranked nation frustrated one of the current favourites by holding Spain in their opening fixture before also taking points off Uruguay and Saudi Arabia.

Live coverage of their showdown with Argentina is set to be available on ITV1 in the UK from 10:15pm local time with the main event kicking off at 11:00pm.

Mark Pougatch will front the broadcaster's programming from their New York studio with Gary Neville, Ian Wright and Karen Carney alongside him to offer expert analysis.

Neville is a staple of Manchester United's fabled Class of 92, winning 21 trophies in 19 years including eight Premier League titles and the Champions League twice.

The former defender made 400 appearances in his time at Old Trafford and featured at three European Championships and two World Cups with England.

Wright played alongside Neville for their country but only earned 33 caps in nine years despite featuring in Arsenal's double-winning campaign of 1997-98.

Carney rounds off the ITV panel after a successful playing career in the women's game with Arsenal, Chelsea and Birmingham City, as well as England.

Commentator Jon Champion will be talking viewers through the action while former Scotland and Rangers striker Ally McCoist is on-hand with co-commentary.

Ange Postecoglou is officially back in management after nine months.

Former Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou has been out of work since his brief spell in charge of Nottingham Forest was brought to an abrupt end last October.

The 60-year-old coach found himself sacked just 39 days into his tenure at the City Ground after failing to win any of his eight matches in all competitions.

Ange Postecoglou's new management role confirmed

Prior to his spell at Forest, Postecoglou was also sacked by Tottenham despite leading them to Europa League success – their first trophy in 17 years – in 2025.

Since leaving the Tricky Trees, the one-time Australia boss has been a familiar face on ITV's coverage of the World Cup as part of their panel of regular studio analysts.

Former Celtic boss Postecoglou's name was linked with a number of vacant positions including as Steve Clarke's successor following his decision to step down as Scotland manager.

He was also considered a favourite for the Kazakhstan national team but reports claimed that his salary demands were too high for the 111th-ranked nation.

But the former defender has already lined up a new job after being appointed the new head coach of Saudi Pro League champions Al-Nassr on a two-year contract.

He succeeds Jorge Jesus, who left Al-Awwal Park when his one-year contract expired at the end of last season despite leading the club to long-awaited title glory.

Several of Postecoglou's new charges are currently involved in the World Cup's knockout stage with Portugal pair Cristiano Ronaldo and Joao Felix through to the round of 16.

Al-Nassr had a total of nine representatives in this summer's tournament with Senegal's Sadio Mane among them as well as several representing Saudi Arabia's national team.

Postecoglou's coaching career has spanned three decades and incorporated spells with teams in Greece, the nation of his birth, Australia and Japan.

His most successful role came at Celtic, where he won five trophies including the Scottish Premiership twice during his two seasons and a domestic treble.

England legend Paul Gascoigne has said that watching England in the World Cup makes him emotional. Doesn't sound like him?

The mercurial talent, who was one of England's brightest sparks during their crushing Italia 90 campaign that ended in a semi-final defeat, has made it no secret how badly he misses his playing days and still genuinely believes he is a better player than most people competing in this year's tournament.

However, he still gets a buzz from watching matches and believes England have as good a chance as anyone of lifting the trophy.

Gazza believes Phil Foden should have joined the England squad for the World Cup

Speaking to Betway's YouTube channel Clutch 9 Football he revealed how watching the game still brings him to tears.

"I was just sitting on the bed watching it, and I wasn't really thinking about anything," he said. "Then, once the first game went on, I got so emotional and had a few tears because all of a sudden it brought back all the memories from 1990, and everything I did every single day went through my head, and I couldn't sleep that night."

Despite his emotions sometimes getting the better of him, Gazza still watches the tournament and believes it's anyone's to win this year.

"I still miss it badly," he continued. "I still think I can play, even now. I look at some of the players earning £400,000 a week and they can't trap a bag of cement.

"I didn't think I was going to watch much of it because I miss football so much but some of the games have been unbelievable. Anyone can win it."

Included in that is England, who have a tricky game at the Azteca in Mexico City against the co-hosts Mexico, with heat and altitude expected to cause problems and fatigue for the Three Lions.

Gascoigne shared some advice given to his teammate and friend Gary Lineker during that 1990 tournament, which he thinks Harry Kane should listen to.

He said: "What Bobby Robson said to Gary Lineker, which was unbelievable, was, 'In the last 10 minutes of each game, we’re going to get tired. I don't want you tired. I want you staying at the halfway line or five yards into our half. No more. We need your energy for the last 10 minutes'.

"If you see Lineker, so many of his goals were in the last 10 minutes. You’ve got Harry Kane sometimes at centre-half."

Gazza believes that with players like Jude Bellingham, Kane and Marcus Rashford in the team, England have enough good players to compete with anyone.

However, there's one player he believes should have been in the squad who is watching from home this year.

"I think Phil Foden is quality," he added. "I would have played Foden because he always wants the ball and he’s got that sweet left foot.

"I went in the England dressing room once and told Foden to give me his shirt and he gave me it."

Germany are on the hunt for a new manager after news of Julian Nagelsmann's resignation broke on Friday morning.

His exit follows a dismal World Cup display, which ended with a shock exit to Paraguay, on penalties no less.

A number of high profile names are in the frame for the role, including a couple of Premier League winners and some German legends.

Klopp and Pep among the favourites for the job

Ex-Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp is favourite to land the job, with odds of 2/5 on Oddschecker, having not taken up a managerial role since he walked away from Anfield in 2024.

Reports claim that the German, who is currently head of global soccer at Red Bull, would be willing to return to the touchline for his national team.

Some reports even suggest that Klopp's contract with Red Bull has a clause that would allow him to leave specifically for the Germany manager's job.

While he is the front runner, his old Premier League adversary Pep Guardiola is not far behind, with odds of 5/1 to take the role.

Guardiola has never managed at international level before, but has previously suggested in interviews that it is something he would be interested in doing.

After leaving City at the end of last season, he said he wouldn't have the energy to take on another club project and do what he has previously done at clubs like Barcelona and Bayern Munich.

However, he didn't rule out a return to management and added: "Maybe a national team, but that's different."

Also in the running, according to the bookies are Stuttgart boss Sebastian Hoeness, at 6/1, a return for former Germany World Cup winning boss Joachim Low at 8/1 and Brighton head coach Fabian Hurzeler, also at 8/1.

Less likely candidates in the running include former Germany manager Jurgen Klinsmann at 25/1 and current USA boss Mauricio Pochettino with the same odds.

Ex-England manager Gareth Southgate a long shot at 33/1, along with Patrick Vieira.

The Premier League is about to enter a new era – one without Pep Guardiola. After 10 trophy-laden years, the legendary manager has said goodbye to Manchester City, leaving behind a legacy that may never be surpassed, or even matched.

When Pep made the move to Manchester in 2016, he initially signed a three-year contract, but no-one could have predicted what was to come during his tenure.

Departing as the club’s most successful manager of all time, he led City to 20 trophies, including six Premier League titles, three FA Cups, five League Cups, one Champions League and the Club World Cup.

