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Manager said second-half performance was ‘rewarding’England’s next group game is against Ghana on 23 JuneThomas Tuchel said he wanted his England team to entertain the nation and that he pictured the scenes in the pubs as his players took the handbrake off to power past ­Croatia 4-2 in their World Cup opener on Wednesday.England were passive in the first half, too deep, the connections lacking. They entered the interval at 2-2, Harry Kane’s goals cancelled out by a pair of soft concessions that were in keeping with the team’s openness.But England exploded into life at the start of the second half, Jude ­Bellingham’s surging run and finish in the 47th minute the spark for an extraordinary period of pressure. Tuchel had told the players to calm down during the interval, not to worry about the result and be true to their way of playing.After Bellingham’s goal, they had seven clear openings leading up the hour, albeit they could not take them. Croatia were rocking and Tuchel knew the pubs in England would be the same. Croatia had a couple of moments when they might have equalised before the England substitute Marcus Rashford sealed the win in the 85th minute after a clinical counterattack.It is unclear whether a gung-ho approach will lead to World Cup glory, but the performance has ignited a sense of possibility and Tuchel is keen to harness the momentum. England’s next game is against Ghana on Tuesday.Tuchel was asked whether fans could expect England to take the handbrake off during the tournament. “It is what the boys did in the second half – exactly that,” he said. “It is good. That is what needs to be done. Nobody can guarantee the outcome, but we can guarantee the effort.“Can we expect more of that? Yes. It is good and it is rewarding. Hopefully everybody enjoyed it. And it brings a connection. I had a thought in the second half: ‘People in the pubs will like this.’“I was sweating, but that is a good watch where we created and ­created and went for it and won another ball and then a second ball. That is why you are in a pub and watching together on a big screen to get emotional and hopefully we can transmit that.”Tuchel’s frustration with England’s first-half performance was rooted in how they dropped too deep out of possession, seeking to protect the 1-0 lead that Kane’s early penalty had given them. It was a classic England move – or failing. Tuchel wants to see only aggressive, front-foot football.“We just dropped way too early into a deep block,” Tuchel said. “From a middle block … way too early into a deep block. Normally if we go to a middle block it’s not a problem. We have clear triggers to go out of it into a high press.“We wanted to have John Stones pushing into midfield [from central defence]. They blocked John with their No 9 so maybe they also knew or it was a coincidence. It took us a while to understand that Elliot [Anderson] can then push [from central midfield].“So we lost a bit of confidence, couldn’t find the right triggers and we had the feeling that we have to protect something. We ended up too deep and too passive. In the second half, it was much better. We were much more active and aggressive.”Tuchel said the conditions inside Dallas Stadium were a challenge, despite it being a domed air-conditioned venue, and that Stones had “cramps in both legs in the end”. The defender has not played many matches since early December. Kane also suffered cramp in the dressing room afterwards but is understood to be OK. Declan Rice intends to soldier on despite hamstring and lower-back discomfort.“We saw the [physical] numbers – the players really put a shift in,” Tuchel said. “They said it was quite humid and difficult to digest it so I think John was just like everyone else … everyone was very tired in the dressing room, which I like because then I know that you did something. And we need this. Overcoming the tough moments, sticking together.”

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BBC Sport women’s football news reporterPublished3 minutes agoEngland international England international Aggie Beever-Jones is expected to stay at Chelsea this summer.The 22-year-old's contract was due to expire this summer, but she had an option to extend for a year and it is understood she has agreed to commit her future in a new deal.Beever-Jones graduated from the club's academy and has gone on to establish herself as a regular Women's Super League goalscorer and England international.After helping England win Euro 2025, injury problems meant Beever-Jones struggled for regular game-time last season, netting four goals in 11 WSL starts.She was a key figure the year before, filling in for the injured Sam Kerr and scoring nine goals in 22 appearances as Chelsea claimed a domestic treble.With Kerr's departure, and Chelsea's pursuit of Manchester City top-scorer Khadija Shaw falling through, Beever-Jones is expected to play a more prominent role in 2026-27.The England striker ended the campaign on a high this month as she starred in the Women's World Sevens London series, netting late in the final as Chelsea beat Manchester United.New episodes of Women's Football Weekly podcast drop every Tuesday on BBC Sounds, plus find interviews and extra content from the Women's Super League and beyond on the Women's Football Weekly feed

