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England World Cup 2026 Squad: Thomas Tuchel’s team make final preparations ahead of final group game vs Panama with O'Reilly and Rashford in contention to start

Mark White — Fri, 26 Jun 2026 16:55:13 +0000

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Thomas Tuchel has made his major tournament debut – the Three Lions’ first without Gareth Southgate since Euro 2016 – with huge expectations on his shoulders.

A famously street-wise Croatia team were comfortably dispatched 4-2, but a subborn, organised Ghana team frustrated England and caused them some scares on the counter. Up front, England have an enviable menu of talent to select from, but at the back things aren't are more limited as Tuchel searches for a settled back four.

England were the first European nation to qualify for the World Cup and are one of the favourites – but with several other nations also looking sharp, the Three Lions must put on a convincing display vs Panama who are ranked more than 20 places higher than Ghana in the FIFA World Rankings.

England's squad is strong. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Luke Shaw and Lewis Hall all missed out at full-back, while Harry Maguire didn't make the plan either. Adam Wharton, Jarrod Bowen, Conor Gallagher, and Levi Colwill aren't there but Trevoh Chalobah earned a late call up, replacing the injured Tino Livramento.

Ivan Toney was a surprise pick among the forwards, Jordan Henderson makes history playing at a seventh tournament with his country, and faith has been placed in the likes of Dan Burn, Noni Madueke and Jarrel Quansah who are all at their first international tournaments.

Thomas Tuchel – England Manager

(Image credit: Getty Images)

If you can’t beat them, hire them. Fed up with being repeatedly dumped out of tournaments by Germany down the years, the FA appointed Bavarian Thomas Tuchel from January 2025. A Champions League winner with Chelsea, the 52-year-old has a reputation as a cunning-if-confrontational winner. Time to prove it.

Mood

The sky is the limit for this squad (Image credit: Getty Images)

That belief has only strengthened following England’s perfect qualifying campaign: eight wins from eight, 22 goals scored, none conceded. The latter statistic makes them the only qualifier to reach the USA, Mexico and Canada without conceding even once – a remarkable statistic, especially given England’s defence is arguably their weakest facet. Jordan Pickford may be jittery when making 15-yard passes around his own box, but a fifth major tournament is proof of the 32-year-old goalkeeper’s No.1 status.

Tuchel’s defining tweak so far has been Elliot Anderson’s emergence as his midfield fulcrum. The Nottingham Forest anchor man made his debut in a 2-0 win against Andorra last September and has since nailed down his spot next to Declan Rice. Anderson’s positional awareness, workrate and tidy passing allow Rice to maraud, which gives the Three Lions greater balance at both ends of the pitch.

Tuchel also appears to have solved the great head scratcher over who to select as England’s No.10 – Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden or Cole Palmer – by, erm, playing Morgan Rogers instead. The decision may have been initially foisted upon him by injury, but it’s further evidence of Tuchel’s defiant streak and ability to find wily solutions that the former Lincoln loanee seems likely to keep the shirt.

England are once again among the bookies’ favourites to lift the World Cup, despite a yawning 60-year gap since their last major men’s success. Croatia, Ghana and Panama could prove tough assignments in the group stage, especially given the uncomfortable heat and humidity awaiting across the Atlantic. Forget the No.10 issue – the factor 50 is much more relevant.

Semi-finalists in 2018, quarter-finalists in 2022 and twice European runners-up – it really is win or bust this time.

Squad

England World Cup 2026 squad

Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice have both had long seasons with Arsenal, and have brought niggling injuries with them to the World Cup. Therefore rotation will be important (Image credit: Getty Images)

GK: Jordan Pickford (Everton)
GK: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace)
GK: James Trafford (Manchester City)
DF: Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa)
DF: Nico O'Reilly (Manchester City)
DF: John Stones (Manchester City)
DF: Marc Guehi (Manchester City)
DF: Trevoh Chalobah (Chelsea)*
DF: Dan Burn (Newcastle United)
DF: Reece James (Chelsea)
DF: Djed Spence (Tottenham Hotspur)
DF: Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen)
MF: Declan Rice (Arsenal)
MF: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest)
MF: Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)
MF: Jordan Henderson (Brentford)
MF: Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United)
MF: Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa)
MF: Eberechi Eze (Arsenal)
FW: Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
FW: Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)
FW: Marcus Rashford (Barcelona)
FW: Anthony Gordon (Barcelona)
FW: Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)
FW: Noni Madueke (Arsenal)
FW: Ivan Toney (Al-Ahli)

*Replaced the injured Tino Livramento (Newcastle United)

What did Thomas Tuchel say after England's draw vs Ghana?

On not losing belief:

"The boys tried everything and again they played with the right energy. I know it's a very different game and, in this case, if one team tries to play and to run against this deep block and you don't find the spaces, it is difficult for you to create chances... It is not as exciting as two teams trying to win it in a more open game. We always try to entertain our fans. It was difficult today. I hope they don't lose belief. It is a long way to go."

Dismissing the 'wake up' call narrative

"No, we don't need a wake-up call. Everyone is alert, and everyone is fully committed... There was no overconfidence in our game, not at all. If anything, there was maybe in some moments a bit of overcautious play, but we were never overconfident.

"It’s very important that the highs don’t get too high and the lows get not too low, and today anyway is not a low. It’s just a difficult match of football, which can happen any time."

On the reliance on Harry Kane

"I mean, does Argentina rely too heavily on Messi and France rely too heavily on Kylian Mbappé? It's just what it is. To rely on Harry, it's just a natural thing because he loves the responsibility and he takes it... We rely on Harry because we can, because he's our forward, but we don't over-rely on him."

England results and next games

England Fixtures

June 27, 2026: Panama vs England, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, United States
September 26, 2026: England vs Spain, Wembley Stadium, London, England
September 29, 2026: Czech Republic vs England, Fortuna Arena, Prague, Czech Republic
October 3, 2026: Croatia vs England, Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb, Croatia
October 6, 2026: England vs Czech Republic, Wembley Stadium, London, England
November 12, 2026: England vs Croatia, Wembley Stadium, London, England
November 15, 2026: Spain vs England, Venue TBC, Spain

Jude Bellingham warms up (Image credit: Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images)

England's World Cup kick-off times

Date	Round	Fixture	UK Kick-Off Time (BST)
Wednesday 17 June	Group Stage	England vs Croatia	9:00pm
Tuesday 23 June	Group Stage	England vs Ghana	9:00pm
Saturday 27 June	Group Stage	Panama vs England	10:00pm

England results

June 23, 2026: England 0-0 Ghana, Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, United States
June 17, 2026: England 4-2 Croatia, AT&T Stadium, Arlington, United States
June 10, 2026: England 3-0 Costa Rica, Inter&Co Stadium Orlando, United States
June 6, 2026: England 1-0 New Zealand, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, United States
March 31, 2026: England 0-1 Japan, Wembley Stadium, London, England
March 27, 2026: England 1-1 Uruguay, Wembley Stadium, London, England
November 16, 2025: Albania 0-2 England, Arena Kombetare, Tirana, Albania
November 13, 2025: England 2-0 Serbia, Wembley Stadium, London, England
October 14, 2025: Latvia 0-5 England, Daugava Stadium, Riga, Latvia
October 9, 2025: England 3-0 Wales, Wembley Stadium, London, England
September 9, 2025: Serbia 0-5 England, Rajko Mitic Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia
September 6, 2025: England 2-0 Andorra, Villa Park, Birmingham, England
June 10, 2025: England 1-3 Senegal, City Ground, Nottingham, England
June 7, 2025: Andorra 0-1 England, RCDE Stadium, Barcelona, Spain
March 24, 2025: England 3-0 Latvia, City Ground, Nottingham, England
March 21, 2025: England 2-0 Albania, Wembley Stadium, London, England

Group L standings

England are in Group L at World Cup 2026.

England's star player

Harry Kane

Harry Kane is England's all-time leading goalscorer (Image credit: Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The England skipper finally got his hands on the first trophy of his career last season, helping Bayern Munich to the Bundesliga title with a superb 26 goals and 10 assists in 31 league appearances.

Kane, who is ranked at no.1 in FourFourTwo's list of the best strikers in the world right now, has a massive part to play for England as he looks to tick off another major career milestone at next year's World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the USA.

With 112 caps and 78 goals to his name already for the Three Lions, and will be hoping to boost both tallies as Tuchel's side aim for their first World Cup triumph since 1966.

Most likely to happen

Get completely carried away following a win over opening group-stage opponents Croatia in Texas. Flare, meet rectum – this time, it’s definitely coming home.

Least likely to happen

Get arrested. Not a single England fan was banged up in Qatar, prompting cheap jokes from FIFA impresario Gianni Infantino, whose grovelling apology was deliciously withering.

What they hope will happen

An honorary knighthood for confirmed Anglophile Tuchel after a nail-biting, penalty shootout win over his birth nation in New Jersey’s final.

What will happen

Three skied penalties in a tearful semi-final shootout exit. Tuchel replaced by an English manager after a national inquiry.

Predicted Starting XI vs Panama

England Predicted XI vs Panama (4-2-3-1): Pickford; James, Konsa, Guehi, O’Reilly; Anderson, Rice; Saka, Bellingham, Rashford; Kane

Panama predicted XI

(5-4-1) Mosquera; Murillo, Ramos, Córdoba, Andrade, Blackman; Rodríguez, Martínez, Harvey, Bárcenas; Fajardo

England vs Panama Prediction

Following a flat, frustrating 0-0 draw against Ghana, Thomas Tuchel will demand a reaction from his players to secure top spot in Group L. Panama has already been eliminated after two tight 1-0 defeats, meaning they are playing purely for pride. While they are a more disciplined defensive unit than the team England famously routed 6-1 in 2018, the gulf in quality is just too wide.

Tuchel will likely demand a more aggressive approach to avoid another dull stalemate against a low block. Bukayo Saka and Jude Bellingham will be tasked with injecting pace and verticality to break down Panama's predicted five-man defence.

Harry Kane rarely stays quiet for long. After missing a close-range chance late in the Ghana game, he'll be desperate to get back on the scoresheet and keep up with Mbappe, Haaland and Messi in the race for the Golden Boot — especially against an opponent he scored a hat-trick against in Russia.

FourFourTwo's score prediction: England 3-0 Panama, Harry Kane to score twice.

Iraq World Cup 2026 squad: Graham Arnold's 26-man selection ahead of group stage test against Norway

Michael Yokhin — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 21:27:00 +0000

The Iraq World Cup 2026 squad playing in the United States this summer is an indication of how the world can change, given the time to do so. There are other visitors whose position Iraqi fans might recognise.

World Cup 2026 represents Iraq's first appearance at the World Cup since 1986. They lost all three group fixtures and went out, only two return after decades of war under the guidance of Australian manager Graham Arnold this summer.

Iraq needed the inter-confederation play-offs to book their place, beating Bolivia to set up tantalising Group I fixtures against Norway, France and Senegal.

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At World Cup 1986 in Mexico, the Iraqi team made up the numbers. They were beaten by Mexico, Paraguay and Belgium, scoring only once in their defeat at the hands of the excellent Red Devils.

The Gulf nation's journey back to the finals has been impossibly complicated for obvious reasons that have nothing to do with football. After nine World Cups away, in the current geopolitical climate, the meaning of Iraq returning and playing in the United States outstrips whatever happens on the pitch.

Arnold's squad for the play-off final was packed with international experience. Striker Aymen Hussein has more than 90 senior caps, and only five of his fellow squad members arrive at the World Cup short of double figures.

Leagues in Thailand, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Uzbekistan, Czech Republic, Poland, the Netherlands, Cyprus, Italy, Denmark, Norway and England are all represented.

Mood

Iraq’s only previous World Cup campaign was in 1986, when just two Asian teams qualified. Now there are nine, and Iraq were last to seal their place via the intercontinental play-offs, but the country is even more excited than 40 years ago.

Then, they were ruled by Saddam Hussein, whose son Uday handed out tyrannical treatment to the national team before they lost all three games in Mexico. Now the country is free.

Being drawn into the World Cup’s toughest group alongside France, Norway and Senegal makes the chance of progress slim, but securing their first ever point at the tournament would be a success.

Lesson from qualifying

Keep persevering. The road was long, and Iraq failed numerous times during the 21 matches they needed to reach the World Cup. Spanish boss Jesus Casas was sacked last April, replaced by Australian Graham Arnold and his assistant Rene Meulensteen – it was an inspired decision.

Arnold found a system that suits his players, even though it’s hardly the most attractive, and the team showed great spirit to overcome the UAE in the Asian play-off, then Bolivia in the intercontinental play-off.

Squad

Iraq World Cup 2026 squad: The final selection

GK: Fahad Talib (Al-Talaba)
GK: Jalal Hassan (Al-Zawraa)
GK: Ahmed Basil (Al-Shorta)
DF: Rebin Sulaka (Port)
DF: Hussein Ali (Pogon Szczecin)
DF: Zaid Tahseen (Pakhtakor)
DF: Akam Hashim (Al-Zawraa)
DF: Manaf Younis (Al-Shorta)
DF: Ahmed Yahya (Al-Shorta)
DF: Merchas Doski (Viktoria Plzen)
DF: Mustafa Saadoon (Al-Shorta)
DF: Frans Putros (Persib)
MF: Youssef Amyn (AEK Larnaca)
MF: Ibrahim Bayesh (Al-Dhafra)
MF: Ahmed Qasem (Nashville SC)
MF: Zidane Iqbal (Utrecht)
MF: Amir Al-Ammari (Cracovia)
MF: Ali Jasim (Al-Najma)
MF: Kevin Yakob (AGF)
MF: Aimar Sher (Sarpsborg)
MF: Marko Farji (Venezia)
MF: Zaid Ismail (Al-Talaba)
FW: Ali Al-Hamadi (Ipswich Town)
FW: Mohanad Ali (Dibba)
FW: Ali Yousif (Al-Talaba)
FW: Aymen Hussein (Al-Karma)

Fixtures

June 16, 2026: Iraq vs Norway, Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, United States
June 22, 2026: France vs Iraq, Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, United States
June 26, 2026: Senegal vs Iraq, BMO Field, Toronto, Canada

Group I standings

Iraq are in Group I at World Cup 2026.

Manager

Who is Iraq's manager?

Iraq manager Graham Arnold (Image credit: Getty Images)

Graham Arnold knows the score. The former Australia forward started his coaching career in 1989 and took on his first international head coach role 20 years ago. That was the first of two spells in charge of the Australian national team, in between which he's lent his services to clubs in the A-League and the J.League in Japan.

In his second spell as manager of the Socceroos, Arnold steered Australia to the round of 16 at World Cup 2022. There, they were defeated by eventual winners Argentina in Al-Rayyan.

Arnold resigned 18 months ago after some disappointing results in World Cup qualifying. He was soon snapped up to lead Iraq to World Cup 2026. Talk about getting the job done.

Iraq's Star Player

Who is Iraq's star player?

Mohanad Ali of Iraq (Image credit: Getty Images)

While a handful of Iraq's players are playing regular football in some of the most competitiveleagues in Europe Mohanad Ali is becoming the headline act.

Ali is 25 years of age and has collected 70 caps. His 27 goals leave him a long way behind legendary striker Hussein Saeed, but time and an increasingly busy international calendar are on his side in that regard.

The Baghdad-born striker had two long spells at the city's Al-Shorta club before a 2025 move to the United Arab Emirates and Dibba of Dibba Al-Fujairah, where he has scored six goals in his first 18 league appearances.

Sweden squad World Cup 2026 ahead of the game against Tunisia

Kedar Bayley — Tue, 24 Mar 2026 13:20:39 +0000

The Sweden World Cup 2026 squad has been decided, following the nation's successful March qualification.

Blagult made history with their World Cup 2026 qualification, managing to make the tournament without actually winning a single game in their group – which Switzerland eventually won.

But after qualifying through the Nations League to make March's play-offs, the Swedish take their place among 48 tournament squads – and are the second nation to announce their final 26 players after Bosnia & Herzegovina.

Regardless of qualification form, any team with this firepower will be a threat, with manager Graham Potter boasting Liverpool's Alexander Isak and Arsenal's Viktor Gyokeres in the same frontline, with the likes of Anthony Elanga, Yasin Ayari and Lucas Bergvall familiar faces to Premier League fans, too.

Not all of their biggest stars have made it, however: Tottenham Hotspur's Dejan Kulusevski hasn't made an appearance all season due to injury and will miss out on this tournament as a result.

This will be the first time that the Swedish national side have been to the World Cup since 2018: on that occasion, they rejected the advances of Zlatan Ibrahimovic – who reversed his decision to come out of retirement and play in Russia – and bucked expectations to reach the quarter-finals, where Gareth Southgate's England eventually knocked them out.

The last time that Sweden went to a World Cup with an English manager, they went all the way to the final: OK, that was in 1958 under George Raynor, but some back home will be hoping for a few more surprises from the Scandinavians along the way this time around, too.

The Mood

The Blagult’s qualification was extremely unusual, and some consider it unjust. They didn’t win any of their six group games – finishing bottom, losing twice to Kosovo – but made the play-offs via the Nations League.

In that competition, they’d topped their group in November 2024, although only because they were in the easier League C, having been relegated during the previous edition. That relegation inadvertently helped them – in March’s World Cup play-offs, they beat Ukraine and Poland to qualify.

Their trip to North America will bring back memories of USA 94, when Sweden impressively finished third – they’ll travel with optimism, hoping their crisis is well and truly over.

Squad

Sweden World Cup 2026 squad: The final squad

GK: Kristoffer Nordfeldt (AIK)
GK: Viktor Johansson (Stoke City)
GK: Jacob Widell Zetterstrom (Derby County)
DF: Victor Lindelof (Aston Villa)
DF: Isak Hien (Atalanta)
DF: Gabriel Gudmundsson (Leeds United)
DF: Carl Starfelt (Celta Vigo)
DF: Herman Johansson (FC Dallas)
DF: Hjalmar Ekdal (Burnley)
DF: Daniel Svensson (Borussia Dortmund)
DF: Gustaf Lagerbielke (Braga)
DF: Eric Smith (FC St. Pauli)
DF: Elliot Stroud (Mjallby AIF)
MF: Mattias Svanberg (VfL Wolfsburg)
MF: Jesper Karlstrom (Udinese)
MF: Yasin Ayari (Brighton & Hove Albion)
MF: Lucas Bergvall (Tottenham Hotspur)
MF: Besfort Zeneli (Union Saint-Gilloise)
FW: Alexander Isak (Liverpool)
FW: Viktor Gyokeres (Arsenal)
FW: Ken Sema (Pafos)
FW: Anthony Elanga (Newcastle United)
FW: Benjamin Nygren (Celtic)
FW: Alexander Bernhardsson (Holstein Kiel)
FW: Gustaf Nilsson (Club Brugge)
FW: Taha Ali (Malmo FF)

Fixtures and results

Fixtures

June 14, 2026: Sweden vs Tunisia, Estadio BBVA, Guadalupe, Mexico
June 20, 2026: Netherlands vs Sweden, NRG Stadium, Houston, United States
June 25, 2026: Japan vs Sweden, AT&T Stadium, Arlington, United States

Who is Sweden's manager?

Graham Potter is now with Sweden's national side (Image credit: Getty Images)

Graham Potter is widely known for his managerial success with Brighton, where he led the club to its record top-flight points tally during his first season at the helm.

The Englishman went on to equal this record the following year, then broke it again in his third season with 51 points and a ninth-placed Premier League finish for the Seagulls.

Potter went on to manage Chelsea for 31 games in what many labelled a failure, followed by a similarly short stint with West Ham, before taking the Sweden job in October 2025.

Sweden's Star Player

Who is Sweden's star player?

Viktor Gyokeres of Sweden (Image credit: Getty Images)

Viktor Gyokeres is yet to hit the staggering heights of his 2024/25 season with Sporting, but with his new team sat atop the Premier League, it’s hard to imagine him caring.

The 27-year-old, who ranked 13th in FourFourTwo’s list of the best strikers in the world, is Arsenal’s top goalscorer domestically and their second-highest goalscorer in Europe.

Despite his underwhelming performances in Sweden’s World Cup qualification games, failing to score in all four of his matches, the striker is sure to be the difference-maker if his nation wants to secure a place in this summer’s tournament.

Best XI

DR Congo World Cup 2026 squad: Sebastian Desabre's final selection

Mark White — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 15:47:03 +0000

The DR Congo World Cup 2026 squad will be the first to participate in the finals since 1974, when they competed as Zaire.

The Leopards earned 22 points in their World Cup 2026 qualification group but finished second behind Senegal, having to secure their spot as the penultimate side at the tournament with an interconfederational play-off victory.

Sebastian Desabre has now named a side with plenty of recognisable faces, but has made some big decisions, too: former Newcastle United star Chancel Mbemba will captain the team, with current Toon star Yoane Wissa looking for better form this summer than he's had following his move to Tyneside.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Axel Tuanzebe go to their first World Cups since switching allegiance from England – but Belgium-born Mario Stroeykens and France-born Warren Bondo both miss out after declaring for DR Congo, along with highly-rated former Manchester United and France youth defender Willy Kambwala.

It'll be popular with plenty of fans that Desabre is backing the players who got them here in the first place, and there's every chance that the central African nation could make the next round, given that one win would be enough to guarantee passage to a knockout.

Portugal and Colombia are expected to fight it out for the automatic spots, but if DR Congo could snatch just a draw from one of them, before beating Uzbekistan, they'll almost certainly reach the last-32.

This tournament has been a long time coming, but with several big hitters, there's hope that the Sky Blues might just spring a few shocks.

Squad

DR Congo World Cup 2026 squad: The final selection

GK: Lionel Mpasi (Le Havre)
GK: Timothy Fayulu (Noah)
GK: Matthieu Epolo (Standard Liege)
DF: Chancel Mbemba (Lille)
DF: Arthur Masuaku (Lens)
DF: Gedeon Kalulu (Aris Limassol)
DF: Joris Kayembe (Genk)
DF: Dylan Batubinsika (AEL)
DF: Axel Tuanzebe (Burnley)
DF: Aaron Wan-Bissaka (West Ham United)
DF: Rocky Bushiri (Hibernian)
DF: Steve Kapuadi (Widzew Lodz)
MF: Meschak Elia (Alanyaspor)
MF: Samuel Moutoussamy (Atromitos)
MF: Edo Kayembe (Watford)
MF: Charles Pickel (Espanyol)
MF: Gael Kakuta (AEL)
MF: Noah Sadiki (Sunderland)
MF: Nathanael Mbuku (Montpellier)
MF: Ngal'ayel Mukau (Lille)
MF: Brian Cipenga (Castellon)
FW: Cedric Bakambu (Real Betis)
FW: Theo Bongonda (Spartak Moscow)
FW: Fiston Mayele (Pyramids)
FW: Yoane Wissa (Newcastle United)
FW: Simon Banza (Al Jazira)

Fixtures and results

Fixtures

June 17, 2026: Portugal v DR Congo, NRG Stadium, Houston, United States
June 24, 2026: Colombia v DR Congo, Estadio Akron, Zapopan, Mexico
June 28, 2026: DR Congo v Uzbekistan, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, United States

Who is DR Congo's manager?

Sebastien Desabre is well-versed in African football.

The Frenchman had coached in eight African countries before taking the DR Congo job in 2022, and he is has now taken the country back to the world stage after 52 years.

Remarkably, the 49-year-old has no playing career to speak of, instead moving straight into management at 30 years old.

DR Congo's star player

Who is DR Congo's star player?

Chancel Mbemba is DR Congo's current captain (Image credit: Getty Images)

Among the array of talent in the Congolese ranks, one stands head and shoulders above the rest.

Centre-back Chancel Mbemba is the Leopards' captain and all-time record appearance maker, with 107 caps.

He exemplifies the improvement in this team, going from unreliable at Newcastle to dependable at Porto, then exceptional at Marseille and now Lille.

Best XI

Czechia squad World Cup 2026: Miroslav Koubek's 26-man selection to face South Africa after opening-day defeat

Michael Yokhin — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 15:40:53 +0000

Czechia's first World Cup finals match for exactly 20 years ended in a frustrating loss after the European Championship regulars took the lead.

They're in World Cup 2026 Group A with Mexico, South Africa and South Korea, losing to the Taegeuk Warriors in their opening fixture despite a familiar and solid spine comprising Matej Kovar in goal, Tomas Holes in defence, Tomas Soucek in midfield and Patrik Schick leading the line.

The qualification line is expected to be somewhere between three and four points. With South Africa up next and co-hosts Mexico still to come, Miroslav Koubek's team aren't out of it yet. They just have some work to do.

Those key stars made the squad along with Adam Hlozek and Pavel Sulc, while defenders Ladislav Krejci and Lukas Provod are both players to watch, too.

Perhaps the biggest name missing out on a place is Vítezslav Jaros, at Ajax on loan from Liverpool, and not deemed to be one of the top seven goalkeepers in the country – Tottenham's Antonin Kinsky isn't either and remains uncapped.

This may be the first time since the days of Tomas Rosicky and Petr Cech that the Czechs grace the world stage with their presence, but with a couple of quarter-finals under their belt at the Euros since then, they'll be confident of upsetting the odds.

Mood

Czech Republic have leaders everywhere – Matej Kovar in goal, Ladislav Krejci in defence, Soucek in midfield, Pavel Sulc as a playmaker and Patrik Schick [pictured] in attack form a solid backbone (Image credit: Getty Images)

As mentioned, Czech Republic have qualified for every European Championship since reaching the final in 1996. Quite remarkably, they’d only made it to one World Cup during that same period. That was in 2006, when a side led by Pavel Nedved were considered to be dark horses by many, yet crashed out in the group stage.

Now, 20 years on, they’re back against all odds. The squad is much less talented and expectations are lower, but that might actually work in their favour. This team has no superstars, but they work together under new boss Miroslav Koubek.

Squad

Czech Republic World Cup 2026 squad

GK: Matěj Kovář (PSV Eindhoven)
GK: Jindřich Staněk (Slavia Prague)
GK: Lukáš Horníček (Braga)
DF: David Zima (Slavia Prague)
DF: Tomáš Holeš (Slavia Prague)
DF: Robin Hranáč (TSG Hoffenheim)
DF: Vladimír Coufal (TSG Hoffenheim)
DF: Štěpán Chaloupek (Slavia Prague)
DF: Ladislav Krejčí (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
DF: David Jurásek (Slavia Prague)
DF: Jaroslav Zelený (Sparta Prague)
DF: David Douděra (Slavia Prague)
MF: Vladimír Darida (Hradec Králové)
MF: Lukáš Červ (Viktoria Plzeň)
MF: Lukáš Provod (Slavia Prague)
MF: Michal Sadílek (Slavia Prague)
MF: Tomáš Souček (West Ham United)
MF: Alexandr Sojka (Viktoria Plzeň)
MF: Hugo Sochůrek (Sparta Prague)
FW: Adam Hložek (TSG Hoffenheim)
FW: Patrik Schick (Bayer Leverkusen)
FW: Jan Kuchta (Sparta Prague)
FW: Mojmír Chytil (Slavia Prague)
FW: Pavel Šulc (Lyon)
FW: Tomáš Chorý (Slavia Prague)
FW: Denis Višinský (Viktoria Plzeň)

Fixtures and results

Fixtures

June 18, 2026: Czech Republic vs South Africa, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, United States
June 25, 2026: Czech Republic vs Mexico, Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico
September 26, 2026: Czech Republic vs Croatia, TBD
September 29, 2026: Czech Republic vs England, TBD
October 03, 2026: Spain vs Czech Republic, TBD
October 06, 2026: England vs Czech Republic, TBD
November 12, 2026: Czech Republic vs Spain, TBD
November 15, 2026: Croatia vs Czech Republic, TBD

Who is Czech Republic's manager?

Czech Republic manager Miroslav Koubek will become the oldest manager ever at a World Cup, but only for three days until Dick Advocaat's first World Cup game with Curacao on June 14 (Image credit: Getty Images)

The managerial career of 74-year-old Czech Republic boss Miroslav Koubek began in 1983. The Prague-born former goalkeeper has worked almost exclusively in what is now the Czech Republic, winning the league title as a relative veteran in 2015 during his second spell with Viktoria Plzen.

Subsequent periods as head coach of Bohemians and Hradec Kralove were followed by an impressive third stint in charge of Plzen, which ultimately led to Koubek's appointment as national team coach.

The Czechs' failure to qualify automatically for the World Cup spelled the end for former boss Ivan Hasek. Jaroslav Kostl oversaw the 6-0 win over Gibraltar in November before Koubek was given the job on a permanent basis.

He will become the oldest manager in World Cup history – South Africa’s Hugo Broos will hold the record for just seven hours, surpassing former Greece boss Otto Rehhagel, before Czech Republic play later on the tournament’s opening day.

But Koubek will hold the record for just three days, until Dick Advocaat manages Curacao in their first match on June 14.

Czech Republic's Star Player

Who is Czech Republic's star player?

Patrik Schick of Czech Republic (Image credit: Getty Images)

Soucek is the Czech Republic captain and one of the most recognisable names to fans of the Premier League, but it's hard to look past the goalscoring record of Patrik Schick when looking for the player most likely to make an impact at World Cup 2026.

Now 30 years old, the imposing Bayer Leverkusen striker has perhaps fallen slightly short of the expectations many observers had for his international career, primarily because of injury and his team's lack of World Cup presence, but 24 goals in 50 appearances tells its own story.

Schick is a treble winner with Leverkusen and an occasional scorer of spectacular goals. He netted four times in the qualifying group and another couple in March would go a long way.

Best XI

Turkiye World Cup 2026 squad: Vincenzo Montella's team for opening game against Australia

Mark White — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 13:04:20 +0000

The Turkiye World Cup 2026 squad is locked in.

The World Cup is just around the corner, with Turkiye looking to crash the party, with the March internationals providing a play-off opportunity – and should they make the competition, it's fair to say that though they won't be one of the favourites, Vincenzo Montella will have one of the most exciting young squads in the tournament.

Incredibly, Turkiye haven't so much as been to a World Cup since 2002, when they went on a mad run to the semi-finals and beat South Korea in the third-place play-off.

Plenty has changed for The Crescent-Stars in the two decades since, but a good performance at Euro 2024 has the nation hoping for a return to the world stage, led by veteran controller Hakan Calhanoglu pulling the strings.

Turkiye's new generation could well become world-beaters, too: Arda Guler is ranked at no.10 in FourFourTwo's list of the best attacking midfielders in the world right now, and Kenan Yildiz at no.11 in the best left-wingers in the world right now – with both included in the latest squad to face Romania and Slovakia or Kosovo this month.

Eintracht Frankfurt starlet Can Uzun, meanwhile, hasn't made the squad this time around but will hoping that he can stake a claim in the final selection this summer, with FourFourTwo's Joe Donnohue describing him in a report recently for The Boy's A Bit Special as having “a calmness and composure to [his] game when he's on the ball, which translates directly to his finishing”.

Turkiye are expected to make it to North America – but with the likes of Caglar Soyuncu and Okay Yokuslu missing out on this latest squad, Montella will have to rely on depth to achieve something no Turkiye manager has in a generation.

The Mood

Kenan Yildiz will be looking to make an impact for Turkiye (Image credit: Juventus FC/Juventus FC via Getty Images)

Turkiye are used to qualifying for the Euros, but their most recent World Cup appearance was back in 2002, when they sensationally finished third.

The current squad’s brightest stars, Arda Guler and Kenan Yildiz, weren’t even born back then.

The task of qualifying was easier this time following the tournament’s enlargement to 48 teams, but the Turks don’t care.

This summer will be a massive occasion for the football-crazy nation, and expectations are sky high after the encouraging performance at Euro 2024 that rather unluckily ended in the quarter-finals.

This is a balanced team that can be compared to the heroes from 24 years ago.

Turkiye World Cup 2026 squad

GK: Mert Günok (Fenerbahçe)
GK: Altay Bayındır (Manchester United)
GK: Uğurcan Çakır (Galatasaray)
DF: Zeki Çelik (Roma)
DF: Merih Demiral (Al-Ahli)
DF: Çağlar Söyüncü (Fenerbahçe)
DF: Eren Elmalı (Galatasaray)
DF: Abdülkerim Bardakcı (Galatasaray)
DF: Ozan Kabak (TSG Hoffenheim)
DF: Mert Müldür (Fenerbahçe)
DF: Ferdi Kadıoğlu (Brighton & Hove Albion)
DF: Samet Akaydin (Çaykur Rizespor)
MF: Salih Özcan (Borussia Dortmund)
MF: Orkun Kökçü (Beşiktaş)
MF: Hakan Çalhanoğlu (Inter Milan)
MF: İsmail Yüksek (Fenerbahçe)
MF: Kaan Ayhan (Galatasaray)
FW: Kerem Aktürkoğlu (Fenerbahçe)
FW: Arda Güler (Real Madrid)
FW: Deniz Gül (Porto)
FW: Kenan Yıldız (Juventus)
FW: İrfan Can Kahveci (Kasımpaşa)
FW: Yunus Akgün (Galatasaray)
FW: Barış Alper Yılmaz (Galatasaray)
FW: Oğuz Aydın (Fenerbahçe)
FW: Can Uzun (Eintracht Frankfurt)

England fixtures and results

Fixtures

June 6, 2026: Venezuela vs Turkiye, Fort Lauderdale Stadium, Florida, United States
June 14, 2026: Australia vs Turkiye, BC Place, Vancouver, Canada
June 20, 2026: Turkiye vs Paraguay, Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, United States
June 26, 2026: United States vs Turkiye, SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, United States

Recent results

June 10, 2025: Mexico 1–0 Turkiye, Kenan Stadium, Chapel Hill, United States
September 4, 2025: Georgia 2–3 Turkiye, Boris Paichadze National Stadium, Tbilisi, Georgia
September 7, 2025: Turkiye 0–6 Spain, Konya Metropolitan Municipality Stadium, Konya, Turkiye
October 11, 2025: Bulgaria 1–6 Turkiye, Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia, Bulgaria
October 14, 2025: Turkiye 4–1 Georgia, Kocaeli Stadium, İzmit, Turkiye
November 15, 2025: Turkiye 2–0 Bulgaria, Centennial Atatürk Stadium, Bursa, Turkiye
November 18, 2025: Spain 2–2 Turkiye, Estadio de La Cartuja, Seville, Spain
March 26, 2026: Turkiye 1-0 Romania, Tupras Stadium, Istanbul, Turkiye
March 29, 2026: Kosovo 0-1 Turkiye, Pristina City Stadium, Pristina, Kosovo
June 1, 2026: Turkiye 4-0 North Macedonia, Chobani Stadium, Istanbul, Turkiye

Turkiye manager: Vincenzo Montella

Turkiye coach Vincenzo Montella (Image credit: Getty Images)

Vincenzo Montella is best remembered by European football fans for being a stalwart of Roma's last title-winning side – and for that 2007 loan at Fulham – but since retiring, he's floated around Europe with short stints at the likes of Milan, Sevilla and Fiorentina as a manager. A spell at Adana Demirspor set him up for the Turkish national job, where he's been in charge since before the last Euros.

