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Some supporters are breaking the bank to follow Thomas Tuchel’s team and early indications are that it’s worth itThey came, they saw and they went to the rodeo. For those England fans who made it to Dallas, watching Thomas Tuchel’s side see off Croatia in their opening match of the 2026 World Cup was the experience of a lifetime.“I’ve never been to a World Cup game before so I thought it was something I couldn’t miss out on,” says Oli Lee, a music producer from Kent who now lives in Los Angeles and is otherwise known as one half of the Snakehips duo who had a UK top-five hit in 2015. “I paid $800 (£604) for my ticket but it was all worth it. We had a bit of a session in Dallas – I ended up jumping in a pool with my phone in my pocket but it’s still working somehow!”About 4,000 England supporters bought tickets for the game at the futuristic Arlington Stadium – home of the Dallas Cowboys – but it is estimated that as many as 15,000 were in Texas for the buildup. A video of some launching into a chorus of “Sweet Caroline” during a break at the Fort Worth Rodeo on Tuesday went viral on social media, with many others embracing the cowboy culture by purchasing hats to shield them from the unforgiving Texan sun.One pub in downtown Dallas, called the Londoner, said they ran out of beer after fans spent almost $30,000 in the space of three hours, with some reports in UK media claiming they ended up being thrown out by police. That version of events was disputed by the police themselves, who told local media that no one was forcibly removed.There were no major incidents before or after the game either. Fifa has played down reports some ticketless fans were able to sneak past security to gain access to the stadium despite stringent measures in place. Some supporters are thought to have paid in excess of $1,000 for a ticket and a spokesperson for the England fans group Free Lions said that some had come to the United States on the off-chance they could pick up a late deal.“I think a lot of fans were waiting for prices to come down but they just haven’t,” he said. “There’s still a lot of demand there and I think a few fans have travelled without tickets.”Lee Williams, from south London, has been planning his trip for months and took in the co-hosts’ opening match in Los Angeles before spending a few days by the beach in Mexico. He arrived in Dallas on Tuesday and is hoping to be back for the semi-finals if England make it that far.“It’s been absolutely brilliant,” he says. “The cost is astronomical – I’ve been scared to look at my bank balance in the mornings. We bought a round of six beers last night and it cost north of $100. But the vibe has been great and the Americans have really bought into the whole thing. The atmosphere was unbelievable in Los Angeles. I’m going home to work to pay off what I’ve spent out here.”Williams, who works in finance and also coaches Millwall Lionesses Under-18s, was encouraged by the way Thomas Tuchel’s half-time speech inspired England to seize the initiative after conceding a second equaliser just before half-time against Croatia. “I loved Gareth Southgate but he was slightly more conservative than I thought we should have been given the talent we have at our disposal. I like the way that we really took the game to Croatia in the second half and decided to take risks.”He would, though, like to see Marc Guéhi brought in to shore up a defence that looked very shaky during the first half. “A new centre-back pairing is going to take a long time to bed in – if you are going to go far in any competition then your goalkeeper and centre-backs have to be stable and settled. Hopefully it clicks,” he adds.Representatives of England fan groups, including Free Lions, visited all three group stage venues in March to have an idea what to expect. Most have been encouraged to book the train – costing a cool $80 – to get to the next game against Ghana at the Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, 30 miles from downtown Boston. Williams will be watching back home in LA, albeit very nervously.“It’s so stressful – I never feel comfortable,” he says. “When Harry Kane missed that first penalty I thought it was a terrible omen. But, as the game progressed, we got stronger. Hopefully we can go all the way this time.”

