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In a super-sized edition that makes Australia a middle power their young squad can budget for four matches at the tournament with the hope of moreThe selections, the sessions, the sweat left steaming on the Oakland grass. These are all now behind the Socceroos, as they fly to Vancouver to begin an adventure that comes around just once every four years.Australia’s best men’s footballers are back again at the World Cup, this time in a super-sized edition that makes a nation that was once a football underdog a middle power.The Socceroos are one of 48 teams at the tournament spread across the United States, Canada and Mexico, in an expansion that has drawn criticism for experimenting with the tried and true 32-nation format established at France 1998.It is now more than 20 years since the Socceroos missed qualification for a World Cup. Australia joined the Asian confederation two decades ago to mitigate their exposure to do-or-die play-offs that had handed only heartbreak against Argentina, Iran and Uruguay. It has also changed expectations, amending the country’s football culture.If hope is the currency of football, the old days delivered Australian fans endless riches. To lose a painful qualifier, and then watch a World Cup six months later and wonder how far one’s nation might have gone – all the time, hope growing for the next – was an experience shared by football’s outsiders across the world.Today, however, followers of the Socceroos have little in common with wide-eyed supporters from Curaçao or Cape Verde – nations who will compete at the World Cup in 2026 for the first time alongside Jordan and Uzbekistan.Australia’s aspiration will be met at this tournament by opportunity. The Socceroos were handed a favourable draw by avoiding any giants in their group. They were also given a marquee match against co-hosts the US, the soccer-off between two proud, sporting countries who prefer football’s alternative name to denote its secondary status.The larger format has changed the dynamic for teams, like Australia, once on the World Cup periphery. Now they are entitled to budget for four matches at the tournament instead of three. The introduction of a round of 32 essentially creates a knockout elimination in 2026 with the same number of participants as the group stage in previous tournaments.The qualification of eight of the 12 groups’ third-placed teams in 2026 means the Socceroos should expect to progress out of Group D, despite the challenge posed by Turkey, the US and Paraguay.Indeed, elimination at the first stage would be a backward step for this Socceroos team given the round of 16 exit in Qatar, where they pushed eventual champions Argentina in a narrow knockout loss.The team flies from Oakland to Vancouver on Friday local time ahead of the match against Turkey the following day, an opponent widely seen as the toughest in the group. It is the last step in a World Cup journey that began all the way back in November 2023, when the Socceroos walloped Bangladesh 7-0.That night at AAMI Park goal scorers included Jamie Maclaren, Mitch Duke and Brandon Borrello, all forwards ultimately overlooked when Popovic finalised his squad two weeks ago.The Socceroos at this tournament are instead brimming with young talent, including 17 debutants in the 26-player squad. Led by defenders Alessandro Circati, Jordy Bos and Lucas Herrington, and forwards Mo Toure and Nestory Irankuna, the next generation gives hope that Australia might emerge as a genuine threat at the World Cup in coming years.Rather than look ahead to 2030 or 2034, however, this tournament is ripe for the taking. Injury clouds hang over key players on each group rival: influential Turkey winger Kenan Yildiz, standout US defender Chris Richards and Paraguay playmaker Julio Enciso.Coach Tony Popovic enjoys support in the Socceroos dressing room, having won 10 of 18 matches since taking over from Graham Arnold in 2024. That record secured him a contract extension on the eve of the World Cup, which keeps him in the role until at least the Asian Cup in January next year.Back home there will be a healthy television audience, given kick-off times in Canada and the US make for convenient weekend watch parties. Expect Federation Square in Melbourne, and other live sites around the country, to be heaving.Yes, there will be consternation about the right of the US to host a global event given Donald Trump’s decision to send military into Venezuela and missiles into Iran, let alone his record domestically. Teeth will grate at the so-called hydration breaks, which may or may not coincide with advertising. Fans will gripe about dynamic ticket pricing, like many of Fifa’s decisions. Eyes will roll at on-field play acting.Eventually, though, the charm of the World Cup will soak through. Socceroos veteran Aziz Behich said it best, just as his third and almost certainly final World Cup got under way. “I still get butterflies, like I did the first time around in Russia [in 2018],” the 35-year-old said. “That’s why I’m still here.”