Guardiola is also the only manager in English top-flight history to win four successive league titles, between 2021 and 2024. It’s so difficult to win anything at elite level, so imagine how much harder it is to keep on winning, again and again.

Among his standout achievements were the Treble-winning campaign of 2022-23 when City clinched the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League, the domestic treble of 2018-19, and the record-breaking 100-point tally the season before.

The Catalan possesses the personality, persistence, drive and ability that kept him innovating, finding new ways to win at such a high standard for so long. Having the opportunity to try and understand one of the greatest brains in football in countless interviews over the years has been a privilege.

I remember the first time I was given the task to sit down and chat with him for TNT Sports. I walked into the stands at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez-Pizjuan, the home of Sevilla, who were City’s opponents for the opening match of what would become their Champions League-winning season in 2022-23. When Pep arrived, he shook my hand and commented on how nice the Spanish weather was.

I had no idea what to expect on that day – fast forward several years and I can confirm that in any interview with Pep, you never know quite what you’re going to get! He is an emotional character with an aura that’s difficult to describe. Pep has found the right balance of being professional, intimidating, yet still warm and polite. He can also be no-nonsense when he wants, and that’s all part of what makes him a great manager.

In his final year at City he became nostalgic, and quite sarcastic and humorous with the media. Perhaps he always knew he was going to leave at the end of the campaign, but it made for some of my favourite interview moments.

When I spoke to him after City won the FA Cup at Wembley in May, it would be the last chat we had after his final trophy with the club. I asked whether he would be back in 2026-27 to defend City’s FA Cup, to which he responded, with a smile, “Bye bye!” Clearly not wanting to directly address it at the time, but I think we all had a sense that his exit was imminent

One of the telling signs was when he visited Stockport’s League One game with Port Vale in April, on the same night as a Champions League classic between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich. It felt like he was ticking something off the list he had always wanted to do while he still could. It showed his deep love for English football, which has left its mark on Pep as much as he’s left his own on it.

It’s hard to imagine Manchester City without him in charge. Manchester United and Arsenal are proof of how difficult it is to replace a legendary manager. United’s dominant era ended after Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013, and the club are still searching for consistent success more than a decade later.

Arsenal have finally won their first league title under Mikel Arteta, something they had to wait 22 gruelling years for – with the stability they’ve now established, they look well placed to defend it when 2026-27 begins.

Guardiola will be a near impossible act to follow, but he’s left City with a young, hungry and very talented squad that aren’t far off becoming title winners again.

Pep joked that he would be up in his newly named Pep Guardiola Stand at the Etihad, still controlling the team in the future. It was said in jest, but in reality, his presence will be long felt in Manchester and beyond.

A Premier League icon, and one of the greatest managers to ever grace the game, the league won’t quite feel the same without him

in 2026-27. It’s often difficult to measure the success of a legend in the present. Perhaps the real impact of Pep’s extraordinary achievements may take some time to be truly appreciated.

Finally, Spain can dare to dream of a second World Cup success.

After more than a decade of disappointment, Spain belatedly won a World Cup knockout tie for the first time since they were crowned world champions in 2010.

But it's Mikel Oyarzabal, not coach Luis de la Fuente, who is masterminding La Roja's surge towards the finish line after Thursday's round-of-32 win over Austria.

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Mikel Oyarzabal's incredible Spain success story

Oyazarbal scored twice in the 3-0 victory at Los Angeles Stadium to become Spain's first player to net a brace in a World Cup knockout since Emilio Butragueno in 1986.

Fittingly, he has already eclipsed the Real Madrid legend's international haul with 29 goals, overtaken another in Fernando Morientes and tied a third - Fernando Hierro.

In his previous 14 appearances on the international stage, the Real Sociedad forward has also now racked up an eye-watering 13 goals and eight assists.

The man who clinched Spain's third European Championship with a last-gasp winner in the 2024 final against England has always had a sense of occasion.

However, it was not so long ago that Oyarzabal felt like a player destined to be a perennial nearly man in the latest iteration of his country's golden football age.

He missed out on a maiden World Cup appearance in 2022 due to injury after rupturing the ACL in his left knee sustained during a training session with La Real.

The 29-year-old also found himself on the wrong side of history when Spain lost both Nations League finals in 2021 and 2025 while being omitted for their 2023 success.

Yet Oyarzabal's flexbility has made him an invaluable asset since De La Fuente succeeded Luis Enrique after the shambolic round-of-16 shootout exit to Morocco.

An ability to operate between the lines means he is unburdened by the scrutiny that Spain's established strikers, notably the much-maligned Alvaro Morata, endured.

Euro 2024 already etched Oyarzabal's name into the history books alongside Andres Inesta and Fernando Torres but he could soon surpass them, too, in his own right.

Portugal have reached the World Cup's last-16 after a 2-1 win over Croatia.

The World Cup's round-of-32 continues to deliver late drama after Portugal edged past Croatia to set up another knockout meeting with Spain on 6 July in Arlington.

Cristiano Ronaldo's tournament looked set to go down to the wire when Josko Gvardiol appeared to snatch a late leveller in the 15th minute of added time.

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Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal survive World Cup scare

Roberto Martinez's side had endured a few scares during their knockout tie in Toronto after falling behind to Ivan Perisic's opener early in the second half.

Ronaldo himself saw a potential equaliser disallowed for offside before it was immediately ruled out for offside as the omens appeared against his country.

The five-time Ballon d'Or winner soon made up for that by restoring parity from the penalty spot following Nikola Vlasic's pull on Renato Veiga inside the area.

Although he was later withdrawn, the Selecao completed their comeback deep in second half added time as Goncalo Ramos plundered a 94th minute winner.

But there was still one final twist when Gvardiol reacted quickest to steer the ball home from Mario Pasalic's flicked cross as the tie risked entering extra time.

Amid the chaos, Premier League referee Jarred Gillett advised match official Espen Eskas to review the passage of play on the pitch-side VAR monitor.

The Norwegian confirmed that Pasalic had actually received the ball from a slight flick off teammate Igor Matanovic's head which placed him in an offside position.

Incensed Croatia supporters rained down plastic bottles onto the playing surface in protest after the decision had denied their team's World Cup journey a lifeline.

The onslaught led to a minor delay in the game being restarted which would confirm Portugal's place in the last-16 against their Iberian rivals next Monday.

Ronaldo, who was awarded Player of the Match, later shut down media claims by sister Katia Aveiro that he will retire from international football after the World Cup.

Cristiano Ronaldo is 41 years old and still going strong as he continues a remarkable career.

The Portugal superstar is playing at his sixth World Cup, a record he shares with his great rival Lionel Messi. Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa has also been picked by his country six times, but failed to make an appearance at two of those tournaments.

It means Ronaldo, who turned 41 on February 5, jointly holds yet another record in an incredible career that has been packed with team and individual honours.

Cristiano Ronaldo still going strong aged 41 after incredible career

Ronaldo was born on February 5, 1985 in Funchal, the capital city of Madeira, an autonomous archipelago off the coast of Portugal. He came through the youth system at Portuguese giants Sporting CP, before joining Manchester United aged 18 in 2003 for £12million.