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Games in Miami and Monterrey were at heat level a players’ union had warned in the past should trigger delaysTwo of the first round of matches at the World Cup were played at a level of severe heat that a football players’ union has previously said should trigger the delay or postponement of games, a Guardian analysis has found.A further four games were played in cities with temperatures also beyond that level of heat, though conditions inside the stadiums were mitigated by air conditioning.Saudi Arabia’s game against Uruguay in Miami had the most severe heat conditions in the analysis of the first 24 matches of the World Cup, ie each team’s first game, in the tournament being held across the US, Mexico and Canada. The second most severe heat conditions of the first 24 matches in stadiums without AC were in Sweden v Tunisia in Monterrey.These games, despite being evening kick offs, were played amid wet-bulb temperatures of 28C (82F) or above, according to temperature and humidity data for the place and time of the games.Fifpro, the global players’ union, has previously argued that games played at 28C or above should be delayed or postponed. Asked about the Guardian analysis, the union declined to comment on the heat situation at the World Cup. This tournament is forecast to be the hottest such tournament to be held since the quadrennial competition began in 1930.Wet-bulb temperatures are a measure of heat stress that combines air temperature, humidity and cloud cover to determine how well a human body can cool itself through sweating. Beyond a certain level of heat and humidity, sweat is unable to evaporate properly, leading to swift overheating that can result in illness or even death.The Guardian used weather data from government agencies in the US and UK and derived the wet-bulb temperatures from a formula used by authorities in several countries, including Australia and Canada.Faced by the prospect of a roasting North American summer, Fifa has moved some kick-off times to later in the day and introduced mandatory water breaks. A handful of the 16 World Cup venues have roofs or air conditioning that has ameliorated some of the high temperatures.On Wednesday, for example, England played Croatia in Dallas in the fiercest wet-bulb temperatures to date at nearly 35C (95F), although the air conditioning inside the stadium brought this down to a more reasonable 22C (71F).In total, six of the first 24 matches have been held in places where the wet-bulb temperature hit 28C or above – Germany v Curacao in Houston, Saudi Arabia v Uruguay in Miami, Portugal v DR Congo in Houston, the Netherlands v Japan in Dallas and England v Croatia, also in Dallas. The stadium in Houston also has air conditioning.Record-high temperatures in some places resulted in some fans wilting in shadeless heat, with warnings that stadium workers, who often have to toil long before games with heavy equipment, are facing potentially hazardous conditions.Current Fifa guidelines state that cooling breaks should take place if games are held in heat of 32C (89F) or above – in practice, these drinks breaks have occurred at lower temperatures at this World Cup – with delay or suspension of games at the discretion of competition organizers.On the eve of the World Cup, a group of heat and public health experts urged Fifa in an open letter to implement more extensive heat protections, citing Fifpro’s call for games to be potentially called off if they reach 28C or above.“Temperatures are often taken from shaded areas and if players are in direct sun, it can be double figures more than the temperature readings,” said Robbie Parks, an environmental epidemiologist at Columbia University and a signatory of the open letter. “Standing in the sun can be dangerous even at lower temperatures, even above 23C (73F) or 25C (77F) would make me concerned for older adults out there for more than few minutes.”Parks said that air conditioning, later kick-off times and water breaks will help players, but that further measures are needed for fans and workers. “Shade is super important and hydration is super important,” he said.“You need to allow people to bring in their own water and think about having misters for evaporative cooling. The final is going to be held in New Jersey, and that stadium isn’t covered which makes me worry. But I’d hope Fifa will learn the best way to deal with that by then.”Extreme heat is the deadliest hazard worsened by the climate crisis, causing more deaths each year than hurricanes, floods and wildfires combined. The World Cup tournament itself is set to add to the planet-heating pollution that is causing worsened heatwaves around the planet, with the staging of more than 100 matches expected to result in 7.8m tonnes of greenhouse gases, double the amount of the previous World Cup in Qatar, according to estimates by Greenly, a global carbon accounting platform.A Fifa spokesperson said the governing body is “committed to protecting the health and safety of all players, referees, fans, volunteers and staff” at the World Cup. Fifa has stationed meteorologists at match venues to assist on preparing for extreme weather and that tournament planning includes “close coordination” with host city organizers as well as stadium authorities and national agencies.Ahead of the tournament, Fifa agreed a “tiered mitigation model” for extreme temperatures, with added interventions kicking in at different thresholds. For players, alongside mandatory hydration breaks, there is access to water and electrolyte drinks as well as other cooling tools including ice, cold towels, fans, mist and shade.For spectators, elevated temperatures mean match stadiums will “activate additional cooling capacity, including shaded areas, misting systems, cooling buses and expanded water distribution”, the Fifa spokesperson said.A medical set-piece protocol for the treatment of heat exertion has also been introduced, with cooling bags set to be used for the first time.