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There will be no rousing Hollywood pep talk from Mauricio Pochettino ahead of today’s USMNT World Cup opener. He and his players are trusting nearly two years of work since he took the helm – plus all of the reasons that got them into the sport in the first place.“The most important [thing] is not to be disconnected with your emotional relationship with the game,” Pochettino said. “They need to think tomorrow and play like they are a child – with no pressure, with no responsibility.”

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Journalistic muscles were flexed with Ros Atkins factchecking real-world issues with production offering merits more achievable by working from homeMust a World Cup broadcast be on location? The BBC, for reasons of cost and environmental concerns, has rolled back to when tournaments were beamed back to the UK. Halcyon days of Brian Moore and Des Lynam accompanied by pundits in garish knitwear and beige furniture are long gone, if lamented. How to recapture their magic? Need it be a problem when the domestic market leader, Sky’s Monday Night Football, is broadcast from a business park near the M4?ITV had the first two games – Mexico v South Africa and South Korea v Czechia – but its Brooklyn views of Lower Manhattan may yet fall victim to elements accentuated by those environmental issues. It also asks one of the World Cup’s leading questions: how dialled in is the American public? The distracting activity taking place behind Gary Neville, Ian Wright and Roy Keane suggests a city carrying out business as usual even while hot takes are cooked on the veranda.The BBC’s opening broadcast, Canada against Bosnia and Herzegovina, on Friday night – begins with a montage. “Welcome back, we missed you,” says an American narrator, channelling the hospitality the US was formerly famous for. Over in Salford, Gabby Logan anchors before an LED backdrop of Toronto; this will alter according to the location of matches. Joining Wayne Rooney and Micah Richards, the latter cackling in self-deprecation after Logan digs him out for never having played in the tournament, is Olivier Giroud. The smouldering Frenchman, an actual World Cup winner, is full of bonhomie, if short on words. Unlike in Brooklyn, where ambient noise has caused problems, this quartet can hear each other perfectly.Richards is commuting to New York for his Netflix assignments with Gary Lineker’s Goalhanger collective and manages to sneak mention of the departed enfant terrible. “Same initials, different person,” says Logan, moving things swiftly along. Lineker’s recent comment that – had he worked for the BBC during the World Cup – he “would have been in Salford in a green box” had been unhelpful.Where ITV has opted for celebrity slop in the inexplicable inclusion of Man Vs Food’s Adam Richman, BBC journalistic muscles are flexed. Outside Source’s Ros Atkins fact-checks the real-world issues: Gianni Infantino’s Fifa, Trump, Iran, visas and ticket prices. “It’s not been a good look at all,” offers Richards, handed a hot potato but dealing skilfully enough with issues of inclusivity and cost. “We want to see the joy in everyone,” he concludes, diverting to Thursday’s scenes of Mexican celebration. Rooney, quiet on geopolitics, is happy to agree.An hour of preamble takes in visits to the Scotland and England camps, the latter mercifully brief when it has too often been the fall-back for broadcasters short on material. Next: Bosnian history, featuring this organ’s Jonathan Wilson discussing the nation’s 1992 independence referendum in geography-teacher tweed.By leaning into journalism and humanities, the BBC has chosen contrast with ITV’s star system, for whom Gabriel Clarke alone does the issue-led heavy lifting. Perhaps with good reason. Rooney’s and Richards’s research on Friday’s competing teams is quite obviously limited. “I’ve actually done American TV with him and he loves the game,” offers Richards of the Canada coach, Jesse Marsch. “It’s great for him,” shrugs Rooney on Luc de Fougerolles, the 20-year-old