Turkiye's star player

Arda Guler

Arda Guler a superstar already (Image credit: Getty Images)

Praised by Mesut Ozil as his heir and compared to Lionel Messi, Arda Guler is perhaps the most exciting Turkish talent for a generation, having broken through at Fenerbahce before his move to Real Madrid. A no.10 with intensity driving forward and a wicked left foot, he has six goals for his country already, including three in 2025's qualification campaign and that stormer against Georgia in Dortmund at the Euros.

Best XI

Bosnia and Herzegovina World Cup 2026 squad: the dangerous, resilient underdogs capable of making noise in this tournament.

Michael Yokhin — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 12:34:53 +0000

Defined by a blend of last-dance veteran leaders and a rapidly accelerating youth movement, head coach Sergej Barbarez named a final 26 for the World Cup before practically any other nation, having been one of the final nations to qualify for the tournament.

They have already won the best song at the World Cup "I am from Bosnia, take me to America" can they use that as inspiration to make it out of Group B?

A solid draw against hosts Canada inside a lively BMO Field, Toronto, has given them something to build on as they try to get into the knockout rounds for the first time in their history.

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The headline, as it has been for nearly two decades, is Edin Dzeko. Now 40 years old and playing for Schalke in Germany, the ex-Manchester City striker remains the focal point of Bosnia's attack.

Despite his age, Dzeko’s form in the 2. Bundesliga, where he became the oldest goalscorer in the league's history earlier this year, has kept him as a guaranteed starter. With Miralem Pjanic having officially retired from football in December last year, Dzeko stands as the final active member of Bosnia's 'golden generation' that reached the 2014 World Cup.

Barbarez's preferred style is physical and high-energy emphasising quick transitions.

Midfielders Benjamin Tahirovic and Armin Gigovic operate in the engine room, while Stuttgart's Ermedin Demirovic is the perfect foil for Dzeko, often doing the so-called dirty work to allow the captain to stay in the box.

Mood

Edin Dzeko won titles with Wolfsburg and Manchester City – now with Schalke in the second tier, he’s scored for Bosnia in every year since his debut in 2007 (Image credit: Getty Images)

Bosnia’s only previous appearance at a major tournament was at the 2014 World Cup, when they had high hopes with their golden generation, but went out in the group stage. The extremely unlucky defeat to Nigeria, when a perfectly good Edin Dzeko goal was ruled out for offside, is still remembered by fans as a major injustice.

Now they have a chance to make up for that – the team is considered less talented than it was 12 years ago, but Dzeko is still there at the age of 40, and the qualifying campaign was extremely encouraging. The team arrives with a lot of enthusiasm and national pride.

Strengths

Tarik Muharemovic motivates his team-mates as Bosnia Herzegovina head out for their warm up before their opening match vs Canada (Image credit: Getty Images)

Self-belief and togetherness have been extremely important – the team is greater than the sum of its parts. Dzeko isn’t only a top star, but also a magnificent leader.

Weaknesses

The squad is very inexperienced at the highest level – only Dzeko and former Arsenal defender Sead Kolasinac have experienced a major tournament before. There’s also no real depth, so every injury could be crucial.

Squad

Bosnia and Herzegovina World Cup 2026 squad

GK: Nikola Vasilj (FC St. Pauli)
GK: Martin Zlomislic (Rijeka)
GK: Osman Hadzikic (Slaven Belupo)
DF: Sead Kolasinac (Atalanta)
DF: Dennis Hadzikadunic (Sampdoria)
DF: Amar Dedic (Benfica)
DF: Nikola Katic (Schalke 04)
DF: Tarik Muharemovic (Sassuolo)
DF: Nihad Mujakic (Gaziantep)
DF: Stjepan Radeljic (Rijeka)
DF: Nidal Celik (Lens)
MF: Amir Hadziahmetovic (Hull City)
MF: Benjamin Tahirovic (Brondby)
MF: Dzenis Burnic (Karlsruher SC)
MF: Armin Gigovic (Young Boys)
MF: Ivan Basic (Astana)
MF: Esmir Bajraktarevic (PSV)
MF: Amar Memic (Viktoria Plzen)
MF: Ivan Sunjic (Pafos)
MF: Kerim Alajbegovic (Red Bull Salzburg)
MF: Ermin Mahmic (Slovan Liberec)
FW: Edin Dzeko (Schalke 04)
FW: Ermedin Demirovic (VfB Stuttgart)
FW: Samed Bazdar (Jagiellonia Bialystok)
FW: Haris Tabakovic (Borussia Monchengladbach)
FW: Jovo Lukic (Universitatea Cluj)

Warm-ups commence for the Bosnia squad (Image credit: Getty Images)

Fixtures

June 18, 2026: Switzerland vs Bosnia and Herzegovina, SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, United States
June 24, 2026: Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Qatar, Lumen Field, Seattle, United States
September 25, 2026: Poland vs Bosnia and Herzegovina, PGE Narodowy, Warsaw, Poland
September 28, 2026: Romania vs Bosnia and Herzegovina, National Arena, Bucharest, Romania
October 2, 2026: Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Sweden, Stadion Bilino Polje, Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina
October 5, 2026: Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Poland, Stadion Bilino Polje, Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina
November 14, 2026: Sweden vs Bosnia and Herzegovina, Friends Arena, Stockholm, Sweden
November 17, 2026: Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Romania, Stadion Bilino Polje, Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Group B standings

Bosnia and Herzegovina are in Group B at World Cup 2026.

Bosnia and Herzegovina manager: Sergej Barbarez

Sergej Barbarez (Image credit: Getty Images)

Sergej Barbarez is a former captain of the Bosnia and Herzegovina national team who was appointed in April 2024, tasked with instituting a new era after a decade of decline.

Despite having zero previous senior management experience before taking the job, Barbarez led Bosnia to their most successful World Cup qualifying campaign in years.

He was a fiery character in his playing days, as a striker for Borussia Dortmund and Hamburg, and few expected him to become a coach. He’d long held an ambition to manage the national team, though, and got his wish in 2024 – despite no previous experience as a gaffer, he’s proved a fine appointment.

Bosnia's star player

Edin Dzeko

Edin Dzeko celebrates after scoring for Bosnia and Herzegovina against Germany way back in June 2010. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Edin Dzeko’s international career is the definitive story of Bosnian football in the 21st century. Since making a goal-scoring debut against Turkey in June 2007, Dzeko has gone from a promising young striker to becoming the nation’s undisputed greatest-ever player. He is the most-capped player (146 appearances) and the all-time leading goalscorer (72 goals) for Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Even at 40 years-old, the Premier League winner carries a threat and is enjoying something of an Indian summer in 2. Bundesliga with Schalke.

Any physical decline has been offset by elite game intelligence and a specialised role as a pure target man. He isn't the type of player who will outrun a defence, but as Wales head coach Craig Bellamy noted ahead of their play-off, Dzeko is a player who 'doesn't need too many chances to score.'

Best XI

Bosnia and Herzegovina Predicted line-up:

GK Vasilj, RB Dedic, CB Katic, CB Muharemovic, LB Kolasinac, RM Bajraktarevic, CM Tahirovic, CM Sunjic, LM Memic, CF Demirovic, CF Dzeko

Lionel Messi's final World Cup squad: Every player selected for Argentina's 2026 title defence

Martin Mazur — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 19:28:27 +0000

Argentina have played their final World Cup warm-up game (defeating Iceland 3-0) and now the La Albiceleste can officially begin to defend their crown.

Naturally, Lionel Scaloni arrived at World Cup 2026 with one of the best squads at the tournament, as Argentina seek to win a fourth edition of this competition and become the first team to defend the trophy since 1962.

Scaloni has chosen a squad that balances roughly two-thirds of the proven winners from Qatar with a handful of dynamic new faces.

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The headline news is that eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi, ranked at no.1 in FourFourTwo's list of the greatest players of all time, will compete in his sixth World Cup, after appearing in the last five.

Cristian Romero, meanwhile, is included – despite suffering a high-grade partial tear of his medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his right knee last month – while 33-year-old Emiliano Martinez may be playing his final World Cup.

There are three Premier League players included in the selection alongside Martinez and Romero: Alexis Mac Allister, Lisandro Martinez Enzo Fernandez, is one of the more senior players this time around.

Two exciting young prospects made the plane too, with Nico Paz the standout, alongside Valentine Barco. But the average age of the squad is 28.62.

The Mood

Argentina's squad arrived at Kansas City International Airport on May 31 to begin their title defence (Image credit: Getty Images)

For Argentina, there has never been an easier build-up to a World Cup than this one. Fans are still basking in the memories of Qatar 2022, as well as the Copa America triumphs of 2021 and 2024. Lionel Scaloni is a borderline saint. The Albiceleste’s most beloved players – Lionel Messi, Emiliano Martinez and Julian Alvarez – appear in murals across the country. Good results have kept coming, including a memorable Messi-less 4-1 demolition of bitter rivals Brazil in qualifying. They are tactically adaptable, sometimes playing a standard 4-3-3, or a funkier 4-3-1-2 with Messi and either Alvarez or Lautaro Martinez up alongside.

On top of that, a World Cup group containing Algeria, Jordan and Austria is, on paper, very favourable. So, Argentina’s dominance is sure to continue, right? Not quite.

They are without Angel Di Maria, two years after El Fideo’s post-Copa America international retirement, with few players as reliable or decisive in big moments. Scaloni remains searching for alternatives, having deployed Nico Gonzalez, Giuliano Simeone, Nico Paz, and wonderkids Franco Mastantuono and Valentin Carboni, who is injured.

For a manager willing to experiment with personnel and formation, the Argentine FA’s choice of friendlies has not been ideal. The world champions’ suits opted for low FIFA-ranking opponents in remote locations instead of European teams that could have provided stronger tests and yielded more valuable conclusions.

The indestructible bond between fans and the team isn’t exactly mirrored between Scaloni and the higher-ups, with a contract extension not yet confirmed and a clear possibility of the manager seeking a new challenge after the World Cup. For AFA president Claudio Tapia, who once portrayed himself as part of the squad, the situation is not easy. Marred by corruption allegations, he is not allowed to leave the country without judge approval. In the past year, Tapia has also become the antagonist of Argentina’s loose-cannon president, Javier Milei, raising the risk of a politicised World Cup with the players caught in the middle.

Will this affect the atmosphere inside Argentina’s camp in Kansas City? Probably not, as long as neither crosses a line and tries to involve the players as political footballs.

Lesson from qualifying

Though Argentina enjoyed a relatively stress-free campaign, they were far from invincible. Defeats by Uruguay at home, and Colombia, Ecuador and Paraguay away showed that the form was nowhere near the 36-game unbeaten run they had enjoyed prior to Qatar 2022.

Yet it is the two resounding victories against Brazil (1-0 away and 4-1 at home) that will be remembered as the real tests of qualification. The emergence of Thiago Almada and Nico Paz pulling the strings were also pleasant surprises, both having the speed and touch to connect perfectly with Messi’s singular brilliance – he top scored again in qualifying.

Most likely to...

Have thousands of fans travelling across the US looking for tickets and creating a catchy chant in tribute to Maradona that players will end up singing in tears.

Least likely to...

Finish the tournament without a proper bust-up. Dibu Martinez is nicknamed after a cartoon character back home, and frequently plays like one. The perfect pantomime villain.

What they hope will happen

Messi scores four goals to usurp Miroslav Klose as the all-time top scorer in World Cup history. Leo and penalty hero Dibu lead Argentina to their fourth title, becoming the uncontested greatest generation in the country’s history.

Squad

Argentina World Cup 2026 squad

GK: Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa)
GK: Juan Musso (Atlético Madrid)
GK: Gerónimo Rulli (Marseille)
DF: Leonardo Balerdi (Marseille)
DF: Lisandro Martínez (Manchester United)
DF: Facundo Medina (Marseille)
DF: Nahuel Molina (Atlético Madrid)
DF: Gonzalo Montiel (River Plate)
DF: Nicolás Otamendi (Benfica)
DF: Cristian Romero (Tottenham Hotspur)
DF: Nicolás Tagliafico (Lyon)
MF: Valentín Barco (Strasbourg)
MF: Rodrigo De Paul (Inter Miami)
MF: Enzo Fernández (Chelsea)
MF: Giovani Lo Celso (Betis)
MF: Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool)
MF: Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen)
MF: Leandro Paredes (Boca Juniors)
MF: Nicolás González (Atlético Madrid)
FW: Thiago Almada (Atlético Madrid)
FW: Julián Alvarez (Atlético Madrid)
FW: José Manuel López (Palmeiras)
FW: Lautaro Martínez (Internazionale)
FW: Lionel Messi (Inter Miami)
FW: Nico Paz (Como)
FW: Giuliano Simeone (Atlético Madrid)

Fixtures

June 16, 2026: Argentina vs Algeria, Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, United States
June 22, 2026: Argentina vs Austria, AT&T Stadium, Arlington, United States
June 28, 2026: Jordan vs Argentina, AT&T Stadium, Arlington, United States

Who is Argentina's manager?

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni holds the World Cup trophy aloft after victory over France at Qatar 2022. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Lionel Scaloni has led Argentina in an incredibly successful period for the nation.

He has won three major trophies in a row, Copa America, World Cup and another Copa America, ending their droughts in both competitions.

His team selections have been aided by some outstanding performances at club level, and well, having Lionel Messi at his disposal.

Argentina's Star Player

Who is Argentina's star player?

Lionel Messi, the greatest player of all time? Perhaps (Image credit: Getty Images)

Not much is left to be said about Lionel Messi. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner reached the summit of football when he lifted the 2022 World Cup, firmly cementing his status as one of the greats.

Messi ranked at no.1 in FourFourTwo's list of the greatest players of all time, and has been a huge part of Argentina winning the Copa America back-to-back, with the World Cup sandwiched in between.

The Argentine icon had thought that victory in Qatar would be his last World Cup - but he is included again, and could earn his 200th cap for his country during the tournament if he hasn't already in their pre-tournament friendlies.

Best XI

Austria World Cup 2026 squad: Ralf Rangnick's final 26-man selection for tournament opener with Jordan

Simon Clark — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 16:15:32 +0000

The Austria World Cup squad will complete a long overdue return to the World Cup when they take on Jordan in June.

Considering their heritage and history, it's somewhat surprising that World Cup 2026 will be Austria's first this century – but Das Team have drawn one of the favourites in the form of defending champions Argentina and stand a good chance of going through to the knockouts.

Ralf Rangnick hasn't named one of the more notable squads in the tournament but there are big names in his team and several ‘last dances’ to be had.

Real Madrid star David Alaba is now 33 and heading Stateside to captain this group, with 37-year-old Marko Arnautovic his vice-captain: Marcel Sabitzer rounds off the leadership group.

Elsewhere, there are stars coming into their prime: Kevin Danso has had a bad season but is still relied on in this side, Konrad Laimer is a starter for Bayern Munich, and David Affengruber is a target for top sides.

Meanwhile, former England youth superstar Carney Chukwuemeka has changed allegiances and will be battling for a spot in midfield with RB Leipzig trio Christoph Baumgartner, Xavier Schlager and Nicolas Seiwald.

Prospects Leopold Querfeld and Samson Baidoo miss out, however, along with Max Wober and Andreas Weimann.

Mood

A squad of veteran talents led by a renowned, respected coach will finally step onto the global stage, because after 28 years away, Austria are back at the World Cup.

Thanks to Ralf Rangnick’s magic, the public – and the players – have fallen in love with Das Team again. Topping their Euro 2024 group ahead of France and the Dutch was a thrill, despite subsequent defeat to Turkey representing a golden opportunity missed.

Fans have dreamed of a date with Lionel Messi. Facing Jordan and Algeria, however, with numerous mentions of Austria’s role in the 1982 Disgrace of Gijon, could be as awkward as the 6am and 4am kick-off times in Vienna.

Squad

Austria World Cup 2026 squad: the final selection

GK: Alexander Schlager (Red Bull Salzburg)
GK: Florian Wiegele (Viktoria Plzen)
GK: Patrick Pentz (Brondby)
DF: David Affengruber (Elche)
DF: Kevin Danso (Tottenham Hotspur)
DF: Stefan Posch (Mainz 05)
DF: David Alaba (Real Madrid)
DF: Philipp Lienhart (SC Freiburg)
DF: Phillipp Mwene (Mainz 05)
DF: Alexander Prass (TSG Hoffenheim)
DF: Marco Friedl (Werder Bremen)
DF: Michael Svoboda (Venezia)
MF: Xaver Schlager (RB Leipzig)
MF: Nicolas Seiwald (RB Leipzig)
MF: Marcel Sabitzer (Borussia Dortmund)
MF: Florian Grillitsch (Braga)
MF: Carney Chukwuemeka (Borussia Dortmund)
MF: Romano Schmid (Werder Bremen)
MF: Christoph Baumgartner (RB Leipzig)
MF: Konrad Laimer (Bayern Munich)
MF: Patrick Wimmer (VfL Wolfsburg)
MF: Paul Wanner (PSV Eindhoven)
MF: Alessandro Schopf (Wolfsberger AC)
FW: Marko Arnautovic (Red Star Belgrade)
FW: Michael Gregoritsch (FC Augsburg)
FW: Sasa Kalajdzic (LASK)

Fixtures and results

Fixtures

June 01, 2026: Austria vs Tunisia, Ernst-Happel-Stadion, Vienna, Austria
June 16, 2026: Austria vs Jordan, Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, United States
June 22, 2026: Argentina vs Austria, AT&T Stadium, Arlington, United States
June 27, 2026: Algeria vs Austria, Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, United States
September 24, 2026: Austria vs Israel, Venue TBD, Austria
September 27, 2026: Austria vs Kosovo, Venue TBD, Austria
October 01, 2026: Republic of Ireland vs Austria, Aviva Stadium, Dublin, Republic of Ireland
October 04, 2026: Kosovo vs Austria, Fadil Vokrri Stadium, Pristina, Kosovo
November 14, 2026: Austria vs Republic of Ireland, Venue TBD, Austria
November 17, 2026: Israel vs Austria, Sammy Ofer Stadium, Haifa, Israel

Who is Austria's manager?

Ralf Rangnick is a legend of coaching (Image credit: Getty Images)

Ralf Rangnick, now 67, has been in coaching for more than 40 years. The Austrian national team job is the German’s first permanent head coach role outside his home nation but his dugout CV barely scratches the surface.

Rangnick has managed Stuttgart, Hannover, Schalke and Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga but has also followed an unorthodox path since the turn of the century, taking on a temporary role in England with Manchester United in 2021 as well as leading the expansion and development strategy for Red Bull.

He was appointed as Franco Foda’s successor in the Austria job in 2022 and has secured qualification for two consecutive major tournaments. None of his predecessors can make the same claim.

Star player

Who is Austria's star player?

Marko Arnautovic celebrates scoring at Euro 2024 (Image credit: Getty Images)

He’ll be 37 years old by the time the World Cup begins but Marko Arnautovic will finally get his moment at the greatest show on Earth and it seems like exactly the kind of stage that will suit him.

There are other major stars in the Austria squad but Arnautovic is a hogger of the spotlight and goes into the World Cup having scored twice as many goals in qualifying as teammate Michael Gregoritsch.

The former Inter Milan and West Ham United forward is a giant of modern Austrian football. He holds the records for the most caps and the most goals, including eight in Group H to help take Das Team back to the World Cup finals. Arnautovic has had a remarkable, fascinating career. He’ll be confident of going out on a high.

Best XI

Haiti squad World Cup 2026: Sebastien Migne's team for opening game against Scotland

Stan Beaubrun — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 16:12:40 +0000

The Haiti World Cup 2026 squad will be the country's second World Cup finals side.

Haiti’s qualification for World Cup 2026 put the competition’s geopolitical complications in the spotlight but its football context is significant too: Haiti have played at the World Cup finals just once, losing all three group games in West Germany in 1974.

Only two Haitans have ever scored in World Cup football – one of those was Joe Gaetjens, who in 1950 netted one of the most famous goals ever against England for, ahem, the United States – so though this is one of the less experienced squads at the tournament, French head coach Sebastien Migne will be hoping for some more history, even on a small scale.

He has a superstar on his hands, at least: Wilson Isidor is as excellent a footballer as Haiti have ever produced and off the back of a great campaign at Sunderland, the country will be hoping for the forward to spring a surprise against some of the big boys.

Jean-Ricner Bellegarde is the other name familiar to Premier League fans, with some of Haiti's squad playing their football in Ligue 2, the USL Championship, Iran's Persian Gulf League and in Haiti's Port-Au-Prince itself.

This is a squad in its prime, too: most of the final 26 are aged between 25 and 29, so this tournament has actually come at the right time for them.

Yes, they're minnows, and they realistically need a result against Scotland or Morocco to progress beyond the group stage… with the big game against Brazil likely bearing little fruit, though it may become a touchpoint for Haitian football fans for a generation.

Mood

On November 18, 2025, gunshots pierced the air in Port-au-Prince – a sound all too familiar to locals. But this was different. After years of chaos and violence, Haitians were celebrating.

Haiti’s 2-0 win over Nicaragua to qualify for the World Cup prompted cheers from a diaspora across the USA, Canada, the Caribbean and beyond. UN peacekeepers couldn’t, didn’t, achieve such unity.

The coup de grace? It was the anniversary of the 1803 Battle of Vertieres bringing Haiti’s independence from France.

No playoff required. No reliance upon format expansion. No home games, even, having to play in not-very-nearby Curaçao instead. Les Grenadiers were in a group with Honduras and serial World Cup participants Costa Rica – and they won it.

Squad

Haiti World Cup 2026 squad: the March selection

GK: Johny Placide (Bastia)
GK: Alexandre Pierre (Sochaux)
GK: Josue Duverger (Cosmos Koblenz)
DF: Ricardo Ade (LDU Quito)
DF: Carlens Arcus (Angers)
DF: Martin Experience (Nancy)
DF: Jean-Kevin Duverne (Gent)
DF: Duke Lacroix (Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC)
DF: Wilguens Paugain (Zulte Waregem)
DF: Hannes Delcroix (Lugano)
DF: Keeto Thermoncy (Young Boys)
MF: Leverton Pierre (Vizela)
MF: Danley Jean Jacques (Philadelphia Union)
MF: Carl Sainte (El Paso Locomotive FC)
MF: Jean-Ricner Bellegarde (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
MF: Woodensky Pierre (Violette)
MF: Dominique Simon (Tatran Presov)
FW: Duckens Nazon (Esteghlal)
FW: Frantzdy Pierrot (Caykur Rizespor)
FW: Derrick Etienne Jr. (Toronto FC)
FW: Louicius Deedson (FC Dallas)
FW: Ruben Providence (Almere City)
FW: Josue Casimir (Auxerre)
FW: Yassin Fortune (Vizela)
FW: Wilson Isidor (Sunderland)
FW: Lenny Joseph (Ferencvaros)

Fixtures and results

Fixtures

June 13, 2026: Haiti vs Scotland, Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, United States
June 19, 2026: Brazil vs Haiti, Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, United States
June 24, 2026: Morocco vs Haiti, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, United States

Results

June 6, 2026: Haiti 1-2 Peru, Nu Stadium, Miami, United States
June 3, 2026: Haiti 4-0 New Zealand, Inter Miami CF Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, United States
March 31, 2026: Haiti 1-1 Iceland, BMO Field, Toronto, Canada
March 29, 2026: Haiti 0-1 Tunisia, BMO Field, Toronto, Canada
November 19, 2025: Haiti 2-0 Nicaragua, Stadion Ergilio Hato, Willemstad, Curacao
November 14, 2025: Haiti 1-0 Costa Rica, Stadion Ergilio Hato, Willemstad, Curacao
October 14, 2025: Honduras 3-0 Haiti, Estadio Nacional Chelato Uclés, Tegucigalpa, Honduras
October 10, 2025: Nicaragua 0-3 Haiti, Estadio Nacional de Fútbol, Managua, Nicaragua
September 10, 2025: Costa Rica 3-3 Haiti, Estadio Nacional, San José, Costa Rica
September 06, 2025: Haiti 0-0 Honduras, Stadion Ergilio Hato, Willemstad, Curacao
June 23, 2025: United States 2-1 Haiti, AT&T Stadium, Arlington, United States
June 19, 2025: Trinidad and Tobago 1-1 Haiti, Shell Energy Stadium, Houston, United States
June 16, 2025: Haiti 0-1 Saudi Arabia, Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, United States
June 11, 2025: Haiti 1-5 Curacao, Estadio Olímpico Félix Sánchez, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Group C standings

Haiti are in Group C at World Cup 2026.

Manager

Who is Haiti's manager?

Sebastien Migne

Sebastien Migne, a former midfield player briefly on the books of Leyton Orient in the late 1990s, took over as Haiti’s head coach in the summer of 2024. Because the Grenadiers played their qualifiers in Curacao due to conflict at home, the French boss has never been to Haiti.

Migne has managed three international teams in Africa and his major tournament experience amounts to the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in charge of Kenya and, four years later, working as the assistant to Cameroon head coach Rigobert Song at the continental tournament in Ivory Coast.

Kenya were knocked out in the group stage under Migne in 2019. Haiti will be tipped to suffer a similar fate but their impressive qualification campaign for World Cup 2026 will offer hope that a first World Cup finals win is a possibility.

Star player

Who is Haiti's star player?

Jean-Ricner Bellegarde in action against Costa Rica (Image credit: EZEQUIEL BECERRA/AFP via Getty Images)

Haiti’s national team squad features two players operating in the Premier League. Burnley defender Hannes Delcroix has a handful of caps but it’s Jean-Ricner Bellegarde of Wolverhampton Wanderers who can really get Haiti’s fans on the edges of their seats.

Bellegarde has become a Premier League regular since moving to the Black Country from Strasbourg. The former Lens youngster joined Wolves in 2023 and usually offers value for money in the entertainment stakes.

Born in France and formerly a French Under-21 international, Bellegarde filed his switch to Haiti as recently as August 2025 and has been rewarded with a probable starring role in their World Cup campaign.

Best XI

Curacao World Cup 2026 squad: Dick Advocaat's team to face Germany

Chris Nee — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 16:09:20 +0000

The Curacao World Cup 2026 squad are history makers.

Curacao will play at the finals for the first time at World Cup 2026 and they qualified in some style, winning all four games in their initial CONCACAF group stage and winning their second group above Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago.

Curacao’s journey to the World Cup has captured international attention. Curacao is a constituent country within the state of the Netherlands and the national team is benefiting from a FIFA rule change that enables the selection of players who represented the Netherlands at youth levels. The Dutch will be among the favourites but Curacao will have one of the most inexperienced squads at the tournament.

Bolstered by an array of Curacaoan-descended talent, the island nation will become the smallest country to have ever competed in the World Cup.

Dick Advocaat will lead the team as head coach, despite leaving his post earlier this year to focus on family matters. The well-travelled Dutchman will be the oldest boss at the Finals.

Leandro and Juninho Bacuna, both former Premier League players now playing in Turkey, are typical examples of the Curacao career path: the Groningen-born brothers Bacuna represented the Netherlands at Under-21 level but are senior Curacao internationals.

Leandro Bacuna is the national team’s captain and shares the honour of being his country’s most-capped player with veteran former Vitesse and PSV goalkeeper Eloy Room, who now plays in the United States after a spell without a club.

The Mood

Curacao arrive at this World Cup with the wide-eyed curiosity of a country experiencing the football limelight for the very first time. For a Caribbean island of barely 150,000 people – the smallest nation ever to qualify – just getting here is historic. The challenge now is to show they belong.

The Blue Wave’s rise over the past decade has been one of CONCACAF’s most fascinating stories. By recruiting players with Curaçaoan heritage developed in the Netherlands, the national team has raised its technical level.

Even so, topping group favourites Jamaica with a dramatic point in Kingston, surviving late woodwork hits and a VAR scare, was a seismic shock. Every goal scored at these finals will be another.

Squad

Curacao World Cup 2026 squad: the latest selection

GK: Eloy Room (Miami FC)
GK: Tyrick Bodak (Telstar)
GK: Trevor Doornbusch (VVV-Venlo)
DF: Shurandy Sambo (Sparta Rotterdam)
DF: Jurien Gaari (Abha)
DF: Roshon van Eijma (RKC Waalwijk)
DF: Sherel Floranus (PEC Zwolle)
DF: Deveron Fonville (NEC)
DF: Armando Obispo (PSV)
DF: Joshua Brenet (Kayserispor)
DF: Riechedly Bazoer (Konyaspor)
MF: Godfried Roemeratoe (RKC Waalwijk)
MF: Juninho Bacuna (Gaziantep)
MF: Livano Comenencia (Zurich)
MF: Leandro Bacuna (Igdir)
MF: Ar'jany Martha (Rotherham United)
MF: Tyrese Noslin (Telstar)
MF: Kevin Felida (Den Bosch)
MF: Tahith Chong (Sheffield United)
FW: Jurgen Locadia (Miami FC)
FW: Jeremy Antonisse (Kifisia)
FW: Sontje Hansen (Middlesbrough)
FW: Kenji Gorre (Maccabi Haifa)
FW: Jearl Margaritha (Beveren)
FW: Brandley Kuwas (Volendam)
FW: Gervane Kastaneer (Terengganu)

Fixtures

June 14, 2026: Germany vs Curacao, NRG Stadium, Houston, United States
June 21, 2026: Ecuador vs Curacao, Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, United States
June 25, 2026: Curacao vs Ivory Coast, Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, United States

Group E standings

Curacao are in Group E at World Cup 2026.

Manager

Who is Curacao's manager?

Curacao’s head coach Dick Advocaat

Sixty-three-year-old Fred Rutten was appointed as the successor to Dick Advocaat after the former Netherlands boss sadly had to step down at the start of 2026 - but Advocaat is back in the dugout.

He has managed two different countries at the World Cup and this will be his third, having previously led the Dutch and South Korean teams.

Star player

Who is Curacao's star player?

Leandro Bacuna is still going strong with his national side

Links with the Netherlands means there are familiar names dotted throughout the Curacao squad but it’s captain Leandro Bacuna who’s been at the forefront of the new wave of the Blue Wave.

The verstaile 34-year-old is Curacao’s second-highest goalscorer and has been keeping his shooting boots primed since moving to Bandirmaspor in the summer of 2025.

Bacuna played in England and Wales in between two stints with home-town club Groningen, making more than 100 league appearances for both Aston Villa and Cardiff City as well as playing for Reading and Watford in the Championship.

Best XI

Panama squad World Cup 2026: Thomas Christiansen's final roster announced

Chris Nee — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 16:06:12 +0000

The Panama World Cup 2026 squad has been finalised ahead of another major tournament.

World Cup 2026 is only the second time Panama have qualified, eight years after their maiden tournament. Their qualifying campaign was emphatic: Danish head coach Thomas Christiansen oversaw four wins from four in the first CONCACAF group stage and an unbeaten second group stage to qualify with room to spare.

Suriname, Guatemala and El Salvador all eventually fell by the wayside while Panama join Haiti, Curacao and the three co-hosts in representing their confederation at the World Cup.

Los Canaleros' only previous World Cup appearance resulted in three group stage defeats in 2018, when they lost to Belgium, England and Tunisia but scored their first two World Cup goals in the process.

Notwithstanding a penalty shoot-out defeat against Honduras at the Gold Cup, Panama were unbeaten in their last 12 matches of 2025, all of them competitive. January's friendly against Mexico served up their first loss in 14 games. They have since bounced back with a draw and a win against South Africa in a friendly double-header.

Panama will face group favourites England again in June with one of the lesser-fancied squads in the tournament, albeit one bursting with experience.

Captain Anibal Godoy has played for Panama 159 times. Meanwhile, 35-year-old Eric Davis, another 100-cap man, is one of just two members of Christiansen's squad who actually plays in Panama. The national team squad, as usual, is made up of players spread around the Americas and the Spanish-speaking world.

Squad

Panama World Cup 2026 squad: the final line-up

GK: Luis Mejía (Nacional)
GK: César Samudio (Marathón)
GK: Orlando Mosquera (Al-Fayha)
DF: César Blackman (Slovan Bratislava)
DF: José Córdoba (Norwich City)
DF: Edgardo Fariña (FC Pari Nizhniy Novgorod)
DF: Roderick Miller (Turan Tovuz)
DF: Fidel Escobar (Saprissa)
DF: Jiovany Ramos (Puerto Cabello)
DF: Eric Davis (Plaza Amador)
DF: Andrés Andrade (LASK)
DF: Jorge Gutiérrez (Deportivo La Guaira)
DF: Amir Murillo (Beşiktaş)
MF: Cristian Martínez (Ironi Kiryat Shmona)
MF: José Luis Rodríguez (Juárez)
MF: Adalberto Carrasquilla (UNAM)
MF: Yoel Bárcenas (Mazatlán)
MF: Carlos Harvey (Minnesota United)
MF: Aníbal Godoy (San Diego)
MF: César Yanis (Cobresal)
MF: Azarías Londoño (Universidad Católica de Chile)
MF: Alberto Quintero (CD Plaza Amador)
FW: Tomás Rodríguez (Deportivo Saprissa)
FW: Ismael Díaz (León)
FW: José Fajardo (Universidad Católica)
FW: Cecilio Waterman (Universidad de Concepción)

Fixtures

May 31, 2026: Brazil vs Panama, Maracana Stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (friendly)
June 4, 2026: Panama vs Dominican Republic, Estadio Rommel Fernandez, Panama City, Panama (friendly)
June 17, 2026: Ghana vs Panama, BMO Field, Toronto, Canada
June 23, 2026: Panama vs Croatia, BMO Field, Toronto, Canada
June 27, 2026: Panama vs England, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, United States

Group L standings

Panama are in Group L at World Cup 2026.

Manager

Who is Panama's manager?

Thomas Christiansen during a match against Jamaica (Image credit: Getty Images)

Thomas Christiansen spent the first half of the nineties as a Barcelona player before moving around Spain and eventually playing in Greece, Denmark and Germany. His own international career comprised two caps in 1993 not for Denmark, but for Spain.

The Panama job is his first in international management. After cutting his teeth in Cyprus with AEK Larnaca and APOEL Nicosia, Christiansen had spells in charge of Leeds and Union Saint-Gilloise with limited success.

Panama, though, have gradually progressed on Christiansen’s watch. They should go into the World Cup in positive spirits helmed by the head coach with more internationals under his belt than any other in the federation’s history.

Star player

Who is Panama's star player?

Anibal Godoy during the Gold Cup (Image credit: Getty Images)

With nearly 160 caps to his name, Anibal Godoy is Panama’s record appearance maker and Christiansen’s captain. The veteran midfielder has played the majority of his career in the United States, where he featured regularly in San Diego’s inaugural 2025 season.

Godoy played more than 100 times in Major League Soccer for each of San Jose Earthquakes and Nashville, spending five years with both clubs before the Tennessee outfit released him in 2024.

A tenacious and often stylish defensive midfielder, Godoy has spoken openly about a possible retirement. One last big hurrah in a nation where he is now a citizen would be a fine way to bow out.

Best XI

New Zealand World Cup 2026 squad: Darren Bazeley's side as All Whites return to tournament

Coen Lammers — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 16:03:22 +0000

The New Zealand World Cup 2026 will be the first to take part since 2010.