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Tuchel said he "could not see my team" before Wednesday's 4-2 win over Croatia, with a wall of photographers blocking his view to the pitch.Photographers will now be grouped in a huddle closer to the halfway line - allowing an unobstructed view for the coaching staff.The Group L game in Dallas was Tuchel's first as a World Cup manager but he revealed the occasion, particularly the emotion of the national anthems, was spoiled."I have to tell you something. I'm begging Fifa to change the position of the photographers in the national anthem, because I could not see my team," Tuchel said."It was a very special moment, and I was standing in front of a wall of 50 photographers and I could not see one single player. It ruined a little bit my experience."The AT&T Stadium usually serves as the home of the Dallas Cowboys, with the NFL field too small for World Cup matches.The surface had to be raised 1.2m to be able to fit in a football pitch, which meant part of the sidelines were lost - resulting in limited space for the coaches and the photographers during the national anthems.England score four against Croatia in World Cup openerWho was the biggest attacking threat? England player ratingsRelated topicsFootballEngland Men's Football TeamFIFA World Cup 2026More on this storyPlay BBC Sport's new World Cup predictor gameEverything you need to know about the World Cup

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Though New Zealand were unable to secure a first-ever World Cup win when they faced Iran earlier this week, the All Whites were able to create another piece of history.The introduction of 21-year-old defender Tyler Bindon in second half injury-time not only helped shore up the New Zealand back-line, but gave the World Cup its first ever mother-son duo.Tyler's mother, Jenny Bindon, represented New Zealand at both the 2007 and 2011 Women's World Cups, as well as the Olympic Games in 2008 and 2012.The goalkeeper made her international debut in 2004 and earned 77 caps over the following decade."A special day for many reasons," Tyler wrote on Instagram after the 2-2 draw with Iran."Proud to represent New Zealand on the biggest stage and incredibly grateful to share the moment with my mum as the first mother-son duo to play at a World Cup."Tyler's father, Grant Bindon, was a captain of New Zealand's men's volleyball team.Nottingham Forest defender Bindon was born in Auckland but moved to California aged 12 when his mother accepted a coaching role with the women's football team at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).He came through the academy system at MLS side Los Angeles FC before joining Reading in 2023 and then Forest in 2025. He spent last season on loan at Championship side Sheffield United.While Tyler and Jenny are the first mother-son duo in World Cup history, there have been several instances of fathers and their sons playing in the tournament.Giovanni Reyna, who scored in the United States' 4-1 win against Paraguay on Saturday, is the son of former American midfielder Claudio Reyna.Erling Haaland's father, Alf-Inge Haaland, represented Norway at the 1994 World Cup.New Zealand face Egypt in Vancouver (22 June, 02:00 BST) in their second group game.Play BBC Sport's new World Cup predictor gameEverything you need to know about the World Cup

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Chris Gunter says former international team-mate and current Wales boss Craig Bellamy is one of football's "most exciting young coaches".Gunter, who won 109 caps for Wales, is in charge of the nation's under-19s for this summer's Uefa Men's Under-19 Championship finals in north Wales.The former Spurs defender said that Bellamy takes a big interest in Wales' age grade teams and has also been a big help to him on his first steps into coaching."He's so generous with his time and speak quite a lot," Gunter said of Bellamy."I'm really happy that we speak quite often and I get to learn from, in my opinion, one of the most exciting young coaches coming through our game."Over the last couple of years I've learned an awful lot from him and he loves everything to do with Welsh young football."His knowledge and interest of all of these younger players - he knows every one of them – and asks all the time about them, how they're doing and what's to come."He's a great signboard for anything I want to put against him and get his view."Gunter's predecessor Craig Knight, now professional development phase lead coach at Wrexham, had also spoken of Bellamy's hands-on involvement with the younger teams.And Gunter, who also played for Cardiff City, Nottingham Forest and Reading, expects Bellamy to be present for Wales' games at the finals later this month."He actually does watch all of our games back anyway - they normally run at the same time," Gunter said."But normally by a Tuesday or Wednesday after a camp, he's looked back over the games and wants to know about different things and younger players"My role is to try and give him the best players we have from the younger age group coming through."Wales over a number of years have been really aggressive in how we try and promote younger players."These young boys are really fortunate at the moment with somebody like Craig in charge who really wants to embrace that."He's shown over the last 12 to 18 months that if you're good enough, you're old enough."Cardiff City defenders Dylan Lawlor and Ronan Kpakio are two players who have stepped up from the under-19s into Bellamy's senior squad during the past year.Oliver Bostock and Jayden Lienou were called into the senior squad for the recent friendlies against Ghana and Romania and are in Gunter's squad for the upcoming tournament."They missed our trip to Spain last week because they were with the senior team," Gunter said of West Brom's Bostock and Lienou of Leeds United."I fully expect them to come back in and be a lot better for the experience"Our role is to try and get players into the senior team as quickly as possible so, for those two to do it was a really pleasing one."And they both had really good seasons at their club."It's proof that if you are doing well and you've got the necessary tools and attributes that Craig and the senior team want then the opportunities will be there for you."