Canada defender.Rooney stays equally noncommittal when critiquing Michael Bublé, singing in an opening ceremony the BBC has decided to not bother showing: “So so, he’s obviously popular.” Logan wisely decides not to canvas opinions of Alanis Morissette’s Canadian national anthem before the game is handed into the safe hands of Steve Wilson and Stephen Warnock.Much BBC commentary will be done off-tube, though this commentary pairing is in Toronto, from where the iPlayer’s UHD service exposes a jarring number of empty seats for a host nation’s opener. Warnock asks: “Is that Ryan Reynolds?” The Wrexham co-owner is sat near Wayne’s World’s Mike Myers.At half-time, the other Wayne takes a back seat, the BBC’s podcast star in lieu of Lineker low on energy. Instead, Richards assumes centre stage, jollying along Giroud. “Set pieces are so important,” Richards declares, dissecting Bosnia’s first-half goal. After Canada snatch a deserved draw, Rooney disapproves of Marsch’s frenzied drinks-break pep talk but admits: “He’s given them energy.”The post-match appearance of Darren Cann, the former assistant referee, sets fire into the belly of Rooney at long last. “It’s not the first time we’ve disagreed,” he says. Logan, ever professional, dampens things down in the sign-off, during which Richards concludes: “How good is the World Cup?”The conclusion from the opening shots of the battle of the terrestrial broadcasters is that if ITV retains the more punchy pundits the BBC’s production can offer merits made more achievable by working from home.

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“History is about to be made,” the understandably giddy stadium announcer said in the seconds before kick-off and while this was not the perfect start, Canada will not forget Cyle Larin’s equaliser against Bosnia and Herzegovina in a hurry. Trailing to Jovo Lukic’s first international goal, the Southampton striker Larin stepped off the bench and pulled the co-hosts level with his first touch, lashing in 121 seconds after his entrance. A draw in their Group B opener already trumps their last World Cup outing, when they finished pointless in Qatar.Jesse Marsch’s side always looked capable of scoring, though Juventus’s Jonathan David missed a golden opportunity in the first half and a preposterous Sead Kolasinac block that saw the ball cannon on to the crossbar prevented Richie Laryea finding the net in the second. Bosnia, though, were always playing with fire, holding dear Lukic’s first-half header on his first competitive start for his country. It was a goal that tested the foundations of the south stand, where 7,000 temporary seats were erected to increase the stadium’s capacity, many of them occupied by Bosnia’s most ardent supporters.For the locals, a first World Cup game on Canadian soil represented an occasion they were always going to savour, regardless of result and long before the captain, Stephen Eustáquio, rolled the ball to Ismaël Koné at kick-off. By that point, it had been quite the show; Michael Bublé was smuggled on to the centre circle among the 48 flag bearers – the US flag was again booed in some quarters – before performing Bring It On Home to Me and, a few minutes later, Alanis Morissette took centre stage to sing Canada’s national anthem, Marsch, born in Wisconsin, singing every word. Oh, and there was a flypast from the The Snowbirds, the Canadian air force’s answer to the Red Arrows.There was plenty of early gusto from Canada, as expected, Liam Millar’s long throw causing Bosnia and Herzegovina a headache inside 45 seconds. Amar Memic, who started up front alongside Ermedin Demirovic with Edin Dzeko not at full fitness, passed up the first real chance a minute later, blazing over inside the area.Jonathan David, Canada’s biggest hitter in the absence of Alphonso Davies, missed a sitter on 17 minutes, leaving Marsch to contort in agony on the touchline. Marsch acknowledged his players could not afford to be overhyped but both of his full-backs, Laryea and Alistair Johnston, made hasty challenges, the latter booked for crudely wiping out Memic.Laryea’s