New Zealand qualified for World Cup 2026 thanks to a flawless OFC qualification campaign – but despite that, they won't be one of the favourites for the competition, with one of the weaker squads in the tournament.

New Zealand will face Belgium, Egypt and Iran in their group – but since securing their place in North America, the All Whites beat Ivory Coast but then lost seven of their next eight fixtures, drawing only with fellow World Cup qualifiers Norway in October.

The good news is that talismanic striker Chris Wood is fit and raring to go after a turbulent season fighting relegation with Nottingham Forest – and the 38-year-old will be vital if this group are going to reach the knockouts.

Several other New Zealand stars play their club football in England: goalkeeper Max Crocombe is at Millwall, left-back Liberato Cacace is at Wrexham and 36-year-old Tommy Smith is playing his football in the fifth tier with Braintree Town.

There are a couple of significant misses: Bill Tuiloma has almost 50 caps and won't be going to the tournament, while Logan Rogerson of Auckland FC has missed out, too.

It's going to be a tough ask for New Zealand to even pick up a point – but the experience could be invaluable for future tournaments.

The Mood

New Zealand are back for their third World Cup appearance, and first since they produced three draws against Slovakia, Paraguay and, most impressively of all, Italy in 2010 that made them the tournament’s sole unbeaten side. Reaching the knockouts is now the next goal.

Sixteen years ago, only Ryan Nelsen’s granite forehead played abroad at the highest level, but coach Darren Bazeley now has dozens of Kiwis across the US and Europe in competitive leagues.

A 1-0 victory over Ivory Coast and 1-1 draw in Norway last year show the current crop can compete.

Squad

New Zealand World Cup 2026 squad: the final selection

GK: Max Crocombe (Millwall)
GK: Alex Paulsen (Lechia Gdansk)
GK: Michael Woud (Auckland FC)
DF: Tim Payne (Wellington Phoenix)
DF: Francis de Vries (Auckland FC)
DF: Tyler Bindon (Sheffield United)
DF: Michael Boxall (Minnesota United FC)
DF: Liberato Cacace (Wrexham)
DF: Nando Pijnaker (Auckland FC)
DF: Finn Surman (Portland Timbers)
DF: Callan Elliot (Auckland FC)
DF: Tommy Smith (Braintree)
MF: Joe Bell (Viking)
MF: Matthew Garbett (Peterborough United)
MF: Marko Stamenic (Swansea City)
MF: Sarpreet Singh (Wellington Phoenix)
MF: Elijah Just (Motherwell)
MF: Alex Rufer (Wellington Phoenix)
MF: Ben Old (Saint-Etienne)
MF: Callum McCowatt (Silkeborg)
MF: Ryan Thomas (PEC Zwolle)
MF: Lachlan Bayliss (Newcastle Jets)
FW: Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest)
FW: Kosta Barbarouses (Western Sydney Wanderers)
FW: Ben Waine (Port Vale)
FW: Jesse Randall (Auckland FC)

Fixtures and results

Fixtures

June 15, 2026: Iran vs New Zealand, SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, United States
June 21, 2026: New Zealand vs Egypt, BC Place, Vancouver, Canada
June 26, 2026: New Zealand vs Belgium, BC Place, Vancouver, Canada

Results

June 06, 2026: England 1-0 New Zealand, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay, United States
June 03, 2026: Haiti 4-0 New Zealand, Chase Stadium, Miami, United States
March 30, 2026: New Zealand 4-1 Chile, Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand
March 27, 2026: New Zealand 0-2 Finland, Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand
November 19, 2025: Ecuador 2-0 New Zealand, Estadio Rodrigo Paz Delgado, Quito, Ecuador
November 16, 2025: Colombia 2-1 New Zealand, Estadio El Campín, Bogotá, Colombia
October 14, 2025: Norway 1-1 New Zealand, Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway
October 09, 2025: Poland 1-0 New Zealand, Stadion Narodowy, Warsaw, Poland
September 09, 2025: New Zealand 1-3 Australia, Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand
September 05, 2025: Australia 1-0 New Zealand, Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, Australia
June 10, 2025: New Zealand 1-2 Ukraine, Stadion Miejski, Wrocław, Poland
June 08, 2025: New Zealand 1-0 Ivory Coast, Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand
March 24, 2025: New Caledonia 0-3 New Zealand, Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand
March 21, 2025: New Zealand 7-0 Fiji, Wellington Regional Stadium, Wellington, New Zealand

Group G standings

New Zealand are in Group G at World Cup 2026.

Manager

Who is New Zealand's manager?

Darren Bazeley during the 2024 Olympics (Image credit: Getty Images)

New Zealand’s head coach since 2023 has been former Watford, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Walsall defender Darren Bazeley, who finished his playing career with two New Zealand clubs.

Bazeley is part of the furniture at New Zealand’s FA, where he first worked in 2009 and has held several coaching roles at various age groups and was a natural choice to succeed former Walsall teammate Danny Hay.

The Northampton-born coach has won all of his World Cup qualifiers by at least three goals but results outside the OFC show just how tall a task he’s facing in the United States, Canada and Mexico in the summer.

Star player

Who is New Zealand's star player?

Chris Wood applauds the Nottingham Forest fans after his side's 3-0 defeat to Chelsea (Image credit: Getty Images)

By the time the All Whites arrive at the World Cup in 2026, Chris Wood will stand alone as his country’s captain, most capped player and record goalscorer. At 33, the striker is still doing the business for club and country.

Wood scored nine times in qualifying, more than twice as many as the second-highest scorer. He found the net 20 times in the Premier League in 2024-25, helping Nottingham Forest qualify for European football.

Now established by some distance as his country’s best-ever footballer, Wood will be eager to make his mark on what’s likely to be his last World Cup. He was a substitute in all three games as a teenager in South Africa 16 years ago. Now it’s his turn.

Best XI

Paraguay squad World Cup 2026: Gustavo Alfaro's team for opening game against USA

Martin Mazur — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 15:59:48 +0000

The Paraguay World Cup 2026 squad is shaping up as the former regulars return to the big stage after failing to qualify for the last three tournaments.

Paraguay started their World Cup 2026 qualifying campaign with one point from their first three matches but home wins against both Argentina and Brazil set them on the road to the World Cup. One of the lesser-fancied squads in the tournament might be in line to produce a few more shocks.

They claimed the last automatic spot from the South American confederation, finishing 10 points behind CONMEBOL group winners and possible World Cup favourites Argentina.

Defender Omar Alderete is making waves in the Premier League with Sunderland and both Diego Gomez (Brighton & Hove Albion) and Gustavo Caballero (Portsmouth) play in England. All three were in the latest squad.

Miguel Almiron, now back in MLS with Atlanta United, was a popular figure during his years as a Newcastle United player. Diego Leon, 14 years his junior, is on the books of Manchester United and has already been capped, though he wasn't included in the most recent selection.

Paraguay are captained by Palmeiras captain Gustavo Gomez, a former AC Milan centre-back with more 88 senior international caps to his name and league titles in Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil on his CV.

Julio Enciso, the talented young attacking midfielder who joined BlueCo and Strasbourg from Brighton & Hove Albion in the summer of 2025, scored three goals in Paraguay’s qualification campaign. In all, he has scored four goals in 31 senior internationals.

Mood

La Albirroja arrive at their ninth World Cup as a defensively compact and hard-fighting side – a true testament to Paraguayan football DNA.

It’s been 16 years since they pushed eventual champions Spain to the limit at South Africa 2010, then reached the Copa America final in 2011. After that? A stylistic identity crisis and disappointing results.

Paraguay have had three different managers since Qatar 2022, all Argentinians but with completely different approaches. The attack-minded Guillermo Barros Schelotto began the qualifiers before being replaced by Paraguayan football icon Daniel Garnero, then the conservative Gustavo Alfaro.

Fortunately, Alfaro’s football fits his squad perfectly. The emergence of some exciting prospects adds a touch of magic to an otherwise competent yet lacklustre side.

A key factor in the outcome of their World Cup tournament will be whether Paraguay are capable of producing strong football away from home. Under Alfaro, the national team won five consecutive home qualifiers before drawing the last. It was the first time they’d beaten the three giants at home: Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay. Away from their stronghold, a record of DDDDLW signals room for improvement.

A crucial strength lies in their defensive prowess, as evidenced by their remarkable record during World Cup qualifying. Paraguay conceded just 10 goals in 18 qualifiers courtesy of a solid defence and strong goalkeeping, paired with precise counter-attacks and clinical finishing. Outside of 22-year-old star Julio Enciso, they won’t showcase much traditional South American dribbling nor creative flair (as a meagre 14 goals in those 18 games suggests), but they’ll always make stronger opponents uncomfortable with their fight. They never break mentally, and Paraguay's recent form suggests their World Cup 2026 campaign could be a historic one.

Squad

Paraguay World Cup 2026 squad

GK: Gatito Fernández (Cerro Porteño)
GK: Orlando Gill (San Lorenzo)
GK: Gastón Olveira (Olimpia)
DF: Gustavo Velázquez (Cerro Porteño)
DF: Omar Alderete (Sunderland)
DF: Juan José Cáceres (Dynamo Moscow)
DF: Fabián Balbuena (Grêmio)
DF: Júnior Alonso (Atlético Mineiro)
DF: José Canale (Lanús)
DF: Gustavo Gómez (Palmeiras)
DF: Alexandro Maidana (Talleres)
MF: Ramón Sosa (Palmeiras)
MF: Diego Gómez (Brighton & Hove Albion)
MF: Miguel Almirón (Atlanta United FC)
MF: Maurício (Palmeiras)
MF: Andrés Cubas (Vancouver Whitecaps FC)
MF: Damián Bobadilla (São Paulo)
MF: Braian Ojeda (Orlando City SC)
MF: Matías Galarza (Atlanta United FC)
MF: Gustavo Caballero (Portsmouth)
FW: Antonio Sanabria (Cremonese)
FW: Kaku (Al-Ain)
FW: Álex Arce (Independiente Rivadavia)
FW: Julio Enciso (Strasbourg)
FW: Gabriel Ávalos (Independiente)
FW: Isidro Pitta (Red Bull Bragantino)

Fixtures

June 12, 2026: United States vs Paraguay, SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, United States
June 19, 2026: Turkiye vs Paraguay, Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, United States
June 25, 2026: Paraguay vs Australia, Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, United States

Group D standings

Paraguay are in Group D at World Cup 2026.

Manager

Who is Paraguay's manager?

Gustavo Alfaro (Image credit: Getty Images)

Paraguay’s head coach is the vastly experienced Argentinian Gustavo Alfaro, who made the shift into international football with Ecuador in 2020 and had a spell in charge of Costa Rica in between.

With the exception of a few months in the Saudi Pro League, Alfaro spent the entirety of his club management career in Argentina. His longest and most successful tenure by far was with Arsenal de Sarandi, with whom he won the Clausura and the Copa Sudamericana.

Alfaro was Ecuador’s coach at the last World Cup, where they beat hosts Qatar and drew with the Netherlands but ultimately fell short in the group stage.

Star player

Who is Paraguay's star player?

Antonio Sanabria in action against Japan (Image credit: Koji Watanabe/Getty Images)

Antonio Sanabria, who joined newly promoted Serie A side Cremonese from Torino in 2025 and is competing with Jamie Vardy and Federico Bonazzoli in a surprisingly well-stocked front line, enjoyed a breakout qualifying campaign.

The former Real Betis forward netted four times including winners against Bolivia and Venezuela, and the equaliser in Paraguay’s 2-1 home win against runaway group winners Argentina.

Sanabria has been a senior international since 2013 but won twice as many caps in 2025 as he had in any single previous calendar year. Almost all of his international goals have come in home qualifiers in Asuncion. He’ll be hoping the most recent one, scored in the United States, will be a sign of things to come.

Best XI

Tunisia World Cup 2026 squad ahead of the game against Sweden

mahermezahi@gmail.com (Maher Mezahi) — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 08:54:59 +0000

The Tunisia World Cup 2026 squad is the third that the nation have sent to the competition in a row.

World Cup 2026 will be the Eagles of Carthage's seventh tournament – and though they have one of the lesser-known squads at the tournament and won't be among the World Cup favourites, there is certainly hope for making history this time around… but the last year has not been without its ups and downs.

For a start, this was a defensively stringent team under Sami Trabelsi, who returned for a second stint as manager and led this side to become the first in history to qualify for the World Cup without conceding a single goal.

But then came AFCON earlier this year and a Round of 16 exit to Mali: 1998 hero Trabelsi was sacked, and in came former Rennes, Nottingham Forest and Cardiff boss, Sabri Lamouchi, who will be hoping for one hell of a new manager bounce across the Atlantic.

Tunisia will be based in Mexico for their first two fixtures against Sweden and Japan, before travelling to Missouri to face group favourites, the Netherlands, knowing that just three points could be enough to secure passage into a first-ever knockout round.

Though there aren't many standout superstars, there several solid players across this 26-man selection: Ellyes Skhiri of Eintracht Frankfurt leads the group in midfield alongside Anis Ben Slimane and Hannibal Mejbri, two experienced faces in English football.

Four 30-somethings with 377 caps between them won't be in North America, however: Ferjani Sassi, Yassine Meriah, Ali Maaloul and Naim Sliti haven't been named in this squad, despite going to the Africa Cup of Nations earlier this year, with Sliti having retired.

Squad

The Mood

“We have to be honest with ourselves and admit we are far from where we need to be.”

That’s what Hannibal Mejbri told Tunisian press on January 3 after an embarrassing defeat in the Africa Cup of Nations’ last 16. The Eagles of Carthage appeared toothless against a Mali side playing with 10 for most of the match, and lost on penalties.

Mejbri’s grim verdict reflects deeper structural problems that breed pessimism amongst Tunisian fans: five coaching changes in two years, no modern football infrastructure, and a federation that spent most of qualifying as a normalisation committee due to government interference.

Tunisia World Cup 2026 squad: The final selection

GK: Aymen Dahmen (CS Sfaxien)
GK: Sabri Ben Hessen (Etoile du Sahel)
GK: Mouhib Chamakh (Club Africain)
DF: Montassar Talbi (Lorient)
DF: Dylan Bronn (Servette)
DF: Ali Abdi (Nice)
DF: Yan Valery (Young Boys)
DF: Mohamed Amine Ben Hamida (Esperance de Tunis)
DF: Moutaz Neffati (IFK Norrkoping)
DF: Omar Rekik (Maribor)
DF: Adem Arous (Kasimpasa)
DF: Raed Chikhaoui (US Monastir)
MF: Ellyes Skhiri (Eintracht Frankfurt)
MF: Hannibal Mejbri (Burnley)
MF: Anis Ben Slimane (Norwich City)
MF: Mortadha Ben Ouanes (Kasimpasa)
MF: Ismael Gharbi (FC Augsburg)
MF: Hadj Mahmoud (Lugano)
MF: Rani Khedira (Union Berlin)
FW: Elias Achouri (Copenhagen)
FW: Firas Chaouat (Club Africain)
FW: Hazem Mastouri (Dynamo Makhachkala)
FW: Elias Saad (Hannover 96)
FW: Sebastian Tounekti (Celtic)
FW: Khalil Ayari (Paris Saint-Germain)
FW: Rayan Elloumi (Vancouver Whitecaps)

Fixtures and results

Fixtures

June 14, 2026: Sweden vs Tunisia, Estadio BBVA, Guadalupe, Mexico
June 20, 2026: Tunisia vs Japan, Estadio BBVA, Guadalupe, Mexico
June 25, 2026: Tunisia vs Netherlands, Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, United States

Who is Tunisia's manager?

Sabri Lamouchi has taken charge of Tunisia (Image credit: FETHI BELAID / AFP via Getty Images)

Sabri Lamouchi missed out on his country's defining moment at the Greatest Show on Earth in 1998: he was one of six axed from manager Aime Jacquet's preliminary France squad for the tournament on home soil, which Les Bleus capped with that legendary win.

2026 will see the 54-year-old travel to his second World Cup as a coach, having guided the Ivory Coast to the competition in 2014, where Les Elephantes went out at the group stage, but Lamouchi heads to North America, still getting to know his own players. He's managed just two games so far, following Sami Trabelsi's dismissal earlier this year.

Star player

Who is Tunisia's star player?

Ellyes Skhiri is Tunisia's key man (Image credit: Getty Images)

With very few top-level operators, Ellyes Skhiri is the only Tunisian to have played Champions League football this season – though his side, Eintracht Frankfurt suffered a poor season in which they bombed out of Europe's league phase and finished eighth in the Bundesliga.

Skhiri is consistent in midfield for Tunisia: he'll be the first name on the team sheet, and in the absence of a real game-breaker, they'll rely on his leadership to keep them in games.

Best XI

South Africa squad World Cup 2026: The 26-man selection to face Czechia

Joe Crann — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 08:50:54 +0000

South Africa beat Rwanda in their final qualifying game to top their group and lock in their World Cup 2026 spot. If their unfancied status allowed them to kick off the finals without much pressure on their shoulders, losing the curtain-raiser to Mexico turned up the heat.

Bafana Bafana went down 2-0 at Estadio Azteca, shooting themselves in the foot with an early mix-up and never truly recovering. The night ended with a pair of red cards and subsequent suspensions, which will be served in the second game against Czechia.

Manager Hugo Broos needs more from his team in a group that offered a realistic chance to progress in a 48-team tournament. Whether and when South Africa break their duck in front of goal and pick up a first point will tell us a lot about their prospects.

Their last game at a World Cup saw them beat powerhouse France but they were knocked out at the group stage, becoming the first hosts ever to befall this fate.

However, they did provide one of the greatest moments in World Cup history as Siphiwe Tshabalala rifled home the opening goal of the tournament and sent the 84,000 fans at Soccer City absolutely wild.

They were the first African nation to host a World Cup and there was hope that they would significantly kick on, but they have not qualified for a World Cup since.

The 2023 African Cup of Nations saw them match their best ever finish in a major tournament, finishing fourth, just as they had in 2007. They used this momentum to propel themselves to a spot at the World Cup in 2026.

The Mood

Bafana Bafana are back.

It has been a lengthy absence from the global stage for South Africa, who last played at the World Cup as the host nation in 2010, and last qualified in 2002, but Hugo Broos has masterminded their return to the big time following multiple missed opportunities, and a few embarrassments along the way.

Though the vuvuzelas of 2010 are a distant whisper today, the memory of Siphiwe Tshabalala’s rocket remains. Now South Africa are out to capture the hearts of a younger generation – and there’s no better time nor place to do it than in the 2026 tournament’s curtain-raiser at Estadio Azteca.

Squad

South Africa World Cup 2026 squad: The final selection

GK: Ronwen Williams (Mamelodi Sundowns)
GK: Ricardo Goss (Siwelele)
GK: Sipho Chaine (Orlando Pirates)
DF: Khuliso Mudau (Mamelodi Sundowns)
DF: Aubrey Modiba (Mamelodi Sundowns)
DF: Khulumani Ndamane (Mamelodi Sundowns)
DF: Olwethu Makhanya (Philadelphia Union)
DF: Bradley Cross (Kaizer Chiefs)
DF: Thabang Matuludi (Polokwane City)
DF: Nkosinathi Sibisi (Orlando Pirates)
DF: Kamogelo Sebelebele (Orlando Pirates)
DF: Ime Okon (Hannover 96)
DF: Samukele Kabini (Molde FK)
DF: Mbekezeli Mbokazi (Chicago Fire)
MF: Teboho Mokoena (Mamelodi Sundowns)
MF: Jayden Adams (Mamelodi Sundowns)
MF: Thalente Mbatha (Orlando Pirates)
MF: Sphephelo Sithole (Tondela)
FW: Oswin Appollis (Orlando Pirates)
FW: Tshepang Moremi (Orlando Pirates)
FW: Evidence Makgopa (Orlando Pirates)
FW: Relebohile Mofokeng (Orlando Pirates)
FW: Lyle Foster (Burnley)
FW: Iqraam Rayners (Mamelodi Sundowns)
FW: Themba Zwane (Mamelodi Sundowns)
FW: Thapelo Maseko (AEL Limassol)

Fixtures

June 18, 2026: Czechia vs South Africa, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, United States
June 25, 2026: South Africa vs South Korea, Estadio BBVA, Guadalupe, Mexico

Manager

Who is South Africa's manager?

This is Hugo Broos' last managerial job (Image credit: ISSOUF SANOGO/AFP via Getty Images)

Belgian Hugo Broos is undertaking his last ever role as a manager with South Africa at the 2026 World Cup.

He led them to fourth place in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations and then spearheaded their qualification efforts for the World Cup.

Previously he has managed Cameroon as well as 11 club sides.

Star player

Who is South Africa's star player?

Ronwen Williams is Bafana Bafana's key man (Image credit: Luke Hales - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

Ronwen Williams is the captain of South Africa and arguably their most important player.

Since 2021 he has had the armband and has been vital in their resurgence of late. In 2023 he saved four penalties against Cape Verde in the Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final to help South Africa to their best finish since 2000.

Curiously he was the first player ever to be penalised under FIFA’s new eight-second rule, conceding a corner in a Club World Cup match against Ulsan HD.

Best XI

Cape Verde World Cup squad 2026: Bubista's squad for the Blue Sharks' World Cup debut

Mark Lomas — Thu, 04 Dec 2025 08:47:39 +0000

The Cape Verde World Cup 2026 squad are representing one of the four debut nations competing for the first time in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Despite having one of the most inexperienced squads at the tournament, the Blue Sharks are determined to make a name for themselves and enjoy the experience at the same time.

Head coach Bubista, who called up just one player from Europe's top five leagues, will be expecting a celebratory atmosphere at all three of Cape Verde's games in Atlanta, Miami and Houston.

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There are some fantastic stories among this group. Captain, all-time scorer and record appearance-maker Ryan Mendes is leading the line 16 years after his debut, while Pico represents Shamrock Rovers on the international stage and is the first Irish-born player born in the 1990s to play at the World Cup.

There aren't many players we thought were dead-certs who have been excluded, with goalkeeper Bruno Varela the most-capped player of anyone who's played for Bubista in the last year to miss out – and he only has eight caps.

Getting a result in the United States this summer will be an extremely tall order for this group, with Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia all coming up Group H.

But Cape Verde know as well as everyone else that just one win could see them into a knockout stage… and anything is possible now that they're actually here.

Mood

Forget Cool Runnings, Mighty Ducks or Renford Rejects, Cape Verde’s passage to the World Cup is a sporting underdog story for the ages. The Creoles will become the third-smallest nation to ever play in the tournament (behind Iceland and fellow 2026 debutants Curacao), an achievement unthinkable for the Atlantic archipelago a few short years ago.

Built on defensive organisation, diaspora talent and the steady leadership of coach Pedro ‘Bubista’ Brito, the Blue Sharks have already made history but will be circling for more. They have established an impressive pedigree in AFCON – two-time quarter-finalists, they regularly cause upsets and have lost just once in 12 group games.

Squad

Cape Verde World Cup 2026 squad: The final selection

GK: Vozinha (Chaves)
GK: Marcio Rosa (Montana)
GK: CJ dos Santos (San Diego)
DF: Stopira (Torreense)
DF: Pico (Shamrock Rovers)
DF: Joao Paulo (FCSB)
DF: Diney (Al Bataeh)
DF: Logan Costa (Villarreal)
DF: Steven Moreira (Columbus Crew)
DF: Wagner Pina (Trabzonspor)
DF: Sidny Lopes Cabral (Benfica)
DF: Kelvin Pires (SJK)
MF: Jamiro Monteiro (PEC Zwolle)
MF: Kevin Pina (Krasnodar)
MF: Deroy Duarte (Ludogorets Razgrad)
MF: Telmo Arcanjo (Vitoria de Guimaraes)
MF: Laros Duarte (Puskas Akademia)
MF: Yannick Semedo (Farense)
FW: Ryan Mendes (Igdir)
FW: Garry Rodrigues (Apollon Limassol)
FW: Willy Semedo (Omonia)
FW: Jovane Cabral (Estrela Amadora)
FW: Benchimol (Akron Tolyatti)
FW: Dailon Livramento (Casa Pia)
FW: Helio Varela (Maccabi Tel Aviv)
FW: Nuno da Costa (Istanbul Basaksehir)

Lesson from qualifying

Show no fear. They saw off African heavyweights Cameroon to reach their first World Cup, thanks to a decisive 1-0 home win last September. A rollercoaster 3-3 draw away to Libya in the penultimate qualifier set nerves jangling but in front of a raucous crowd in the capital Praia, Cape Verde beat Eswatini 3-0.

Fixtures and results

Fixtures

June 15, 2026: Spain vs Cape Verde, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, United States
June 21, 2026: Uruguay vs Cape Verde, Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, United States
June 27, 2026: Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia, NRG Stadium, Houston, United States

Who is Cape Verde's manager?

Bubista, picking up Coach of the Year award at the CAF Awards ceremony (Image credit: Abu Adem Muhammed/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Bubista has taken Cape Verde to three major tournaments in his time as manager since taking over in 2020.

Under his stewardship, in 2023 they reached the quarter-finals for the second time in their history. He has an impressive 48% win rate as manager.

He played 28 times for his country, captaining them on several occasions.

Star player

Who is Cape Verde's star player?

Ryan Mendes is integral to Cape Verde (Image credit: FRANCK FIFE / AFP) (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)

Ryan Mendes is both Cape Verde’s most capped player, and their highest goalscorer of all time.

The forward is 36, making it likely to be his only appearance at the tournament for his country.

He captains the squad as well as leading the attack, and will be hoping to make the most of the opportunity to lead his nation at their first ever World Cup.

Best XI

Uzbekistan World Cup 2026 squad: Fabio Cannavaro's team for opening game against Colombia

Mark Lomas — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 23:17:32 +0000

The Uzbekistan World Cup 2026 squad are history-makers as the nation's first ever side to qualify.

Across their two rounds of World Cup 2026 qualification they only lost once and qualified quite comfortably in their group in the third round, but they won't be among the favourites for the tournament.

They played in and hosted part of the second FIFA series in 2026 ahead of the World Cup and they'll be grateful for the experience as one of the lesser-known squads in the tournament.

Uzbekistan will debut as an independent nation at the 2026 World Cup having previously been part of the Soviet Union.

Most of their squad plays their football in the country with a few exceptions, including Abdukodir Khusanov, who plays for Manchester City in the Premier League.

They have a big-name manager in the shape of Fabio Cannavaro, and will be hoping his World Cup-winning experience with Italy will inspire Uzbekistan 20 years on. His performance against Germany in that tournament is ranked at no.33 in FourFourTwo's list of the greatest individual performances of all time.

Their qualification for the 2026 World Cup saw them become the first central Asian team to qualify for the tournament as well as the third former Soviet Union state after Russia and Ukraine.

Mood

Uzbekistan’s rise from Asian also-rans to consistent continental performers and now World Cup debutants has been a slow-burner. Always there or thereabouts in qualifying, the White Wolves have endured painful near-misses – they were two points shy of reaching the 2018 World Cup and fell in the final round before the intercontinental play-offs in 2006 and 2014, to Jordan and Bahrain respectively.

Now the Uzbeks, who have reached the Asian Cup quarter-finals at five of the last six tournaments, have finally shed their ‘nearly men’ tag to secure a long-awaited spot on football’s biggest stage. Their manager, Italy’s 2006 World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro, will demand they perform, too.

Squad

Uzbekistan's World Cup 2026 squad: The March selection

GK: Utkir Yusupov (Navbahor)
GK: Abduvohid Nematov (Nasaf)
GK: Botirali Ergashev (Neftchi)
DF: Abdukodir Khusanov (Manchester City)
DF: Khojiakbar Alijonov (Pakhtakor)
DF: Farrukh Sayfiev (Neftchi)
DF: Rustam Ashurmatov (Esteghlal)
DF: Sherzod Nasrullaev (Pakhtakor)
DF: Umar Eshmurodov (Nasaf)
DF: Bekhruz Karimov (Surkhon)
DF: Mukhammadrasul Abdumazhidov (Pakhtakor)
DF: Jakhongir Urozov (Dinamo)
DF: Mukhammadkodir Khamraliev (Pakhtakor)
MF: Akmal Mozgovoy (Baniyas)
MF: Otabek Shukurov (Baniyas)
MF: Jamshid Iskanderov (Neftchi)
MF: Odiljon Hamrobekov (Tractor)
MF: Azizjon Ganiev (Al Bataeh)
MF: Oston Urunov (Persepolis)
MF: Dostonbek Khamdamov (Pakhtakor)
MF: Alisher Odilov (Neftchi)
MF: Ibrokhim Ibragimov (Pakhtakor)
MF: Umarali Rakhmonaliev (Sabah)
FW: Eldor Shomurodov (Istanbul Basaksehir)
FW: Igor Sergeev (Persepolis)
FW: Sherzod Temirov (Erbil)

Fixtures

June 01, 2026: Canada vs Uzbekistan, BMO Field, Toronto, Canada
June 18, 2026: Uzbekistan vs Colombia, Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico
June 23, 2026: Portugal vs Uzbekistan, NRG Stadium, Houston, United States
June 28, 2026: DR Congo vs Uzbekistan, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, United States

Manager

Who is Uzbekistan's manager?

Fabio Cannavaro holds the World Cup aloft following Italy's victory over France in the 2006 final (Image credit: Alamy)

Ballon d’Or winner Fabio Cannavaro will take charge of Uzbekistan at their first ever World Cup.

His previous managerial experience includes spells in China, Saudi Arabia and Italy, none of which have been that successful.

This is second spell in charge of a national team, having taken charge of China for two games whilst also in charge of Chinese club side Guangzhou.

Star player

Who is Uzbekistan's star player?

Abdukodir Khusanov in action for Manchester City against Chelsea in January 2025. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Attack wins games, defence wins titles. Whilst Uzbekistan are unlikely to win the World Cup, going far in the tournament will rely on a strong defence and tying in games, allowing the strikers to try and grab a late goal.

Abdukodir Khusanov of Manchester City will be vital in allowing that to happen. He made the move to the Premier League in January 2025 after just 18 months at Ligue 1 side Lens.

Under Pep Guardiola’s tutelage he will gain valuable experience which could greatly benefit his nation in their first ever World Cup.

Best XI

Qatar vs Canada Team News: Predicted World Cup starting XI, injury updates and squad in full

John Duerden — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 23:02:19 +0000

The Qatar World Cup 2026 squad is the first to have qualified for the World Cup after the nation played in the 2022 tournament as hosts.

Their pre-tournament plans were disrupted by matters that extend far beyond football, with March friendlies cancelled and a training camp arranged to fill the gap. Far from ideal.

But with Canada and Bosnia-Herzegovina also playing out a 1–1 draw, Qatar finds itself in a wide-open, perfectly level group. The team enters their second match against co-hosts Canada in Vancouver with confidence and zero pressure, knowing that a win would put them on the cusp of an improbable knockout-stage berth.

The group who convened in March included only two who play outside Qatar. Defender Homam Ahmed plays in Spain for Cultural Leonesa, midfielder Mostafa Meshaal for Eupen in Belgium.

Just as their opening World Cup match seemed destined for a narrow Swiss victory, Qatar capitalised in the 94th minute. Star playmaker Akram Afif delivered a pinpoint cross into the box, and 34-year-old veteran Boualem Khoukhi rose highest to power home a dramatic equaliser.

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The Mood

(Image credit: Getty Images)

For Qatar, the 2022 World Cup was a big success off the pitch but a huge disappointment on it, with three defeats from three. Half an hour into their tournament debut against Ecuador, their campaign was realistically over.

The Maroons are on their sixth manager (all Iberian) since that game, despite defending their Asian Cup crown in 2024. Julen Lopetegui is the latest and he squeezed them through AFC’s World Cup repechage round, helped by home advantage and a favourable schedule.

Since then, Qatar have lost at home to Zimbabwe, Palestine and Tunisia, and been forced to cancel friendlies against Serbia and Argentina. Still, they’re determined to improve and this group offers that opportunity.

Strengths

The squad is experienced. Lopetegui adds pedigree. Akram Afif is arguably one of the best players in Asia.

Weaknesses

They’re perhaps overreliant on older players, and goals look hard to come by if Afif isn’t firing – Almoez Ali isn’t guaranteed his place up front. Qatar also lost an unhealthy number of points from decent positions in qualifying, conceding 24 goals in 10 Third Round fixtures, including two in North Korea, three in Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, four in Iran and five in the UAE.

Squad

Qatar World Cup 2026 squad

GK: Mahmud Abunada (Al-Rayyan)
GK: Salah Zakaria (Al-Duhail)
GK: Meshaal Barsham (Al-Sadd)
DF: Pedro Miguel (Al-Sadd)
DF: Lucas Mendes (Al-Wakrah)
DF: Issa Laye (Al-Arabi)
DF: Jassem Gaber (Al-Rayyan)
DF: Ayoub Al-Oui (Al-Gharafa)
DF: Homam Ahmed (Cultural Leonesa)
DF: Boualem Khoukhi (Al-Sadd)
DF: Sultan Al-Brake (Al-Duhail)
DF: Al-Hashmi Al-Hussain (Al-Arabi)
MF: Abdulaziz Hatem (Al-Rayyan)
MF: Karim Boudiaf (Al-Duhail)
MF: Ahmed Al-Ganehi (Al-Gharafa)
MF: Ahmed Fathy (Al-Arabi)
MF: Assim Madibo (Al-Wakrah)
FW: Ahmed Alaaeldin (Al-Rayyan)
FW: Edmilson Junior (Al-Duhail)
FW: Mohammed Muntari (Al-Gharafa)
FW: Hassan Al-Haydos (Al-Sadd)
FW: Akram Afif (Al-Sadd)
FW: Yusuf Abdurisag (Al-Wakrah)
FW: Almoez Ali (Al-Duhail)
FW: Tahsin Jamshid (Al-Duhail)
FW: Mohamed Manai (Al-Shamal)

Fixtures

June 18, 2026: Canada vs Qatar, BC Place, Vancouver, Canada
June 24, 2026: Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Qatar, Lumen Field, Seattle, United States

Manager

Who is Qatar's manager?

Julen Lopetegui, Head Coach of Sevilla celebrates with the UEFA Europa League (Image credit: Getty Images)

Qatar’s last six managers have all been from the Iberian Peninsula, with their last three being Spanish. Julen Lopetegui who is the current manager, is the most high profile to have had the role.

His previous experience includes Real Madrid, where he lasted less than half a season before being sacked. He enjoyed a better spell at Sevilla, where he won the Europa League.

Lopetegui will be familiar to English football fans, having had two stints in the Premier League in the past few years. He was in charge of Wolves before leaving on the eve of the new season in 2023, before taking charge of West Ham, again only for just over half a season before being sacked.

Star player

Who is Qatar's star player?

Almoez Ali (Image credit: Getty)

Almoez Ali has represented Qatar at several major tournaments. He was part of the Qatari team that participated in the 2019 Copa America, scoring against Paraguay.

He also participated in the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup, where he scored four times and won the top scorer award, as Qatar finished third.

He was also in the squad for the 2022 World Cup featuring in every game. He’ll be hoping to break his duck in 2026 and become just the second ever Qatari player to score in the tournament.