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Guardian journalist Pablo Iglesias Maurer captured the US manager Mauricio Pochettino taking a video appearing to look for spies at his team's training ground. “I wanted to see, because you know, we're in an era of, how you say: spy,” he told reporters at his pre-match press conference before their second group-stage match against Australia.World Cup newsletter | Daily podcast | Download the app Continue reading...

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England v Croatia got year’s highest UK TV figuresBBC opted for more first-pick games in knockout stagesITV is winning the UK television ratings battle after the first week of the World Cup. Viewing figures obtained by the Guardian from Barb, which measures audience numbers, show the commercial channel had four of the five highest TV audiences, topped by England’s 4-2 win over Croatia.England’s victory in Dallas attracted a peak audience of 15.4 million on ITV and an average of more than 10 million, the highest UK TV viewing figures of the year.ITV also had the second-highest viewing figures on TV of the first round of group games, with the opening match between the co-hosts Mexico and South Africa getting a peak audience of 7.7 million and a match average of 6.6 million. The BBC’s live coverage of France v Senegal on Tuesday obtained a peak audience of 6.7 million and match average of 5.9 million.ITV’s coverage of Spain v Cape Verde and the Netherlands v Japan complete the top five, with peak audiences of 6.1 million and 6 million respectively.The Barb viewing figures include those watching on main channels and streaming services through a television but not those watching on a laptop or mobile phone. When viewers watching the BBC stream on laptops and mobiles are added, its peak viewing figures for France v Senegal increased to 7.6 million, and it got peak audiences of 6.7 million and 6.5 million respectively for Portugal v the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Belgium v Egypt.The BBC traditionally attracts better viewing figures for live sport than ITV and is likely to get a higher audience when the channels go head-to-head in broadcasting the World Cup final next month, with the initial match selections the key to ITV’s success in the opening week.The BBC gambled in pre-tournament negotiations with ITV by opting to have more first-pick games in the knockout stages. It will have the first choice of fixtures in the last 32, last 16 and semi-finals, as well as England’s second group game against Ghana on Tuesday.The BBC also showed Scotland’s first World Cup game in 38 years, against Haiti last weekend, which attracted a peak audience of 2.8 million despite a 2am UK kick-off. The audience watching live on BBC One comprised 78% of UK TV viewers at the time, rising to 92% in Scotland.Most of ITV’s biggest games come at the start of the tournament, though it also has England’s third group game, against Panama, and any England quarter-final. That could be a tie against Brazil on a Saturday night.ITV’s World Cup coverage has been well received critically, largely owing to its stunning studio in Brooklyn with views of the iconic Manhattan skyline. The BBC has been criticised for basing its presentation from its studios in Salford, although it has sound financial reasons for doing so.The new BBC director general, Matt Brittan, has this week begun announcing significant efficiency savings that could lead to the loss of up to 2,000 jobs at the corporation as it attempts to reduce its budget by £500m over the next three years.The BBC have been criticised for not offering a daily highlights programme on television but its digital highlights are proving popular and have been streamed 11.6m times in the BBC iPlayer this week, an increase of 197% from the first week of Euro 2024.