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Senior football correspondentPublished17 minutes ago11 CommentsDeclan Rice is expected to be available for England's World Cup match against Ghana after suffering from lower back pain during the win over Croatia.The midfielder was substituted midway through the second half, raising concerns about his fitness.But it is understood the back issue is unlikely to prevent Rice from playing against Ghana in Boston on Tuesday (21:00).The complaint is one that the Arsenal midfielder, 27, has been carrying for a while and will require managing during the tournament.Speaking after the game, manager Thomas Tuchel said: "Declan had some unusual ball losses and I saw a bit of discomfort."And then I asked him, and he pointed directly to his lower back, upper hamstring, that he feels the discomfort."I didn't want to take any risks, I hope it's nothing more. Declan just reassured me at the end."We will take care of it, and it's nothing big to worry about."Tactical analysis: England look exciting but how can they tighten up?Everything you need to know about the World Cup

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Former Tottenham midfielder Rafael van der Vaart has apologised after saying that Japan players "all look alike" during their 2-2 draw with the Netherlands.Van der Vaart, 43, was working as a pundit for Dutch broadcaster NOS TV when he made the remark after Micky van de Ven lost Koki Ogawa's run for Japan's late equaliser."They all look alike, of course, maybe he thought that," the former Netherlands international said when analysing Van de Ven's defending.Van der Vaart, who was capped 109 times and was part of the Dutch team that lost in the 2010 World Cup final, has apologised for causing any offence.He said: "It was never my intention to offend, hurt, or discriminate against anyone. I oppose racism in all its forms and have respect for people of every background, ethnicity, and culture."I understand that some people may have found my words offensive or hurtful. I sincerely regret that."If my comment has caused pain or upset, I would like to offer my heartfelt apologies. That was never my intention."Anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out criticised Van der Vaart and called for broadcasters to be more careful.A joint statement from Kick It Out and the Frank Soo Foundation, external, a charity that supports East and South East Asian communities, said: "It's hugely disappointing to hear former players peddling racist slurs about Japan's team and then double down by trying to defend the comments as a joke."Even if he claims there was no racist intent in what he said, the comments can still have an impact on those involved, and the wider East and South East Asian community, as we have seen with previous examples directed towards players."The World Cup attracts massive global TV audiences, so it's always important that guests are careful with their language and that broadcasters take responsibility for those appearing on their shows, whether that is through additional education or training."Play BBC Sport's new World Cup predictor gameEverything you need to know about the World Cup

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Palestine's Football Association (PFA) has said it does not endorse the Republic of Ireland's Nations League game with Israel being moved to a neutral venue. On Friday, it was confirmed by the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) that the fixture would be played away from the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on 4 October after Uefa granted approval for the game to be played behind closed doors at a neutral venue.Pressure to boycott the fixture has built as protests took place outside the Dail (Irish parliament), while May's friendly with Qatar was twice disrupted when tennis balls featuring the Palestine flag were thrown onto the pitch.A 'Stop the Game' campaign has also been launched by the group Irish Sport for Palestine.When confirming the game had been moved, the FAI quoted a statement from the Palestine FA saying that it "affirms its respect for the decision" made by the FAI to move the game to a neutral venue."The Palestinian Football Association expresses its appreciation for the principled positions taken by the Football Association of Ireland in support of the rights of the Palestinian people and Palestinian athletes," the FAI quoted the Palestine FA as saying."The Palestinian Football Association also affirms its respect for the decision made by the Football Association of Ireland within the framework of its sporting and international obligations, in a manner that enables it to continue fulfilling its noble mission of serving football and promoting the values of justice, solidarity, and mutual respect."However, the Palestine FA said on Thursday that it "wished to clarify" that it has not issued any statement "endorsing, approving or supporting the decision to proceed with the match"."Any interpretation suggesting the PFA has given its blessing to the fixture does not accurately reflect our position," it said.Republic of Ireland v Israel to be played at neutral venueIt said the result of not fulfilling the games would be the forfeiture of six points which could lead to relegation to League C in the Nations League and an impact on the team's Uefa and Fifa rankings, highlighting "the converse of these impacts would apply to Israel", increasing their chances of Nations League promotion and Euro 2028 qualification.In Thursday's statement, the Palestine FA added it had "long-standing principle" of respecting that each association can make its own decisions, but reiterated it does not endorse the game being played and said "our position regarding Israeli football remains unchanged and unequivocal"."While the PFA respects the right of every association to determine how it navigates its own sporting, legal, and regulatory obligations, such respect should not be misconstrued as endorsement of any particular decision," it added.In a Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October 2023 about 1,200 people were killed and 251 abducted to Gaza.The Palestine FA said it "continues to pursue accountability through Fifa and other international sporting bodies for Israel's persistent violations of Fifa statutes", stating that athletes had been killed in the conflict and sporting infrastructure had also been destroyed, as well as the "devastating impact of Israel's war on all aspects of Palestinian life".It added: "The PFA rejects any characterisation that could be interpreted as providing political or moral cover for Israel's continued participation in international football while these grave violations persist."The PFA would not, and will not, be party to any effort that normalises these realities or contributes to the sportswashing of crimes committed against the Palestinian people."Israel and the Republic of Ireland are also scheduled to meet at a neutral venue for Israel's home Group B3 match on 27 September.The Football Association of Ireland has been contacted for comment.