poor challenge was the precursor to Bosnia’s opener. It stemmed from a seemingly training-ground corner routine, Kolasinac rising high at the front post to flick the ball closer to danger and Lukic glanced in a yard or two from the goalline. Cue delirium in the south stand, in the middle of which thousands of Bosnia’s supporters’ group BHFanaticos were stationed.The water break immediately afterwards provided Marsch with the chance to lighten the load on his players, though the sound of Whitney Houston blaring over the stadium speakers felt untimely.Marsch’s team selection was predictable, though in attack Villarreal’s Tani Oluwaseyi was preferred to the Southampton forward Larin. Oluwaseyi was guilty of spurning another big chance for Canada just after the half-hour, spooning over when presented with a clear sight of goal.Canada dominated possession, had more shots and three times as many touches in the opposition box, but had nothing to show for it at the interval. Eustáquio had spoken about the importance of not being overawed but they suffered from a little stage fright in big moments. “We don’t want for all the emotions to block us mentally or physically so that we can’t perform,” he said.Canada broadly carried on where they left off, plenty of promising moves fizzling out in the final phase. At the same time there was nothing more Laryea, who plays here for Toronto, could have done when Kolasinac made an extraordinary clearance eight minutes into the second half, intervening to divert his goal-bound shot on to the crossbar before Bosnia cleared the ball.Laryea’s sidefoot effort past Nikola Vasilj came at the end of an incisive Canada interchange. If that stung, more pain almost followed but Demirovic fluffed his lines when a deflection put him clear on goal. Bosnia were having to sustain lots of Canada pressure. Dzeko, in a warmup bib on the sidelines, recognised as much, waving his hands like windmills, encouraging his teammates to respawn.The chances kept coming for Canada. Nikola Katic headed off the line to thwart Oluwaseyi. A few minutes earlier a frustrated Marsch thumped a ball down on the touchline as another goalscoring opportunity eluded them. A triple substitution on the hour saw Marsch replenish his frontline, introducing Promise David, the highly rated Union Saint-Gilloise striker, Jacob Shaffelburg and Ali Ahmed.And then came Larin, in place of Oluwaseyi. Koné fed David, who located Larin with a flick. Larin made the finish look easy, swivelling inside the box and volleying past Vasilj.

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Player had been due to play against Panama in TorontoThe Ghana defender Thomas Partey will miss their opening World Cup game against Panama after being refused a visa to Canada, where the game is being staged in Toronto.In a statement, Fifa said: “Fifa can confirm that player Thomas Partey will be unable to travel from Ghana’s team base camp in Boston, USA, to Canada for their first match against Panama on Wednesday, 17 June, as his visa application has been refused by the Canadian government.“Fifa is not involved in the immigration processes of host countries, including the adjudication of visas. As with previous Fifa events, the host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and is admitted into the country.”The former Arsenal midfielder, 32, now plays for Villareal in Spain.In 2025 Partey was charged in the UK with five counts of rape and one count of sexual assault relating to alleged incidents between 2021 and 2022.Partey pleaded not guilty to all those charges at Southwark crown court in September. In February of this year he faced two new counts of rape after another woman came forward to police. In April he pleaded not guilty to those two allegations of rape. A trial is due to take place in June 2027.His defence lawyer, Jenny Wiltshire, said: “Thomas Partey continues to deny all charges against him. He has cooperated with the police throughout.”After their match in Toronto, Ghana are due to play England in Boston on 23 June and Croatia in Philadelphia on 27 June.