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The pressure of wearing the Brazil shirt can be heavy but also creates a positive kind of responsibilityPlaying in a World Cup is a huge experience; when you’re with the national team, your entire focus is on the squad’s schedule – the hotel, the training centre, the stadium – basically, everything revolves around the matches.I lived that routine daily at the 2022 World Cup and realised the immense dedication the tournament demands. In this 2026 edition, as fate would have it and as I am still recovering from my injury, I’m discovering a different side of the World Cup: a World Cup of reunions, with countless events happening simultaneously across the cities and countries, creating opportunities for conversations and extraordinary experiences.Over the course of two afternoons in New York I ran into true legends, icons, and friends I’ve made through football. They were precious moments where I could listen, exchange ideas and receive support from stars such as Marcelo, Kaká, Paul Pogba and Zinedine Zidane. What started as a scheduled appearance for a shared sponsor turned into a casual, friendly chat from different generations united by the passion football ignites. We were right there, close to the fans. Five guys representing Brazil and France, greeted by hundreds of fans from all over the globe, all hoping for a brief moment of proximity, a photo, or a wave. And yes, I have idols too; I managed to get an autographed shirt from Zidane, my former coach and a giant in the history of the sport.Sharing that space in the centre of the event arena next to the Brooklyn Bridge, we talked about past experiences, the energy that spreads everywhere during the World Cup, and, of course, the matches that had already taken place. Naturally, everyone expects the best from the Brazilian national team, and in football “the best” means victory. But it is important to remember the opening draw against Morocco was the first step on the journey; Brazil fell behind in the game and securing a draw was important for the road ahead.The World Cup presents challenges unlike any other competition. Scenarios shift constantly, and almost nothing is set in stone. If things don’t go as planned in the first game, it doesn’t mean the rest will follow the same pattern. By the same token, a big win does not guarantee the next match will be any easier or that performance levels will remain consistent.It is a sprint-paced marathon with stages that feel independent of one another, creating opportunities for change throughout the journey that makes up the whole. There are eight decisive matches on the road to the title and, in the group stage, not every setback means that you are going home. A single team can be several different versions of itself over the course of the tournament – and that is one of the factors that makes the World Cup incomparable.When we are on the pitch for a World Cup match, our eyes and minds have one undisputed priority: to perform our best. We have done everything possible to arrive in the best possible physical, technical, tactical, and mental shape. Everyone there defends the team and the country with everything they can.Before and after matches, opponents are fellow professionals and friends. But once the game kicks off, everyone focuses on their job and gives their all to help the Seleção advance. You can’t predict the result, but you can guarantee dedication and the right attitude by leaving everything on the pitch.The pressure of wearing the Brazil shirt can be heavy but also creates a positive kind of responsibility. That pressure exists solely because of the greatness of our football, the titles we’ve won, and our historic standing in the sport. The fans’ mood often hinges on the result, which is only natural in a country so used to winning regularly.So, as a player you have to realise that a barrage of criticism isn’t the end of the world, just as a massive wave of praise doesn’t mean everything is sorted out and that you will win the tournament. It is crucial to distinguish facts and balanced analysis from comments born of raw emotion and frustration.Players aren’t immune to what is said on social media. I believe in using a filter: a process of separating what is relevant, what deserves a response or consideration from what is simply garbage, intended to cause hurt and completely detached from reality.A World Cup player’s daily routine involves dedicating a vast amount of time to the profession. Yet, the player is a human being who communicates – even if only online – with friends, family, professional contacts and fellow players. Consequently, social media comments can easily reach them through any of these channels. Among the messages received, there may be content intended to cause distress or trigger stress. A football player is a human being who can be affected by such photos, videos or comments – just like anyone else. We do not go out of our way to seek them out or read them; most players do not actively look for comments and have a support team that handles the filtering process.At times, though, the sheer volume means some of it reaches us. Then the focus must remain on performance on the pitch. It is up to us to ensure that our on-field performance is what truly speaks loudest.