Best XI

Predicted XI

Qatar predicted XI vs Canada (4-3-3): Mahmoud Abunada; Homam Al Amin, Boualem Khoukhi, Pedro Miguel, Ayoub Al Oui; Issa Laye, Assim Madibo, Jassem Gaber; Akram Afif, Yusu Abdurisag, Edmilson Junior

Jordan World Cup 2026 squad: Jamal Sellami's tournament squad ready for Austria test

Ewan Gennery — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 22:47:23 +0000

The Jordan World Cup 2026 squad will be one of four debut nations in North America this summer.

Jordan qualified for World Cup 2026 by finishing a point ahead of Iran in AFC qualifying. They subsequently rose to their highest FIFA World Ranking for more than a decade but will have one of the least experienced squads at the tournament when it comes to playing at the highest level.

They'll take part in Group J at the World Cup, meaning they'll face Austria and Algeria as well as Argentina, the reigning world champions and one of the favourites again this summer.

After three consecutive defeats in October and November, Jordan won five matches in a row in December's FIFA Arab Cup, conceding only two goals.

They conceded three goals against Morocco in the final, losing in extra time, and concluded their World Cup preparations with a 2-2 draw against Costa Rica in Turkiye at the end of March.

Jordan have been building towards this World Cup. Prior to their final appearance in December, they were beaten in the final of the Asian Cup by hosts Qatar having beaten Malaysia, Iraq, South Korea and Tajikistan along the way.

They qualified for World Cup 2026 by topping their first AFC group ahead of Saudi Arabia and finishing second in the next group stage behind South Korea.

Mood

The celebrations in Amman last June at Jordan’s first World Cup qualification went on for weeks, not days. Yet it wasn’t necessarily a surprise for a team that broke their tournament knockout stage hoodoo by beating South Korea to reach the 2023 Asian Cup Final, then backed it up with a run to the 2025 Arab Cup showpiece.

Serious injuries to star forwards in Yazan Al Naimat and Ali Olwan, who between them scored 10 of Jordan’s 16 goals in the third round of qualifying, in the months since haven’t helped but the pressure will be off in North America to just enjoy the ride.

Squad

Jordan's World Cup 2026 squad: The March selection

GK: Yazeed Abulaila (Al-Hussein)
GK: Nour Bani Attiah (Al-Faisaly)
GK: Abdallah Al-Fakhouri (Al-Wehdat)
DF: Abdallah Nasib (Al-Zawraa)
DF: Husam Abu Dahab (Al-Faisaly)
DF: Yazan Al-Arab (FC Seoul)
DF: Mohammad Abualnadi (Corvinul Hunedoara)
DF: Salim Obaid (Al-Hussein)
DF: Mohammad Taha (Al-Hussein)
DF: Saed Al-Rosan (Al-Hussein)
DF: Ihsan Haddad (Al-Hussein)
DF: Anas Badawi (Al-Faisaly)
MF: Mohammad Abu Hashish (Al-Karma)
MF: Amer Jamous (Al-Zawraa)
MF: Noor Al-Rawabdeh (Selangor)
MF: Rajaei Ayed (Al-Hussein)
MF: Ibrahim Sa'deh (Al-Karma)
MF: Mohannad Abu Taha (Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya)
MF: Nizar Al-Rashdan (Qatar)
MF: Mohammad Al-Dawoud (Al-Wehdat)
FW: Mohammad Abu Zrayq (Raja Casablanca)
FW: Ali Olwan (Al-Sailiya)
FW: Musa Al-Taamari (Rennes)
FW: Odeh Al-Fakhouri (Pyramids)
FW: Mahmoud Al-Mardi (Al-Hussein)
FW: Ali Azaizeh (Al-Shabab)

Fixtures

June 16, 2026: Austria vs Jordan, Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, United States
June 22, 2026: Jordan vs Algeria, Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, United States
June 27, 2026: Jordan vs Argentina, AT&T Stadium, Arlington, United States

Group J standings

Jordan are in Group J at World Cup 2026.

Manager

Who is Jordan's manager?

Jordan manager Jamal Sellami was in an unusual position at the Arab Cup final in December: he is a former Morocco international who played the majority of his career in his home town, Casablanca.

The 55-year-old former midfield player, who scored twice for his country, became the first man to lead Jordan to the World Cup finals in his first managerial job outside Moroccan football.

He was appointed to succeed Hussein Ammouta and has achieved more than any of his predecessors by taking Jordan to a major tournament and the final of the Arab Cup.

Star player

Who is Jordan's star player?

If Jordan are to impress on their World Cup debut, Rennes winger and national team captain Musa Al-Taamari will be at the heart of it. He didn't play at the Arab Cup but will be key to the Chivalrous Ones' fortunes this summer.

Al-Taamari, who needs 10 goals to equal former teammate Hamza Al-Dardour's Jordanian goalscoring record, has played in the UEFA region since moving to APOEL in Cyprus eight years ago.

He has since played in Belgium and with Montpellier and Rennes in Ligue 1.

Best XI

Iran World Cup 2026 squad: Amir Ghalenoei's final 26-man side for the tournament

Chris Nee — Wed, 03 Dec 2025 22:37:36 +0000

The Iran World Cup 2026 squad will be the fourth in a row to represent the nation at the finals.

They've failed to make it past the group stage in any of their previous appearances and will be hoping they can change that at World Cup 2026 despite having one of the more inexperienced squads in the tournament.

Belgium will be the Group G favourites and Iran will need a result against Egypt or New Zealand to achieve their best-ever World Cup performance.

Iran's participation has been in doubt ever since they qualified. The outbreak of war, the devastating human impact and the fact that one of the World Cup host nations is bombing their cities and openly aggressive to the idea of their presence at the tournament puts the whole tournament into perspective.

Their last four matches were against World Cup debutants Cape Verde and Uzbekistan, and Nigeria and Gambia, who failed to qualify. Having beaten only the last of those, Iran's prospects in the summer would appear meagre.

Much of their squad plays their football in the Middle East, with a few players playing in Europe, notably captain Mehdi Taremi. He now plays for Olympiacos and is Iran's third all-time top scorer with 56 goals.

Ali Daei is their all-time top goalscorer, with 108 goals in 148 games, and he is also the third highest scorer in international football history behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.

The Mood

Where to start?

Not much more than three months before Iran were scheduled to begin their seventh World Cup, against New Zealand in the USA, the country was attacked by the host nation, whose president said the Team Melli players’ “life and safety” are at risk if they enter the country. Even in ‘normal’ times, Iran struggled to match the preparations of rivals due to international isolation and sanctions.

Many players have been unable to play at home due to the war, while those overseas have, to say the least, distractions. In purely football terms, this squad has a great chance to get out of the group for the first time - now that they've made it to the start line.

Squad

Iran World Cup 2026 squad: The final selection

GK: Alireza Beiranvand (Tractor)
GK: Payam Niazmand (Persepolis)
GK: Hossein Hosseini (Sepahan)
DF: Saleh Hardani (Esteghlal)
DF: Ehsan Hajsafi (Sepahan)
DF: Shojae Khalilzadeh (Tractor)
DF: Milad Mohammadi (Persepolis)
DF: Hossein Kanaanizadegan (Persepolis)
DF: Aria Yousefi (Sepahan)
DF: Ali Nemati (Foolad)
DF: Ramin Rezaeian (Foolad)
DF: Danial Eiri (Malavan)
MF: Saeid Ezatolahi (Shabab Al-Ahli)
MF: Alireza Jahanbakhsh (Dender)
MF: Mohammad Mohebi (Rostov)
MF: Saman Ghoddos (Kalba)
MF: Rouzbeh Cheshmi (Esteghlal)
MF: Mahdi Torabi (Tractor)
MF: Mohammad Ghorbani (Al-Wahda)
MF: Amirmohammad Razzaghinia (Esteghlal)
FW: Mehdi Taremi (Olympiacos)
FW: Mehdi Ghayedi (Al-Nasr)
FW: Ali Alipour (Persepolis)
FW: Amirhossein Hosseinzadeh (Tractor)
FW: Shahriyar Moghanlou (Kalba)
FW: Dennis Eckert (Standard Liege)

Fixtures

June 15, 2026: Iran vs New Zealand, SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, United States
June 21, 2026: Belgium vs Iran, SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, United States
June 27, 2026: Egypt vs Iran, Lumen Field, Seattle, United States

Group G standings

Iran are in Group G at World Cup 2026.

Manager

Who is Iran's manager?

Amir Ghalenoei is in his second stint in charge of the Iranian national football team.

His first spell saw him in the dugout for 17 games between 2007 and 2008, of which he only lost one. His second has seen him lose only a handful of games, though Iran's more recent fortunes have been affected by more serious matters..

Italian analyst and coach Antonio Gagliardi, who has been part of Italy and Juventus’ backroom staff, has been added to the staff with the expectation he will take over after the World Cup.

Star player

Who is Iran's star player?

Mehdi Taremi playing for Iran (Image credit: Getty)

Mehdi Taremi now plays for Olympiacos having moved to Greece last summer in search of regular minutes ahead of the World Cup.

In 39 appearances for his club he has scored 16 goals, firing in 10 goals in 24 league games and netting in the Champions League against Real Madrid.

If Iran want to get out of the group stage for the first time ever, they will need him at his best.

Best XI

Switzerland squad World Cup 2026 as Murat Yakin's team face Bosnia Herzegovina

Ewan Gennery — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 17:05:10 +0000

Switzerland opened their tournament frustratingly, with a 1–1 draw against Qatar on June 13. A 17th-minute penalty from Breel Embolo gave them an early cushion, a devastating 93rd-minute own goal by substitute defender Miro Muheim stripped away a crucial opening win.

Because both opening matches in Group B ended in a 1–1 tie, the group remains completely level and thus wide open.

Leaders Granit Xhaka and Manuel Akanji have spoken about accountability and immediate tactical adjustment. Under Murat Yakin, the emphasis in camp has been on defensive concentration in the final phase. The squad knows that securing three points tonight at Los Angeles Stadium is vital before facing a tough Canada side in their final group fixture.

Switzerland will be looking to make it past the round of 16 for the first time this century in Canada, Mexico and the United States, and they can call upon some stars of European football to try and do so.

Granit Xhaka, Switzerland's record appearance-maker, is continuing his revival at Sunderland, and while they've slipped off slightly from their early high, they are not completely out of the European picture – his experience will be vital to the Rossocrociati's fortunes this summer.

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That will be all the more important given former mainstay Xherdan Shaqiri retired from the international game after Euro 2024.

However, boss Murat Yakin can still call on some top European players, with Inter Milan's Manuel Akanji, Borussia Dortmund's Gregor Kobel, Nottingham Forest's Dan Ndoye and Leeds United's Noah Okafor just some of the names in this most recent squad.

The Mood

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Coming off probably their best-ever performance at a major tournament, hopes are high for the Schwiizer Nati. Tempering that is your quadrennial reminder that Switzerland haven’t won a World Cup knockout round fixture since the Second World War.

Yet the Swiss could be poised for a long-awaited breakthrough at their sixth straight World Cup. At Euro 2024, they smothered Italy and took England to penalties in the quarter-finals, then they went through all of 2025 unbeaten. A new generation of talent, led by Johan Manzambi and Dan Ndoye, has arrived to supplement a strong group of old hands.

Squad

Switzerland World Cup 2026 squad

GK: Gregor Kobel (Borussia Dortmund)
GK: Yvon Mvogo (Lorient)
GK: Marvin Keller (Young Boys)
DF: Miro Muheim (Hamburger SV)
DF: Silvan Widmer (Mainz 05)
DF: Nico Elvedi (Borussia Mönchengladbach)
DF: Manuel Akanji (Inter Milan)
DF: Ricardo Rodriguez (Real Betis)
DF: Eray Cömert (Valencia)
DF: Aurèle Amenda (Eintracht Frankfurt)
DF: Luca Jaquez (VfB Stuttgart)
MF: Denis Zakaria (Monaco)
MF: Remo Freuler (Bologna)
MF: Johan Manzambi (SC Freiburg)
MF: Granit Xhaka (Sunderland)
MF: Ardon Jashari (Milan)
MF: Djibril Sow (Sevilla)
MF: Michel Aebischer (Pisa)
MF: Fabian Rieder (FC Augsburg)
FW: Breel Embolo (Rennes)
FW: Dan Ndoye (Nottingham Forest)
FW: Christian Fassnacht (Young Boys)
FW: Rubén Vargas (Sevilla)
FW: Noah Okafor (Leeds United)
FW: Zeki Amdouni (Burnley)
FW: Cedric Itten (Fortuna Düsseldorf)

Fixtures and results

Fixtures

June 24, 2026: Switzerland vs Canada, BC Place, Vancouver, Canada
September 26, 2026: North Macedonia vs Switzerland, Tose Proeski Arena, Skopje, North Macedonia
September 29, 2026: Scotland vs Switzerland, Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland
October 3, 2026: Switzerland vs Slovenia, Switzerland
October 6, 2026: Switzerland vs North Macedonia, Switzerland
November 13, 2026: Slovenia vs Switzerland, Stozice Stadium, Ljubljana, Slovenia
November 16, 2026: Switzerland vs Scotland, Switzerland

Recent results

June 13, 2026: Qatar 1-1 Switzerland, Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, California, United States
May 31, 2026: Switzerland 4-1 Jordan, kybunpark, St. Gallen, Switzerland
March 31, 2026: Norway 0-0 Switzerland, Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway
March 27, 2026: Switzerland 3-4 Germany, St. Jakob-Park, Basel, Switzerland
November 18, 2025: Kosovo 1-1 Switzerland, Fadil Vokrri Stadium, Pristina, Kosovo
November 15, 2025: Switzerland 4–1 Sweden, Stade de Genève, Geneva, Switzerland
October 13, 2025: Slovenia 0–0 Switzerland, Stožice Stadium, Ljubljana, Slovenia
October 10, 2025: Sweden 0–2 Switzerland, Friends Arena, Solna, Sweden
September 8, 2025: Switzerland 3–0 Slovenia, St. Jakob-Park, Basel, Switzerland
September 5, 2025: Switzerland 4–0 Kosovo, St. Jakob-Park, Basel, Switzerland
June 10, 2025: United States 0–4 Switzerland, Geodis Park, Nashville, United States

Strengths

The midfield unit is strong. After a brilliant run at Bayer Leverkusen, Granit Xhaka captained newly-promoted Sunderland to a comfortable mid-table berth in the Premier League. Wearing the armband for Switzerland, the 33-year-old anchors a group with Remo Freuler and Fabian Rieder that is adept at winning and distributing the ball.

Weaknesses

A lacklustre 0-0 draw in Ljubljana illustrated the pitfalls of a sometimes overcautious style. When that system breaks down, it can do so in spectacular fashion – remember their 6-1 defeat to Portugal in Qatar? It’s perhaps worth noting, too, that the average age of their predicted XI is a sprightly 30.

Manager

Who is Switzerland's manager?

Murat Yakin (Image credit: Getty Images)

Murat Yakin will lead Switzerland to a second World Cup, after taking them to Qatar in 2022. There, they suffered a battering in the round of 16 against Portugal.

Their Euro 2024 campaign was far more successful, as they finished second in their group, which contained hosts Germany. They brushed aside the holders Italy in the first knockout round to set up a tie with England, which they took the lead in. A penalty shootout decided their fate and they were knocked out.

Yakin will be hoping to lean on some of his playing experience. During his time at Basel, he won the Swiss Super League five times, and was capped 49 times for his country.

Switzerland's Star Player

Who is Switzerland's star player?

Granit Xhaka celebrates scoring for Sunderland against Everton (Image credit: Getty Images)

One of the stories of this Premier League season has been Granit Xhaka's return, and subsequent revival at Sunderland.

The veteran midfielder left Arsenal two years ago, and in his first season was a key part of Xabi Alonso's domestic invincible Bayer Leverkusen side, who won the league and cup double.

He is currently recognised in FourFourTwo's list of the best central midfielders in the world following his form in the last two years.

Best XI

4-3-3

GK Kobel, RB Widmer, CB Elvedi, CB Akanji, LB Rodriguez, DM Xhaka, CM Freuler, CM Rieder, RW Ndoye, CF Embolo, LW Vargas

Netherlands squad World Cup 2026: Ronald Koeman's squad to face Japan

Arthur Renard — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 16:58:55 +0000

Ronald Koeman has named his final 26-man squad for this summer's World Cup - leaning heavily on the Netherlands' Premier League contingent.

The country has been to three finals in its history but have never won the competition, so the Netherlands will be hoping to put that right at World Cup 2026.

Ronald Koeman has one of the stronger squads at the tournament but the team are unlikely to be the very favourites to triumph, though they reached the quarter-finals in 2022.

The Oranje breezed through Group G in the qualifiers and were unbeaten in eight games, with only Poland able to hold them to draws on two occasions.

They boast a defence packed with Premier League talent, featuring the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Micky van de Ven, Jorrel Hato and Jurrien Timber, who has overcome injury to be named at the World Cup. Liverpool's Jeremie Frimpong, though, will sit this tournament out.

Further forward Tijjani Reijnders and Ryan Gravenberch offer an interesting balance but Xavi Simons misses out having ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament playing for Tottenham.

The only area arguably lacking in Koeman's side is in attack, but he does appear to find ways to get the best out of a sometimes patchy Memphis Depay, who is now his nation's all-time top goalscorer.

The Mood

On their day, the Netherlands can compete with the world’s best. But inconsistency makes it difficult to gauge the true level of this Dutch national team.

In March 2025, they put in two very impressive performances in the Nations League quarter-final against Spain, drawing 2-2 and 3-3. Although they eventually lost on penalties, the Dutch matched their Spanish counterparts in attacking flair, evoking memories of when the Oranje would dazzle on the big stage. Yet the World Cup qualification journey that followed was less convincing – unbeaten, yes, but featuring a pair of 1-1 draws with Poland and a narrow 3-2 win in Lithuania.

The potential is there. Key players such as Frenkie de Jong, Tijjani Reijnders and Cody Gakpo are at their peak age, while a slightly younger layer of talent including Ryan Gravenberch, Jurrien Timber and Micky van de Ven (all 24) adds depth and versatility. Combine that with the experience of Virgil van Dijk and Memphis Depay, and you can see the makings of a cohesive, balanced squad.

Dutch players have made further progression in their careers since the semi-final appearance at Euro 2024, reflected in their increasing presence across Europe’s elite competitions. This season brought a record number of Dutch players in the Premier League, with plenty more impressing on the continent. Competition for places is strong, which provides Ronald Koeman with plenty of options. He will work on instilling patterns and focus in the team, to minimize any inconsistency.

The spine of the team has remained consistent for years, which provides a trusted foundation. Van Dijk anchors the defence, De Jong pulls the strings in midfield and Memphis leading the attack. Koeman might be leaving his post after the World Cup, so now is the time to reap the rewards of the balanced team that he has assembled.

Team spirit and dedication will be paramount. Koeman knows first-hand from Italia 90 how a troubled atmosphere can derail even the most talented sides. With the right mindset, the right chemistry and a bit of luck, this Netherlands team has the ingredients to go far.

Squad

Netherlands squad World Cup 2026

GK: Bart Verbruggen (Brighton & Hove Albion)
GK: Mark Flekken (Bayer Leverkusen)
GK: Robin Roefs (Sunderland)
DF: Virgil van Dijk (captain) (Liverpool)
DF: Denzel Dumfries (Internazionale)
DF: Lutsharel Geertruida (Sunderland)
DF: Nathan Aké (Manchester City)
DF: Micky van de Ven (Tottenham Hotspur)
DF: Jan Paul van Hecke (Brighton & Hove Albion)
DF: Jorrel Hato (Chelsea)
MF: Frenkie de Jong (Barcelona)
MF: Marten de Roon (Atalanta)
MF: Tijjani Reijnders (Manchester City)
MF: Teun Koopmeiners (Juventus)
MF: Ryan Gravenberch (Liverpool)
MF: Mats Wieffer (Brighton & Hove Albion)
MF: Quinten Timber (Marseille)
MF: Guus Til (PSV Eindhoven)
FW: Memphis Depay (Corinthians)
FW: Wout Weghorst (Ajax)
FW: Donyell Malen (Roma)
FW: Cody Gakpo (Liverpool)
FW: Noa Lang (Galatasaray)
FW: Justin Kluivert (Bournemouth)
FW: Brian Brobbey (Sunderland)
FW: Crysencio Summerville (West Ham United)

Fixtures

June 14, 2026: Netherlands vs Japan, AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas, United States
June 25, 2026: Tunisia vs Netherlands, Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri, United States
September 24, 2026: Netherlands vs Germany, Johan Cruyff Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands
September 27, 2026: Serbia vs Netherlands, Rajko Mitic Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia
October 1, 2026: Greece vs Netherlands, Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus, Greece
October 4, 2026: Netherlands vs Serbia, Johan Cruyff Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands
November 13, 2026: Netherlands vs Greece, Johan Cruyff Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands
November 16, 2026: Germany vs Netherlands, Germany

Group F standings

The Netherlands are in Group F at World Cup 2026.

Manager

Who is the Netherlands's manager?

Ronald Koeman, Head Coach of the Netherlands (Image credit: Getty Images)

The Netherlands is home to some pioneers of football, and it's fair to say Ronald Koeman was one of them during his playing career. He was a defender but ended his career with over 250 goals for club and country.

This is his second stint in charge of the national team, but World Cup 2026 will represent just the second tournament he has taken charge of after failing to qualify for Euro 2016 and the 2018 World Cup.

Koeman led Southampton to seventh- and sixth-placed finishes during his two seasons at the club, and his first season in charge of Everton was enough to see him ranked at no.30 in FourFourTwo's list of the best Premier League managers ever.

Star Player

Who is the Netherlands' star player?

Virgil van Dijk for the Netherlands (Image credit: Getty Images)

He may be undergoing a tough season at club level, but Virgil van Dijk is still a vitally important part of both his club and national teams.

Ranked at no.1 in FourFourTwo's list of the best centre-backs in the world right now, Van Dijk will need to be at his best to help the Netherlands in their second consecutive World Cup appearance.

As the old saying goes, attack wins games but defence wins titles, and it will certainly be true for the Netherlands should they want to break their World Cup hoodoo.

Best XI

Croatia vs England Team News: Predicted XI & Squad for Tonight

Mark White — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 16:54:18 +0000

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TV & Streaming Guide: How to watch England vs Croatia tonight
The Opposition: Check out the full England World Cup squad here

The Croatia World Cup 2026 squad have England in their sights.

Their World Cup 2026 qualifying campaign was straightforward. They only dropped points in one draw against Czech Republic and will be gearing up to upset the odds at yet another World Cup.

Croatia have reached the semi-finals three times in just seven World Cups since 1998. In 2018, they were beaten by France in the final in Russia. It would be a bold wager to back them getting to the final again but football is a funny old game.

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Tonight's match vs England

Croatia Predicted XI vs England (3-4-3)
Dominik Livakovic (GK); Josip Sutalo, Luka Vuskovic, Josko Gvardiol; Josip Stanisic, Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic, Ivan Perisic; Petar Sucic, Martin Baturina; Petar Musa

It's a strong Croatian squad, led by Luka Modric on 198 international caps: Manchester City pair Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic have both recovered from injury for this one, and there is further experience with the likes of Ivan Perisic, Andrej Kramaric and Dominik Livakovic.

Martin Baturina, Luka Sucic and Petar Sucic, meanwhile, represent the next generation: they'll be hoping for breakout tournaments in the Croatian midfield as they audition to replace Modric long-term.

The lack of a striker may hurt this team, though: in 2022, a Mandzukic-less side managed to grind out results en route to a final four – in 2018, they did something similar, with three knockout wins in extra-time – but it didn't work quite so well in Euro 2024, with a group stage exit.

With a tough group, which Croatia will turn up?

Mood

International football’s perennial dark horses go to North America with a seriously aged squad led by Luka Modric, now 40 and still pottering around admirably for Milan.

Given the tiny nation’s limited talent pool, a lot depends on how fit Manchester City duo Josko Gvardiol and Mateo Kovacic will be after their long injury absences. This will affect everything from their formation and style of play to their tournament chances.

Whatever you do, though, don’t underestimate them. If you do – for any slight, real or imaginary – they will make you pay. And they fancy doing so against England once again.

These old horses still have some tricks. Not a glue factory in sight.

Lesson from qualifying

None. Croatia’s group included a frankly horrible Czechia, who they beat 5-1 at home, as their only challenging opponent. Gibraltar, Faroe Islands, Montenegro were pushovers, with little truly valuable learned. Seven wins from eight, 26 goals scored, four conceded. Move on.

Squad

Croatia World Cup 2026 squad: The final selection

GK: Dominik Livakovic (Dinamo Zagreb)
GK: Dominik Kotarski (Copenhagen)
GK: Ivor Pandur (Hull City)
DF: Josko Gvardiol (Manchester City)
DF: Duje Caleta-Car (Real Sociedad)
DF: Josip Sutalo (Ajax)
DF: Josip Stanisic (Bayern Munich)
DF: Marin Pongracic (Fiorentina)
DF: Martin Erlic (Midtjylland)
DF: Luka Vuskovic (Hamburger SV)
MF: Luka Modric (Milan)
MF: Mateo Kovacic (Manchester City)
MF: Mario Pasalic (Atalanta)
MF: Nikola Vlasic (Torino)
MF: Luka Sucic (Real Sociedad)
MF: Martin Baturina (Como)
MF: Kristijan Jakic (FC Augsburg)
MF: Petar Sucic (Inter Milan)
MF: Nikola Moro (Bologna)
MF: Toni Fruk (Rijeka)
FW: Ivan Perisic (PSV Eindhoven)
FW: Andrej Kramaric (TSG Hoffenheim)
FW: Ante Budimir (Osasuna)
FW: Marco Pasalic (Orlando City)
FW: Petar Musa (FC Dallas)
FW: Igor Matanovic (SC Freiburg)

Croatia World Cup 2026 Schedule: Fixtures, Dates & Kick-Off Times

Fixtures

June 17, 2026: England vs Croatia, AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas, United States
June 23, 2026: Panama vs Croatia, BMO Field, Toronto, Canada
June 27, 2026: Croatia vs Ghana, Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
September 26, 2026: Czech Republic vs Croatia, Stadion Letna, Prague, Czech Republic
September 29, 2026: Spain vs Croatia, Spain
October 3, 2026: Croatia vs England, Stadion Rujevica, Rijeka, Croatia
October 6, 2026: Croatia vs Spain, Stadion Poljud, Split, Croatia
November 12, 2026: England vs Croatia, Wembley Stadium, London, England
November 15, 2026: Croatia vs Czech Republic, Opus Arena, Osijek, Croatia

Who is Croatia's manager?

Zlatko Dalic is a legend of Croatian football (Image credit: Getty Images)

Zlatko Dalic's Croatia career was almost over before it had begun. When he took charge in 2017, he was hired on the provision that if they failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, the football association would review his position.

As it was, they qualified, and then went on to reach the final of the World Cup, beating England in heartbreaking fashion in the semi-finals. He then carried them to the semi-finals in Qatar four years later, again being beaten only by the winners Argentina in the semi-finals.

His performances at the last two European Championships have left much to be desired, but maybe the Croatian FA are once again hoping for a bit of World Cup magic in North America.

Star player

Who is Croatia's star player?

Luka Modric holds his award for the 2018 World Cup's best player after Croatia's defeat to France in the final in Moscow. (Image credit: Getty Images)

This feels like it will be Luka Modric's last international tournament, yet we've been saying that for years and it never seems to come true.

The 2018 Ballon d'Or winner has been a fantastic servant to his country, taking them to back-to-back World Cup semi-finals, and leading them in their incredible run to the 2018 final.

He is ranked at no.29 in FourFourTwo's list of the greatest players of all time and has enjoyed a stellar career, and when he retires will look back on his career with significant pride.

Best XI

Croatia Predicted XI vs England (4-3-3)

Dominik Livakovic; Josip Stanisic, Josip Sutalo, Martin Erlic, Josko Gvardiol; Luka Modric, Mateo Kovacic, Mario Pasalic; Andrej Kramaric, Ante Budimir, Ivan Perisic.

Scotland squad World Cup 2026: Steve Clarke's team for opening game against Haiti

Mark White — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 16:47:18 +0000

The Scotland World Cup 2026 squad has been named.

The World Cup 2026 marks the first tournament for the Tartan Army this century, and they'll be facing both Brazil and Morocco – who they played in their last appearance in 1998 – along with Haiti in North America.

Though Steve Clarke's side are by no means one of the favourites, there's hope that this group can make it out of the group, and do something no Scottish side has ever done before.

Andy Robertson will be leading this group across the pond, with some big names included once more: danger men Scott McTominay and John McGinn are both included, along with Aaron Hickey and Ben Gannon-Doak, who missed out on March's internationals.

There is no place for Lennon Miller of Udinese, while 43-year-old Craig Gordon hasn't made the side after his call-up in the autumn.

The Scots will be boosted, too, by the likes of Kieran Tierney, Lewis Ferguson and Ryan Christie all being fit enough for the squad after various setbacks in the last couple of years.

With Scotland potentially needing just the one win to get them a place in the knockouts as a third-placed team, this group have every chance of going down in history – despite the difficulty of their group.

Mood

It’s not just battle-hardened Scotland supporters who were caught up in the emotion of that breathless November night in Glasgow. At the time of writing, the game’s basic highlights package on the Scotland national team YouTube account has 5.6 million views. That isn’t exactly usual, so there must be a few football purists across the globe who revelled in the ridiculousness of it all.

Steve Clarke’s side, intent on ending Scotland’s 28-year wait for a World Cup appearance, scored twice in stoppage time to defeat Denmark 4-2 at Hampden Park.

Everyone struggled to make sense of what they’d just seen, whether it was Scott McTominay’s early overhead kick – which inspired a giant mural in the shadow of the famous old stadium – or Kenny McLean’s 98th-minute clincher from the halfway line.

Elation to dejection and back again. An outpouring of emotion at the final whistle, and the nation has barely stopped smiling since. Haiti lie in wait, along with Morocco and Brazil, who were in Scotland’s last World Cup group back in 1998.

Clarke is wrestling with a few issues, however.

Craig Gordon ended the campaign as Scotland’s No.1, which is a fairytale in itself: he’s 43, no longer first choice at Hearts, and has had to overcome serious injury more than once.

Though he has never let Scotland down, it isn’t an ideal set of circumstances. The alternative, Angus Gunn, is reliable but stuck playing back-up at Nottingham Forest – or not playing, in fact, with just one competitive appearance from the start of the season up to mid-March.

Aaron Hickey has had no luck avoiding the treatment table. Maverick winger Ben Gannon-Doak is just back from an extended lay-off of his own.

There is also the nagging concern that Scotland’s most prominent performers, in particular McTominay and John McGinn, are routinely run in the ground come the end of a gruelling domestic season, such is their importance to their clubs.

Having said all that, Clarke and his players managed to make the pieces fit throughout qualification. Don’t bet against them finding a way again in North America.

Squad

Scotland World Cup 2026 squad: The final selection

GK: Craig Gordon (Hearts)
GK: Angus Gunn (Nottingham Forest)
GK: Liam Kelly (Rangers)
DF: Grant Hanley (Hibernian)
DF: Jack Hendry (Al-Ettifaq)
DF: Aaron Hickey (Brentford)
DF: Dom Hyam (Wrexham)
DF: Scott McKenna (Dinamo Zagreb)
DF: Nathan Patterson (Everton)
DF: Anthony Ralston (Celtic)
DF: Andy Robertson (Liverpool)
DF: John Souttar (Rangers)
DF: Kieran Tierney (Celtic)
MF: Ryan Christie (Bournemouth)
MF: Findlay Curtis (Kilmarnock)
MF: Lewis Ferguson (Bologna)
MF: Ben Gannon-Doak (Bournemouth)
MF: Tyler Fletcher (Manchester United)
MF: John McGinn (Aston Villa)
MF: Kenny McLean (Norwich City)
MF: Scott McTominay (Napoli)
FW: Che Adams (Torino)
FW: Lyndon Dykes (Charlton Athletic)
FW: George Hirst (Ipswich Town)
FW: Lawrence Shankland (Hearts)
FW: Ross Stewart (Southampton)

Fixtures and results

Fixtures

June 13, 2026: Haiti vs Scotland, Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, United States
June 19, 2026: Scotland vs Morocco, Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, United States
June 24, 2026: Scotland vs Brazil, Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, United States

Who is Scotland's manager?

Steve Clarke, Scotland manager (Image credit: Getty Images)

Steve Clarke’s 78 games in charge of Scotland means he has taken charge of the most matches ever as manager of the national team.

In that period he has led them to three major tournaments, including two European Championships and a World Cup.

Clarke’s coaching career started at Newcastle but took off at Chelsea, where he was assistant under Jose Mourinho as they won two Premier Leagues, an FA Cup and an EFL Cup.

Star player

Who is Scotland's star player?

SCOTT McTOMINAYYYYYYY (Image credit: Getty Images)

Since leaving Manchester United for Napoli, Scott McTominay has completely transformed.

At Old Trafford it was unclear where his best position was, but Antonio Conte immediately knew where to utilise his skillset, playing him just behind the striker as a box crashing midfielder.

Since then, he hasn’t looked back, scoring crucial goals for club and country, including two acrobatic efforts which helped secure the Serie A title and set Scotland on their way for World Cup qualification. He is currently ranked at no.9 in FourFourTwo's list of the best attacking midfielders in the world right now.

Best XI

Norway World Cup 2026 squad: Erling Haaland rested as sweeping changes made for top of the group clash vs France

Michael Yokhin — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 16:29:37 +0000

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TV & Streaming Guide: How to watch France vs Norway tonight
Opposition Scout: Check out the full France World Cup squad here

Norway are at the World Cup for the first time since 1998 and they're not there to make up the numbers.

Led by the otherworldly goalscoring record of Erling Haaland, Norway qualified for World Cup 2026 with ease. They finished ahead of Italy with the help of no fewer than 37 goals and eight wins in eight.

Drawn into Group I with Iraq, France and Senegal, Stale Solbakken and Norway are demanding of themselves that they leave their mark on a first World Cup for 28 years.

Who is the Norway manager?

Stale Solbakken is lifted into the air by players of Norway as they celebrate victory (Image credit: Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Stale Solbakken is the manager who harnessed the supercharged qualifying power of Haaland to steer Norway to the World Cup for the first time since 1998.

Appointed in 2020, the national team job is Solbakken's first in Norwegian football since he left HamKam in 2005. Spells at Copenhagen bookended time in the Bundesliga with Cologne and the English Championship as the manager of Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Solbakken won the Danish title both as a manager and with two different clubs as a player. Now 58 years old, he won 58 caps for Norway's senior side.

Confirmed Norway vs France line ups

Norway (4-3-3): Selvik; Aursnes, Falchener, Ostigard, Bjorkan; Thorstvedt, Berg, Aasgaard; Schjelderup, Strand Larsen, Bobb

France (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Kounde, Upamecano, Lacroix, Hernandez; Tchouameni, Kone, Dembele, Olise, Doue: Mbappe

Leading the Norwegians in North America are rival pillars of the Premier League's top two: captain Martin Odegaard and all-time scorer Erling Haaland are dual talismans for manager Stale Solbakken and would get into most sides at the competition.