In six seasons at Old Trafford, the winger grew from raw talent to global superstar, winning three Premier League titles, the Champions League and his first Ballon d'Or - awarded to the best player in the world - in 2008.

In 2009, Ronaldo joined Real Madrid for a then-world record fee of £80m and would go on to spend nine seasons in the Spanish capital.

During that time, he helped Los Blancos win four Champions League titles and two La Liga crowns, while he claimed the Ballon d'Or a further four times and became the club's all-time top goalscorer.

Ronaldo joined Italian giants Juventus for £99m in 2018, when he was aged 33, lifting Serie A twice in three campaigns before making a shock return to United in summer 2021.

The forward lasted just over a year at Old Trafford, with his second spell ending in late 2022 due to a dispute with then manager Erik ten Hag.

He moved to Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr and helped them win the league title last season, lifting the trophy aged 41 in May.

Ronaldo has had a similar impact on the international stage, breaking the world record for the most senior caps and goals in football history. His appearance against Croatia in the last 32 of the World Cup was his 232nd for Portugal, while he had scored 145 goals going into that game.

The Portuguese superstar also became the first man to score at six World Cups with his double in the 5-0 hammering of Uzbekistan in the group stage.

Ronaldo tasted success on the international stage when he helped his country win Euro 2016, but the World Cup is so far the only major trophy to elude him, having reached the semi-finals only once - back at his first tournament in 2006.

Cristiano Ronaldo remains a force of nature but seemingly not much longer.

Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo has already made history as only the third player to play in six World Cups ahead of his country's round-of-32 clash with Croatia.

At 41, the forward continues to perform on the biggest stage, winning an array of major honours and hoping to end his country's lengthy wait for World Cup glory.

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Cristiano Ronaldo's international future revealed

He also holds the distinction as the leading men's international goal scorer after netting 145 times for Roberto Martinez's side throughout his incredible career.

But the question of when Ronaldo will finally call time on a lifetime of records after almost a quarter of a century remains as the Selecao enter the knockout stage.

Shortly before Ronaldo prepared to go head-to-head with his former Real Madrid teammate Luka Modric at Toronto Stadium, a hint at that moment finally surfaced.

Ronaldo's sister Katia Aveiro claimed before the showdown that Portugal's potential elimination will spell the end of her brother's glittering international career.

“From the information I have, from a reliable source, I believe that this is the last dance, so let’s enjoy it," the pop star told Portuguese outlet Sport TV.

“I believe it’s not today that they’ll say goodbye, but it’s coming soon. I strongly believe this is the farewell.

“So enjoy it a lot because it will be difficult to find someone after 200 goals. I’m talking about the Portuguese national team.”

Confirmation of Ronaldo's potential international retirement would come just a year before his current deal with the Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Nassr is set to expire.

He previously stated in a November 2025 interview with Piers Morgan that hanging up his boots would likely happen 'soon' and admitting that he will cry when it does.

Could this really be the beginning of the end?

Kylian Mbappe scored the first and last of France’s three goals as they shrugged off Sweden to book their spot in the round of 16 at World Cup 2026. They were both quite brilliant. They’re always brilliant.

Mbappe is the Prince of the World Cup and is making a play for the throne. His second goal at New York New Jersey Stadium was his sixth of the competition and took him level at the top of the Golden Boot rankings with fellow former Paris Saint-Germain forward Lionel Messi.

Both players have won the World Cup. Both have appeared twice in the final. Both are tipped to be back there captaining France and Argentina in football’s biggest match on July 19.

Why Kylian Mbappe is the World Cup king in waiting

This extraordinary tournament has seen both Messi and Mbappe pass former World Cup record goalscorer Miroslav Klose. The Germany striker scored 16 times in World Cup matches. Messi has 19, Mbappe 18.

The French skipper is expected to surpass Messi, maybe this summer and maybe not, and his age alone means he should get another World Cup at the very least.

But age is just a number and here’s another: Mbappe has played in 18 World Cup matches, 11 fewer than his old teammate.

18 goals in 18 matches is self-evidently a phenomenal record. Of all the players with 10 World Cup goals or more, only Gerd Muller, Just Fontaine and Sandor Kocsis were more prolific and Mbappe has more goals outright than any of them.

Mbappe is an exceptional footballing talent, a prolific and explosive goalscorer – a genius, in they eyes of many – so why has his otherworldly swagger been more pronounced in his three World Cups, each four years apart, than in any of the competitions he’s played in and won in between?

There’s nothing tricky about Mbappe’s World Cup record. 18 goals in 18 games is one goal per game and he’s looked like exactly that kind of player in almost all of them.

It’s a different story in the European Championship.

Mbappe featured in all four matches played by France at the Euros in 2021 without scoring a goal. He was even the only player to miss for either side in the penalty shootout loss against Switzerland.

Three years later at the 2024 tournament, he played five times and scored once, from the penalty spot, against Poland. That’s a total return of one goal in nine European Championship matches and none from open play.

That record across two different European Championships is a curious thing, isn’t it? Is the quality of the opposition a factor?

Mbappe’s World Cup opponents: Australia twice, Peru, Denmark twice, Argentina twice, Uruguay, Belgium, Croatia, Tunisia, Poland, England, Morocco, Senegal, Iraq, Norway, Sweden.

Mbappe’s European Championship opponents: Germany, Hungary, Portugal twice, Switzerland, Austria, Poland, Belgium, Spain.

According to the extremely unscientific method of judging these teams by their current standing in the very-much-live-right-now FIFA World Rankings, Mbappe’s World Cup opponents have an average ranking of 24th, compared to 17th in the Euros.

Flat track bully numbers? Not for me, Clive.

There’s clearly something special, something intangible, about Mbappe and the World Cup, just like Pele and indeed Klose before him, and that’s fine. Let’s just enjoy the magic.

Incidentally, the 27-year-old has played in the Champions League for three different teams.

Mbappe scored six goals in nine appearances for Monaco in 2016-17 and then 42 in 64 matches for PSG.

Since signing for Real Madrid in 2024, the France captain has scored 22 in 25 in the Champions League.

That’s a total of 70 goals in 98 matches at the very highest level of the European club game, which is a tremendous hit-rate but rather less than a goal per game.

With that World Cup crown waiting for him, he probably doesn’t mind.

Ivorian youngster Toure joined Hoffenheim from Swedish club Hammarby last year and has effectively quadrupled his asking price in just over 12 months.

Toure has had a hand in 20 goals since arriving in German football, five goals and 15 assists to be precise, including winning the odd penalty, and has featured for Ivory Coast at this summer's World Cup.

Toure has followed a well-trodden path by African teenagers in recent years; ASEC Mimosas to Scandinavia, followed by a move to a bigger European league. At each juncture, Toure has raised his game to the required level.

Is Bazoumana Toure the fastest player in Europe?

He spent less than a year with Hammarby, who made a tenfold return on their investment when selling to Hoffenheim, and this summer, he is expected to join the Premier League elite.