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Scotland fans in the Massachusetts city awaiting their game against Morocco have continued to make an impression on the localsOn Thursday afternoon, local broadcasters in Boston went live to an event hosted by the city’s mayor, Michelle Wu. It was a significant moment, with Wu confirming a deal that would commemorate a new chapter for the city. Representatives of the other party were also present, and they were easy to spot. Particularly the one guy in a kilt and a T-shirt reading: “I’m not perfect, but I am Scottish, and that’s kind of the same thing.”The agreement signed will see Boston and Glasgow become twin cites. Officially, according to Wu, the arrangement will “create new opportunities for meaningful cooperation and mutual growth”. But who was she kidding. A more telling line was the one that reflected “longstanding ties between Scotland and the United States” and, of course, “the goodwill generated during the Fifa World Cup 2026”. In other words, Boston’s love affair with the Tartan Army is now official.Just 10 days since they first began arriving in New England, Scotland fans have managed to bring yet another nation under their thrall. Carrying a letter of support from FC Cologne, the last place to fall for the Scots two years ago, they have charmed, amused and fascinated the locals in Boston and beyond. Following the antics of the Scottish fans, their discovery of tailgating or their dancing at the baseball, appears to have become an American pastime, with clips ubiquitous on everyone’s social media feeds.In the week since their nervous and necessary victory over Haiti at Boston Stadium, some fans have returned home from New England. Many more have arrived to replace them, however, and most of them have been met at the Logan airport arrivals hall by TV cameras. A topic of particular fascination for the media has been the Tartan Army’s ability to drink, especially after slightly breathless reports of the Sam Adams taproom at the heart of downtown being “drunk dry” by fans. It turned out supplies never ran out, but extra did have to be ordered after the bar sold 3,000 pints of its Boston lager over the course of 48 hours.Other bars were equally shocked or delighted. The Irish hostelry Hennessey’s proclaimed sales that were three times those of St Patrick’s Day. The Dubliner, next door to the Fifa fanfest in the city and a key Tartan Army destination, said it had had the busiest week in its history and while it hadn’t run out of beer, their distributor had. So concerning was the situation to so many that Tennent’s felt the need to put out a statement reassuring their clientele. “We’ve been planning for this since December and made sure we had plenty of Tennent’s in the US,” said Hazel Alexander, a senior brand manager, from the UK. “So we’re confident that supplies will continue to meet the demand.”The welcome extended to Scottish fans has been warm across the board, according to Adam Robb from Aberdeenshire. “The locals are just incredible, they’re so happy to see us,” he said. “Surprised to see us, I think, in these kind of numbers, but the reception has been unbelievable.”By way of evidence, Robb cites the fact he had been bought breakfast by Boston police that morning after he lost his passport on a hiking jaunt between matches. “I reported it as missing and I was at the police station,” he said. “The cops bought me an egg and cheese muffin while I was waiting, which was amazing.” With no ticket for Friday night’s match against Morocco, Robb is keeping a keen eye on resale sites, but prices are rising. “I think we’re up to about £700,” he said. “It was down to £350 before the Haiti game, but I think all these videos are going about and people getting the FOMO. They’re like: ‘Oh, we’re going to have to get part of that.’ I think a lot of them will be Americans.”Robb intended to count down the time to the game by checking out some of Boston’s culture and staying off the booze “for a few hours”. Others will be doing similar. Or perhaps they will continue the new tradition of sticking traffic cones on Boston statuary (apparently tribute to a longstanding practice on Glasgow’s Buchanan Street). Or maybe they’ll visit the off-licence which has become a must-see destination for Scottish tourists, not for its contents, but its name. Thousands have already made a pilgrimage to Jobi Liquors, which means a very different thing in Scotland to the US. “They’re all coming in and saying ‘shit’,” Jobi’s owner, Jim, told the Daily Record in another viral video. “Boston is loving all the Scottish people. Screw the British, the Scottish are coming!”

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Iran permitted to arrive in LA just 24 hours before Belgium gameFederation will express its ‘dissatisfaction’ over logistical issuesIran plan to lodge a formal complaint with Fifa regarding the “restrictions imposed by the organisers” on the team at the World Cup, after being told they will only be permitted to arrive in Los Angeles 24 hours before Sunday’s crucial game against Belgium. After Iran’s Group G opener with New Zealand, their head coach, Amir Ghalenoei, argued they are the “most oppressed” team at the tournament. Iran’s captain, Mehdi Taremi, said the logistical issues meant recent weeks had been a “disaster”.The comments stemmed from Iran being informed they had to fly to their team base in Tijuana, Mexico immediately after their draw at Los Angeles Stadium, rather than return the following day after a recovery session.Iran are understood to feel compelled to complain to Fifa after being advised that, as before their 2-2 draw with New Zealand, they will not be allowed to arrive in the US two days before the match. The federation are understood to have presented their case for wanting longer to prepare in the host city.They are particularly unhappy at those constraints on this occasion because it is a midday kick-off local time in LA on Sunday, leaving Iran to travel to Los Angeles International airport on Saturday. Their opening game was a 6pm kick-off local time.In a statement released on Friday, the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) said: “The football federation of Iran believes that such restrictions are inconsistent with the principle of providing equal conditions for all participating teams and may negatively affect teams’ preparation processes.“Consequently, the federation will formally express its dissatisfaction and lodge an official complaint with Fifa through the appropriate channels. Despite these limitations, Iran’s national team will continue its preparation program [sic] and remain fully focused on its upcoming match against Belgium.”