There is plenty more attacking talent beyond that, too: Oscar Bobb and Antonio Nusa represent the next generation, while Jorgan Strand Larsen and Alexander Sorloth are two more target men in the 26.

Behind that, Sander Berge anchors the midfield, with the likes of Julian Ryerson and Kristoffer Ajer behind.

While there's plenty of talent in this group, not too much is expected of a Norway side that hasn't been on this stage for a long time – though Haaland could be among the Golden Boot contenders after a flying start.

Mood

The Golden Generation have finally done it. Just when Norwegian fans began to wonder – only half in jest – whether recent European exploits meant Stale Solbakken should just pick nine Bodo/Glimt outfielders, plus maybe Erling Haaland, the Landslaget have ended a 28-year World Cup absence.

Norway reached the France 98 last 16, beating Brazil in the groups, and expectations now are arguably even higher after a devastating – this time for all the right reasons – qualifying campaign. Haaland and Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard lead the way, but there’s solidity everywhere, with a fearlessness and optimism that could do serious damage.

Lesson from qualifying

Foot to the floor. Norway qualified with a perfect record: eight wins in eight, 37 goals scored, only five conceded. Beating Moldova by an aggregate 16-1 was hardly surprising, but thrashing Italy 3-0 in Oslo and 4-1 at San Siro provided a confidence boost after debilitating past qualifying defeats.

Squad

Norway's World Cup 2026 squad: The final selection

GK: Orjan Nyland (Sevilla)
GK: Egil Selvik (Watford)
GK: Sander Tangvik (Hamburger SV)
DF: Kristoffer Ajer (Brentford)
DF: Julian Ryerson (Borussia Dortmund)
DF: Leo Ostigard (Genoa)
DF: Marcus Holmgren Pedersen (Torino)
DF: David Moller Wolfe (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
DF: Fredrik Andre Bjorkan (Bodo/Glimt)
DF: Torbjorn Heggem (Bologna)
DF: Sondre Langas (Derby County)
DF: Henrik Falchener (Viking)
MF: Martin Odegaard (Arsenal)
MF: Sander Berge (Fulham)
MF: Patrick Berg (Bodo/Glimt)
MF: Kristian Thorstvedt (Sassuolo)
MF: Morten Thorsby (Cremonese)
MF: Antonio Nusa (RB Leipzig)
MF: Fredrik Aursnes (Benfica)
MF: Oscar Bobb (Fulham)
MF: Jens Petter Hauge (Bodo/Glimt)
MF: Andreas Schjelderup (Benfica)
MF: Thelo Aasgaard (Rangers)
FW: Alexander Sorloth (Atletico Madrid)
FW: Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
FW: Jorgen Strand Larsen (Crystal Palace)

Fixtures

June 26, 2026: Norway vs France, Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts, United States
September 24, 2026: Norway vs Denmark, Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway
September 27, 2026: Norway vs Portugal, Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway
October 1, 2026: Wales vs Norway, Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff, Wales
October 4, 2026: Portugal vs Norway, Portugal
November 14, 2026: Norway vs Wales, Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway
November 17, 2026: Denmark vs Norway, Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark

Who is Norway's star player?

Norway striker Erling Haaland (Image credit: Getty Images)

Erling Haaland is finally representing his nation at a major tournament. The striker scored a staggering 16 goals in eight World Cup qualifiers to help his team on their way to Canada, Mexico and the United States.

Haaland is ranked at no.5 in FourFourTwo's list of the best strikers in the world right now and at no.3 in FourFourTwo's list of the greatest finishers in football history.

Norway will go into the tournament as something of a dark horse; should Haaland play to his full potential, they could cause a major upset in north America.

Best XI

Portugal World Cup squad 2026 as Cristiano Ronaldo heads into his sixth tournament

Tom Kundert — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 16:22:41 +0000

Portugal has one of the most exciting squads of the tournament. It's a side that features A-listers as you'd expect, too: FWA Player of the Year Bruno Fernandes, Paris Saint-Germain double-pivot Vitinha and Joao Neves, Manchester City stars Bernardo Silva, Matheus Nunes and Ruben Dias, and a stacked frontline featuring Rafael Leao, Pedro Neto and Joao Felix.

While there is obvious experience across the side, too, there are players who can dominate for the next decade or so: Nuno Mendes is 23, Goncalo Inacio 24, and Diogo Costa is still just 26 – which is practically an infant in goalkeeper terms.

Oh, and then there's the small matter of all-time record men's international goalscorer Cristiano Ronaldo, of course, with the five-time Ballon d'Or winner ranked at no.4 in FourFourTwo's list of the greatest players of all time and looking to cement his legacy to bring a first-ever World Cup back to Portugal, as he chases 1,000 career goals in the game.

It's hard not to look past Martinez's men as one of the favourites for the competition based on talent alone, with their list of discarded parts an impressive collection of players, too: destroyer Joao Palhinha misses out after a poor season, defensive prospect Antonio Silva is overlooked and Rodrigo Mora – who was profiled recently by FFT's Joe Donnohue in our The Boy's A Bit Special series – is left at home after a March call-up.

Ronaldo obviously has his sights set on a similar script to Lionel Messi in Qatar… but is the 41-year-old still influential enough to lead his nation to victory?

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Mood

The best Portugal squad to ever go to a World Cup’ is a line that’s been repeated ad nauseum by pundits and press alike over recent months.

Fans of the scintillating golden generation of the early 2000s, led by Luis Figo and Rui Costa, would argue otherwise, but the current Selecao setup has a depth of squad the nation has never seen before. Two Nations League titles (2019 and 2025) and Euro 2016 in the past decade certainly makes it the most successful.

The midfield options exemplify the embarrassment of riches. At least one of Paris Saint-Germain pair Joao Neves and Vitinha, or Manchester-based duo Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva, will likely start on the bench. All four belong in any list of the top 10 midfielders worldwide.

Throw in reliable Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa, flying Milan winger Rafael Leao and dazzling PSG left-back Nuno Mendes, and you can understand such excitement. This is even before considering a favourable draw, which in the absence of upsets should result in a quarter-final with defending champions Argentina, and a first Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi meeting at a major international tournament.

However, Portugal has been here before. Great expectations ahead of the 2002, 2014 and 2018 World Cups were quickly deflated with disastrous or mediocre campaigns.

The ‘Ronaldo question’ gets more pressing with each passing tournament. Is the team stronger with or without the country’s greatest ever player, now 41? To some extent it is a moot point, as coach Roberto Martinez is in no doubt about the answer. “In his last 30 games for Portugal, Cristiano’s scored 25 goals,” he said in February. “The numbers don’t lie.” Only they do a bit – 21 of those goals came against teams ranked outside FIFA’s top 30. And he scored none in five games at Euro 2024.

CR7, as he has for the past two decades, holds the key to Portugal’s World Cup success, but not as the main man. If the captain accepts a supporting role, Portugal undoubtedly has the talent, experience and sheer quality to go the distance. If not, he’ll be crying again.

Squad

Portugal World Cup 2026 squad

GK: Diogo Costa (Porto)
GK: Jose Sa (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
GK: Rui Silva (Sporting CP)
DF: Ruben Dias (Manchester City)
DF: Joao Cancelo (Barcelona)
DF: Nelson Semedo (Fenerbahce)
DF: Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain)
DF: Diogo Dalot (Manchester United)
DF: Goncalo Inacio (Sporting CP)
DF: Renato Veiga (Villarreal)
DF: Tomas Araujo (Benfica)
MF: Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
MF: Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)
MF: Ruben Neves (Al-Hilal)
MF: Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain)
MF: Joao Neves (Paris Saint-Germain)
MF: Matheus Nunes (Manchester City)
MF: Francisco Trincao (Sporting CP)
MF: Samu Costa (Mallorca)
FW: Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nassr)
FW: Joao Felix (Al-Nassr)
FW: Rafael Leao (Milan)
FW: Goncalo Guedes (Real Sociedad)
FW: Goncalo Ramos (Paris Saint-Germain)
FW: Pedro Neto (Chelsea)
FW: Francisco Conceicao (Juventus)

Fixtures and results

Fixtures

June 17, 2026: Portugal vs DR Congo, NRG Stadium, Texas, United States
June 23, 2026: Portugal vs Uzbekistan, NRG Stadium, Houston, United States
June 27, 2026: Colombia vs Portugal, Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, United States
September 24, 2026: Portugal vs Wales, Portugal
September 27, 2026: Norway vs Portugal, Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway
October 1, 2026: Denmark vs Portugal, Parken Stadium, Copenhagen, Denmark
October 4, 2026: Portugal vs Norway, Portugal
November 14, 2026: Portugal vs Denmark, Portugal
November 17, 2026: Wales vs Portugal, Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff, Wales

Who is Portugal's manager?

Roberto Martinez, Head Coach of Portugal (Image credit: Getty Images)

The Portuguese national team is Roberto Martinez's second foray into international management after a spell in charge of Belgium.

With the Red Devils, he reached the 2018 World Cup semi-final, eventually losing to champions France. His performances at the delayed 2020 Euros and 2022 World Cup were far below par, however.

In June 2025 he added the Nations League to his trophy cabinet, alongside the FA Cup which he won with Wigan, and the EFL League One trophy, which he won with Swansea in 2008.

On the eve of the tournament reports emerged that he would be stepping down as Portugal Head Coach after the World Cup.

Portugal's Star Player

Who is Portugal's star player?

Portugal captain Cristian Ronaldo (Image credit: Getty Images)

Not much needs to be said about Cristiano Ronaldo. He is ranked at no.4 in FourFourTwo's list of the greatest players of all time, no.2 in FourFourTwo's list of the greatest Real Madrid players of all time and is a five-time Ballon d'Or winner.

Ronaldo has won almost everything there is to win, with just the World Cup eluding him so far. This will be his sixth attempt at securing the ultimate gong in football, and will likely be his last chance to do so.

He's now 41 years old, and assuming he continues scoring at his current rate, he'll be edging closer to scoring 1000 professional goals.

Best XI

Belgium World Cup 2026 squad: Rudi Garcia's Red Devils selection for Group G tilt

Mark White — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 16:16:10 +0000

The Belgium World Cup 2026 squad represents the European nation with the most World Cup appearances but no trophy.

Rudi Garcia has a strong selection for World Cup 2026 and they qualified unbeaten with one of the most exciting squads at the tournament, still packed with talent from Europe's top five leagues.

Belgium's Golden Generation is in its last knockings but the Red Devils are among the favourites at another World Cup. Is this the year they finally get the job done?

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A few from Belgium's third-place heroics of 2018 remain, in the shape of Axel Witsel, Thibaut Courtois, Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku, as the four most-capped players in this squad form a spine of vast experience – with captain Youri Tielemans and club-mate Amadou Onana a world-class double-pivot to build on, too.

Leandro Trossard and Jeremy Doku put aside title race rivalries in attack, with Matias Fernandez-Pardo an uncapped – but hugely talented – 21-year-old an option to back them up.

As expected, there are big omissions: Lois Openda and Michy Batshuayi won't be going this time around, while youngsters Nathan De Cat, Jorthy Mokio, Mika Godts and, perhaps most surprisingly, Malick Fofana, are all left at home.

Can the Red Devils make good on their promise after all these years?

Mood

“No chance, we’re too old.” Kevin De Bruyne’s withering assessment of Belgium’s pre-2022 World Cup potential was brutal and, four years on, still pretty accurate. That group-stage exit, featuring squad factions galore, was only marginally improved with a Euro 2024 last-16 defeat by France – the first decent team they faced – having already lost to Romania.

Rudi Garcia’s arrival in January 2025, following the inexperienced Domenico Tedesco’s two wins in the Red Devils’ 10 previous outings, couldn’t have come soon enough. The Frenchman immediately ended Thibaut Courtois’ 18-month exile and by the time it was qualifying season, a form order was restored.

But only in results. Yes, Belgium topped a weak group unbeaten to reach a seventh major tournament in a row, but they drew with minnows North Macedonia and Kazakhstan, and needed Kevin De Bruyne’s late goal for a 4-3 home win against Wales, the last team to inflict a qualifying defeat on them, 48 games ago in June 2015.

It was telling of a campaign in which the Belgians neither found a proper rhythm, settled on a starting XI nor developed a noticeable style.

“We weren't good enough in a large number of matches,” said Jeremy Doku, who led the way with five goals and two assists. “Our campaign hasn't gone well, no. Everyone needs to do better. The coach, me, everyone.”

Belgium will again rely on their veterans Courtois, De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku to tip the balance, but the last time they truly clicked was against Brazil in 2018’s quarter-final, when Vincent Kompany and Eden Hazard were still around.

Elsewhere, forward-thinking talent remains – Doku is an electric livewire, Garcia’s new captain Youri Tielemans dictates tempo and Leandro Trossard remains uber consistent – but the squad is top-heavy with a defence that will struggle against elite forward lines. Nevertheless, if they establish some momentum in a Group G they should comfortably top, a deep run and a kind draw opens the pathway to a potential semi-final.

Courtois, De Bruyne and Lukaku probably know this is the last chance to deliver the silverware the golden generation has always lacked.

Lessons from qualifying

Going unbeaten (again) has only papered over the cracks – Belgium need to be at full throttle against every opponent. Yawning through the group and hoping it’ll come good in the knockouts doesn’t work, so the momentum of three battle-hardened wins shouldn’t be discounted.

Squad

Belgium World Cup 2026 squad: The final selection

GK: Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid)
GK: Senne Lammens (Manchester United)
GK: Mike Penders (Strasbourg)
DF: Thomas Meunier (Lille)
DF: Timothy Castagne (Fulham)
DF: Arthur Theate (Eintracht Frankfurt)
DF: Zeno Debast (Sporting CP)
DF: Maxim De Cuyper (Brighton & Hove Albion)
DF: Brandon Mechele (Club Brugge)
DF: Koni De Winter (Milan)
DF: Joaquin Seys (Club Brugge)
DF: Nathan Ngoy (Lille)
MF: Axel Witsel (Girona)
MF: Kevin De Bruyne (Napoli)
MF: Youri Tielemans (Aston Villa)
MF: Hans Vanaken (Club Brugge)
MF: Charles De Ketelaere (Atalanta)
MF: Amadou Onana (Aston Villa)
MF: Nicolas Raskin (Rangers)
MF: Diego Moreira (Strasbourg)
FW: Romelu Lukaku (Napoli)
FW: Leandro Trossard (Arsenal)
FW: Jeremy Doku (Manchester City)
FW: Dodi Lukebakio (Benfica)
FW: Alexis Saelemaekers (Milan)
FW: Matias Fernandez-Pardo (Lille)

Fixtures and results

Fixtures

June 15, 2026: Belgium vs Egypt, Lumen Field, Seattle, United States
June 21, 2026: Belgium vs Iran, SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, United States
June 26, 2026: New Zealand vs Belgium, BC Place, Vancouver, Canada
September 25, 2026: Italy vs Belgium, Italy
September 28, 2026: Belgium vs France, King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium
October 2, 2026: Belgium vs Turkiye, King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium
October 5, 2026: France vs Belgium, Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France
November 12, 2026: Turkiye vs Belgium, Venue TBD, Turkiye
November 15, 2026: Belgium vs Italy, King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium

Results

June 6, 2026: Belgium 5-0 Tunisia, King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium
June 2, 2026: Croatia 0-2 Belgium, Stadion HNK Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
March 28, 2026: United States 2-5 Belgium, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, United States
March 31, 2026: Mexico 1-1 Belgium, Soldier Field, Chicago, United States
November 18, 2025: Belgium 7-0 Liechtenstein, Stade Maurice Dufrasne, Liège, Belgium
November 15, 2025: Kazakhstan 1-1 Belgium, Astana Arena, Astana, Kazakhstan
October 13, 2025: Wales 2-4 Belgium, Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff, Wales
October 10, 2025: Belgium 0-0 North Macedonia, Planet Group Arena, Ghent, Belgium
September 7, 2025: Belgium 6-0 Kazakhstan, Constant Vanden Stock Stadium, Anderlecht, Belgium
September 4, 2025: Liechtenstein 0-6 Belgium, Rheinpark Stadion, Vaduz, Liechtenstein
June 9, 2025: Belgium 4-3 Wales, King Baudouin Stadium, Brussels, Belgium
June 6, 2025: North Macedonia 1-1 Belgium, Toše Proeski Arena, Skopje, North Macedonia

Group G standings

Belgium are in Group G at World Cup 2026.

Manager

Who is Belgium's manager?

Rudi Garcia

Rudi Garcia was appointed as Belgium manager in January 2025, and helped them avoid relegation to Nations League League B in his first two games as manager.

He's held six club management roles including, Lille, Roma, Marseille, Lyon Al-Nassr and Napoli, with the Belgium role marking his first in international management.

He had two big returnees this March in Lukaku and De Bruyne, so may have a better idea of his World Cup squad than he did before the latest international break.

Star player

Who is Belgium's star player?

Romelu Lukaku of Belgium (Image credit: Getty Images)

Romelu Lukaku is probably one of the most underrated strikers of his generation. Spells at Manchester United and Chelsea didn't go to plan, but the 32-year-old is Belgium's all-time top scorer by over 60 goals.

He has enjoyed his time in Italy in recent years, winning two Scudetti, both times under Antonio Conte.

He was part of the fabled golden generation, and is now bridging into their new era, and will be hoping the rise in talent in recent squads will help him perform at his best in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

Best XI

Saudi Arabia squad World Cup 2026: Players ready to get campaign underway in USA

Ewan Gennery — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 15:56:43 +0000

The Saudi Arabia World Cup 2026 squad has been revealed, as Georgios Donis' men look to build on their Argentina-slaying antics at the previous tournament.

In qualifying, Saudi Arabia were drawn in a third round group with Australia and Japan, two of the strongest teams in the Asian Football Confederation, and finished third — eventually qualifying on goals scored in the fourth round.

World Cup 2026 in Canada, Mexico and the United States will represent 32 years since they first qualified for the tournament, which was incidentally in America in 1994 — and though the Saudi Arabians have one of the lesser-known squads in the tournament, the nation is experiencing a boom in the sport.

World Cup 2022 burst into life after Saudi Arabia beat 2026 favourites Argentina in their opening game of the tournament, when two goals in the space of five minutes flipped the game on its head and the Green Falcons pulled off one of the all-time World Cup shocks.

Since then, the domestic league has expanded exponentially — Al-Nassr capturing the signature of Cristiano Ronaldo set off a chain reaction, with many stars from across the world flocking to the Middle Eastern country.

The level of the league has increased so significantly that Al-Hilal went unbeaten against Real Madrid and Manchester City at the 2025 Club World Cup.

The squad for the Arab Cup in Qatar didn't feature a single star from outside the Saudi Pro League, however, Marwan Al-Sahafi of Antwerp and Lens defender Saud Abdulhamid were in the squad for the nation's March friendlies.

Mood

Saudi Arabia have qualified for a third straight World Cup and return to the scene of their USA 94 breakthrough. The Green Falcons haven’t gone beyond the group stage in five attempts since that Saeed Al Owairan-inspired debut but hopes are high 32 years on.

At Qatar 2022 they produced their best single result as the only team to beat eventual champions Argentina, a 2-1 come-from-behind win masterminded by Herve Renard, back in the dugout after a stint with France Women.

A conveyor belt of top, if aging, talent has lifted the Saudi Pro League standard, providing a largely homegrown Green Falcon cast with greater access to the elite – time to fly.

Squad

Saudi Arabia World Cup 2026 squad: The final selection

GK: Mohammed Al-Owais (Al-Ula)
GK: Nawaf Al-Aqidi (Al-Nassr)
GK: Ahmed Al-Kassar (Al-Qadsiah)
DF: Abdulelah Al Amri (Al Nassr)
DF: Hassan Tambakti (Al Hilal)
DF: Jehad Thikri (Al Qadsiah)
DF: Ali Lajami (Al Hilal)
DF: Hassan Kadesh (Al Ittihad)
DF: Saud Abdulhamid (Lens)
DF: Mohammed Abu Al Shamat (Al Qadsiah)
DF: Ali Majrashi (Al Ahli)
DF: Moteb Al Harbi (Al Hilal)
DF: Nawaf Boushal (Al Nassr)
DF: Sultan Al-Ghannam (Al Nassr)
MF: Mohammed Kanno (Al Hilal)
MF: Abdullah Al Khaibari (Al Nassr)
MF: Ziyad Al Johani (Al Ahli)
MF: Nasser Al Dawsari (Al Hilal)
MF: Musab Al Juwayr (Al Qadsiah)
MF: Alaa Al Hajji (Neom)
MF: Salem Al Dawsari (Al Hilal)
MF: Khalid Al Ghannam (Al Ettifaq)
MF: Ayman Yahya (Al Nassr)
FW: Firas Al Buraikan (Al Ahli)
FW: Saleh Al Shehri (Al Ittihad)
FW: Abdullah Al Hamdan (Al Nassr)

Fixtures

June 15, 2026: Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay, Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, United States
June 21, 2026: Spain vs Saudi Arabia, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, United States
June 26, 2026: Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia, NRG Stadium, Houston, United States

Manager

Who is Saudi Arabia's manager?

Georgios Donis (pictured) has big shoes to fill with the recent departure of Herve Renard (Image credit: Getty Images)

Georgios Donis took over from French manager Herve Renard, who previously led Saudi Arabia at the World Cup 2022, in April, after the former made a near eighteen month comeback.

The Greek ex-player, who once donned a Blackburn Rovers shirt, possesses over 20 years of experience in his managerial career, leading the likes of AEK Athens and Al-Hilal.

The manager, set to remain with the national team until the summer of 2027, has won silverware in Greece and Saudi Arabia, although, the shadow of a much more accomplished Renard could loom over him in North America.

Star Player

Who is Saudi Arabia's star player?

Salem Al-Dawsari will have to lead by example if Saudi Arabia want to make history in North America. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Salem Al-Dawsari is the current captain of both Saudi Arabia and Al-Hilal, and is a modern day legend for the Saudi Arabian national team.

His strike from the edge of the area that won the game for the Green Falcons against Argentina is etched in history forever, and he'll be hoping for another memorable moment in North America next summer.

Alongside Sami Al-Jaber, he is the top scorer for Saudi Arabia at World Cups, with three goals — two in Qatar and one in Russia in 2018.

Best XI

Ecuador squad World Cup 2026 ahead of the game against Ivory Coast

mvpa1212@gmail.com (Marcus Alves) — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 15:45:29 +0000

The Ecuador World Cup 2026 squad has been announced, and their team could be one of the surprise packages in the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer.

Reaching World Cup 2026 means Ecuador have qualified for a second consecutive World Cup for only the second time in their history, and they surely have enough firepower to raise eyebrows.

Ecuador aren't among the favourites but they quietly boast one of the most eye-catching squads at the tournament, chock full of heavy-hitting names that operate at the highest level of European football.

Ecuador were impressive in World Cup qualifying, losing just twice away from home against Argentina and Brazil, picking up eight wins and eight draws in often tight matches.

In CONMEBOL's 18-match qualification programme, Ecuador's defensive genius shone with just five goals conceded; they grabbed a whopping 29 points despite scoring just 14 goals, more than two points per strike.

Suffice to say, Sebastian Beccacece has made Ecuador very hard to score against and beat — in a 48-team tournament, that could be enough to get them through the group and might see them force a knock-out game or two to penalties.

There are individual talents in amongst this team effort, Moises Caicedo, Willian Pacho and Piero Hincapie being high-profile names in the line-up, however, Beccacece has assimilated them into a highly-organised team that has paid dividends during the build-up to this summer's World Cup 2026.

The Mood

Despite starting on minus three points, having used falsified documents for a player in the previous cycle, Ecuador finished second in South American qualifying. Nobody registered fewer defeats than their two, away to table-topping Argentina in September 2023 and in Brazil a year later.

With Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo in front of Arsenal’s Piero Hincapie, PSG’s Willian Pacho and Club Brugge’s Joel Ordonez, La Tri conceded five goals in 18 qualifiers, becoming arguably the hardest team in international football to break down. Unsurprisingly, they ended the campaign unbeaten in 11.

Yet local fans and media aren’t fully convinced. The reason? Ecuador can’t score – and that’s a problem.

Squad

Ecuador World Cup 2026 squad: The final selection

GK: Hernan Galindez (Huracan)
GK: Moises Ramirez (Kifisia)
GK: Gonzalo Valle (LDU Quito)
DF: Willian Pacho (Paris Saint-Germain)
DF: Piero Hincapie (Arsenal)
DF: Joel Ordonez (Club Brugge)
DF: Felix Torres (Internacional)
DF: Pervis Estupinan (AC Milan)
DF: Yaimar Medina (Racing Genk)
DF: Angelo Preciado (Atlético Mineiro)
DF: Jackson Porozo (Club Tijuana)
MF: Alan Minda (Atlético Mineiro)
MF: Moises Caicedo (Chelsea)
MF: Jordy Alcivar (Independiente del Valle)
MF: Denil Castillo (FC Midtjylland)
MF: John Yeboah (Venezia)
MF: Alan Franco (Atlético Mineiro)
MF: Pedro Vite (Pumas UNAM)
MF: Kendry Paez (River Plate)
MF: Nilson Angulo (Sunderland)
MF: Gonzalo Plata (Flamengo)
FW: Kevin Rodríguez (Union Saint-Gilloise)
FW: Anthony Valencia (Antwerp)
FW: Enner Valencia (Pachuca)
FW: Jordy Caicedo (Huracán)
FW: Jeremy Arévalo (VfB Stuttgart)

Fixtures

June 14, 2026: Ivory Coast vs Ecuador, Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, United States
June 20, 2026: Ecuador vs Curacao, Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, United States
June 25, 2026: Ecuador vs Germany, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, United States

Group E Standings

Ecuador are in Group E at World Cup 2026.

Manager

Sebastian Beccacece has some top-notch players at his disposal during this summer's tournament. (Image credit: Raul Sifuentes/Getty Images)

Who is Ecuador's manager?

Sebastian Beccacece never played professional football, opting instead to follow Jorge Sampaoli around as his assistant manager until he took on his first managerial role with Universidad de Chile in 2016.

Since then, he's had three spells at Defensa y Justicia, been Argentina's assistant manager, and taken charge of Independiente, Racing Club and Elche. He has been Ecuador's manager since August 2024.

He has impressed since taking over, leading Ecuador to a second-placed finish in CONMEBOL qualification, finishing only behind Argentina.

Star Player

Who is Ecuador's star player?

Moises Caicedo has been one of Europe's brightest midfield sparks for years now. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Moises Caicedo is the fourth-most expensive Premier League player of all time, and for good reason.

He has been one of the outstanding players in European football over the past few years, with his all-action midfield displays consistently catching the eye.

If Ecuador are to deliver at the World Cup this summer, they'll need the same strong defence that got them there, and having someone in the shape of Caicedo at the helm of it all will be the difference.

Best XI

Senegal World Cup 2026 squad: Pape Thiaw's side to take on France

mahermezahi@gmail.com (Maher Mezahi) — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 15:39:16 +0000

Senegal went unbeaten in qualification for the 2026 World Cup, meaning they will be playing their third consecutive World Cup – and they even beat England over the summer.

The tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States likely represents the last for their 'golden generation' with several high-profile stars unlikely to be at the required level in 2030. They won't be 2026 favourites either, but they still have one of the most impressive squads at the tournament.

Of those high-profile stars at the top sits Sadio Mane, who now plays in Saudi Arabia alongside Cristiano Ronaldo for Al-Nassr, is likely to be faded out following the conclusion of the tournament, by which time he'll be 34.

During his time with the national team, they have reached the final of the Africa Cup of Nations twice, winning it once in 2022, the only time the nation has ever won it. Of course, he didn't do it alone.

Kalidou Koulibaly and Edouard Mendy, both of whom play in Saudi Arabia, will also be approaching the back end of their careers, making this tournament all the more important.

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It's not all doom and gloom however, with a crop of exciting talent bursting onto the scene in recent years. Tottenham's Pape Matar Sarr, Everton's Iliman Ndiaye and Bayern Munich's Nicolas Jackson are all under-25 and provide a refreshing touch out youth to the squad.

Crystal Palace winger Ismaila Sarr and West Ham full-back El Hadji Malick Diouf are two more Premier League representatives who may have a big impact on the Senegal national team's chances in America next summer.

The Mood

Over the past decade, Senegal have either won the Africa Cup of Nations (2021) or been eliminated by the eventual champions (2017, 2019, 2023). This year, they managed both.

Although being stripped of their AFCON crown two months after the event no doubt stings (appeals are underway), such consistency does at least make Senegal the unofficial kings of African football. In the World Cup, though, they’ve struggled to replicate their memorable France-slaying explosion of 2002. In 2018, they were the first team in World Cup history eliminated on fair play rules. In 2022 their best player, Sadio Mane, was injured.

Yet their second-round defeat to England was the last time Senegal lost a competitive fixture in 90 minutes. This year, the stars may be aligning.

Squad

Senegal World Cup 2026 squad: The final selection

GK: Yehvann Diouf (Nice)
GK: Edouard Mendy (Al-Ahli)
GK: Mory Diaw (Le Havre)
DF: Mamadou Sarr (Chelsea)
DF: Kalidou Koulibaly (Al-Hilal)
DF: Abdoulaye Seck (Maccabi Haifa)
DF: Ismail Jakobs (Galatasaray)
DF: Krepin Diatta (Monaco)
DF: Moussa Niakhate (Lyon)
DF: Antoine Mendy (Nice)
DF: El Hadji Malick Diouf (West Ham United)
MF: Idrissa Gueye (Everton)
MF: Pathe Ciss (Rayo Vallecano)
MF: Lamine Camara (Monaco)
MF: Pape Matar Sarr (Tottenham Hotspur)
MF: Habib Diarra (Sunderland)
MF: Bara Sapoko Ndiaye (Bayern Munich)
MF: Pape Gueye (Villarreal)
FW: Assane Diao (Como)
FW: Bamba Dieng (Lorient)
FW: Sadio Mane (Al-Nassr)
FW: Nicolas Jackson (Bayern Munich)
FW: Cherif Ndiaye (Samsunspor)
FW: Iliman Ndiaye (Everton)
FW: Ismaila Sarr (Crystal Palace)
FW: Ibrahim Mbaye (Paris Saint-Germain)

Fixtures

June 16, 2026: France vs Senegal, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, United States
June 23, 2026: Norway vs Senegal, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, United States
June 26, 2026: Senegal vs Iraq, BMO Field, Toronto, Canada

Group I standings

Senegal are in Group I at World Cup 2026.

Manager

Who is Senegal's manager?

(Image credit: Harry Murphy/Getty Images)

Pape Thiaw has an exceptional record as Senegal manager.

He took charge of Senegal in the African Nations Championship in 2022, a competition where only players from their national leagues can compete. They the tournament, beating hosts Algeria in the final.

In 2026, Senegal won the final of the Africa Cup of Nations, at least on the pitch. Thiaw was banned for five games after a controversial and chaotic final in Rabat in January.

Star player

Who is Senegal's star player?

Sadio Mane for Senegal (Image credit: Getty Images)

Sadio Mane is a name very familiar to Premier League fans. The 33-year-old is approaching the twilight of his career and the 2026 World Cup is most likely the last dance for him at International level.

Mane is ranked at no.6 FourFourTwo's list of the best African footballers ever, and at no.72 in FourFourTwo's list of the greatest Premier League players of all time. During his time at Liverpool he won the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup, League Cup, Club World Cup and UEFA Super Cup.

Alongside other veterans Kalidou Koulibaly and Edouard Mendy, who are both also likely to be looking at the end of their international careers, the World Cup in north America provides the perfect platform to cement their legacy.

Best XI

Algeria World Cup 2026 squad: Vladimir Petkovic's 26-man selection as Argentina await

Ewan Gennery — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 17:07:52 +0000

The Algeria World Cup 2026 squad will be the first to represent the nation at the World Cup since 2014.

World Cup 2026 Group I will get underway with Algeria taking on world champions and always-fancied Argentina at Arrowhead Stadium.

Vladimir Petkovic, Algeria's Bosnian coach, will lead a squad with a point to prove after missing the World Cup in both 2018 and 2022. Fixtures against Argentina, Jordan and Austria make for a tough group – but one they should be able to negotiate.

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Algeria had a busy December and January. They topped their group at the Arab Cup before losing on penalties to the United Arab Emirates in the second round, followed by the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

They won their group there too, going on to beat DR Congo in the round of 16 but lose 2-0 to Nigeria in the quarter-finals. A big win over Guatemala and a draw with Uruguay followed in Algeria's March friendlies, while a 1-0 victory over the Netherlands at the start of June supercharged their preparations.

Riyad Mahrez will finally get his shot on a truly world stage after lighting it up in the Premier League and Champions League for several years, before a move to the Middle East.

He has an exciting supporting cast that includes Premier League star Rayan Ait-Nouri, Marseille forward Amine Gouiri and Luca Zidane, Zinedine's goalkeeping son. Zidane has been selected despite breaking his jaw and chin in April.

Mood

Algeria may be the ultimate unknown quantity at this World Cup. There is little certainty how this team will perform even among the players themselves, let alone the nation’s devoted fans.

On paper, the Fennecs have pace, technique and creativity across almost every position. Yet that same set of players can also be maddeningly inconsistent. At the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, they eased to three group wins from three, but then laboured against DR Congo in the last 16 and barely laid a glove on Nigeria in the quarter-finals.

Such unpredictability makes them dangerous, and a lot of fun.

Lesson from qualifying

The abundantly clear importance of Wolfsburg forward Mohamed Amoura. The 25-year-old plundered 10 of the Fennecs’ 24 goals – no other player managed more than three.

Squad

Algeria's World Cup 2026 squad: The final selection

GK: Melvin Mastil (Stade Nyonnais)
GK: Oussama Benbot (USM Alger)
GK: Luca Zidane (Granada)
DF: Aïssa Mandi (Lille)
DF: Achref Abada (USM Alger)
DF: Mohamed Amine Tougai (Espérance de Tunis)
DF: Zineddine Belaïd (JS Kabylie)
DF: Jaouen Hadjam (Young Boys)
DF: Rayan Aït-Nouri (Manchester City)
DF: Rafik Belghali (Hellas Verona)
DF: Ramy Bensebaini (Borussia Dortmund)
DF: Samir Chergui (Paris)
MF: Ramiz Zerrouki (Twente)
MF: Houssem Aouar (Al-Ittihad)
MF: Farès Chaïbi (Eintracht Frankfurt)
MF: Hicham Boudaoui (Nice)
MF: Nabil Bentaleb (Lille)
MF: Ibrahim Maza (Bayer Leverkusen)
MF: Yacine Titraoui (Charleroi)
FW: Riyad Mahrez (Al-Ahli)
FW: Amine Gouiri (Marseille)
FW: Anis Hadj Moussa (Feyenoord)
FW: Nadhir Benbouali (Győr)
FW: Mohamed Amoura (VfL Wolfsburg)
FW: Adil Boulbina (Al-Duhail)
FW: Farès Ghedjemis (Frosinone)

Fixtures

June 16, 2026: Argentina vs Algeria, Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, United States
June 22, 2026: Jordan vs Algeria, Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, United States
June 27, 2026: Algeria vs Austria, Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, United States

Group J standings

Algeria are in Group J at World Cup 2026.