The 20-year-old is a pure speedster, genuinely one of the fastest in Europe. He’s excellent at running in behind and unlike some players renowned for their quickness over the ground, boasts tangible end product at the climax of his team’s attacking moves.

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Toure loves blazing down the left-hand side, asking the question of his opposing full-back: ‘Can you keep up?’

He’s a prolific dribbler, an even more potent chance creator and currently riding the crest of a wave. The Bundesliga has provided the platform for Ivory Coast’s devastating wide duo of Toure and Yan Diomande to flourish this past season.

Toure is a waif of a winger, slight and swift with roadrunner qualities and if his finishing were to improve, could realistically become the next £100m winger.

Hoffenheim have had a brilliant season and will be playing in Europe next season, but the lure of Premier League football is seemingly too great - and we don't blame him.

DID YOU KNOW: Toure’s father worked as a milkman in Ivorian capital Abidjan

Mexico have won four games from four at the 2026 World Cup and as co-hosts will have home advantage when England arrive in Mexico City this weekend.

The Three Lions squeaked past DR Congo, largely thanks to Harry Kane, in Atlanta on Tuesday, and will need to put on a better display in Mexico if they are to stand a chance of making the quarter-finals.

El Tri are yet to concede a goal at this summer's tournament, seeing off South Africa, South Korea, Czechia and Ecuador so far.

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England represent a different test altogether but Javier Aguirre's side will be full of confidence coming into this one.

The Mexican squad was depleted through injury in the lead up to the tournament but even without certain players, the team have not just coped but excelled.

Who is Gilberto Mora?

It has allowed the likes of 17-year-old Gilberto Mora to flourish, in particular during the Round of 32 game against Ecuador, in which he was given the nod to start by manager Aguirre.

Mora is the Mexican top flight’s youngest-ever player and goalscorer, and the national team’s youngest-ever debutant. He is also be the youngest squad member at the 48-team World Cup this summer.

The little attacker from Tijuana has been tearing it up for the Liga MX club, despite only recently turning 17 and is the epitome of the phrase: ‘It’s not about the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog’.

Mora was one of the stars of the 2025 Under-20 World Cup, providing an assist in the opener against Brazil, bagging a brace versus Spain, scoring the only goal of the game against eventual winners Morocco, whilst adding another assist versus Chile in the knockouts.

Diminutive and flighty, always ready to take a shot on and never afraid to get stuck in, the injury-hit El Tri squad could yet find themselves relying on their teenage prodigy on the biggest stage of all.

Toby Alderweireld has revealed how Belgium came back from being 2-0 down against Japan during the 2018 World Cup, after history repeated itself vs Senegal this evening.

Belgium returned from what seemed to be an insurmountable 2-0 deficit against Senegal, with just four minutes of regular time remaining.

Romelu Lukaku and Youri Tielemans bagged in the 86th and 89th minutes, tying the scoreline and forcing extra time, before the latter converted a 125th-minute penalty to win the Round of 32 clash.

Toby Alderweireld reveals how Belgium returned from the dead in 2018 and vs Senegal: '2-0 really is the most dangerous scoreline in football'

A similar story happened in 2018, when Belgium returned from the dead vs Japan at the World Cup to also prevail 3-2.

In that event, Belgium were 2-0 down with 21 minutes remaining, before three goals turned the game on its head, all in regular time.

Ex-Belgium international Alderweireld, who played in the match, revealed to BOYLE Sports his memories of the event, and shone light on how such a comeback, like the one this evening, is possible.

"If you turn it up, even one stupid goal, one stupid moment can change everything," revealed the ex-Red Devil.

“Of course, when we were 2-0 down to Japan, we said, ‘Let's go, come on, we need one goal. But it was one goal, and a stupid goal, and everything changes.

"I think we were getting some chances... I remember Romelu Lukaku was next to the goal, but one header from Jan Vertonghen was actually a stupid goal, and everything changes.

"The belief came back," stated the ex-Tottenham Hotspur centre-back, plainly. "That one was one of the most historic World Cup games ever."

Alderweireld also hinted at the awareness within the Belgium squad of the expectations placed upon them, and their underperformance in the face of it all.

He said: “Yeah, it was an unbelievable game. But imagine if you lost that game, we had one of the worst World Cups for Belgium, ever.

"[Then against Japan] we had our best performance ever. So sometimes it's all in the little details.

"I always wished to be 2-0 up but it’s true what they say. 2-0 really can be the most dangerous scoreline in football," he confessed.

Belgium advance in the 2026 World Cup to the Round of 16, and will next face USA or Bosnia and Herzegovina.

• Follow England vs DR Congo LIVE

Sebastien Desabre's DR Congo are facing the Three Lions in the 2026 World Cup, during the tournament's Round of 32.

Aged 49, Desabre has been manager of the national side since 2022, and took DR Congo to its first World Cup since 1974.

This is only the second tournament in the nation's history, so, who is the man in the dugout, and what is his story?

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Who is Sebastien Desabre, DR Congo's manager?

En-route to facing England, the Congolese first frustrated Portugal, with their World Cup opener ending in a 1-1 draw.

After a 1-0 loss to Colombia, Desabre's men secured Round of 32 football with a 3-1 victory against Uzbekistan.

Desabre is a Frenchman, but his experience across the African continent in a managerial capacity is vast.

The 49-year-old has previously managed at club level in Egypt, Morocco, and was boss for the Ugandan national team.

After just one year at the helm for Uganda, his side became one of five nominated for CAF's National Team of the Year award, after qualifying for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations.

At that tournament, they finished second in their group behind Egypt, but lost in their opening knock-out game against eventual finalists Senegal.

Desabre left the national team by mutual consent shortly after, then became manager for DR Congo three years later in 2022.

The nation had failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and Desabre's aim was to take DR Congo to North America in 2026.

The 49-year-old achieved this, with notable victories against Nigeria and Cameroon during the qualifying phase.

World Cup football was confirmed with a win against Jamaica in the inter-confederation play-offs, which went to 120 minutes and culminated in a 100th-minute DR Congo goal to win 1-0.

In 2023, Desabre also took the nation to the AFCON semi-finals, losing to eventual champions Ivory Coast.

His side beat previous tournament finalists Egypt in the Round of 16, Guinea in the quarters, and secured a draw against Morocco in the group stage.

Jude Bellingham wants to swap his licence to thrill for a licence to kill as he expressed his desire to be the next James Bond.

If Thomas Tuchel and England are to end 60 years of hurt by winning the World Cup this summer then Bellingham will play a key role in that.

But in a surprising admission the 23-year-old opened up about his love of film and his dream role would be to play James Bond.

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The midfielder scored the opening goal against a stubborn Panama side in New York on Saturday, and his immediate focus is on progressing as far as possible with England.

But that has not stopped the Real Madrid star from dreaming about life after football.

Speaking on Fox's World Cup After Hours, Bellingham said acting appeals to him, and the role of Bond topped his wishlist.

Since Daniel Craig hung up his gun after No Time to Die in 2021 and there has been no replacement named.