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It wasn’t pretty, distinguished by little other than its black v lilac colour scheme, but Mexico became the first side at the 2026 World Cup to secure their place in the knockout stage. If they and England both top their groups, the path is open for an apocalyptic meeting at the Azteca in the last 16. The question for Mexico and South Korea after their opening wins was whether they had been good or their opponents bad, and this offered a fairly clear answer: neither is over-blessed with creative edge.The only goal came after 50 minutes and was a gift from South Korea. Kim Seung-gyu, the goalkeeper, came to claim a looping header, but did so over the top of Lee Ki-hyuk, jarring his elbow on the defender’s head and spilling the ball for Luis Romo, who hooked in his fifth international goal on his 64th appearance. Romo was one of three changes made from Mexico’s line-up for the opener, coming in for Álvaro Fidalgo as Javier Aguirre resisted the popular demand to give a start to the 17-year-old Gilberto Mora. A remarkable double save from Raúl Rangel in the closing minutes preserved the lead as he got down to parry Cho Gue-sung’s header and had the core strength to twist and gather Yang Hyun-jun’s sliced follow-up.This was the first time Mexico had ever played a World Cup game in Guadalajara, yet still there were a number of empty spaces. It was nothing like as empty as it had been in South Korea’s win over Czechia last week, but plastic seats were visible in clear patches, particularly in the corporate tier that runs round the centre of this stadium like the cream in a Victoria sponge.This is not the old 71,000-capacity Estadio Jalisco, where Gordon Banks kept out Pelé’s header in 1970 and the France forward Bruno Bellone, in whose garden Grace Kelly died, scored in the shoot-out in the 1986 quarter-final against Brazil with a penalty that hit the post and bounced in off the head of the goalkeeper Carlos. This rather is the Estadio Akron, about 15 miles west of the Jalisco, which opened in 2010. The outside covered in turf, it rises unshowily from a flat plain to the west of the city of Zapopan, which borders Guadalajara, like the sort of venue an ambitious hobbit might erect on an industrial park on the fringes of the Shire’s green belt.Both sides lacked the urgency of their opening fixtures, perhaps as a result of the format. With a win already on the board, a draw as good as secured their progress, unless both were to lose their final group games and all four sides in the group ended on four points. There was little risk or adventure from either side. The crowd seemed broadly accepting – more patient certainly than the fans at the Azteca who, demanding more, had booed in Mexico’s opening game when they led 1-0 against 10 men – but eight minutes before half-time they too had had enough and an extended spell of South Korean passing provoked furious whistles. Not that it made much difference.South Korea and Mexico have a close relationship and, for the first half at least, the game was played in that spirit. Work began on a free trade agreement between the nations in 2012; although that is yet to be concluded, South Korea is now Mexico’s sixth-largest trade partner globally. Korean migration to Mexico began in 1905 when a ship called the Ilford brought 1,033 passengers across the Pacific, the majority subsequently settling on the Yucatán Peninsular. There’s a Friendship Pavilion donated by the South Korean government in the seniors garden in Chapultepec Park in Mexico City.What sealed the spirit of goodwill, though, was what happened during the 2018 World Cup, when South Korea, having already been eliminated, beat Germany 2-0 in Kazan so that Mexico went through to the last 16. Fans gathered outside the South Korean embassy in Mexico City and, when the ambassador came out, he was carried shoulder-high along the street by a crowd chanting, “¡Coreano, hermano, ya eres Mexicano!” – “Korean, brother, now you’re Mexican!”But friendliness goes only so far, and if a team is going to present a goal on a platter, as Kim did, Mexico were never going to reject the gift. Kim did later make a fine close-range block from Raúl Jiménez, but nobody is going to remember that.South Korea’s preparations had been disrupted when video emerged of two people, assumed to be journalists, making disparaging comments about Son Heung-min’s abbreviated term of military service. In protest, players refused to perform media duties two days before the game. Son himself struggled again. He is only 33 but looks older, struggling to cope with Mexico’s offside trap, and unable to dislodge the ball from between his feet when a chance presented itself. He was substituted soon after.A win against South Africa in their final game would still take South Korea through, and a draw may be enough, but it’s hard to see this limited side going much further. Mexico, meanwhile, may have won two out of two, but so far they’ve shown little beyond a functional competence.