Manager

Who is Algeria's manager?

Vladimir Petkovic is undertaking his second international management role in the shape of Algeria.

Between 2014 and 2021 he was in charge of the Swiss national team, leading them in the 2016 and delayed 2020 European Championships, as well as the 2018 World Cup.

He's been in charge of Algeria since February 2024 after they parted with Djamel Belmadi following a second consecutive AFCON where they failed to make it out the group.

Star player

Who is Algeria's star player?

Riyad Mahrez in action for Algeria against Angola at the Africa Cup of Nations in January 2024. (Image credit: Getty Images)

For many years Riyad Mahrez lit up the Premier League. In 2016, he was part of the Leicester side who achieved the unthinkable in winning England's top flight, and was named the PFA Player of the Year after recording 17 goals and 10 assists.

He now plays in Saudi Arabia for Al-Ahli and won the AFC Champions League with them in the 2024-25 season.

He's still the lynchpin of this Algeria side, and much of their success on the pitch comes when he is playing well.

Best XI

South Korea squad World Cup 2026: Taeguk Warriors' 26-man squad take on Czechia in tournament opener

John Duerden — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 16:58:19 +0000

South Korea are set to embark in their 11th consecutive competition. In qualifying for World Cup 2026, the Taegeuk Warriors were unbeaten with six wins and four draws – and though they won't be favourites in North America this summer, by any stretch, they have one of the more experienced squads in the tournament and could be considered for the tournament dark horses moniker.

All-time record appearance-maker and talismanic captain Son Heung-min heads to the tournament knowing the climate well as a Major League Soccer player: he needs just four more goals to equal Cha Bum-kun's goal record, and could do so this summer.

Son is just one of a handful of huge figures from this side, though, with 35-year-old Kim Seung-gyu in goal, Bayern Munich stalwart Kin Min-jae leading the backline, and midfielder Lee Jae-sung having turned 33 and reached 100 caps, too.

Aside from Son's excellence in attack, Hwang Hee-chan will be recognisable to Premier League audiences, and Lee Kang-in is a dangerous forward: they're underdogs for sure, but there's no reason they can't turn back the clock and spring a shock on the world.

South Korea have surprised us all before, after all: 2002 was the adventure of a lifetime, when the co-hosts got all the way to the semi-finals (though with some controversial decisions along the way).

Now led by a legend of that side, Hong Myung-bo, back for a second shot as boss, this team will be looking to get out of a group with no obvious superstar side and see if how far they go this time.

Mood

That 2002 World Cup seems a long time ago… partly because it was. Several players in today’s squad weren’t born when Guus Hiddink led South Korea to the semi-finals. But it also feels far away because barely squeezing into Qatar 2022’s Round of 16 was as good as it’s got since.

After four wins across the team’s last five World Cups, confidence is lacking. Attendances have dipped in recent matches. Local Koreans might have provided great support had the Taeguk Warriors been playing in the US, but all three of their group games will be in Mexico.

Still, the draw taketh away but the draw also giveth. An open group gives them a chance.

Squad

South Korea World Cup 2026 squad: The final selection

GK: Kim Seung-gyu (FC Tokyo)
GK: Jo Hyeon-woo (Ulsan HD)
GK: Song Bum-keun (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors)
DF: Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich)
DF: Kim Moon-hwan (Daejeon Hana Citizen)
DF: Seol Young-woo (Red Star Belgrade)
DF: Cho Wi-je (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors)
DF: Lee Tae-seok (Austria Wien)
DF: Park Jin-seob (Zhejiang FC)
DF: Kim Tae-hyeon (Kashima Antlers)
DF: Lee Han-beom (Midtjylland)
DF: Jens Castrop (Borussia Monchengladbach)
DF: Lee Ki-hyuk (Gangwon FC)
MF: Lee Jae-sung (Mainz 05)
MF: Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
MF: Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord)
MF: Lee Kang-in (Paris Saint-Germain)
MF: Paik Seung-ho (Birmingham City)
MF: Kim Jin-gyu (Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors)
MF: Lee Dong-gyeong (Ulsan HD)
MF: Bae Jun-ho (Stoke City)
MF: Eom Ji-sung (Swansea City)
MF: Yang Hyun-jun (Celtic)
FW: Son Heung-min (Los Angeles FC)
FW: Cho Gue-sung (Midtjylland)
FW: Oh Hyeon-gyu (Besiktas)

Fixtures and results

Fixtures

June 12, 2026: South Korea vs Czechia, Estadio Akron, Zapopan, Mexico
June 19, 2026: Mexico vs South Korea, Estadio Akron, Zapopan, Mexico
June 24, 2026: South Africa vs South Korea, Estadio BBVA, Guadalupe, Mexico

Who is South Korea's manager?

Hong Myung-bo was the first Asian player ever to appear in four consecutive World Cups, playing in 1990, 1994, 1998 and 2002 (Image credit: Getty Images)

Hong Myung-bo comes with some serious pedigree. He became the first Asian player ever to appear in four consecutive World Cups, playing in 1990, 1994, 1998 and 2002.

In 2002, his final World Cup, he was captain on home soil as South Korea reached the semi-finals, eventually finishing fourth. He was named the third best player of the tournament, the first Asian to be named amongst the top players of a World Cup.

Pele, yes the Pele, named him in his FIFA 100, a list of the 125 best living players in 2004. (Yes, we know it doesn't quite add up, but we'll let it slide, it's Pele. Pele!)

Hong had a previous spell in charge of the national team, and unsuccessful campaign in the 2014 World Cup. His second spell has been more successful, with South Korea not losing a game in qualifying under his stewardship.

Star player

Who is South Korea's star player?

Son is the most capped player for the South Korean national team, and is only four goals off being top scorer (Image credit: Getty Images)

His last season in England was underwhelming by his standards, but Son Heung-min is undoubtedly South Korea's star man. He is ranked at No.3 in FourFourTwo's list of the best Premier League wingers of all time, and ranked at No. 35 in FourFourTwo's list of the greatest Premier League players of all time.

Son is the most capped player for the South Korean national team, and is only four goals off being top scorer.

He is now backed by some exciting talents, with Kim Min-jae and Lee Kang-in playing regularly for Bayern Munich and South Korea, respectively. There's a chance they could be a dark horse heading to North America.

Best XI

Ivory Coast World Cup 2026 squad ahead of the game against Ecuador

mahermezahi@gmail.com (Maher Mezahi) — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 15:42:59 +0000

The Ivory Coast World Cup 2026 squad has been named ahead of Les Elephantes' return to the biggest stage of all.

World Cup 2026 is the first tournament that Ivory Coast have been to since 2014, qualifying unbeaten in their CAF pool – and though the 2023 AFCON champions won't be favourites for the main prize, they have one of the richest squads at the tournament in terms of young talent and ingenuity, capable of shocking anyone in North America this summer.

There's an incredible XI to be made from Ousmane Diomande, Evan Ndicka and Wilfried Singo at the back, behind the leadership group of Franck Kessie, Jean Seri and Ibrahim Sangara in midfield – and that's without touching on an attack that boasts Amad Diallo, Nicolas Pepe and one of the most exciting gems in the world in Yan Diomande, profiled by FFT's Joe Donnohue in our The Boy's A Bit Special series.

They even have stability that they didn't previously enjoy: Ivory Coast sacked Jean-Louis Gasset mid-tournament in AFCON 2023 before going on to win the trophy with Emerse Fae, who still leads them in the dugout.

Their issue may be a lack of a focal point in attack, however, as evidenced by the lack of Sebastien Haller, who led the line wonderfully for that Africa Cup of Nations triumph but hasn't made the squad this time around.

Wilfried Zaha also misses out following poor form in Major League Soccer, Jeremie Boga has been omitted, too, and there's no place for veteran Willy Boly, given the talent they have in defence.

It'll be a tough ask for Ivory Coast – but there's no reason they can't look to be the best African side this time around and try and repeat Morocco's heroics of four years ago.

The Mood

The last decade has been a rollercoaster ride for Ivorian football.

After the golden generation of Yaya Toure et al cemented their legacy with an Africa Cup of Nations title in 2015, Ivory Coast failed to qualify for consecutive World Cups in 2018 and 2022. Hosting AFCON in 2023-24 added pressure but the Elephants didn’t disappoint, securing the country’s third continental title despite a rocky start.

Ivory Coast have turned a page, it seems. With a handful of supremely talented attacking players, they’re worth keeping an eye on.

Squad

Ivory Coast World Cup 2026 squad: The final selection

GK: Yahia Fofana (Caykur Rizespor)
GK: Alban Lafont (Panathinaikos)
GK: Mohamed Kone (Charleroi)
DF: Ghislain Konan (Gil Vicente)
DF: Odilon Kossounou (Atalanta)
DF: Wilfried Singo (Galatasaray)
DF: Evan Ndicka (Roma)
DF: Emmanuel Agbadou (Besiktas)
DF: Guela Doue (Strasbourg)
DF: Ousmane Diomande (Sporting CP)
DF: Christopher Operi (Istanbul Basaksehir)
MF: Franck Kessie (Al-Ahli)
MF: Jean Michael Seri (Maribor)
MF: Ibrahim Sangare (Nottingham Forest)
MF: Seko Fofana (Porto)
MF: Christ Inao Oulai (Trabzonspor)
MF: Parfait Guiagon (Charleroi)
FW: Nicolas Pepe (Villarreal)
FW: Oumar Diakite (Cercle Brugge)
FW: Simon Adingra (Monaco)
FW: Evann Guessand (Crystal Palace)
FW: Amad Diallo (Manchester United)
FW: Yan Diomande (RB Leipzig)
FW: Bazoumana Toure (TSG Hoffenheim)
FW: Elye Wahi (Nice)
FW: Ange-Yoan Bonny (Inter Milan)

Fixtures and results

Fixtures

June 14, 2026: Ivory Coast vs Ecuador, Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, United States
June 20, 2026: Germany vs Ivory Coast, BMO Field, Toronto, Canada
June 25, 2026: Curacao vs Ivory Coast, Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, United States

Results

June 4, 2026: France 1-2 Ivory Coast, Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes, France
March 31, 2026: Ivory Coast 1-0 Scotland, Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool, England
March 28, 2026: South Korea 0-4 Ivory Coast, Stadium MK, Milton Keynes, England
December 31, 2025: Gabon 2-3 Ivory Coast, Stade de Marrakech, Marrakesh, Morocco
December 28, 2025: Ivory Coast 1-1 Cameroon, Stade de Marrakech, Marrakesh, Morocco
December 24, 2025: Ivory Coast 1-0 Mozambique, Stade de Marrakech, Marrakesh, Morocco
November 18, 2025: Oman 0-2 Ivory Coast, Al-Seeb Stadium, Seeb, Oman
November 14, 2025: Saudi Arabia 1-0 Ivory Coast, Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Sports City Stadium, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
October 14, 2025: Ivory Coast 3-0 Kenya, Alassane Ouattara Stadium, Abidjan, Ivory Coast
October 10, 2025: Seychelles 0-7 Ivory Coast, Côte d'Or National Sports Complex, Saint Pierre, Mauritius
September 9, 2025: Gabon 0-0 Ivory Coast, Stade de Franceville, Franceville, Gabon
September 5, 2025: Ivory Coast 1-0 Burundi, Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium, Abidjan, Ivory Coast
June 10, 2025: Canada 0-0 (4-5 p) Ivory Coast, BMO Field, Toronto, Canada
June 7, 2025: Ivory Coast 0-1 New Zealand, BMO Field, Toronto, Canada
March 25, 2025: Ivory Coast 1-0 Gambia, Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium, Abidjan, Ivory Coast
March 21, 2025: Burundi 0-1 Ivory Coast, Honneur Stadium, Meknes, Morocco

Ground E standings

Ivory Coast are in Group I at World Cup 2026.

Manager

Who is Ivory Coast's manager?

Emerse Fae, the manager of the Ivory Coast national team (Image credit: Getty Images)

Emerse Fae became the first manager ever to be appointed mid-international tournament and go on to win it when he took over during the Africa Cup of Nations in 2024.

Reading fans may recognise the name, with Fae playing a single season with the Royals in 2006-07 when they were in the Premier League. However, he only featured 11 times.

Since taking the permanent manager role of the Ivory Coast squad, Fae has lost just five times across 25 games.

Star player

Who is the Ivory Coast's star player?

Amad playing for the Ivory Coast (Image credit: Getty Images)

Amad Diallo is one of Ivory Coast's best attackers and still has age on his side heading into this tournament.

He's proven adaptable, making Ruben Amorim's wing-back role work before reverting to his more common winger role under Michael Carrick, and excelling in both.

Having grown in importance at Old Trafford over the past few years, the same pattern appears to be following for country, with the 23-year-old a key feature during AFCON 2025.

Best XI

Ghana World Cup 2026 squad: Carlos Queiroz's final 26-man selection

Ewan Gennery — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 15:35:32 +0000

Ghana faced Austria and Germany in March as part of their preparations for the World Cup this summer, losing both. They were also beaten by Mexico at the end of May before a draw with Wales in their final preparatory match.

The Black Stars qualified for World Cup 2026 at a canter but are set to encounter much trickier squads in the tournament than they did in qualifying.

They're in the middle pack when it comes to favourites for lifting the trophy, but with a host of top Premier League stars in their ranks, they must not be written off.

Ghana got to the quarter-finals in 2010, but since then have been unable to get out of the groups. They failed to qualify entirely for the 2018 edition entirely.

But in Antoine Semenyo they have one of best attackers in the Premier League, along with an experienced captain in Jordan Ayew.

New boss Carlos Queiroz hasn't yet been able to call up injured Tottenham Hotspur winger Mohammed Kudus, who misses the World Cup after a miserable season.

In Kamaldeen Sulemana and Abdul Fatawu, however, they have two developing talents who've been looking to prove themselves against tough opposition ahead of this summer's tournament.

Squad

Ghana World Cup 2026 squad: The final selection

GK: Lawrence Ati-Zigi (St. Gallen)
GK: Joseph Anang (St Patrick's Athletic)
GK: Benjamin Asare (Hearts of Oak)
DF: Alidu Seidu (Rennes)
DF: Jonas Adjetey (VfL Wolfsburg)
DF: Abdul Mumin (Rayo Vallecano)
DF: Gideon Mensah (Auxerre)
DF: Abdul Rahman Baba (PAOK)
DF: Jerome Opoku (Istanbul Basaksehir)
DF: Kojo Peprah Oppong (Nice)
DF: Derrick Luckassen (Pafos)
DF: Marvin Senaya (Auxerre)
MF: Caleb Yirenkyi (Nordsjaelland)
MF: Thomas Partey (Villarreal)
MF: Abdul Fatawu (Leicester City)
MF: Kwasi Sibo (Oviedo)
MF: Antoine Semenyo (Manchester City)
MF: Elisha Owusu (Auxerre)
MF: Augustine Boakye (Saint-Etienne)
MF: Kamaldeen Sulemana (Atalanta)
FW: Jordan Ayew (Leicester City)
FW: Brandon Thomas-Asante (Coventry City)
FW: Christopher Bonsu Baah (Al-Qadsiah)
FW: Inaki Williams (Athletic Bilbao)
FW: Ernest Nuamah (Lyon)
FW: Prince Kwabena Adu (Viktoria Plzen)

Fixtures

June 17, 2026: Ghana vs Panama, BMO Field, Toronto, Canada
June 23, 2026: England vs Ghana, Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts, United States
June 27, 2026: Croatia vs Ghana, Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States

Group L standings

Ghana are in Group L at World Cup 2026.

Manager

Who is Ghana's manager?

Carlos Queiroz, Ghana's national team manager

Otto Addo was dismissed from his second spell in charge of Ghana in March and the first manager to take the Black Stars to two World Cups was replaced by former Manchester United assistant manager Carlos Queiroz ahead of World Cup 2026.

Queiroz has managed Portugal, South Africa, Iran, Colombia, Egypt, Iran, Qatar and Oman in an extensive international coaching career, and led Iran at the World Cup in 2022.

Star player

Who is Ghana's star player?

Antoine Semenyo posing in a Ghana kit (Image credit: Getty Images)

Antoine Semenyo has lit up the Premier League in the last 18 months. The new Manchester City signing excelled under Andoni Iraola at Bournemouth and kicked on immediately at the Etihad.

City reportedly paid £64m for his services, in a move that's already looking good value.

It will be 12 years since Ghana reached the quarter-finals of the 2014 World Cup and were cruelly denied a place in the semi-finals, but with Semenyo in the side there will be a renewed sense of optimism as they travel to North America.

Best XI

Egypt squad World Cup 2026: Hossam Hassan's selection as the Pharaohs begin Mo Salah's last World Cup

Ewan Gennery — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 15:28:40 +0000

The Egypt World Cup 2026 squad was named with a view to achieving something special in the last World Cup for Premier League legend Mohamed Salah.

Salah and Manchester City forward lead the way for Hossam Hassan's Pharaohs, who arrived in North America for World Cup 2026 fresh off a run to the semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations.

Egypt will look to translate their continental clout to the global stage. They've won the Africa Cup of Nations more than any other country but are yet to leave the mark they wanted on any World Cup tournament.

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Egypt had a more competitive build-up to the summer tournament than most, with a predominantly domestic squad being eliminated in the Arab Cup group stage in December and their Africa Cup of Nations campaign ending in semi-final defeat to Senegal.

Egypt qualified in impressive fashion for the World Cup and Salah, ranked at no.1 FourFourTwo's list of the best African footballers ever, was instrumental — now the top goal-scorer of all time in CAF World Cup qualifiers with 20 strikes, nine of which came in qualification for the 2026 tournament.

Salah, now a free agent after playing his final game for Liverpool in late May, missed the March international matches through injury, with former Aston Villa winger Trezeguet leading Hassan's team in his absence.

More than half of the squad to face Saudi Arabia and Spain play for clubs in Egypt, most notably Cairo giants Al Ahly, where 31-year-old Trezeguet now plies his trade.

Mood

n the second and possibly final World Cup outing for Mohamed Salah, who will turn 34 on the day of their first game, Egypt are seeking to forget the embarrassment of Russia 2018. They ended a 28-year absence from the big stage only to lose all three matches in a weak group.

Can they make amends in North America? Perhaps. Having missed out on Qatar 2022 by losing a penalty shootout to Senegal, the Pharaohs dominated 2026 qualifying – eight wins, two draws, no defeats – and 120 million Egyptians expect them to emerge from the group stage for the first time.

Lesson from qualifying

They don’t have to rely upon Salah any more. The captain scored nine goals in qualifying but four came in their first game; it was Trezeguet who won Egypt their next two matches with a pair of braces, Zizo and Omar Marmoush who were often most dangerous, and the defenders who shipped two goals in 10 games.

Squad

Egypt's World Cup 2026 squad: The final selection

GK: El Mahdy Soliman (Zamalek)
GK: Mohamed Alaa (El Gouna)
GK: Mohamed El Shenawy (Al Ahly)
GK: Mostafa Shobeir (Al Ahly)
DF: Mohamed Hany (Al Ahly)
DF: Tarek Alaa (Zamalek)
DF: Hamdy Fathy (Al Wakrah)
DF: Ramy Rabia (Al Ain)
DF: Yasser Ibrahim (Al Ahly),
DF: Hossam Abdelmaguid (Zamalek)
DF: Mohamed Abdelmonem (Nice)
DF: Ahmed Fatouh (Zamalek)
DF: Karim Hafez (Pyramids)
MF: Marwan Attia (Al Ahly)
MF: Mohanad Lasheen (Pyramids)
MF: Nabil Emad (Al Najma)
MF: Mahmoud Saber (Zed)
MF: Ahmed Zizo (Al Ahly)
MF: Emam Ashour (Al Ahly)
MF: Mostafa Ziko (Pyramids)
MF: Mahmoud Trezeguet (Al Ahly)
MF: Ibrahim Adel (Nordsjaelland)
MF: Haissem Hassan (Real Oviedo)
FW: Omar Marmoush (Manchester City)
FW: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
FW: Hamza Abdelkarim (Barcelona B)

Fixtures

June 15, 2026: Belgium vs Egypt, Lumen Field, Seattle, United States
June 22, 2026: New Zealand vs Egypt, BC Place, Vancouver, Canada
June 27, 2026: Egypt vs Iran, Lumen Field, Seattle, United States

Group G standings

Egypt are in Group G at World Cup 2026.

Manager

Who is Egypt's manager?

Egypt national team manager Hossam Hassan could lead Egypt to history both on and off the pitch with success at the World Cup 2026. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Hossam Hassan is Egypt's national team coach and is currently their all-time top scorer, although, Mohamed Salah may have something to say about that in the next 12 months.

He has had a remarkable post-playing career containing no fewer than 17 separate managerial stints, including five with Al Masry.

Before being appointed as Egypt's national team manager, he was nominally in charge of Modern Future, where he never managed a game before being released to lead the national team.

Star player

Who is Egypt's star player?

Mohamed Salah for Egypt (Image credit: Getty Images)

Mohamed Salah needs no introduction. He is ranked at no.1 in FourFourTwo's list of the best African footballers ever, no.81 in FourFourTwo's list of the greatest players of all time and no.5 in FourFourTwo's list of the greatest Premier League players of all time.

He left Liverpool having bagged 380 goal involvements in 442 games, and he is the third fastest player to reach 100 goal involvements at international level in history.

If Egypt have any chance of success at the World Cup 2026, Salah will be the reason for it.

Best XI

Morocco squad World Cup 2026: The squad to face Brazil

mahermezahi@gmail.com (Maher Mezahi) — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 15:18:51 +0000

The Morocco World Cup 2026 squad has been confirmed as Mohamed Ouahbi heads into his first major tournament with his team.

After stunning the world in the 2022 tournament and making the semi-finals, it came as a bit of a shock that Walid Regragui left his post as Morocco manager in March of this year, just months before World Cup 2026.

The Atlas Lions will have one of the most talented squads at the tournament and, although they won't be favourites to win the whole thing, their showing at the Africa Cup of Nations is sure to boost their odds.

Having a new manager to get accustomed to isn't the only hurdle Morocco have crossed in recent months. Despite losing the Africa Cup of Nations on penalties in the final, Morocco were later awarded the win in controversial circumstances due to Senegal's on-field protests.

Brahim Diaz missed the crucial spot kick in that game, but as one of the nation's brightest stars he will be keen to set the record straight at the World Cup.

Alongside Diaz, captain Achraf Hakimi – ranked at no.1 in FourFourTwo's list of the best right-backs in the world right now – is another eye-catching name. The same is true of Manchester United defender Noussair Mazraoui and Sunderland's Chemsdine Talbi.

Working their way through the ranks are the likes of Crystal Palace's Chadi Riad and electric attacker Bilal El Khannouss, who impressed for Leicester City before going on loan to Stuttgart this term.

The Mood

Until March 17, Moroccan football was still in shock from dramatically losing January’s Africa Cup of Nations final to Senegal on home soil.

The Atlas Lions had a golden chance in the dying seconds to lift their first continental title in half a century. Instead, after a long delay caused by Senegal leaving the pitch in protest, Brahim Diaz’s ill-advised panenka was saved. It fractured the dressing room.

Mohamed Ouahbi replaced Walid Regragui, who in 2022 had led Morocco to become the first African nation to reach a World Cup semi-final. They were trying to put the heartbreaking final behind them. Then CAF approved Morocco’s appeal and belatedly handed them the AFCON title, declaring that Senegal had forfeited the game. Will that heal the wound?

Squad

Morocco World Cup 2026 squad: The final 26-man line-up

GK: Yassine Bounou (Al-Hilal)
GK: Munir El Kajoui (RS Berkane)
GK: Reda Tagnaouti (AS FAR)
DF: Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain)
DF: Noussair Mazraoui (Manchester United)
DF: Anass Salah-Eddine (PSV)
DF: Youssef Belammari (Al Ahly)
DF: Chadi Riad (Crystal Palace)
DF: Nayef Aguerd (Marseille)
DF: Zakaria El Ouahdi (Genk)
DF: Issa Diop (Fulham)
DF: Redouane Halhal (Mechelen)
MF: Azzedine Ounahi (Girona)
MF: Bilal El Khannouss (VfB Stuttgart)
MF: Samir El Mourabet (Strasbourg)
MF: Sofyan Amrabat (Real Betis)
MF: Ismael Saibari (PSV)
MF: Neil El Aynaoui (Roma)
MF: Ayyoub Bouaddi (Lille)
FW: Abde Ezzalzouli (Real Betis)
FW: Soufiane Rahimi (Al Ain)
FW: Brahim Diaz (Real Madrid)
FW: Ayoub El Kaabi (Olympiacos)
FW: Chemsdine Talbi (Sunderland)
FW: Gessime Yassine (Strasbourg)
FW: Ayoube Amaimouni (Frankfurt)

World Cup fixtures

June 13, 2026: Brazil vs Morocco, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States
June 19, 2026: Scotland vs Morocco, Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts, United States
June 24, 2026: Morocco vs Haiti, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Group C standings

Morocco are in Group C at World Cup 2026.

Manager

Who is Morocco's manager?

Mohamed Ouahbi celebrates winning U20 World Cup with Morocco (Image credit: Getty Images)

Mohamed Ouahbi has a big task ahead of him. This is his first managerial role with a senior side, with the majority of his work coming in the youth setups of Anderlecht and Morocco.

He does have a winning streak, though, having led an Atlas Lions youth squad to Under-20 World Cup glory last year, becoming only the second African side to do so in history.

His promotion from the youth ranks bodes well for the younger elements in the squad, meaning we could see some lesser-known names come to the fore this summer under the new boss.

Discussing his World Cup squad selection, Ouahbi said: "We relied heavily on the training camp, and I’d already said at the first camp in March that some players who weren’t there also had the chance to make it to the World Cup.

"I really wanted to keep the door open for everyone. So we kept track of the players, had discussions, and organised travel. We really kept tabs on a great many players. That proves one thing: we have a huge pool of talent."

Star player

Who is Morocco's star player?

Achraf Hakimi (Image credit: Getty Images)

Achraf Hakimi will be a vital part of the Morocco squad should they replicate their success from Qatar.

Under Luis Enrique at PSG, he has established himself as one of the best full-backs in the world, and among the best players overall. In his time working with the Spaniard he has recorded 28 goals, including in the Champions League final and semi-final last season.

He has a tenacious work ethic and will provide plenty of energy on the right flank for as long as Morocco are at the tournament in America.

Best XI

Australia squad World Cup 2026: Tony Popovic's team for opening game against Turkey

Ben Somerford — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 15:07:48 +0000

The Australia World Cup 2026 squad has arrived with manager Tony Popovic naming his final 26-man squad selection.

World Cup 2026 will be the Socceroos' sixth consecutive World Cup and they'll be hoping to build on their Round of 16 run in Qatar in 2022, despite a team lacking in depth when compared to other squads at the tournament.

Popovich's men lost 1-0 in a recent friendly against co-hosts Mexico, and will face Switzerland in a final pre-tournament match prior to their opening fixture of the World Cup against Turkey on June 14.

Australia qualified with relative ease, losing just once across both rounds in the AFC but finishing behind Japan — the first team to qualify for World Cup 2026.

The last World Cup saw the Socceroos achieve their joint-best finish before they lost 2-1 to eventual winners Argentina, with goals coming from Lionel Messi and Julian Alvarez.

Australia will hope to take advantage of a relatively competitive group in the summer, with their experienced squad likely being a tricky foe for the United States, Paraguay and Turkey.

Popovic is able to draw upon a wealth of experience from the A-League and leagues in Europe; and also the talents of Cristian Volpato, who made the 26-man squad just days after a switch of allegiance from Italy, joining the Socceroos camp on the weekend.

Mood

The Socceroos reached their sixth consecutive World Cup without needing a play-off this time. Closing victories over Japan and Saudi Arabia sealed their first automatic qualification since 2014.

Yet the campaign had begun miserably. An ugly 1-0 home defeat to Bahrain and a limp goalless draw in Indonesia spelled the end for long-serving boss Graham Arnold, who’d masterminded a surprise passage into the knockouts in 2022 – just the second in Australia’s history.

Arnold was replaced by Tony Popovic, another former Socceroo with A-League coaching success. Australia lost none of their eight remaining qualifiers and have been rewarded with a friendly-looking draw.

Squad

Australia World Cup 2026 squad: The final selection

GK: Mathew Ryan (Levante)
GK: Paul Izzo (Randers)
GK: Patrick Beach (Melbourne City)
DF: Jordan Bos (Feyenoord)
DF: Aziz Behich (Melbourne City)
DF: Harry Souttar (Leicester)
DF: Alessandro Circati (Parma)
DF: Lucas Herrington (Colorado Rapids)
DF: Cameron Burgess (Swansea)
DF: Kai Trewin (New York City FC)
DF: Milos Degenek (Apoel Nicosia)
DF: Jason Geria (Albirex Niigata)
DF: Jacob Italiano (Grazer AK)
MF: Jackson Irvine (St. Pauli)
MF: Aiden O'Neill (New York City FC)
MF: Paul Okon Jr (Sydney FC)
MF: Cameron Devlin (Heart of Midlothian)
FW: Connor Metcalfe (St. Pauli)
FW: Mathew Leckie (Melbourne City)
FW: Nishan Velupillay (Melbourne Victory)
FW: Cristian Volpato (Sassuolo)
FW: Nestory Irankunda (Watford)
FW: Awer Mabil (Castellón)
FW: Ajdin Hrustic (Heracles Almelo)
FW: Mohamed Toure (Norwich)
FW: Tete Yengi (Machida Zelvia)

Fixtures

May 30, 2026: Mexico vs Australia, Rose Bowl, Pasadena, United States
June 03, 2026: Netherlands vs Australia, De Kuip, Rotterdam, Netherlands
June 14, 2026: Australia vs Turkiye, BC Place, Vancouver, Canada
June 19, 2026: United States vs Australia, Lumen Field, Seattle, United States
June 26, 2026: Paraguay vs Australia, Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, United States

Group D standings

Australia at in Group D at World Cup 2026.

Manager

Who is Australia's manager?

Tony Popovic is a Crystal Palace fan favourite. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Crystal Palace fans will be very familiar with Tony Popovic, who has been Australia's manager since September 2024.

He played over 120 times for the Eagles in, including 21 times in the Premier League in the 2005-06 season.

He was assistant manager under Dougie Freedman and has been in the profession since 2012, when he was named the inaugural manager of Western Sydney Wanderers.

Star player

Who is Australia's star player?

Australia and Watford's Nestory Irankunda (Image credit: Getty Images)

Whilst he has only played nine times for Australia, should they be successful next summer in North America, Nestory Irankunda will be large part of that.

The 19-year-old is considered to be one of the brightest young players the nation has ever produced, possessing an exceptional talent for set-pieces, as evidenced by him scoring two of the Championship’s finest free-kick goals for Watford in back-to-back games this season.

He was previously in the books at Bayern Munich, but failed to feature for the first team despite being named on the bench several times by Vincent Kompany.

Best XI

Colombia squad World Cup 2026: Nestor Lorenzo's team for opening game against Uzbekistan

Carl Worswick — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 14:52:22 +0000

The Colombia World Cup 2026 squad will look to build on an impressive base over Nestor Lorenzo's two years in charge as they edge closer to next summer's competition.

Los Cafeteros were one of four teams from CONMEBOL to qualify with 28 points and will appear at World Cup 2026 with one of the most intriguing squads at the tournament, which has a mix of experience and breakthrough talent.

They followed that with two positive friendly results in the United States against New Zealand and Australia in November, not harming their place as one of the top 10 favourites to lift the ultimate prize.

Up until the Copa America final loss to Argentina in July 2024, Colombia were 28 games undefeated under Lorenzo, who led the nation to qualify for the World Cup next summer comfortably: we may be 12 years on from Rodriguez's breakout tournament with La Sele, but a renaissance could be coming.

In 2023, Colombia announced a project called ‘Futbol con Futuro’ – that's ‘Football with a Future’, as the South Americans looked to renovate their football sides and actually win silverware: they came close in the recent Copa and are now looking for a bold run at the World Cup.

And while James Rodriguez will naturally take up a lot of the attention again this summer, they have a strong, elite core consisting of the likes of Daniel Munoz, Luis Diaz and veteran goalkeeper David Ospina.

Jhon Duran would have been considered an emerging talent here a couple of years ago, but the lesser-trodden path of Saudi Arabia to Russia, via Turkey, has seen him fall down the pecking order and miss out on the 26-man squad.

Mood

Colombia survived a six-match winless wobble just as South American qualifying wound the final bend to finish third, a whisker ahead of Brazil and Uruguay.

The emergence of Luis Suarez – no, not that one – in the campaign-ending 6-3 demolition of Venezuela promises to add an extra attacking string to Los Cafeteros’ bow. The 28-year-old Sporting forward marked his first international start by plundering four goals in 25 minutes. The previous player to score as many in a CONMEBOL qualifier? Luis Suarez. Yes, that one.

Nestor Lorenzo’s settled side may lack the 2014 quarter-finalists' dazzle, but the failure to qualify for Qatar 2022 has instilled much-needed pluck. Another run to the last eight isn’t unrealistic.

Colombia World Cup 2026 squad

GK: Camilo Vargas (Atlas)
GK: Alvaro Montero (Velez Sarsfield)
GK: David Ospina (Atletico Nacional)
DF: Davinson Sanchez (Galatasaray)
DF: Jhon Lucumi (Bologna)
DF: Yerry Mina (Cagliari)
DF: Willer Ditta (Cruz Azul)
DF: Daniel Munoz (Crystal Palace)
DF: Santiago Arias (Independiente)
DF: Johan Mojica (Mallorca)
DF: Deiver Machado (Nantes)
MF: Richard Rios (Benfica)
MF: Jefferson Lerma (Crystal Palace)
MF: Kevin Castano (River Plate)
MF: Juan Camilo Portilla (Athletico Paranaense)
MF: Gustavo Puerta (Racing de Santander)
MF: Jhon Arias (Palmeiras)
MF: Jorge Carrascal (Flamengo)
MF: Juan Fernando Quintero (River Plate)
MF: James Rodriguez (Minnesota United)
MF: Jaminton Campaz (Rosario Central)
FW: Juan Camilo Hernandez (Real Betis)
FW: Luis Diaz (Bayern Munich)
FW: Luis Suarez (Sporting)
FW: Carlos Andres Gomez (Vasco da Gama)
FW: Jhon Cordoba (Krasnodar)

Fixtures

June 2, 2026: Colombia vs Costa Rica, Estadio Nemesio Camacho El Campin, Bogota, Colombia
June 7, 2026: Colombia vs Jordan, Snapdragon Stadium, San Diego, United States
June 18, 2026: Uzbekistan vs Colombia, Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico
June 24, 2026: Colombia vs DR Congo, Estadio Akron, Zapopan, Mexico
June 28, 2026: Colombia vs Portugal, Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, United States

Group K standings

Colombia are in Group K at World Cup 2026.