Asked about his ambitions outside football, Bellingham told James Corden that acting is the career he finds most appealing.

"I’d love to be in a movie," Bellingham said. "People always ask me, ‘What’s the thing I’d want to do out of football?’ - and I never really give it that much thought, but when I have I always come to ‘I’d love to be in a film’.

"I’d love to be James Bond. I’ve watched all of them. I’ve watched the (Sean) Connery ones, Roger Moore, I’ve seen all of them. I love James Bond. I swear, I’d love to be in the back of a James Bond film. (Maybe) James Bond himself, but you’ve got to crawl before you can walk. They haven’t (found a new Bond) yet, have they?"

Bellingham also delivered the famous line, "The name’s Bond, James Bond," before joking: "I think I’ve got a shot!"

England face DR Congo in the round of 32 in Atlanta on Wednesday and if they win that a Round of 16 game in Mexico City, potentially against co-hosts Mexico.

And if Bellingham and England were to go on and win the World Cup on July 19 then the midfielder would not be short of offers for off the field opportunities - and who knows James Bond could be one of them.

Football icons don't get much bigger than Mexico City's Estadio Azteca.

By some measures the most legendary football stadiums of them all, the Azteca is a fearsome institution with decades of history no other venue can match.

No other stadium has hosted games at three different World Cups. No other stadium has been the site of two World Cup finals. It might have had its name temporarily switched to Mexico City Stadium for FIFA purposes at World Cup 2026 but the essence of Azteca is untouchable.

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Mexico's record at Estadio Azteca

Mexico themselves have been the chief beneficiaries of the Mexico City monolith's immaculate aura. As they prepare to face England there in the last 16, El Tri hope to tap into their remarkable historical record.

Javier Aguirre's team played their first and third Group A matches in Mexico City, beating South Africa and Czechia without conceding a goal and adding two more wins to Azteca's formidable tally. Then they dispatched Ecuador 2-0 with relative ease in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

In the context of the World Cup alone, Mexico and Azteca have been a powerful combination. In 1970, Mexico played all three group stage matches there without conceding a goal. They were knocked out elsewhere in the next round.

In 1986, another four World Cup matches involving Mexico were played at Azteca and they conceded twice. Again, they were eliminated in another city altogether. They have never lost a World Cup finals match at their preferred home.

That's a run that now stretches to ten matches, the round of 16 another on top.

Crossing the border for the quarter-final could be as much a psychological hurdle for Mexico as traipsing up to Mexico Stadium has been for their opponents.

The Soviet Union team of 1970 and the excellent Belgium class of 1986 were both beaten by Mexico at Azteca, where South Africa, South Korea and Czechia joined them among the ranks of the slain in the group stage in 2026.

Azteca's unique spirit and the ferociously partisan home crowd are both factors.

Another is altitude: Azteca stands at more than 2,000 metres above sea level and England will find that a challenge in the round of 16.

They play each other on Monday with the kick-off at an unfriendly 1am BST.

Ronald Koeman has stepped down as the manager of the Netherlands after the Oranje were beaten on penalties in the World Cup 2026 round of 32.

Morocco progressed at the expense of the Netherlands and Koeman said his goodbyes at the end of a second spell in charge of his country.

"Looking back on my career, I feel especially proud," Koeman posted on Instagram. "I have worked with clubs and people that shaped me and gave me memories that I will cherish for a lifetime."

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Who's in the running to succeed Koeman?

The former Barcelona boss, who has also both played for and managed Ajax, Feyenoord and PSV, has no obvious successor in waiting.

One of the early front-runners according to the bookies is Arne Slot. He guided Liverpool to the Premier League title in 2024-25 but was given the boot a year later, though his reputation in the Netherlands has largely held.

One must always consider the reigning Eredivisie champion in these situations. PSV won the 2025-26 title under 62-year-old Peter Bosz, who has also managed Ajax but, unusually for Dutch managers with senior international caps, never the national team.

Ruud van Nistelrooy will be in the frame having served as Koeman's assistant. The former Oranje striker and PSV gaffer has had a spell in temporary charge of Manchester United and a very iffy introduction to full-time Premier League management at Leicester City.

If the assistant coach is usually in the running, how about the current Under-21 boss? In the case of the Netherlands, that's one Michael Reiziger. Now 53, the legendary Netherlands player has spent time with age-group teams at Ajax too.

Another former United manager, Erik ten Hag, is unlikely to be far away from the conversation. After a brutally short spell in charge of Bayer Leverkusen, Ten Hag is due to begin a backroom role with Twente after the World Cup. Could he be tempted to change paths?

Over the years, the KNVB has done a fine line in appointing former players with some managerial experience but by no means an unimpeachable record of success. Robin van Persie is out of work after stints with Heerenveen and boyhood club Feyenoord, whence he departed at the end of last season.

The signature move of the Dutch governing body at this juncture would be the return of Louis van Gaal, who replaced Frank de Boer, and Bert van Marwijk, and Frank Rijkaard.

Having gone back to the well three times, the Netherlands might find that 74 is too old for Van Gaal to return once more. He has been on hiatus since the end of his third spell in 2022.

What's your prediction? Who's next for the Netherlands? Let us know in the comments below...

Norway's dramatic round of 32 win over Ivory Coast put Stale Solbakken's team in the firing line of the World Cup's greatest nation.

Brazil have won the competition five times and have never failed to qualify. They have a ferocious reputation even now, and have supplied some of the best players and biggest moments the World Cup has ever seen.

There are few situations a World Cup can conjure that don't stack up in Brazil's favour one way or another. As more than one pundit has noted this summer, when you think about the World Cup, you think about Brazil.

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Norway's historical record against Brazil, their round of 16 opponents

This already being a World Cup full of surprises, one of those situations has come to pass thanks to a pair of results in first few ties of the round of 32.

Erling Haaland scored his fifth goal of his maiden World Cup campaign to give Norway a late win over Ivory Coast and set up a round of 16 meeting with Brazil, whose comeback victory over Japan was every bit as dramatic.

Norway and Brazil will play for a quarter-final spot when they meet at New York New Jersey Stadium in the next round. It will be the fifth match between the nations in senior men's international football.

The Norwegians might wear the underdog label in every tangible regard apart from their world class goalscorer, but that's a familiar feeling for a team without a prior World Cup appearance since 1998.

What they haven't experienced before, during or since that tournament in France, is a loss against the five-time World Cup winners.

Norway's four previous games against Brazil have yielded two wins and two draws. Three of those results were in friendly matches but one of the two wins was at the Velodrome in Marseille in the group stage of Norway's last World Cup.

Bebeto gave Brazil the lead but a late goal from Tore Andre Flo and an even later Kjetil Rekdal penalty secured maximum points and safe passage to the second round for the Norwegians.

The winner of the second World Cup match between Norway and Brazil will face Mexico, Ecuador, England or DR Congo at Miami Stadium in the last eight.