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Last triumph was in 2002 but Italian head coach, without Neymar against Morocco, brings ‘joy and enthusiasm’It is Marcio Santos who best sums up the predicament Brazil’s players found themselves in before the 1994 World Cup. “We hadn’t won in 24 years. That’s way too long for the Brazilian people,” says the former defender in the new Netflix documentary USA 94: Brazil’s Return to Glory.Having suffered the ignominy of a first defeat in qualifying that prompted the manager, Carlos Alberto Parreira, to offer to step down, the fabled Romário and Bebeto strike partnership inspired the Seleção to win a fourth World Cup the last time the tournament was held on American soil.Thirty-two years on, Brazil supporters will be hoping history is about to repeat itself for Carlo Ancelotti’s side as they prepare for the most awkward of opening matches against Morocco on Saturday, who became the first African country to reach the last four, in 2022.The World Cup’s most successful nation has made it past the quarter-final stage once since Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Rivaldo sealed a fifth title in 2002. That this is now the joint-longest Brazil have gone without winning the World Cup is not the only parallel with 1994. A disastrous qualifying campaign meant they finished a lowly fifth after six defeats – more than any of the five other South American teams that made it to the World Cup – and many have written off their chances.Ancelotti has had mixed success since leaving Real Madrid last year to take his first steps in international management. Yet despite criticism of his decision to omit Chelsea’s João Pedro and recall 34-year-old Neymar for the first time since 2023, the Italian still has the tools at his disposal to become the third manager to win the World Cup and Champions League, after Marcello Lippi and Vicente del Bosque.Neymar is the only surviving squad member from the 7-1 semi-final thrashing against Germany in 2014 – aka the Mineiraço – albeit he was forced to watch the nightmare unfold from the sidelines after being injured against Colombia in the previous round.“Since Ancelotti’s arrival, the environment has been transformed. He carries a strong presence and gives us the tranquility of an environment focused on work, without controversy,” said the Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson this week.“He’s a multi-champion. He has won everything in football and is here with joy and enthusiasm. His position perhaps has more pressure than being the president of the country.”If anyone can cope with that it is Ancelotti. But he must find the right balance in attack to build on a defence that should be one of the strongest in the tournament. The partnership between the captain, Marquinhos, and Arsenal’s Gabriel Magalhães – who was immediately consoled by his Brazil teammate after missing the crucial penalty in the Champions League final a fortnight ago – is the foundation of that, even if the full-back positions are more of a concern.A traditional strength – think Carlos Alberto in 1970, Branca and Jorginho in 1994 and Cafu and Roberto Carlos in 2002 – now relies on thirtysomethings Douglas Santos, Danilo and Alex Sandro.The calf injury Neymar sustained a couple of days after being called up means he is likely to sit out the opening game, with the teenager Endrick vying with Brentford’s Igor Thiago to lead the line. Vinícius Júnior – who thrived in Madrid under Ancelotti and has been backed to produce his best form at the World Cup – and Raphinha provide the spark in attack, while a rejuvenated Casemiro will anchor a strong midfield also featuring Newcastle’s Bruno Guimarães.Brazil have won their group at every World Cup since 1978, when draws against Sweden and Austria meant they finished second after scoring two goals in three matches. They missed out on the final after a controversial 0-0 draw in the second group stage against the eventual winners, Argentina.It is unlikely Ancelotti will be so pragmatic, but even a draw against Mohamed Ouahbi’s side would not be a disaster with Haiti and Scotland to come.The only match to feature two teams ranked inside Fifa’s top 10 certainly makes the first game at the New York New Jersey Stadium – the 82,500-capacity venue for the final on 19 July – one of the standout picks of the group stage and there are thousands of supporters from both countries in town.The New York Knicks will be in action at the same time as they seek the NBA title for the first time since 1973 and a massive police operation that has been planned for 12 months will be in place to prevent any problems.Brazil are not used to having to compete for attention at World Cups. But with the group winners on a potential collision course with England, should they top Group L, in the quarter-finals they have an opportunity to show they mean business against Morocco.