Colombia Manager: Nestor Lorenzo

Colombia head coach Nestor Lorenzo (Image credit: Getty Images)

Nestor Lorenzo took charge of Colombia after just one stint as a head coach which was with Melgar in Peru. He'd previously been an assistant manager six times, including at Colombia for seven years.

Under his stewardship he has guided them to wins over Germany, Brazil, Spain and Uruguay, as well as a 28-match unbeaten run. They reached the final of the 2024 Copa America, only losing to Argentina in extra-time.

After making consecutive World Cups in 2014 and 2018, they failed to qualify in 2022, but will be back at football's most prestigious tournament in 2026.

Colombia's Star Player

Luis Diaz

Luis Diaz will be key to Colombia's success at the tournament (Image credit: Getty Images)

Luis Diaz was one of the in-form wingers of the 2025/26 season. He made a big money switch to German giants Bayern Munich in the summer and hasn't looked back, lifting the Bundesliga with Die Roten.

With 21 goals in 72 appearances, he's often one of the shining lights of a Colombian side who never fail to entertain. His give-all attitude makes him very endearing, and his South American flair means you can't stop watching him.

Currently ranked at no.5 in FourFourTwo's list of the best left wingers in the world right now, a fit and firing Luis Diaz will boost Colombia's chances in Canada, Mexico and the United States massively.

Best XI

Brazil squad World Cup 2026: Carlo Ancelotti's 26 players as five-time winners prepare for the round of 32

mvpa1212@gmail.com (Marcus Alves) — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 14:48:06 +0000

The Brazil World Cup 2026 squad delivered what they promised in Group C. Carlo Ancelotti left the likes of Joao Pedro, Richarlison, Savinho, Gabriel Jesus and Thiago Silva at home but won the group. Step one achieved.

Brazil drew their first fixture against Morocco but coasted through their last two matches, beating both Haiti and Scotland 3-0, knocking the Grenadiers out and leaving Scotland close to the precipice in third place.

Ancelotti's paymasters won't be satisfied yet but the signs are positive. The next test coming their way will be rather sterner than the last two and Brazil will be expected to navigate that one too.

Brentford striker Igor Thiago and Bournemouth wonderkid Rayan were both selected for their first call-ups in March – with the latter described by FFT's Joe Donnohue as a starlet, “characterised by a willingness and desire to lock-and-load whenever he had a sight of goal,” in our The Boy's A Bit Special series – and both were rewarded with a place on the plane.

Premier League faces Casemiro, Gabriel Martinelli, Matheus Cunha and Bruno Guimaraes are all named too, alongside Vinicius Jr, Raphinha and 19-year-old Endrick. All have made their mark, with Rayan getting his first World Cup start in place of injured Raphinha against Scotland.

Ancelotti recently extended his contract with the Selecao, who are looking to end a 24-year wait to bring the World Cup home again.

Is this squad good enough to go all the way in North America?

The Mood

How chaotic can a World Cup preparation get? Brazil tried their best to find out.

Following Qatar 2022, the five-time world champions elected to wait for Carlo Ancelotti to come and save them. They waited for more than a year, only for the Italian to extend his contract with Real Madrid instead. It was one of the most embarrassing episodes in the Selecao’s history.

They had employed two different interim coaches in the meantime, making a full-time appointment – Dorival Junior – only after Ancelotti’s apparent snub. Brazil were also threatened with suspension by FIFA due to government and third-party interference, then saw their FA’s president removed from office by court order.

The situation on the pitch was equally turbulent, bringing one negative record after another. Featuring their worst defeat in a World Cup qualifier (4-1 to Argentina in Buenos Aires), their first home defeat in a World Cup qualifier (1-0 to Argentina in Rio de Janeiro), a first defeat to Colombia in qualifying (2-1 in Barranquilla) and a failure to beat Venezuela even once, it was unsurprisingly Brazil’s worst ever qualification campaign. They finished 5th in the 10-team group, level on points with 6th, 19 behind Argentina.

Even a place at this summer’s World Cup felt at risk, despite South America having six direct spots and a seventh in the play-offs. Brazil desperately needed some positive news. They got it. After on-and-off talks for more than two years, Ancelotti’s appointment was finally announced by the CBF in May 2025… three days after their president’s removal.

Ancelotti had visited Brazil only once before, when scouting players as Juventus boss back in 2000. But his name alone, as the most successful coach in Champions League history, with five trophies, instantly put an end to all uncertainties.

Have results improved? Not really. However, there is a clear direction now. And while there is pressure on Ancelotti to prevent a record-breaking drought – Brazil last lifted the trophy in 2002 and have never gone six World Cups without winning one – the 66-year-old has always reacted to pressure in the past with a shrug and a raised eyebrow.

Squad

Brazil World Cup 2026 squad

GK: Alisson (Liverpool)
GK: Ederson (Fenerbahce)
GK: Weverton (Gremio)
DF: Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain)
DF: Danilo Luiz (Flamengo)
DF: Alex Sandro (Flamengo)
DF: Gabriel Magalhaes (Arsenal)
DF: Bremer (Juventus)
DF: Roger Ibanez (Al-Ahli)
DF: Douglas Santos (Zenit Saint Petersburg)
DF: Leo Pereira (Flamengo)
MF: Casemiro (Manchester United)
MF: Ederson (Atalanta)
MF: Lucas Paqueta (Flamengo)
MF: Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle United)
MF: Fabinho (Al-Ittihad)
MF: Danilo Santos (Botafogo)
FW: Neymar (Santos)
FW: Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid)
FW: Raphinha (Barcelona)
FW: Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal)
FW: Matheus Cunha (Manchester United)
FW: Endrick (Lyon)
FW: Luiz Henrique (Zenit Saint Petersburg)
FW: Igor Thiago (Brentford)
FW: Rayan (Bournemouth)

Fixtures and results

June 29, 2026: Brazil vs Runner-Up F, NRG Stadium, Houston, United States

Group C standings

Brazil are in Group C at World Cup 2026.

Manager

Who is Brazil's manager?

Carlo Ancelotti has won everything in domestic football, the international stage represents the final frontier (Image credit: Getty Images)

Carlo Ancelotti has an extensive club football CV, with successful stints at Real Madrid, AC Milan, PSG, Bayern Munich and Chelsea, meaning he has won each of Europe's top five leagues, but the Brazil job is his first in international management.

His very recent connection with Real Madrid means several players are used to his ways, which will help as Brazil look to end a 24-year wait for the sixth World Cup win.

His hand has been somewhat forced during his early team selection, with the top scorer in Brazilian history, Neymar, not available through injury in each of his squad selections prior to the World Cup. He made it back in time to be a surprise selection.

Star player

Who is Brazil's star player?

Vinicius Junior needs to replicate his brilliant club form on the international stage for his country (Image credit: Getty Images)

Vinicius Jr came incredibly close to Brazilian immortality when he finished second in the 2024 Ballon d'Or, and while he had a slightly below-par season last time out, he's still one of the best players in the world.

Ranked at no.3 in FourFourTwo's list of the best left wingers in the world right now, he will have a massive part to play, should Brazil be successful this summer.

The Real Madrid man needed to increase his output and delivered in the group stage, scoring four times.

Best XI

Canada vs Qatar Team News: Predicted World Cup starting XI, injury updates and squad in full

Matthew Walthert — Sun, 05 Oct 2025 20:38:35 +0000

Canada was in a difficult group four years ago, alongside the likes of Belgium, Morocco and Croatia, so it was no surprise to see them finish bottom of the group with zero points.

With the group now four years older and led by manager Jesse Marsch, who possesses solid experience at club level in European football, there's certainly hope that they can progress out of the groups this time around as the Pot 1 nation.

They've made a solid start, with a hard-fought draw vs the gritty Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Alphonso Davies was deemed fit for inclusion in the squad after hamstring injury woes, but is expected to miss the second group game having also missed the first, which is a blow for Canada to say the least.

The point vs Bosnia was the country's first-ever in a senior men's FIFA World Cup. After finishing on zero in both the 1986 and 2022 tournaments, the result marked a massive psychological breakthrough for Les Rouges.

Mood

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Canada’s World Cup record reads P6 L6, but expectations are much higher this year.

They’ve come a long way since an 8-1 drubbing at Honduras ended World Cup 2014 qualification hopes, and Qatar 2022 was treated as a dress rehearsal for a group of neophytes on the world stage. Now, superstars Alphonso Davies and Jonathan David are ready to provide an uncharacteristically rude welcome to Canada.

The fans will also supply a raucous atmosphere for home fixtures. Fueled by immigration, soccer culture in Canada has exploded alongside talent development.

Strengths

The sum is greater than its parts. Villarreal’s Tajon Buchanan, LAFC’s Stephen Eustaquio and Nice’s Moise Bombito, among others, have bought into Jesse Marsch’s ‘Maplepressing’ system and their high work-rate can help to bridge the skill gap against better opponents.

Weaknesses

Alphonso David's ability is way above any other player in the Canada squad (Image credit: Getty Images)

Davies and David measure up to almost any duo in world football, but there is a noticeable talent disparity beyond that. Top international sides can break through Marsch’s high press and expose individual weaknesses. There are also ongoing questions around the level of support from Canada Soccer.

Squad

Canada World Cup 2026 squad

GK: Dayne St. Clair (Inter Miami)
GK: Maxime Crepeau (Orlando City)
GK: Owen Goodman (Barnsley)
DF: Moise Bombito (Nice)
DF: Derek Cornelius (Rangers)
DF: Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich)
DF: Luc De Fougerolles (FCV Dender)
DF: Alistair Johnston (Celtic)
DF: Alfie Jones (Middlesbrough)
DF: Richie Laryea (Toronto FC)
DF: Niko Sigur (Hajduk Split)
DF: Joel Waterman (Chicago Fire)
MF: Ali Ahmed (Norwich City)
MF: Tajon Buchanan (Villarreal)
MF: Mathieu Choiniere (Los Angeles FC)
MF: Stephen Eustaquio (Los Angeles FC)
MF: Marcelo Flores (Tigres UANL)
MF: Ismael Kone (Sassuolo)
MF: Liam Millar (Hull City)
MF: Jonathan Osorio (Toronto FC)
MF: Nathan Saliba (Anderlecht)
MF: Jacob Shaffelburg (Los Angeles FC)
FW: Jonathan David (Juventus)
FW: Promise David (Royale-Union Saint Gilloise)
FW: Cyle Larin (Southampton)
FW: Tani Oluwaseyi (Villarreal)

Fixtures

June 18, 2026: Canada vs Qatar, BC Place, Vancouver, Canada
June 24, 2026: Switzerland vs Canada, BC Place, Vancouver, Canada

Group B standings

Canada are in Group B at World Cup 2026.

Manager

Who is Canada's manager?

Jesse Marsch, Canada national team manager, talking with Alphonso Davies during the 2024 Copa America. (Image credit: Bill Barrett/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

Jesse Marsch made the step into international management when he assumed the role as Canada head coach in 2024.

He made the 2024 Copa America semi-final, losing to Argentina, before being eliminated in the 2025 Gold Cup in the quarter-finals.

He rebuffed an approach after the tournament from the US national team and will now lead Canada at just their third World Cup.

Star player

Who is Canada's star player?

Jonathan David could be the difference for the host nation. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Should Canada be successful this summer in their home tournament, a lot will rely on Jonathan David, who scored just six goals in 35 Serie A games this season, re-discovering form.

The striker previously spent five years in Ligue 1 with Lille, tallying 37 goal involvements as his side played Champions League football for the first time in three years during his final season, before earning a move to Juventus.

He is Canada's all-time highest goalscorer, with a recent penalty brace against Iceland in March bringing his haul to 39 goals in 79 games, but failed to register a goal at the World Cup in 2022.

Best XI

Predicted line up

Canada projected lineup vs Qatar (4-4-2): Maxime Crepeau; Alistair Johnston, Luc De Fougerolles, Derek Cornelius, Richie Laryea; Tajon Buchanan, Ismael Kone, Stephen Eustaquio, Liam Miller; Jonathan David, Cyle Larin.

Germany squad World Cup 2026: The team to face Curacao

Mark White — Sun, 05 Oct 2025 20:35:37 +0000

The Germany World Cup 2026 squad has been named, with huge names across the team.

Julian Nagelsmann's side eased to World Cup 2026 qualification with five wins from six and will have one of the strongest squads at the tournament, as one of the favourites, despite recent form in this competition.

It's been 12 years since Germany lifted the World Cup in Rio, and in the two tournaments since, they've not even progressed to the knockouts – yet there is hope that this group can compete for the trophy once more.

The sole survivor of 2014, Manuel Neuer, is now 40 years old and still between the sticks, though his regular deputy, Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, isn't going to North America: it'll be Neuer's Bayern Munich colleague Joshua Kimmich that captains, however, with Die Roten represented by a whopping seven players.

Not all Bavaria-based ballers have gone, though, with Serge Gnabry perhaps the highest-profile omission, while Robert Andrich, Ridle Baku, Karim Adeyemi, Niclas Fullkrug and Kevin Schade are all missing, too.

Kai Havertz has made the squad just in time after an injury-plagued 18 months, Nick Woltemade has been named as one of three genuine centre-forward options despite a tough debut season on Tyneside, and there are plenty of genuine gamechangers in the likes of Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz, Max Beier and Angelo Stiller.

18-year-old midfielder Lennart Karl had got the nod, only for a muscle bundle tear in his left thigh suffered in training to see him replaced by RB Leipzig's Assan Ouedraogo. The Germans aren't exactly a dead cert for this tournament but it's probably the best position that they've been in heading into a tournament since they last won this one.

The Mood

‘Everything has an end; only the sausage has two’. An old German proverb springs to mind when considering the four-time world champions in 2026.

For the first time since 2014 World Cup glory in Brazil, Germany go into a major tournament without any veterans from that triumph. Manuel Neuer, Toni Kroos and Ilkay Gundogan all retired from international duty (Kroos, from club football as well) after Euro 2024, taking their 320 combined caps with them and leaving Julian Nagelsmann’s boys strangely light on experience.

That seemed to have taken a toll when Germany lost their opening qualifier 2-0 to Slovakia in September. The panic was short-lived. They regrouped, won their next four, then faced Slovakia again in a winner-takes-all finale and crushed them 6-0.

They achieved that largely without key figures in Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Antonio Rudiger and Jamal Musiala, who all had long-term injuries. While they’ll be available again this summer, a torn ACL means Emre Can won’t be. A lesser-known support cast must step up. One of those is Hoffenheim goalkeeper Oliver Baumann, who has inherited the tough follow-up act of replacing Neuer. Baumann, who turns 36 in June, fared well in qualifying but has large boots to fill.

Nagelsmann’s Germany still have plenty of star quality, from inspirational skipper Joshua Kimmich – playing at right–back again for his country – to the irrepressible Serge Gnabry. Musiala and Florian Wirtz are elite creators. The defence is solid, marshalled by an imposing Jonathan Tah. They have good options up top in Kai Havertz and Newcastle’s Nick Woltemade.

A manageable draw gives Germany a chance to build a head of steam ahead of the knockouts. They were written off ahead of Euro 2024, remember, only to win their opening fixture 5-1 and reach the quarter-finals, where they’d lose in the dying minutes of extra time to eventual winners Spain.

Of course, that was at home. This is in North America, where Germany famously struggled in 1994, and this time they’re arriving after chastening group-stage exits in consecutive World Cups. They can be confident of beating that, but a likely match-up with France in the last 16 looks tough for Germany – and mouth-watering for neutrals.

Squad

Germany World Cup 2026 squad: The final selection

GK: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich)
GK: Oliver Baumann (TSG Hoffenheim)
GK: Alexander Nubel (VfB Stuttgart)
DF: Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid)
DF: Jonathan Tah (Bayern Munich)
DF: David Raum (RB Leipzig)
DF: Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund)
DF: Waldemar Anton (Borussia Dortmund)
DF: Malick Thiaw (Newcastle United)
DF: Nathaniel Brown (Eintracht Frankfurt)
DF: Felix Nmecha (Borussia Dortmund)
MF: Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)
MF: Leroy Sane (Galatasaray)
MF: Leon Goretzka (Bayern Munich)
MF: Kai Havertz (Arsenal)
MF: Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich)
MF: Florian Wirtz (Liverpool)
MF: Pascal Gross (Brighton & Hove Albion)
MF: Nadiem Amiri (Mainz 05)
MF: Aleksandar Pavlovic (Bayern Munich)
MF: Angelo Stiller (VfB Stuttgart)
MF: Jamie Leweling (VfB Stuttgart)
MF: Assan Ouedraogo (RB Leipzig)
FW: Nick Woltemade (Newcastle United)
FW: Deniz Undav (VfB Stuttgart)
FW: Maximilian Beier (Borussia Dortmund)

Fixtures and results

Fixtures

June 14, 2026: Germany vs Curacao, NRG Stadium, Houston, United States
June 20, 2026: Germany vs Ivory Coast, BMO Field, Toronto, Canada
June 25, 2026: Ecuador vs Germany, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, United States
September 24, 2026: Netherlands vs Germany, Johan Cruyff Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands
September 27, 2026: Germany vs Greece, Germany
October 1, 2026: Germany vs Serbia, Germany
October 4, 2026: Greece vs Germany, Karaiskakis Stadium, Piraeus, Greece
November 13, 2026: Serbia vs Germany, Rajko Mitic Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia
November 16, 2026: Germany vs Netherlands, Germany

Results

June 6, 2026: United States 1-2 Germany, Soldier Field, Chicago, United States
May 31, 2026: Germany 4-0 Finland, MEWA Arena, Mainz, Germany
March 30, 2026: Germany 2-1 Ghana, MHPArena, Stuttgart, Germany
March 27, 2026: Switzerland 3-4 Germany, St. Jakob-Park, Basel, Switzerland
November 17, 2025: Germany 6-0 Slovakia, Red Bull Arena, Leipzig, Germany
November 14, 2025: Luxembourg 0-4 Germany, Stade de Luxembourg, Luxembourg City, Luxembourg
October 13, 2025: Northern Ireland 1-0 Germany, Windsor Park, Belfast, Northern Ireland
October 10, 2025: Germany 4-0 Luxembourg, Rhein-Neckar-Arena, Sinsheim, Germany
September 7, 2025: Germany 3-1 Northern Ireland, RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne, Germany
September 4, 2025: Slovakia 2-0 Germany, Tehelne pole, Bratislava, Slovakia
June 8, 2025: Germany 0-2 France, MHPArena, Stuttgart, Germany
June 4, 2025: Germany 1-2 Portugal, Allianz Arean, Munich, Germany
March 23, 2025: Germany 3-3 Italy, Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund, Germany
March 20, 2025: Italy 1-2 Germany, San Siro, Milan, Italy

Group E standings

Germany are in Group E at World Cup 2026.

Manager

Who is Germany's manager?

Julian Nagelsmann is in charge of Die Mannschaft (Image credit: Getty Images)

At 28, Julian Nagelsmann became the youngest manager in Bundesliga history when he took charge of Hoffenheim.

A staple of German football, Nagelsmann's style relies on gegenpressing when his team lose the ball. On the ball, his teams often try and dominate possession.

He is ranked at no.18 in FourFourTwo's list of the best managers in the world right now, and will be looking to add to the three trophies he won with Bayern Munich in his two-year stint.

Germany's Star Player

Who is Germany's star player?

Florian Wirtz of Germany (Image credit: Getty Images)

He may not have come to life in a Liverpool shirt just yet, but Florian Wirtz is still one of the best attacking midfielders in the world.

Ranked at no.1 in FourFourTwo's list of the best attacking midfielders in the world right now, Wirtz will undoubtedly find his form eventually, and when with Germany, he usually performs some of his best stuff.

However, Jamal Musiala has now returned to club action following a nasty injury last summer, so Wirtz is set to have plenty of competition heading into this summer's tournament.

Best XI

Uruguay squad World Cup 2026: Marcelo Bielsa's names team for crunch World Cup group game against Spain

Martin Mazur — Sun, 05 Oct 2025 20:35:26 +0000

Uruguay take on Spain as they look to book a place in the 2026 World Cup knockouts.

Whilst they sit in second in group H, Uruguay know that only a win guarantees their passage to the round of 32.

Their first appearance at a World Cup without any of Luis Suarez, Diego Forlan and Edinson Cavani since 1990 hasn't exactly gone to plan, but they'll be hoping that they can push on with the business end of the competition approaching.

Manager

Who is the Uruguay manger?

Marcelo Bielsa likes to take the game in from a an unusual angle. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Once hailed the "best manager in the world" by Pep Guardiola, Marcelo Bielsa is taking charge of his third different nation at a World Cup.

He’s a divisive figure, and most recently went viral for refusing to look at the camera during a media day for the tournament, stating “I am not a model.”

Bielsa is ranked at no.77 in FourFourTwo's list of the greatest managers ever and it’s hard to argue the fact when he popularised such a radical 3-3-3-1 formation during his several decades on the touchline.

Confirmed Uruguay vs Spain line ups

Uruguay (4-3-3): Muslera; Varela, Caceres, Olivera, Sanabria; Ugarte, Bentancur, Valverde; Canobbio, Araujo, Nunez

Spain (4-3-3): Simon; Llorente, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella; Rodri, Merino, Pedri; Yamal, Baena, Oyarzabal

Mood

In qualifying for a fifth consecutive World Cup, Uruguay broke new ground, even including their 1930 and 1950 tournament-winning pomp, but all is not rosy. The immediate impact of Marcelo Bielsa’s May 2023 arrival peaked with consecutive 2-0 victories at home to Brazil and in Argentina, but qualification turned traumatic as El Loco’s controversial management of iconic veterans since the 2024 Copa America created internal tensions. Now-retired Luis Suarez, unsurprisingly, was the most critical.

El Loco has introduced salt to open wounds, too. “I am toxic,” he said after a 5-1 defeat by the USA last November. “If the players want me out, it’s very simple. They come, tell me, ‘look, Bielsa, we want you to leave’, that’s it.”

This has boiled over into the tournament this summer. Uruguay had to fight back from behind against Saudi Arabia in their opener, and were stunned by Cape Verde, who scored their first ever World Cup goals in a 2-2 draw in their second group game.

They now face the daunting task of European champions Spain, who are by no means guaranteed to finish top of the group, after they were also held by Cape Verde in their opening fixture of the 2026 World Cup.

Should they draw with Spain, they may face a nervy wait to see if they will qualify for the knockout rounds especially if Cape Verde or Saudi Arabia win. Should this happen they could qualify as one of the best third placed teams, but it will rely on other results going their way.

A win would significantly improve their chances, but a loss may see them finish bottom of their group, an unimaginable scenario at the start of the tournament.

Squad

Uruguay World Cup 2026 squad: The final selection

GK: Sergio Rochet (Internacional)
GK: Santiago Mele (Monterrey)
GK: Fernando Muslera (Estudiantes)
DF: Ronald Araujo (Barcelona)
DF: Jose Maria Gimenez (Atlético Madrid)
DF: Santiago Bueno (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
DF: Sebastian Caceres (America)
DF: Mathias Olivera (Napoli)
DF: Guillermo Varela (Flamengo)
DF: Matias Vina (River Plate)
DF: Joaquin Piquerez (Palmeiras)
DF: Juan Manuel Sanabria (Real Salt Lake)
MF: Federico Valverde (Real Madrid)
MF: Rodrigo Bentancur (Tottenham Hotspur)
MF: Manuel Ugarte (Manchester United)
MF: Emiliano Martinez (Palmeiras)
MF: Rodrigo Zalazar (Sporting CP)
MF: Giorgian De Arrascaeta (Flamengo)
MF: Nicolas De La Cruz (Flamengo)
MF: Agustin Canobbio (Fluminense)
MF: Maximiliano Araujo (Sporting CP)
MF: Brian Rodriguez (America)
MF: Facundo Pellistri (Panathinaikos)
FW: Darwin Nunez (Al Hilal)
FW: Federico Vinas (Real Oviedo)
FW: Rodrigo Aguirre (Tigres)

Fixtures

June 26, 2026: Uruguay vs Spain, Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Atlanta, United States

Star Player

Who is Uruguay's star player?

Federico Valverde will need to inspire his nation this summer. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Federico Valverde, now the vice-captain of Real Madrid and often filling in for Dani Carvajal when he is unavailable, has won everything there is to win at club level.

Ranked at no.4 in FourFourTwo's list of the best central midfielders in the world right now, one of his biggest strengths is his versatility, often playing at right-back for Real Madrid with a relentless engine in tow that makes him any manager's dream.

For Uruguay to end an almost 80-year spell without a World Cup, he will need to be at the top of his game.

Best XI

Japan World Cup 2026 squad: Hajime Moriyasu's side to face the Netherlands

Mark White — Sun, 05 Oct 2025 20:35:20 +0000

The Japan World Cup 2026 squad has been named by head coach Hajime Moriyasu.

Japan go into World Cup 2026 as one of the dark horses, with one of the most exciting squads at the tournament: that's something that would have seemed like a fever dream when the Far East hosted the 2002 tournament, but just a couple of decades on and Japanese football is thriving… as England found out in a March friendly.

Liverpool's Wataru Endo captains alongside Premier League rivals Daichi Kamada and Ai Tanaka in midfield, with Ko Itakura and Hiroki Ito behind – and it's a lovely sight to see Takehiro Tomiyasu overcome his injury hell of the last couple of years to return to a squad that he more than deserves his place in.

The attack, however, has taken a significant blow: Kaoru Miroma will miss the tournament through injury after suffering a hamstring injury for Brighton & Hove Albion, in what is absolutely gutting news for the Samurai Blue.

Hidemasa Morita won't be going to the tournament either, despite leading Sporting to a Champions League quarter-final, while Takumi Minamino ruptured his left knee anterior cruciate ligament and hasn't recovered in time.

Mitoma may well be his nation's best player, but there are stars waiting to step up in his absence: Ayase Ueda, Ritsu Doan and one-time Galactico and La Masia product Takefusa Kubo are all exciting attackers in their own right.

This tournament has also come a little soon for talented youngsters Kota Tawaratsumida and Sota Kitano, the latter of whom was compared to Hidetoshi Nakata and Keisuke Honda in a FourFourTwo scout report.

The Mood

In October, Japan came from 2-0 down to beat Brazil 3-2 for a first ever victory over the Selecao, in 14 attempts. It showed the world what the Samurai Blue can do. Not only that – it showed Japan.

No longer is this talented team happy just to get out of the group; they have ambitions to go deep. They became the first nation to qualify for 2026 and captain Wataru Endo immediately told fans it was time to start talking about lifting the trophy.

After beating Spain and Germany at Qatar 2022 and showing impressive form since (including another win over Germany, 4-1 in Wolfsburg), the belief is there.

Squad

Japan World Cup 2026 squad: The final selection

GK: Zion Suzuki (Parma)
GK: Keisuke Osako (Sanfrecce Hiroshima)
GK: Tomoki Hayakawa (Kashima Antlers)
DF: Yuto Nagatomo (FC Tokyo)
DF: Takehiro Tomiyasu (Ajax)
DF: Ko Itakura (Ajax)
DF: Shogo Taniguchi (Sint-Truiden)
DF: Hiroki Ito (Bayern Munich)
DF: Yukinari Sugawara (Werder Bremen)
DF: Ayumu Seko (Le Havre)
DF: Tsuyoshi Watanabe (Feyenoord)
DF: Junnosuke Suzuki (Copenhagen)
MF: Wataru Endo (Liverpool)
MF: Junya Ito (Genk)
MF: Ritsu Doan (Eintracht Frankfurt)
MF: Daichi Kamada (Crystal Palace)
MF: Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad)
MF: Ao Tanaka (Leeds United)
MF: Keito Nakamura (Reims)
MF: Kaishu Sano (Mainz 05)
FW: Ayase Ueda (Feyenoord)
FW: Daizen Maeda (Celtic)
FW: Koki Ogawa (NEC)
FW: Yuito Suzuki (SC Freiburg)
FW: Keisuke Goto (Sint-Truiden)
FW: Kento Shiogai (VfL Wolfsburg)

Fixtures and results

Fixtures

June 14, 2026: Netherlands vs Japan, AT&T Stadium, Arlington, United States
June 21, 2026: Tunisia vs Japan, Estadio BBVA, Monterrey, Mexico
June 26, 2026: Japan vs Sweden, AT&T Stadium, Arlington, United States

Results

May 31, 2026: Japan 1-0 Iceland, National Stadium, Tokyo, Japan
March 31, 2026: England 0-1 Japan, Wembley Stadium, London, United Kingdom
March 28, 2026: Scotland 0-1 Japan, Hampden Park, Glasgow, United Kingdom
November 18, 2025: Japan 3-0 Bolivia, Japan National Stadium, Tokyo, Japan
November 14, 2025: Japan 2-0 Ghana, Saitama Stadium 2002, Saitama, Japan
October 14, 2025: Japan 3-2 Brazil, Japan National Stadium, Tokyo, Japan
October 10, 2025: Japan 2-2 Paraguay, Noevir Stadium Kobe, Kobe, Japan
September 10, 2025: USA 2-0 Japan, Lower.com Field, Columbus, United States
September 07, 2025: Mexico 0-0 Japan, Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Oakland, United States
July 15, 2025: South Korea 0-1 Japan, Yong-in Mireu Stadium, Yongin, South Korea
July 12, 2025: Japan 2-0 China, Yong-in Mireu Stadium, Yongin, South Korea
July 08, 2025: Japan 6-1 Hong Kong, Yong-in Mireu Stadium, Yongin, South Korea
June 10, 2025: Japan 6-0 Indonesia, Panasonic Stadium Suita, Suita, Japan
June 05, 2025: Australia 1-0 Japan, Optus Stadium, Perth, Australia
March 25, 2025: Japan 0-0 Saudi Arabia, Saitama Stadium 2002, Saitama, Japan
March 20, 2025: Japan 2-0 Bahrain, Saitama Stadium 2002, Saitama, Japan

Group F standings

Japan are in Group F at World Cup 2026.

Manager

Who is Japan's manager?

Hajime Moriyasu (Image credit: Getty)

World Cup 2026 in the United States, Mexico and Canada will be the second World Cup in charge for Hajime Moriyasu, who has masterminded back-to-back away wins against Scotland and England in the final international fixtures before he names his tournament squad.

Japan beat both Spain and Germany in Qatar before they were knocked out on penalties by Croatia in the round of 16. Moriyasu has a tremendous record when it comes to seeing off big-name opposition and is keen that his team be seen more as dark horses than underdogs on the world stage.

As the manager of Japan's under-23s until 2021, he former Sanfrecce Hiroshima boss is familiar with the generation players who hope to achieve that with him.

Star player

Who is Japan's star player?

Japan players celebrate Doan Ritsu's goal against Germany at the 2022 World Cup. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Ritsu Doan starred on the wing against England at Wembley and had a huge impact at World Cup 2022, scoring the equalising goals against both Germany and Spain off the bench as Japan secured comeback wins in the group stage.

The former Gamba Osaka junior joined Eintracht Frankfurt from Freiburg last summer after playing in the Netherlands for Groningen and PSV.

After a blistering start to the Bundesliga season, he reached the March international break with six goals in all competitions for his new club and with a sizeable share of a nation's World Cup hopes at his feet.

Best XI

Mexico squad World Cup 2026: The 26-man team facing South Africa

Martin Langer — Sun, 05 Oct 2025 20:35:14 +0000

The Mexico World Cup 2026 squad has been named, with the tournament now just two weeks away.

World Cup 2026 will see the Mexicans become the first nation to ever host a World Cup three times, and, though El Tri won't be among the favourites for the competition, they'll have one of the more recognisable squads of the tournament.

40-year-old, 152-cap legend Guillermo Ochoa will be heading to his sixth competition — the World Cup without him would be like Christmas without Mariah Carey, wouldn't it? — topping a 26-man squad filled with both experience and younger talent.

Jesus Gallardo, Edson Alvarez and Raul Jimenez form an incredibly experienced spine ahead of the veteran shot-stopper, joined by the likes of Santiago Gimenez, Cesar Montes, Alexis Vega and Orbelin Pineda.

The 26-man squad also features exciting talent, with two subjects of FourFourTwo's The Boy's A Bit Special series, midfielders Gilberto Mora and Obed Vargas, both making the cut.

Gimenez, whose omission from the World Cup 2022 squad generated controversy, recently battled an ankle injury to regain fitness ahead of this summer's tournament, but high-profile forwards Hirving Lozano, remembered for his 2018 heroics, and 33-year-old Henry Martin have both missed out.

Mexico take on South Africa in the tournament's opening fixture on June 11 – a repeat of the game that began the 2010 World Cup.

The Mood

Mexicans don’t seem especially excited about the national team, as they host a third World Cup. A poor showing in Qatar – El Tri’s first exit in the group stage since 1978 – made for some unhappy fans, and an early exit from the 2024 Copa America didn’t help.

Javier Aguirre’s arrival steadied the ship. Mexico lifted the 2025 CONCACAF Nations League, then defended their Gold Cup title. Yet a lack of flair and players at top European clubs is keeping their expectations low.

Still, the passion hasn’t died – it’s just that the wound hasn’t fully healed. Kick off the tournament by beating South Africa, and Mexico’s fervent supporters will rediscover their enthusiasm.

Squad

Mexico World Cup 2026 squad: The final squad

GK: Guillermo Ochoa (AEL Limassol)
GK: Raul Rangel (Guadalajara)
GK: Carlos Acevedo (Santos Laguna)
DF: Jesus Gallardo (Toluca)
DF: Cesar Montes (Lokomotiv Moscow)
DF: Jorge Sanchez (PAOK)
DF: Johan Vasquez (Genoa)
DF: Israel Reyes (America)
DF: Mateo Chavez (AZ)
MF: Edson Alvarez (Fenerbahce)
MF: Orbelin Pineda (AEK Athens)
MF: Roberto Alvarado (Guadalajara)
MF: Luis Romo (Guadalajara)
MF: Luis Chavez (Dynamo Moscow)
MF: Erik Lira (Cruz Azul)
MF: Brian Gutierrez (Guadalajara)
MF: Gilberto Mora (Tijuana)
MF: Obed Vargas (Atletico Madrid)
MF: Alvaro Fidalgo (Betis)
MF: Cesar Huerta (RSC Anderlecht)
FW: Raul Jimenez (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
FW: Alexis Vega (Toluca)
FW: Santiago Gimenez (Milan)
FW: Julian Quinones (Al-Qadsiah)
FW: Guillermo Martinez (UNAM)
FW: Armando Gonzalez (Guadalajara)

Fixtures and results

Fixtures

June 11, 2026: Mexico vs South Africa, Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico
June 18, 2026: Mexico vs South Korea, Estadio Akron, Zapopan, Mexico
June 24, 2026: Czechia vs Mexico, Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico

Who is Mexico's manager?

Now in his third stint in charge of the Mexican national team, Javier Aguirre is as experienced as they come. He took Mexico to the final of Copa America as far back as 2001 and was the manager that won the group at World Cup 2002, losing to the United States in the round of 16, naturally.