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CommentsTottenham Hotspur fans are more familiar with Luka Vuskovic's Bundesliga goal compilations than how the centre-back defends, but where the 19-year-old will line up next season has already become one of the summer's most intriguing transfer stories.Vuskovic is yet to play a senior minute for Spurs - having spent last season on loan at Hamburg - but was subject to a bid from Brighton earlier this week that Spurs rejected, and is highly regarded across Europe as well as in the Croatia national team."If he stays healthy enough, he will be one of the top superstars for the future, for sure," Romeo Jozak, former technical director of the Croatian Football Federation, tells BBC Sport.England's World Cup opener against Croatia gave fans an opportunity to watch live for the first time a defender who was shortlisted for the Bundesliga Player of the Season and Rookie of the Season awards last term, also catching the eye with six goals from centre-back."Vuskovic is definitely one of those new ones who together with Josko Gvardiol are going to be the continuation of the Croatian national team," adds Jozak."Being a defender, you want these stable, John Terrys in the team who are going to be fighters and leaders in the locker room."If he ends up there [at Tottenham], I think he will be an asset. Even in the World Cup he is going to get some serious minutes."Vuskovic, replaced after 66 minutes with Croatia trailing 3-2, started in the middle of a back three between Manchester City's Gvardiol and Ajax's Josip Sutalo.Harry Kane got a run on the young defender to head England's second from a corner in the first half, while there were questions over his positioning as Jude Bellingham dashed through for the third after the break.He did, however, record more clearances - five - than any other player on the pitch, while England's Elliot Anderson was the only player to win possession on more than his six occasions.Croatia boss Zlatko Dalic has said the 6ft 4in central defender "will be one of the pillars of our national team for the next 10 years".There remains much fanfare around the talented teenager, who reached an agreement with Spurs in 2023 but officially joined last summer, but also speculation he may leave north London given the club's stacked centre-back options.Marcos Senesi is set to arrive on a free transfer from Bournemouth, as well as Dutchman Jan Paul van Hecke for £52m from Brighton.Cristian Romero and Radu Dragusin have been linked with moves away, but Spurs also have Micky van de Ven and Kevin Danso, while the versatile Ben Davies has renewed his contract and Kata Takai, who spent last season on loan at Borussia Monchengladbach, is yet to feature for the club.Bardi, from The Extra Inch - a Spurs podcastOver the years, the legend of Luka Vuskovic has grown and grown. His prodigious leap and a physique well beyond his age, combined with two successful loan spells, have only added to the hype.Three years on from his £12m signing, many are ready to kneel before Luka and name him the solution to all our defensive issues without ever having seen him play in the flesh.Last night in Dallas, Luka had an opportunity to add to that reputation and prove that he is ready, but a chastening opening-game defeat at the hands of players he will be expected to face week in, week out did not go to plan. The legend took a serious hit.Luka's rise to becoming a major talking point is down to a breakout season in Germany with Hamburg. He took the opportunity with both hands. He finished the season as the top-scoring defender and was named in the 2025-26 Team of the Season.His success coincided with another disappointing season at N17. As we battled relegation with centre-backs who looked uninterested in the fight, over in Europe Luka was crashing through opposition strikers as though they were made of paper.His strong performances propelled him into the media limelight, the Croatian national team and the consciousness of every Spurs fan. Suddenly, Luka was viewed as an option, no longer a protege.What has always made Luka stand out is his frame. It is what gives him the edge in duels and makes him such an asset at set-pieces, but his size comes at a cost. His lack of recovery pace was there for all to see as Jude Bellingham stormed through to slot home England's third. His lack of pace, speed on the turn and mobility are genuine concerns.Not every defender needs to be as fast as Micky van de Ven, but you need to be able to maximise your strengths and hide your weaknesses. Tottenham, right now, are not in a position to offer him the minutes he needs to grow from being a prospect into a genuine top-level centre-back.Hopefully, given time to reflect on what happened in Dallas, his team of advisers will make the correct decision. Demanding to start at Spurs when we have already added Marco Senesi and are about to announce Jan Paul van Hecke is not realistic.Vuskovic remains an exciting prospect, but one in need of playing time and strong guidance on and off the training pitch. The most sensible decision for all parties would be a loan at a Premier League club with a similar style of football.The hard work and focus needed to turn the legend into reality start now.Latest Tottenham news, analysis and fan viewsAsk about Tottenham - what do you want to know?