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Australia, the USA and Turkey should not underestimate La Albirroja, who have gone from mockery to one of the most feared teams in South AmericaParaguay are back at a World Cup after almost two decades of absence and tribulations – and ready to give Australia, the USA and Turkey a run for their money. Their last appearance was at South Africa 2010, their best performance to date, when they reached the quarter-finals before saying goodbye with a loss against the greatest Spain team of all time.La Albirroja seemed lost for years. But after a dismal 2024 Copa América, everything changed. Destiny delivered Gustavo Alfaro, the man who saved Paraguay from what looked like another impending catastrophe.The 63-year-old Argentinian breathed new life into a hopeless team. He restored morale, revived belief and strengthened the side both individually and, more importantly, collectively. From a team that was widely mocked to one of the most feared in South America, La Albirroja have made the continent tremble – and should pose problems for Australia, the US and Turkey. In qualification, they defeated Brazil and the reigning world champions Argentina – coming from behind in the latter match to record a famous victory in Asunción.None of the teams in Group D can afford to underestimate La Albirroja. They have recovered, consolidated and added countless strengths. “I would love people to see Paraguay again as the team no one wants to face,” Alfaro said upon his arrival in August 2024. Although his appointment initially raised doubts, his words have proved prophetic.Under Alfaro, Paraguay lost just one away match in the qualifiers – to Brazil – and, alongside Ecuador and Argentina, finished as one of the strongest teams in the competition under the man they call “the hunter of utopias”.La Albirroja have regained their historic strengths: an almost unbreakable defence and excellent structural balance. They do not apply a high press; instead, they press in midfield, which can become a dangerous trap for opponents.Thanks to their tactical discipline, they consistently frustrate the opposition’s creativity. While rivals become disorganised in attack, Paraguay strike with rapid transitions and clinical accuracy. They usually set up in a 4-2-3-1 during midfield pressing phases, but drop into a compact 4-4-2 when defending deep.Paraguay are not a high-scoring or overly attacking side, but they rely on effectiveness and efficiency to get results. Dominating possession against them can be risky, because it often plays into exactly what Alfaro wants. That might be more of a potential problem for Turkey, who are expected to enjoy more possession than their opponents, than for Australia or the US.Defence has always been a hallmark of Paraguayan football. Under Alfaro, La Albirroja have not only recovered this virtue but have evolved it, adding progressive buildup play. Central defender Omar Alderete has been outstanding, while captain Gustavo Gómez remains one of the best centre-backs in South America. As proof of their solidity, Paraguay conceded just 10 goals in 18 qualifiers – the best defensive record in the competition.The heart of the team is Vancouver Whitecaps’ Andrés Cubas. The defensive midfielder closes spaces, reads the game superbly and brings relentless aggression. At just 1.66m, he may not look imposing, but his intensity often leaves opponents stunned.In attack, they rely heavily on the creativity of Julio Enciso. The Strasbourg player is arguably the greatest Paraguayan talent produced in the past 30 years. He possesses every attribute of a gamechanger: dribbling, speed, creativity, power, and a potent mid-range shot. Yet, in concerning news for the South Americans the 22-year-old went down with a thigh injury in the pre-tournament friendly against Nicaragua in Asunción, just a week out from their opener against the USA. He remains in the squad and his recovery will be closely monitored.Although Paraguay are highly practical and efficient, they lack creativity and sustained offensive volume. They depend heavily on Enciso’s individual brilliance or set-pieces to create danger. Antonio Sanabria leads the line. Elegant and technically gifted, the striker has quality but arrives at the World Cup short of match fitness after limited minutes for Cremonese in Italy.Paraguay are the prototype of a team nobody wants to face at a World Cup: disciplined, physical and suffocating. They are dangerous on the counterattack, which is a longstanding specialty and akin to the Socceroos’ vibrant youthful attack line. And they are equally threatening from set-pieces – their aerial power is sure to test even the most physically imposing defences.

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Breaks have been added at World Cup for player safetyFox missed small amount of action during breakFox is facing criticism from fans in the US after introducing full-screen adverts while players take hydration breaks during its World Cup broadcasts.While the breaks address legitimate concerns about players’ health, many fear they will disrupt the pace of play and allow broadcasters to extract added advertising revenue.Fox, which owns the English language broadcasting rights for the World Cup in the US, cut to an advertising break during the second-half of Mexico’s victory over South Africa in the tournament opener. The referee had called a hydration break just after Mexico had scored their second, and final, goal of the match. When the broadcast returned to the match, play had already resumed for around 10 seconds, meaning viewers had missed action as South Africa attempted to find a way back into the contest.The ad break received pushback from fans on social media. “We are trying to watch the biggest tournament on earth. Absolute nonsense. End this immediately!” wrote one viewer on X. On Reddit, fans were also critical although some said it was part of watching sport in the US. “Missing live action, which they did, is unacceptable. But commercial breaks during games are a fact of life in the US. It is what it is,” wrote one user.Telemundo, the World Cup’s Spanish-language broadcaster in the US, did not cut away to full-screen advertising during the hydration breaks.