Norway vs Brazil: The Full Historical Record

• Norway 1-1 Brazil (friendly, August 2006)
  
• Brazil 1-2 Norway (World Cup, June 1998)
  
• Norway 4-2 Brazil (friendly, May 1997)
  
• Norway 1-1 Brazil (friendly, July 1988)

Ronald Koeman has quit as Netherlands manager after being knocked out of the World Cup on penalties by Morocco.

The Netherlands drew 1-1 with Morocco after extra time but failed in the shoot out after Justin Kluivert, Quinten Timber and Crysencio Summerville all missed their spot kicks.

It is the second time Koeman has managed his country, having previously done so between 2018 to 2020 before he left to manage Barcelona.

Koeman, 63, said on Instagram: “Looking back on my career, I feel especially proud. I have worked with clubs and people that shaped me and gave me memories that I will cherish for a lifetime.

"We all dreamed of a World Cup in which we would write history. That didn't work out. No-one is more disappointed about that than me.”

Koeman also referenced his wife Bartina's battle with breast cancer. She previously beat the disease in 2010 but was diagnosed again in 2024 and is undergoing chemotherapy.

“Moreover, the past years have made me realise again that there are more important things than football,” Koeman added.

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"Football has been my life, but health is priceless. When someone you love is fighting a tough battle, your perspective changes."

In further fall out from the defeat the Royal Dutch Football Association (KNVB) said they will seek criminal charges against anyone who racially abused any of their players.

Kluivert, Timber and Summerville all missed their penalties and were subjected to discriminatory, racist and hateful comments on social media.

The KNVB said: “Once a report is filed, legal staff assess whether the statement constitutes a punishable offence. This can lead to a formal complaint being lodged with the Public Prosecution Service, which may then initiate a criminal investigation.”

Koeman became the third manager to leave his job at this World Cup following Sabri Lamouchi sacking by Tunisia following their 5-1 thrashing by Sweden in the opening game and Steve Clarke’s resignation from Scotland after they failed to get out of their group.

Newcastle United and England full-back Tino Livramento has had surgery after injury ruled him out of the World Cup, the Premier League club has confirmed.

Livramento was selected in Thomas Tuchel's England squad for World Cup 2026 and travelled to the United States, but was injured in training before the Three Lions' Group L opener against Croatia.

He will miss the start of pre-season but is expected to return for training in good time for the start of the Magpies' 2026-27 season.

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'A minor surgical procedure' for Newcastle's Livramento

"Newcastle United can confirm that Tino Livramento has successfully undergone a minor surgical procedure," read a short statement from his club.

"The defender, who returned from World Cup duty with an injury, is expected to return during pre-season. Everyone at the club wishes Tino a smooth and speedy recovery."

The 23-year-old has played six times for England, four under Tuchel and once as part of his former Under-21 boss Lee Carsley's final team selection as caretaker in November 2024.

Livramento, who joined Newcastle from Southampton in 2023, has already experienced a number of injury issues in his young career. Without them, he would undoubtedly have found his way onto the pitch at the World Cup.

Widely regarded as one of England's foremost full-back talents, Livramento has been held back by availability problems. He made just 17 Premier League appearances last season after playing in every league game but one in 2024-25.

England manager Tuchel didn't hide his emotion as he explained how the injury came about after Livramento had to leave the squad.

"I was very disappointed and very sad," said Tuchel. "All of us were.

"It was a little shock in training when he stopped training and he straight away had the feeling that this could be an injury that costs him the tournament and, unfortunately, he was right."

The full-back's target to return will be Newcastle's first game of next season, which sees them welcome Liverpool to St James' Park on Sunday, August 23.

England face DR Congo without Livramento in the round of 32 on Wednesday.

World Cup 2026 boasts not one but two Doues.

Desire Doue, the 21-year-old Paris Saint-Germain winger, has a ferocious reputation and back-to-back Champions League winner's medals to verify his exceptional abilities at Europe's newly dominant club.

Doue is at the World Cup with France and shares a last name with another player in another team. Guela Doue, 23 years old and playing for Strasbourg and Ivory Coast, is there too.

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Are Guela Doue and Desire Doue related?

Ivory Coast's Guela Doue and France Desire Doue are brothers from Angers in the west of France. Guela, the older of the two, is a defender who joined Strasbourg from Rennes two summers ago.

Like his younger brother, Guela is a dual citizen and directly eligible to play for Ivory Coast, which he did for the first time in March 2024. He was called up by Emerse Fae for the World Cup and has played in all four of the Elephants' matches.

The brothers were born to a French mother and Ivorian father, and Desire elected to represent his birth nation, France, at international level.

He also left Rennes in 2024 and has revealed himself to be one of European football's outstanding prospects.

Doue the younger has already won Ligue 1 twice as well as the Champions League in the same two seasons. Didier Deschamps will fancy a World Cup winner's medal to go with them.

There are other examples of brothers playing for different international teams over the years and a couple of them are also involved at World Cup 2026.

Sunderland midfielder Granit Xhaka has represented Switzerland with distinction since 2011 and is hoping to lead them beyond the round of 32. His brother is Taulant Xhaka, a former pro who played international football for Albania. Both were born in Kosovo.

Spain's Nico Williams is at the World Cup but suffered an injury courtesy of Uruguay's Nicolas de la Cruz at the end of the group stage.

His brother is Inaki Williams, who is in the Ghana squad and played in their 0-0 draw with England in the group stage.

Ghana's best World Cup performance to date came in 2010, when their squad included Berlin-born Kevin-Prince Boateng for the first time. His half-brother, Jerome Boateng, was there with Germany.

It has been a frustrating World Cup so far for Bukayo Saka, who has only started one of England’s three games having struggled with injuries in recent months.

The Arsenal winger came off the bench to register an assist in the 4-2 win over Croatia, but he could not make a similar impact in the goalless draw with Ghana.

He started against Panama and delivered the corner for Jude Bellingham’s opening goal, but Saka has yet to truly catch fire at the tournament.

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Neville and Wright express concern over Saka form

Saka has been a key player for England at recent major tournaments, but he admitted before the World Cup that he was “gambling” with his fitness.

And former England right-back Gary Neville has suggested the 24-year-old is still struggling.

“Bukayo Saka doesn’t look right at all,” Neville said on Sky Bet’s Stick to Football podcast. “He’s usually the boy that’s bubbling and smiling, he’s got that competitive edge to him, but he’s not right and that’s a concern to us I think.”

His sentiments were echoed by ex-England and Arsenal striker Ian Wright, who claimed Saka needs a longer rest.

“Has Bukayo Saka been rushed back?” Wright said. “We’re going into a World Cup, and still not starting the first few games, only starting when we’re three games in, and still isn’t looking like the Saka that we know – this guy needs a break.”

Noni Madueke has started on the right flank in two of England’s three matches so far, while Anthony Gordon was replaced on the left by Marcus Rashford after the Ghana draw.

And Wright highlighted that area of the pitch as a problem for Thomas Tuchel.

“I can’t remember too many tournaments where you’re feeling like you’re on the edge, I feel like that’s normal,” Wright said. “But there are a lot of people [in the England squad] who are not up to speed. Our wingers, and the way we depend on the wingers, are not doing well enough.”