In 2010, it was the Round of 16 again as Aguirre led Mexico for a second time. He won the Gold Cup in 2009, a feat he repeated last year in his third spell.

The 67-year-old has extensive managerial experience that includes international roles with Japan and Egypt, as well as the top job at Atletico Madrid and Mexican giants Monterrey and Pachuca.

Star player

Who is Mexico's star player?

Raul Jimenez has still got it (Image credit: Molly Darlington - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

If putting the ball in the back of the net is the most difficult thing to do in football, there are few better than Raul Jimenez at doing it.

There are younger pretenders, but he's still going strong at 34 and nobody in Mexico's World Cup squad can lay claim to anything like his 44 international goals.

The Fulham striker ended the 2025-26 Premier League season with nine goals and three assists in 36 appearances, proving he's still able to excel at the highest level.

Best XI

USA squad World Cup 2026: Mauricio Pochettino's team for opening game with Paraguay

Zach Lowy — Sun, 05 Oct 2025 20:34:59 +0000

The United States have named their squad for the 2026 World Cup, as they prepare to host the biggest prize in football this summer.

USMNT, led by former Tottenham and PSG boss Mauricio Pochettino, qualified automatically for World Cup 2026 and enter with one of the younger squads at the tournament.

They agonisingly lost the Gold Cup final to World Cup co-hosts Mexico last year, and despite turning their fortunes round slightly in their meetings since – including a 5-1 win over Uruguay – they're unlikely to start the tournament as one of the favourites.

Pochettino has been relatively consistent with his selections since joining in 2024, and he's even been handed injury boosts ahead of the competition with the likes of Sergino Dest and Tyler Adams returning.

Fulham full-back Antonee Robinson was another name on that sidelined list in the last squad, but he has made the final roster for the 2026 World Cup after a successful recovery.

There is plenty of Premier League talent among Pochettino's line-up, with Leeds United's Brenden Aaronson, Crystal Palace ace Chris Richards, and Haji Wright, who will be making the step up to the top flight next season with Coventry City after another successful campaign in the Championship.

With an elite manager at the helm, who's had substantial time to work with his players, it will be interesting to see how far USMNT can get in front of a home crowd.

Mood

Back in 2018, when the USA missed out on the World Cup for the first time since 1986, Mauricio Pochettino was considered one of the global game’s top managers. Following an underwhelming PSG chapter sandwiched between trophyless spells with Tottenham and Chelsea, however, his stock took a plunge. So, he left club football behind to take charge of the USA after their dismal group-stage exit from the 2024 Copa America.

The jury is still out on Pochettino. His side lost to Panama and Canada in the 2025 CONCACAF Nations League Finals and in friendlies against Turkey, Switzerland and South Korea, all on home soil. But, after the team closed out 2025 with victories over Japan, Australia, Paraguay and Uruguay, USA supporters will like their chances going into the 2026 World Cup in North America.

When the USA fell to the Dutch in the 2022 World Cup’s last 16, fans were nevertheless encouraged by the fact that their prized assets would be entering their prime in 2026 – players such as Antonee Robinson (now 28), Tyler Adams (27), Chris Richards (26) and Brenden Aaronson (25), who have established themselves as vital cogs in Premier League teams. Meanwhile, Mark McKenzie and Tanner Tessman are thriving in Ligue 1 and Malik Tillman, Johnny Cardoso, Ricardo Pepi and Yunus Musa are excelling in the Champions League. With the exception of 27-year-old McKenzie, they’re all aged 23 or 24.

It wasn’t long ago that the USA looked in danger of becoming a one-man team that lived and breathed with Christian Pulisic. Now, though, with Folarin Balogun scoring for fun at Monaco and Weston McKennie delivering the best form of his career at Juventus, that couldn’t be any further from the truth. This is a team with multiple weapons in every single position.

This is the time for the USA to unlock their full potential and show their ability to the world, in a home tournament. Anything less than a first knockout win in the World Cup since 2002 (and second overall) has to be considered a failure for the Stars and Stripes. It’s now or never.

Squad

United States World Cup 2026 squad: Final 26-man squad announced

GK: Matt Turner (New England Revolution)
GK: Matt Freese (New York City FC)
GK: Chris Brady (Chicago Fire)
DF: Sergino Dest (PSV)
DF: Tim Ream (Charlotte FC)
DF: Antonee Robinson (Fulham)
DF: Miles Robinson (FC Cincinnati)
DF: Chris Richards (Crystal Palace)
DF: Mark McKenzie (Toulouse)
DF: Joe Scally (Borussia Monchengladbach)
DF: Max Arfsten (Columbus Crew)
DF: Alex Freeman (Villarreal)
DF: Auston Trusty (Celtic)
MF: Weston McKennie (Juventus)
MF: Tyler Adams (Bournemouth)
MF: Cristian Roldan (Seattle Sounders)
MF: Giovanni Reyna (Borussia Monchengladbach)
MF: Malik Tillman (Bayer Leverkusen)
MF: Sebastian Berhalter (Vancouver Whitecaps)
MF: Brenden Aaronson (Leeds United)
FW: Christian Pulisic (AC Milan)
FW: Timothy Weah (Marseille)
FW: Ricardo Pepi (PSV Eindhoven)
FW: Folarin Balogun (Monaco)
FW: Haji Wright (Coventry City)
FW: Alex Zendejas (Club America)

Fixtures and results

Fixtures

May 31, 2026: United States vs Senegal, Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, North Carolina (friendly)
June 6, 2026: United States vs Germany, Soldier Field, Chicago, Illinois (friendly)
June 12, 2026: United States vs Paraguay, SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California
June 19, 2026: United States vs Australia, Lumen Field, Seattle, Washington
June 26, 2026: Turkey vs United States, SoFi Stadium, Inglewood, California

Who is the United States' manager?

Mauricio Pochettino, Manager of the USMNT (Image credit: Getty Images)

Since taking charge of the USMNT in 2024, Mauricio Pochettino has already experienced his fair share of highs and lows in his maiden international job. The USA have struggled against higher-ranked opponents, losing in friendlies against Portugal, South Korea, Belgium, Turkey and Switzerland. They also lost in the CONCACAF Nations League semifinals and third-place match vs. Panama and Canada.

Still, despite missing various key players like Christian Pulisic, Ricardo Pepi and Weston McKennie, the USMNT made it all the way to the Gold Cup final, where they relinquished an early lead and lost 2-1 to Mexico.

After going on a good run, including four wins and one draw against the likes of Australia, Japan, Uruguay and Ecuador, Pochettino will be hoping his side can recover from back-to-back defeats against Belgium and Portugal and make an impact as one of the host nations at this year's World Cup.

Pochettino has previously had spells with Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, Southampton, and PSG at club level.

Star player

Who is the United States' star player?

Tyler Adams is key to the US (Image credit: Brad Smith/ISI Photos/Getty Images)

He may not get the same headlines as Christian Pulisic, but Tyler Adams has demonstrated time and time again that he is the USMNT's most indispensable player, and he'll be looking to guide them to glory in the upcoming World Cup.

Born and raised in New York, Adams ascended New York Red Bulls' academy before making the move to Europe in 2019 with RB Leipzig. He established himself as one of the Bundesliga's best defensive midfielders alongside the likes of Joshua Kimmich and Diadie Samassekou before making the move to Leeds, spending just one year there before moving to Bournemouth in 2023.

Adams' tenacious tackling and never-say-die mentality, combined with his precise passing and impressive shielding of the ball has converted him into one of the first names on the team sheet for club and country. And after wearing the captain's armband in the previous FIFA World Cup, all signs point to Adams having a massive role to play on home soil in 2026.

Best XI

France squad World Cup 2026: Didier Deschamps' goes full strength to face Norway in final group game

James Eastham — Sun, 05 Oct 2025 20:34:46 +0000

DON'T MISS THE MATCH

TV & Streaming Guide: How to watch France vs Norway tonight
Opposition Scout: Check out the full Norway World Cup squad here

World Cup 2026 is the final tournament for the iconic Didier Deschamps, who is still only one of three men to have won the Coupe de Monde as a player and a manager – and Les Bleus are here as one of the favourites yet again, with a squad that still looks stronger than most on paper.

Real Madrid's boy-king Kylian Mbappe is captaining the side in his third tournament, and has started in red hot form, becoming France's all-time top scorer and joint second in the all-time scoring charts at the World Cup.

Mbappe is flanked by superstar talent, as Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise, Desire Doue, Rayan Cherki and Marcus Thuram, who are all competing for starting berths in attack, ahead of Warren Zaire-Emery and N'Golo Kante, who have an age difference of 15 years.

An uninspiring opening 45 minutes in New Jersey luckily wasn't a sign of things to come, as Senegal were dispatched in their opening group game.

Iraq (eventually) suffered the same fate as their game faced a two hour weather delay, but perhaps Les Bleus biggest test still awaits.

Mbappe and Erling Haaland will lock horns as both teams look to secure top spot in Group I in what is set to be a mouthwatering encounter in Boston.

Who is France's manager?

France manager Didier Deschamps holds the World Cup, 2018 (Image credit: Alamy)

Only three people have won the World Cup as a player and manager: Mario Zagallo, Franz Beckenbauer and Dider Deschamps.

Initially taking charge on a two year contract Deschamps has been in the France hot-seat for 12 years, but will step down after Les Bleus exit the 2026 World Cup.

He guided them to a second star in 2018, and agonisingly missed out on winning back-to-back World Cups on penalties in 2022, but will go down a France legend no matter the result in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

Confirmed Norway vs France line ups

Norway (4-3-3): Selvik; Aursnes, Falchener, Ostigard, Bjorkan; Thorstvedt, Berg, Aasgaard; Schjelderup, Strand Larsen, Bobb

France (4-2-3-1): Maignan; Kounde, Upamecano, Lacroix, Hernandez; Tchouameni, Kone, Dembele, Olise, Doue: Mbappe

The Mood

France opted to do the majority of their preparation at their Clairefontaine training centre in France, rather than prepare in North America (Image credit: Getty Images)

If talent alone were enough to win a World Cup, hand France the trophy now. Les Bleus have frequently beguiled at these quadrennial jamborees – think Raymond Kopa in the 1950s, prime Michel Platini in the 1980s, Zinedine Zidane’s dancing feet in 1998 and 2006 – but the sheer number of brilliant attackers boarding the plane across the Atlantic is unique.

In the VIP section sits captain and, unofficially the world’s best player Kylian Mbappe. Next to him in the aisle seat is close friend and Ballon d’Or holder Ousmane Dembele. In business class, you will find Europe’s best player under 21, 2025 Golden Boy award winner Desire Doue, alongside 24-year-old Michael Olise – 15 goals and 27 assists in all competitions for Bayern Munich by mid-March – and Manchester City’s Rayan Cherki, 23. All three take part in a first major tournament.

It says everything that France legend Antoine Griezmann’s international retirement last year passed off with little comment. Far from lacking a successor at No.10 for the man of many hairstyles, France have too many.

One might argue Didier Deschamps is the worst possible manager to oversee a squad like this. Heavily influenced by his peak playing years at Juventus, Deschamps takes a ‘results first, everything else second’ approach to the job.

As an arch-pragmatist, however, Deschamps also understands the value of maximising strengths. He may be a little too pleased with goalless draws at times, but he also grants his players greater attacking licence than many give him credit for.

France scored four times in both the last 16 and the final when they won the 2018 World Cup. They netted two or more in all four of their knockout games as they finished runners-up in Qatar four years ago. So far in America they have scored three times in each game. Goal tallies may not always reflect methodology, but they rarely occur as frequently as they have under Deschamps entirely by accident.

After France's opening 45 minutes against Senegal you wouldn't have been wrong to suggest that maybe it was too much this year, maybe they needed someone else at the helm to really squeeze out every drop of talent from this squad.

But you would have been mistake. France burst into life in the second-half and carried on their performance against Iraq in their second game.

They now face Erling Haaland and Norway and know a draw will see them finish top of the group and no one will want to face them at that point.

If Les Bleus’ most gifted players continue to express their artistic talents, the return flight will be with a 36.8cm-high, 6.175kg block of gold for the second time in three tournaments. And it will be a victory for neutrals everywhere.

Squad

France World Cup 2026 squad

GK: Mike Maignan (Milan)
GK: Brice Samba (Rennes)
GK: Robin Risser (Lens)
DF: Lucas Digne (Aston Villa)
DF: Jules Kounde (Barcelona)
DF: Theo Hernandez (Al-Hilal)
DF: Lucas Hernandez (Paris Saint-Germain)
DF: Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich)
DF: William Saliba (Arsenal)
DF: Ibrahima Konate (Liverpool)
DF: Malo Gusto (Chelsea)
DF: Maxence Lacroix (Crystal Palace)
MF: N'Golo Kante (Fenerbahce)
MF: Adrien Rabiot (Milan)
MF: Aurelien Tchouameni (Real Madrid)
MF: Manu Kone (Roma)
MF: Warren Zaire-Emery (Paris Saint-Germain)
FW: Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid)
FW: Ousmane Dembele (Paris Saint-Germain)
FW: Marcus Thuram (Inter Milan)
FW: Bradley Barcola (Paris Saint-Germain)
FW: Michael Olise (Bayern Munich)
FW: Maghnes Akliouche (Monaco)
FW: Desire Doue (Paris Saint-Germain)
FW: Rayan Cherki (Manchester City)
FW: Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace)

Strengths

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The phenomenal final third. Mbappe, Dembele, Olise, Doue, Cherki, Bradley Barcola, Marcus Thuram – there is such joy in simply reading the list that it is disheartening to learn that only four are likely to be on the pitch at one time. That is Deschamps’ biggest challenge: how to turn the surfeit of creative firepower into an effective, balanced unit.

Weaknesses

(Image credit: Getty Images)

The midfield. Roma midfielder Kouadio Kone, Real Madrid’s Aurelien Tchouameni and Adrien Rabiot of Milan are fine footballers but – with apologies to the latter’s mum – peak-2018 Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante they are not. For all France’s depth, the one area of the pitch where they will be forced to make do and muddle through is the centre. Do teams with middling middles win World Cups? They were 5-1 down to Spain in the 2024-25 Nations League semi-final before a late rally.

Fixtures and results

Fixtures

June 26, 2026: Norway vs France, Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts, United States
September 25, 2026: Turkey vs France, Turkey
September 28, 2026: Belgium vs France, Brussels, Belgium
October 2, 2026: France vs Italy, Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France
October 5, 2026: France vs Belgium, Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France
November 12, 2026: Italy vs France, Italy
November 15, 2026: France vs Turkey, Stade de France, Saint-Denis, France

Results

June 22, 2026: France 3-0 Iraq, Philadelphia Stadium, Pennsylvania
June 16, 2026: France 3-1 Senegal, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey, United States
June 8, 2026: France 3-1 Northern Ireland, Stade Pierre-Mauroy, Lille
June 4, 2026: France 1-2 Ivory Coast, Stade de la Beaujoire, Nantes, France
March 29, 2026: Colombia 1-3 France, Northwest Stadium, Landover, United States
March 26, 2026: Brazil 1-2 France, Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, United States
November 16, 2025: Azerbaijan 1-3 France, Tofiq Bahramov Republican Stadium, Baku, Azerbaijan
November 13, 2025: France 4-0 Ukraine, Parc des Princes, Paris, France
October 13th: Iceland 2-2 France, Laugardalsvollur, Reykjavik, Iceland
October 10th: France 3-0 Azerbaijan, Parc des Princes, Paris, France
September 9: France 2-1 Iceland, Parc des Princes, Paris, France
September 5: Ukraine 0-2 France, Tarczynski Arena Wroclaw, Wroclaw, Poland
June 8: Germany 0-2 France, MHPArena, Stuttgart, Germany
June 5: Spain 5-4 France, MHPArena, Stuttgart, Germany
March 23: France 2-0 Croatia (5-4 pens), Stade de France, Paris, France
March 20: Croatia 2-0 France, Stadion Poljud, Split, Croatia

Group I standings

France are in Group I at World Cup 2026.

Star player

Who is France's star player?

Kylian Mbappe for France (Image credit: Getty Images)

It speaks to Kylian Mbappe's superhuman powers that it felt like his tally of 43 goals in his debut season was about on par with the impact he was expected to have, and yet even despite upheaval in Los Blancos' dugout he managed to continue his exploits into his second season.

Mbappe ranked at no.1 in FourFourTwo's list of the best strikers in the world right now, has been on fire so far at the World Cup. He became France's all-time leading scorer and moved level with Miroslav Klose on 16 World Cup goals, the second-most in tournament history after just two games.

He already has an undeniable World Cup legacy as the second teenager ever to score in a World Cup final, the second ever scorer of a hat-trick in a World Cup final, and the highest World Cup final goalscorer of all-time with four goals. There's no doubt he is already on course to create more history this summer.

Best XI

Spain World Cup 2026 squad injury news, line-up and prediction as La Roja gear up to face Uruguay

Andy Murray — Sun, 05 Oct 2025 20:34:39 +0000

The Spain World Cup 2026 squad didn't include a single Real Madrid player when it was named by Luis de la Fuente. It was the first time ever that it had happened but it didn't last much longer.

World Cup 2026 is well underway but Spain's tournament squad will gain its first Real Madrid player after the group stage by virtue of Marc Cucurella's move from Chelsea, which will be completed on July 1.

Spain arrived in the United States as European champions but with remedial work to do in their World Cup performances. They haven’t made it beyond the round of 16 since winning the tournament in South Africa 16 years ago and even that is a step further in the biggest World Cup ever.

Who is the Spain manager?

Luis de la Fuente, Head Coach of Spain (Image credit: Getty Images)

Luis de la Fuente inherited a fine winning tradition when he became Spain's manager at the end of 2022.

By winning the European Championship in 2024, the 65-year-old joined Jose Villalonga, Luis Aragones and Vicente del Bosque in delivering major honours as Spain's head honcho.

De la Fuente was the manager of Spain's under-19, under-21 and Olympic Games teams before stepping up to succeed Luis Enrique after World Cup 2022. His experience enabled him to combine youth with experience to win the Euros and many of the players had played for him before their own promotions into the senior team.

Tiki-taka is dead, as is the Real Madrid-Barcelona duopoly that dominated the national side: long live a high-intensity style characterised, yes, by La Masia graduates, but spanning the continent, with some of the best Spanish players of 2026 plying their trade in the Premier League, coming from the Basque Country and finding leftfield ways to the very top.

Poster boy Lamine Yamal is back in this squad – despite an injury late in the season – and is joined by Barça team-mates Pedri, Pau Cubarsi, Joan Garcia and Dani Olmo, whose path took him via Croatia and the Red Bull set-up before he starred at the Euros.

Los Blancos pair Dean Huijsen and Dani Carvajal were both left out, after a disappointing season for the side saw them end the campaign without a trophy, and there is also no space for Alvaro Morata, who captained La Roja when they won Euro 2024.

There are seven Premier League representatives in total, with Arsenal trio David Raya, Martin Zubimendi and Mikel Merino among them, the latter having raced back to fitness to earn a spot in the squad.

Athletic Club winger Nico Williams missed out on the squad for the March internationals, but has regained his spot for this summer's tournament.

The Mood

In March 2023, Scott McTominay was just a jobbing Manchester United midfielder rather than the Scudetto-winning reincarnation of Diego Maradona adored from Napoli to New Cumnock. Yet McTominay’s Scotland brace at a febrile Hampden Park, more than three years ago, was the last time Spain lost a competitive fixture in 90 minutes. They’ve played over 30 since.

That was the second match of Luis de la Fuente’s tenure. He must have appreciated the scale of the job facing him, as Spain were outfought, overrun and devoid of areas beyond passing for passing’s sake. De la Fuente duly opted to trust a group of players he knew well from nine years spent as Spain’s Under-19s and U21s boss, implemented a slightly more direct style, and the policy bore fruit at Euro 2024.

Real Sociedad’s Mikel Oyarzabal, previously little-used, came off the bench to score the winner in the final. He is now established as first choice, with six goals in qualifying. Scoring the same number was Mikel Merino, another promoted De la Fuente regular, to go with Martin Zubimendi, Fabian, Pedro Porro, Alex Baena, Marc Cucurella and, above all, the devastating Nico Williams. Each has the trademark Spanish technique, but also the willingness to progress play from back to front more quickly.

Then there are the Barcelona kids. Gavi and Pedri predated De la Fuente’s arrival but he identified Fermin Lopez, Pau Cubarsi and the singular genius of Lamine Yamal, fast-tracked by club and country at 16 and probably the planet’s most natural talent Sadly, injury curtailed Lopez' chances of playing in the tournament. Yamal bagged 41 Barça goal involvements – two better than 2024-25.

The problem? Internal fighting, as ever. In 2018 it was Real Madrid announcing Julen Lopetegui would be their new boss three days before he was due to lead Spain in a World Cup. Then Euro 2020 featured Luis Enrique at war with his former assistant. Now it’s Barcelona vs the Spanish FA, as each blames the other for Yamal’s early-season injury. Maybe making nearly 200 senior appearances before turning 19 isn’t great for a young player’s long-term development…

Squad

Spain World Cup 2026 squad

GK: Unai Simon (Athletic Bilbao)
GK: David Raya (Arsenal)
GK: Joan Garcia (Barcelona)
DF: Marcos Llorente (Atletico Madrid)
DF: Marc Pubill (Atletico Madrid)
DF: Pedro Porro (Tottenham)
DF: Aymeric Laporte (Athletic Bilbao)
DF: Eric Garcia (Barcelona)
DF: Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona)
DF: Marc Cucurella (Chelsea)
DF: Alejandro Grimaldo (Bayer Leverkusen).
MF: Rodri (Manchester City)
MF: Martin Zubimendi (Arsenal)
MF: Mikel Merino (Arsenal)
MF: Pedri (Barcelona)
MF: Gavi (Barcelona)
MF: Fabian Ruiz (Paris St-Germain)
MF: Alex Baena (Atletico Madrid).
FW: Yeremy Pino (Crystal Palace)
FW: Victor Munoz (Osasuna)
FW: Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad)
FW: Ferran Torres (Barcelona)
FW: Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)
FW: Dani Olmo (Barcelona)
FW: Nico Williams (Athletic Bilbao)
FW: Borja Iglesias (Celta Vigo).

Lesson from qualifying

At least attack the ball when defending set pieces. Pau Cubarsi and Aymeric Laporte are selected for what they can do with their feet, but in Spain’s 2-2 draw with Turkey in November, the visitors caused mayhem from dead balls that Spanish defenders just watched bounce. Beyond that, what can you really learn from five wins to nil and 21 goals scored?

Most likely to...

Pass. They’re still Spain.

Least likely to...

Win a popularity contest. Winners seldom do, but beyond that, Yamal hasn’t been forgiven for hiring a group of dwarves to perform at his 18th birthday party, Rodri is a spiky interviewee after losing to a team playing what he deems “not football” (hello, Scotland) and Marc Cucurella is Marc Cucurella.

What they hope will happen

Another hypnotic love letter to possession and the subjugation of opponents.

What will happen

Heavy artillery set pieces prove their undoing.

Fixtures and results

Fixtures

June 26, 2026: Uruguay vs Spain, Estadio Akron, Zapopan, Mexico
September 26, 2026: England vs Spain, Wembley Stadium, London, England
September 29, 2026: Spain vs Croatia, Venue TBC, Spain
October 3, 2026: Spain vs Czech Republic, Venue TBC, Spain
October 6, 2026: Croatia vs Spain, Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb, Croatia
November 12, 2026: Czech Republic vs Spain, Fortuna Arena, Prague, Czech Republic
November 15, 2026: Spain vs England, Venue TBC, Spain

Who is Spain's star player?

Lamine Yamal poses with the European Championship trophy after Spain's Euro 2024 final win against England in July 2024. (Image credit: Getty Images)

Lamine Yamal is already a serial winner. He won two league titles, a Copa del Rey and a European Championship all before his 18th birthday, and was ranked second in the 2025 Ballon d'Or.

At Euro 2024 he registered four assists and scored once in seven games. His goal came in the semi-final and was arguably goal of the tournament beating Mike Maignan from 30 yards out.

He is ranked at no.1 in FourFourTwo's list of the best right wingers in the world right now and will be looking to improve his already impressive career with a World Cup win just after he turns 19 in July 2026.

Best XI

Lionesses Euros squad predicted: James and Parris in but no room for Le Tissier

Sarah Rendell — Wed, 04 Jun 2025 15:00:00 +0000

England manager Sarina Wiegman will announce her 23-player Euros squad on Thursday with fans waiting to see who has made the cut.

The boss will not be able to choose Mary Earps as she announced her shock retirement just five weeks out from the major tournament.

Fran Kirby will also not be in the mix as Wiegman said she would not be going, resulting in the star's immediate international retirement. Millie Bright has also withdrawn from selection.

Lionesses Euros squad: Will Lauren James be fit?

Lauren James has not played since April (Image credit: Getty Images)

One of the question marks for the squad announcement is if Lauren James will be fit enough to be included.

She has not played for country or club since she sustained a hamstring issue in April. But FourFourTwo predicts she will be included in Wiegman's 23 because of what she brings when she is 100 per cent fit.

Aggie Beever-Jones scored a hat-trick against Portugal (Image credit: Getty Images)

Michelle Agyemang impressed when she scored just seconds after making her debut against Belgium but she has struggled for minutes ever since.

Wiegman chose to sub on Aggie Beever-Jones against Spain instead of Agyemang and for that reason we think the Arsenal youngster will miss out.

In her stead, Nikita Parris will go to add experience and leadership to the group.

It is unlikely she will play many minutes of the tournament but her voice is one that will be valuable in camp and on game day.

Nikita Parris was part of the squad who won the Euros in 2022 (Image credit: Getty Images)

The final selection choice that fans are discussing is if Wiegman will take Maya Le Tissier. The Manchester United defender has been one of the club's key players and has been for the past few seasons.

Despite her great form, she continues to struggle to get consistent minutes with England. In the past Wiegman has preferred the likes of Esme Morgan and FourFourTwo thinks the manager will side with the Washington Spirit player once again.

Le Tissier, for us, is the clear choice to take to Switzerland but Wiegman will pick Morgan.

Maya Le Tissier is Manchester United's captain (Image credit: Ben Roberts Photo/Getty Images)

FourFourTwo's Lionesses squad prediction

Goalkeepers: Hannah Hampton (Chelsea), Khiara Keating (Manchester City), Anna Moorhouse (Orlando Pride)

Defenders: Lucy Bronze (Chelsea), Jess Carter (Gotham FC), Leah Williamson (Arsenal), Alex Greenwood (Manchester City), Niamh Charles (Chelsea), Lotte Wubben-Moy (Arsenal), Esme Morgan (Washington Spirit)

Midfielders: Ella Toone (Manchester United), Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich), Grace Clinton (Manchester United), Keira Walsh (Chelsea), Jess Park (Manchester City), Missy Bo Kearns (Aston Villa)

Forwards: Alessia Russo (Arsenal), Aggie Beever-Jones (Chelsea), Lauren Hemp (Manchester City), Beth Mead (Arsenal), Chloe Kelly (Arsenal), Nikita Parris (Brighton), Lauren James (Chelsea)

England World Cup 2026 Squad: Thomas Tuchel’s team make final preperations ahead of final group game vs Panama with O'Reilly and Rashford in contention to start

Mark White — Thu, 14 Mar 2024 17:44:47 +0000

DON'T MISS THE MATCH

TV & Streaming Guide: How to watch England vs Panama on Saturday night
Opposition Scout: Check out the full Panama World Cup squad here

Thomas Tuchel – England Manager

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Mood

The sky is the limit for this squad (Image credit: Getty Images)

Semi-finalists in 2018, quarter-finalists in 2022 and twice European runners-up – it really is win or bust this time.

Squad

England World Cup 2026 squad

Bukayo Saka and Declan Rice have both had long seasons with Arsenal, and have brought niggling injuries with them to the World Cup. Therefore rotation will be important (Image credit: Getty Images)

GK: Jordan Pickford (Everton)
GK: Dean Henderson (Crystal Palace)
GK: James Trafford (Manchester City)
DF: Ezri Konsa (Aston Villa)
DF: Nico O'Reilly (Manchester City)
DF: John Stones (Manchester City)
DF: Marc Guehi (Manchester City)
DF: Trevoh Chalobah (Chelsea)*
DF: Dan Burn (Newcastle United)
DF: Reece James (Chelsea)
DF: Djed Spence (Tottenham Hotspur)
DF: Jarell Quansah (Bayer Leverkusen)
MF: Declan Rice (Arsenal)
MF: Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest)
MF: Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)
MF: Jordan Henderson (Brentford)
MF: Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United)
MF: Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa)
MF: Eberechi Eze (Arsenal)
FW: Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
FW: Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)
FW: Marcus Rashford (Barcelona)
FW: Anthony Gordon (Barcelona)
FW: Ollie Watkins (Aston Villa)
FW: Noni Madueke (Arsenal)
FW: Ivan Toney (Al-Ahli)

*Replaced the injured Tino Livramento (Newcastle United)

What did Thomas Tuchel say after England's draw vs Ghana?

On not losing belief:

Dismissing the 'wake up' call narrative

"It’s very important that the highs don’t get too high and the lows get not too low, and today anyway is not a low. It’s just a difficult match of football, which can happen any time."

On the reliance on Harry Kane

England results and next games

England Fixtures

June 27, 2026: Panama vs England, MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, United States
September 26, 2026: England vs Spain, Wembley Stadium, London, England
September 29, 2026: Czech Republic vs England, Fortuna Arena, Prague, Czech Republic
October 3, 2026: Croatia vs England, Stadion Maksimir, Zagreb, Croatia
October 6, 2026: England vs Czech Republic, Wembley Stadium, London, England
November 12, 2026: England vs Croatia, Wembley Stadium, London, England
November 15, 2026: Spain vs England, Venue TBC, Spain

Jude Bellingham warms up (Image credit: Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images)

England's World Cup kick-off times

Date	Round	Fixture	UK Kick-Off Time (BST)
Wednesday 17 June	Group Stage	England vs Croatia	9:00pm
Tuesday 23 June	Group Stage	England vs Ghana	9:00pm
Saturday 27 June	Group Stage	Panama vs England	10:00pm

England results

June 23, 2026: England 0-0 Ghana, Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, United States
June 17, 2026: England 4-2 Croatia, AT&T Stadium, Arlington, United States
June 10, 2026: England 3-0 Costa Rica, Inter&Co Stadium Orlando, United States
June 6, 2026: England 1-0 New Zealand, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, United States
March 31, 2026: England 0-1 Japan, Wembley Stadium, London, England
March 27, 2026: England 1-1 Uruguay, Wembley Stadium, London, England
November 16, 2025: Albania 0-2 England, Arena Kombetare, Tirana, Albania
November 13, 2025: England 2-0 Serbia, Wembley Stadium, London, England
October 14, 2025: Latvia 0-5 England, Daugava Stadium, Riga, Latvia
October 9, 2025: England 3-0 Wales, Wembley Stadium, London, England
September 9, 2025: Serbia 0-5 England, Rajko Mitic Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia
September 6, 2025: England 2-0 Andorra, Villa Park, Birmingham, England
June 10, 2025: England 1-3 Senegal, City Ground, Nottingham, England
June 7, 2025: Andorra 0-1 England, RCDE Stadium, Barcelona, Spain
March 24, 2025: England 3-0 Latvia, City Ground, Nottingham, England
March 21, 2025: England 2-0 Albania, Wembley Stadium, London, England

Group L standings

England are in Group L at World Cup 2026.

England's star player

Harry Kane

Harry Kane is England's all-time leading goalscorer (Image credit: Peter Joneleit/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The England skipper finally got his hands on the first trophy of his career last season, helping Bayern Munich to the Bundesliga title with a superb 26 goals and 10 assists in 31 league appearances.

With 112 caps and 78 goals to his name already for the Three Lions, and will be hoping to boost both tallies as Tuchel's side aim for their first World Cup triumph since 1966.

Most likely to happen

Get completely carried away following a win over opening group-stage opponents Croatia in Texas. Flare, meet rectum – this time, it’s definitely coming home.

Least likely to happen

Get arrested. Not a single England fan was banged up in Qatar, prompting cheap jokes from FIFA impresario Gianni Infantino, whose grovelling apology was deliciously withering.

What they hope will happen

An honorary knighthood for confirmed Anglophile Tuchel after a nail-biting, penalty shootout win over his birth nation in New Jersey’s final.

What will happen

Three skied penalties in a tearful semi-final shootout exit. Tuchel replaced by an English manager after a national inquiry.

Predicted Starting XI vs Panama

England Predicted XI vs Panama (4-2-3-1): Pickford; James, Konsa, Guehi, O’Reilly; Anderson, Rice; Saka, Bellingham, Rashford; Kane

Panama predicted XI

(5-4-1) Mosquera; Murillo, Ramos, Córdoba, Andrade, Blackman; Rodríguez, Martínez, Harvey, Bárcenas; Fajardo

Latest from FourFourTwo in Squad

England World Cup 2026 Squad: Thomas Tuchel’s team make final preparations ahead of final group game vs Panama with O'Reilly and Rashford in contention to start

Thomas Tuchel – England Manager

Mood

Squad

England World Cup 2026 squad

What did Thomas Tuchel say after England's draw vs Ghana?

England results and next games

England Fixtures

England's World Cup kick-off times

England results

Group L standings

England's star player

Harry Kane

Most likely to happen

Least likely to happen

What they hope will happen

What will happen

Predicted Starting XI vs Panama

Panama predicted XI

England vs Panama Prediction

Iraq World Cup 2026 squad: Graham Arnold's 26-man selection ahead of group stage test against Norway

Play our free match predictor and win £1k

Mood

Lesson from qualifying

Squad

Iraq World Cup 2026 squad: The final selection

Fixtures

Recent Results

Group I standings

Manager

Who is Iraq's manager?

Iraq's Star Player

Who is Iraq's star player?

Sweden squad World Cup 2026 ahead of the game against Tunisia

The Mood

Squad

Sweden World Cup 2026 squad: The final squad

Fixtures and results

Fixtures

Recent results

Manager

Who is Sweden's manager?

Sweden's Star Player

Who is Sweden's star player?

Best XI

DR Congo World Cup 2026 squad: Sebastian Desabre's final selection

Squad

DR Congo World Cup 2026 squad: The final selection

Fixtures and results

Fixtures

Recent results

Group K standings

Manager

Who is DR Congo's manager?

DR Congo's star player

Who is DR Congo's star player?

Best XI

Czechia squad World Cup 2026: Miroslav Koubek's 26-man selection to face South Africa after opening-day defeat

Mood

Squad

Czech Republic World Cup 2026 squad

Fixtures and results

Fixtures

Recent results

Group A standings

Manager

Who is Czech Republic's manager?

Czech Republic's Star Player

Who is Czech Republic's star player?

Best XI

Turkiye World Cup 2026 squad: Vincenzo Montella's team for opening game against Australia

The Mood

Turkiye World Cup 2026 squad

Turkiye World Cup 2026 squad

England fixtures and results

Fixtures

Recent results

Turkiye manager: Vincenzo Montella

Turkiye's star player