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The Group D clash between the United States and Socceroos has been hyped as next step in a heated rivalry but the nations are on similar football journeysListen to the hyperbole spewed by the loudest voices, and the World Cup clash between co-hosts the United States and Australia in Seattle is the latest contest in a heated sporting rivalry streaked with disrespect and even downright hate.Indeed, the sometimes spiteful clash between the teams in a friendly last year serves as a preview for what is now one of the marquee matches in the pool stage, and set to determine the winner of Group D.But for each country’s football – or indeed, soccer – community, to hate the other is to hate oneself. While the match will be a compelling contest, it also serves as a mirror for two unusual footballing countries, where the world’s most popular sport sits on the periphery.This match is a lesson in empathy. Socceroos midfielder Aiden O’Neill, who plays for New York City FC, understands football in both countries does not have the same status it enjoys elsewhere in the world. “[Soccer in the US] is similar to Australia, it’s starting to change here in America,” he says. “You’ve got some massive other sports, but I think it’s starting to grow in popularity.”While the AFL and NRL dominate the winter sporting discourse in Australia, with cricket the leader in summer, the dominant trio in the US are American football, basketball and baseball.Both countries share another parallel. “It’s one of the great oddities in this country,” says longtime sports writer John Shea, who now works for the San Francisco Standard. “It’s the number one participation sport among boys and girls, yet in the high school ranks, it’s not as popular as [American] football, basketball, and even baseball.”According to the National Sporting Good Association, there were more than 7 million Americans aged between 7 and 17 playing soccer in 2025. The sport is second only to basketball, which has more participants in the same bracket but skews more towards recreational play, leaving soccer as the leader among organised sport.In Australia, football had about 850,000 participants among those aged 17 and under, about 300,000 more than basketball and behind only swimming in terms of activities, according to the government’s Ausplay survey.Bernardo Ramallo, who works with non-profit Soccer Without Borders in the San Francisco Bay Area, says young US soccer players have historically faced taunts and insults from those who play other sports. “Growing up there’s been jokes saying, like, ‘soccer is weak, [American] football’s a real sport’,” he says. “I grew up in Virginia, which is in the south – which is very different to California – it was always ‘soccer is a girls’ sport’, because of the success of the 1990s and Mia Hamm.”Noelle Shaw, a soccer fan from Oakland and former junior goalkeeper, says she believes the sport does not receive the respect it deserves in the US. “Soccer is a hard sport, and I don’t think a lot of people realise that to run back and forth on that field for 90 minutes, no time-outs, no anything, that takes a different level of grit and drive.”Ramallo works on social programs for recent migrants and refugees, and sees people engaged in US soccer tend to be younger and more diverse. “Soccer has always been the first sport that many children play,” he says. “But as well, now, it’s a lot of immigrants, people that come from Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, African countries, and they come here and they bring that love, that craziness, that support, so it’s a nice mix.”Edreece Arghandiwal, co-founder of the Oakland Roots club in the second-tier USL competition, believes in the sport’s capacity for growth in the US. The club was only founded in 2018, and averages about 6,000 fans per home game. “America is a very diverse place, especially here in Oakland,” he says. “Soccer belongs here, it always has been here, it just needs the right vehicles, the right voices, the right stories to get to the minds and hearts of people and I think we’re trying to do that here at the club.”Shea worked in sports media in the aftermath of USA ‘94. He is enjoying the current World Cup, but is not sure whether it will trigger structural change. “I’ve heard about that narrative every few years for decades, and it hasn’t changed to the point where soccer has emerged as a first or second or third sport nationwide in viewing, so I’m not sure it’ll be anything like that,” he says.He compares the current World Cup buzz with the Olympics, which might draw short-term interest in gymnastics or track and field, before Americans return to the established sporting habits. “Which is blasphemy when I hear from all these other countries where soccer is absolutely number one, you get a taxi or an Uber and all they do is talk about soccer,” he says. “And I just don’t get that here. I don’t think I ever will.”The clash between the US and Australia on Friday local time is highly anticipated, given the teams’ victories in their respective World Cup openers last week. The fixture will also be a spark to reflect on the two countries’ close but complicated relationship: of the uncertainty of defence deal Aukus, the record of President Trump and the retreat by many Americans from a global to a more domestic outlook.Ramallo says the similarities will be impossible to ignore. “Beer, drinking, laughs, jokes … so I think there shouldn’t be hatred. Instead, it should be a giant party.”