Former Manchester United and Republic of Ireland midfielder Roy Keane also gave his verdict on England’s wide players.

“These players [wingers] haven’t quite grabbed their opportunity yet,” he said. “In the group games, you can maybe slip up in one of them, but now at least one of them has to start turning up.”

Cape Verde captain Ryan Mendes is being investigated by police in New Zealand over allegations of rape, according to reports.

The New Zealand Herald claims the 36-year-old, who is his country’s record goalscorer, has been accused of raping a Brazilian woman who worked with the team during a FIFA Series event earlier this year.

The woman has alleged that Mendes forced his way into her room at an Auckland hotel before raping her.

The player is under investigation and has not yet been charged.

It was previously reported in May that authorities were investigating a then-unamed Cape Verde footballer.

In a statement given to The Athletic, a FIFA spokesperson said: “FIFA takes any allegation of misconduct extremely seriously and has a clear process in place for anyone in football who wants to report an incident.

“As a general rule, please understand that the independent judicial bodies do not comment on allegations they may or may not have received, or whether or not investigations are underway into alleged cases. Any information they may like to share will be communicated at their discretion.

“FIFA is in contact with the New Zealand authorities. Please understand we cannot comment further at this stage.”

Mendes, who has been capped 100 times by Cape Verde, has played all three of his country’s matches at the World Cup.

The African nation have earned plaudits for remaining unbeaten in the group stage - drawing against European champions Spain, two-time winners Uruguay and Saudi Arabia - and progressing to the last 32, where they will meet champions Argentina.

Mendes is expected to start again as Cape Verde play Argentina in Miami on 3rd July.

Two other players at the World Cup are facing allegations of rape: Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi and Ghana’s Thomas Partey.

The latter, charged with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault in July 2025 by London’s Metropolitan Police, was denied entry to Canada for Ghana’s opening game against Panama, but played vs England in Boston.

Ivory Coast and Norway will fight it out for a place in the World Cup's last-16.

The World Cup's knockout stage is moving at pace with Ivory Coast and Norway the latest teams preparing to do battle in the round-of-32 on Tuesday evening

Emerse Fae's side are making their first-ever appearance in the tournament's latter rounds after automatically qualifying from Group E behind leaders Germany.

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Referee confirmed for Ivory Coast and Norway clash

The Vikings also reached the round-of-32 from Group I's runner-up as they failed to unseat tournament favourites France from top spot across their three matches.

But who will be refereeing this latest showdown at Arlington's Dallas Stadium?

Jesus Valenzuela has been appointed as the match official for this knockout clash.

The Venezuelan took charge of two World Cup group encounters this summer in Australia's win over Turkiye and Bosnia and Herezegovina's dismantling of Qatar.

He also oversaw two matches at the 2022 edition in Qatar as England and USA played out a goalless draw while France put Poland to the sword in a 3-1 victory.

Valenzuela boasts further international tournament experience after officiating in three Copa America, the Olympics as well as the FIFA Club World Cup twice.

But the 42-year-old is known for a ruthless disciplinary streak after doling out 1,908 yellow cards and 115 sendings-off in his 387 games as a professional referee.

Assisting Valenzuela will be compatriots Jose Urrego and Tulio Moreno while Paraguayan duo Juan Gabriel Benitez and Eduardo Cardozo will be on VAR duty.

Whoever wins the clash will face Brazil in the last-16 after Carlo Ancelotti's side snatched a late 2-1 victory over Japan at Houston Stadium on Monday evening.

New York New Jersey Stadium is set to host the next round tie on 5 July.

Following Canada’s 1-0 victory over South Africa at SoFi Stadium, The Athletic journalist Colin Millar noted a unique distinction achieved by match-winner Stephen Eustáquio.

By scoring a dramatic 92nd-minute goal to secure Canada’s first-ever knockout phase win, the midfielder technically became the first player who has represented Portugal at any international level to score a World Cup knockout goal while wearing the number 7 shirt.

Eustáquio, who currently wears the No. 7 jersey for Canada, was born in Ontario to Portuguese parents and represented Portugal at the Under-21 level before committing his senior international career to Canada in 2019.

Cristiano Ronaldo is STILL in search of a first World Cup knockout goal

The statistic highlights a notable omission in Cristiano Ronaldo's extensive career CV.

Despite being the all-time leading goalscorer in international men's football and featuring in multiple World Cups for Portugal, Ronaldo has never scored a goal during the knockout rounds of the tournament.

The statistical quirk emerges as Ronaldo and the current Portugal squad prepare for their own upcoming Round of 32 knockout match against Croatia in Toronto.

Ronaldo became the first man to score at six different World Cups with his brace against Uzbekistan during the group stage.

His goal haul is as follows:

2006 (Germany): 1 goal (vs. Iran)

2010 (South Africa): 1 goal (vs. North Korea)

2014 (Brazil): 1 goal (vs. Ghana)

2018 (Russia): 4 goals (Hat-trick vs. Spain, 1 vs. Morocco)

2022 (Qatar): 1 goal (vs. Ghana)

2026 (USA/Mexico/Canada): 2 goals (vs. Uzbekistan)

Elimination to Croatia, without finding the back of the net, would mean in all likelihood that CR7 retires from the game without that knockout goal.

Ronaldo has 10 FIFA World Cup goals, nine shy of record scorer Lionel Messi.

UAE Second Division side Arabian Falcons FC have made a statement signing ahead of the 2026/27 campaign, securing the addition of Premier League winner Danny Simpson as a player-coach.

The 39-year-old right-back has come out of retirement to join the Dubai-based club, where he will balance on-pitch duties with a role in the backroom staff of manager Jonjo Shelvey.

Simpson brings vast experience to the Falcons, most notably from his pivotal role in Leicester City’s historic 5,000/1 title-winning season in 2016, alongside promotions with Newcastle United, Sunderland, and QPR.

Jonjo Shelvey is getting the band back together

"The opportunity to join Jonjo and this exciting project was one I couldn’t turn down," Simpson said. "I still have plenty to offer on the pitch.

"The club has a clear plan, and I want to play my part in delivering a successful promotion-winning campaign," he said.

The signing reunites Simpson with a formidable contingent of former English top-flight stars. Manager Jonjo Shelvey, who earned six caps for England during a career spanning spells at Swansea City, Liverpool and Newcastle, took the managerial reins for the final five games of last season.

After narrowly missing out on promotion, Shelvey is preparing for his first full year in the dugout.

"Danny is the ideal signing—a Premier League champion with vast experience, leadership, and a winning mentality," Shelvey stated. "This is the start of us building a team I firmly believe can win promotion this season."

Further strengthening the club's leadership, the Falcons also confirmed a one-year contract extension for club captain Ravel Morrison. The former Manchester United prodigy will anchor the midfield alongside the guidance of co-owner and head of football operations Jason Puncheon.

"This signing sends a strong message about our ambition," Puncheon said, reiterating the club's short-term goal of reaching the UAE First Division.

Beyond first-team ambitions, the club has launched the Arabian Falcons Academy. Led by the experienced quartet of Shelvey, Simpson, Morrison, and Puncheon, the academy will establish a development pathway for youth prospects across the UAE.

The Falcons' journey will be captured in an upcoming behind-the-scenes documentary tracking the team throughout the 2026/27 season.

The Netherlands opened the scoring against Morocco in their Round of 32 clash at the 2026 World Cup courtesy of Cody Gakpo's second half strike.

Liverpool winger Gakpo moved within one goal of equalling Johnny Rep's record as the highest goalscorer in Dutch World Cup history.

The 27-year-old was put through on goal by teammate Crysencio Summerville who met Wout Weghorst's flick on and ran clear of the Morocco backline.

Cody Gakpo in muted Netherlands celebration after family tragedy

After sweeping in the Dutch opener, Gakpo broke down on the pitch in what was a muted celebration given the significance of his goal.

The Netherlands bench emptied and ran to join the Reds' winger inside the Morocco penalty area, consoling and congratulating Gakpo.

Gakpo started the match despite spending the past 48 hours surrounded by family following the passing of his and his partner's unborn child.

Dutch national team boss Ronald Koeman and skipper Virgil van Dijk both praised the couple's strength during this incredibly difficult time.

“We have done what was within our power in ​terms of support, as players, as staff,” Koeman said.

“Of course, the ​first few days he had the freedom to go out to his family and be with them. He dealt with it very well, there ​was never a moment where he said ‘I want to go ​back, I want to be with the family’.”

Van Dijk referenced the respect he feels for his club and international teammate, specifically in how Gakpo and his family had dealt with the situation.

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“The most important ​thing is to ⁠ask: ‘What do you need?’ It’s awful news and it shows that football is secondary. There ​are more important things in life. It’s very ​sad but ⁠Cody deals with it."

Gakpo has scored three goals and registered one assist for the Netherlands at the 2026 World Cup, netting a brace against Sweden before his Round of 32 heroics.

It ended in heartbreak. Japan failed to win a World Cup knock-out game for the first time, losing to Brazil in the sixth minute of stoppage time to go out at the round of 32 stage.

A habit of losing big matches from a position of strength is an unpleasant one for Samurai Blue, but the ongoing improvement continues in spite of the brutal manner of their World Cup 2026 exit.

In a squad with many bright players with big futures ahead of them, goalkeeper Zion Suzuki might be the biggest of all.

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Suzuki was beaten by Casemiro’s header in the second half but came up with a pair of sensational saves either side of Brazil’s equaliser. The second, which denied Vinicius Jr one of the best goals at the World Cup, was every bit as good as the goal would have been.

Gabriel Martinelli won it very late for Brazil but Suzuki’s story is just getting started.

So, who is Zion Suzuki and what should you know about him?

1. He was born in the state where the World Cup final will be played

Unlike the other 25 members of Japan’s squad, Suzuki was born outside Japan. He took his first breaths in Newark, New Jersey, the home of the three-time NHL champion New Jersey Devils.

Around 10 miles from The Rock is New York New Jersey Stadium in East Rutherford, where the World Cup final will be played on Sunday, July 19.

Suzuki’s family moved to the Japanese city of Saitama.

2. He has only played eight league matches in Japan

Suzuki was raised in the former Urawa sector of Saitama and learned the game in his new home town.

The 23-year-old turned professional with the local J.League club but played only eight times in J1 for Urawa Red Diamonds. He was loaned to the Belgian side Sint-Truiden and signed for Serie A outfit Parma in 2024.

His eight senior appearances for the Reds were split across two seasons and outnumbered by matches in Japan’s Levain Cup, the equivalent of the League Cup.

3. He is a Champions League winner

Despite not being a first-team regular at Urawa, Suzuki made four appearances in the AFC Champions League in 2022.

The Reds won the title for the third time and beat Saudi Pro League team Al-Hilal over two legs in the final.

Suzuki didn’t feature in either of the final legs but received a medal and became a continental champion at 20 years of age.

4. He is Parma’s second Japanese player

When he joined the Gialloblu two years ago, Suzuki followed in the footsteps of arguably the greatest footballer ever exported by Japan.

Hidetoshi Nakata, now a sake entrepreneur and still impossibly stylish, signed for Parma from Roma in 2001.

Nakata went on to play for Bologna, Fiorentina and Bolton Wanderers, and played 77 times in a decade-long senior international career.

5. He can become Japan’s most-capped goalkeeper

Suzuki is bearing down on his 30th cap and doesn’t turn 24 until August. He could feasibly play for his country for another decade and that way records lie.

Japan’s most-capped goalkeeper is Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi, who played 116 times for Samurai Blue before hanging up his gloves in 2010.

If Suzuki is on track to catch up with the former Yokohama F. Marinos and Portsmouth stopper, the all-time caps record of Yasuhito Endo might just be out of reach at 152 – not least with 146-cap defender Yuto Nagatomo still playing at 39.

6. He doesn’t have any competition for the number one shirt

Suzuki is the most-capped goalkeeper by far in the Japanese World Cup squad.

Keisuke Osaka and Tomoki Hayakawa have 15 appearances between them. Both are older than Suzuki and played for J1 big-hitters in Sanfrecce Hiroshima and Kashima Antlers, the reigning champions.

There are almost no caps among the other goalkeepers called up by Hajime Moriyasu. Nagoya Grampus goalkeeper Alexandre Pisano, who has one cap at 20 years old, could still switch to Canada.

7. He could have played for the United States

An American citizen by birth, Suzuki was eligible to play for the United States at international level. Indeed, he was reportedly tracked by US Soccer, with the governing body keen to bring him in at youth levels.

Instead, he was a Japanese international by the under-15 stage and has continued to play for his mother’s country ever since.

Suzuki’s father is Ghanaian, making his son directly eligible for three national teams. There’s no obvious suggestion his intentions ever wavered.

8. He spent 15 years at Urawa Red Diamonds

Suzuki only played a handful of senior matches for Urawa but his association with the Reds was a long one.

He joined the club’s academy set-up at six years old and remained on the club’s books until 2024, when his permanent transfer to Emilia-Romagna was sealed.

He signed a five-year contract with the Italian club despite a previous agreement to stay with Sint-Truiden, where he was part of a succession of Japanese goalkeepers.

9. He only played 20 times in Serie A last season

He’s well established as Parma’s number one but 2025-26 wasn’t the season Suzuki would have wanted in the build-up to a major international tournament.

The goalkeeper fractured a bone in his hand while playing against AC Milan in November and missed four months of football. He featured in just 20 Serie A matches in what might have been his final season in Italy.

10. He could be on the move this summer

Suzuki’s name has been persistently linked with big European clubs in need of an upgrade or a refresh in the goalkeeper department. Chelsea and Manchester United have both been credited with an interest in the last couple of years.

Now, it’s Aston Villa and Newcastle United who are reportedly keen to acquire his services.

After a World Cup that delivered a string of high-quality saves to advance his reputation, his agent’s phone might be ringing sooner rather than later.