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Giovanni van Bronckhorst has been reappointed Feyenoord head coach on a two-year contract, with a one-year option to extend. The 51-year-old takes over from former manager Robin van Persie, who was sacked by the Eredivisie club after just 16 months in charge.Van Bronckhorst was at Liverpool as one of Arne Slot's first-team assistants, but left the Premier League club earlier this month as part of the Dutchman's dismissal.The ex-Rangers boss previously managed Feyenoord from 2015 to 2019, winning back-to-back KNVB Cups and lifting the Eredivisie title in 2017.The former Netherlands international's last managerial role was at Besiktas in 2024. He led the club to Turkish Super Cup but was sacked after five months following a poor run of results.Van Bronckhorst came through the youth ranks at Feyenoord and spent five years as a player from 1993 to 1998, before returning for a second three-year spell at the end of his career from 2007 until 2010."When you've been part of the club since you were seven years old... yes, Feyenoord is a big part of my life," he said.Listen to the latest Football Daily podcast

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Senior football correspondentPublished8 minutes ago19 CommentsJude Bellingham is set to start in England's coveted number 10 role for their World Cup opener against Croatia.There has been conjecture over who will play in the central attacking berth for England after the emergence of Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers as a viable option in the position.But it is understood England manager Thomas Tuchel is likely to select Bellingham, 22, for Wednesday's Group L encounter in Dallas (21:00 BST).The Real Madrid star is expected to have Arsenal's Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson of Nottingham Forest alongside him in midfield.Can Bellingham become England's superstar once more at the World Cup?Everything you need to know about the World Cup

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US House leader Jeffries says fees have been waived‘No mother should miss the chance to watch their child’Goalkeeper fueled shock goalless draw with SpainThe mother of Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha will be able to receive a visa to enter the United States and watch her son play at the World Cup after cost issues prevented her from attending their historic draw against Spain earlier this week, US House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries announced Wednesday.Cape Verde was named by the US government on a list of countries whose citizens must post a returnable bond of $15,000 (£11,200) to travel to the United States, in addition to a visa fee. The Trump administration last month dropped the requirement for World Cup ticket holders, but by that point the high costs had ruled out the trip for Ana Candida Evora, the mother of Cape Verde’s 40-year-old goalkeeper.Jeffries said Wednesday that the visa fees have been waived and Evora will be able to attend Cape Verde’s next match against Uruguay on Sunday in Miami. He thanked Marco Rubio, the US secretary of state, and the state department for their efforts.“Cape Verdeans in America and throughout the diaspora have been celebrating the underdog grit and resilience of the Blue Sharks, joined by soccer fans from nations throughout the globe,” Jeffries said in a statement. “That joy was tempered a bit when Vozinha tearfully revealed that his own mother was unable to watch her son’s iconic performance in person due to visa complications. No mother should miss the chance to see her child make history.“Upon learning of this development, I spoke with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and asked the State Department to do everything in their power to ensure that his mother can attend Cabo Verde’s next match. It is a privilege to announce that Vozinha’s mom will be able to secure a visa in time to attend their game this Sunday against Uruguay. All fees have been waived consistent with official policy. Travel arrangements are now being made for mother and son to reunite in Miami. I thank Secretary Rubio, US State Department officials, the government of Cabo Verde and Fifa for working together to make this possible.”Vozinha, 40, is Cape Verde’s most beloved footballer and has been their starting goalkeeper for 13 years. He has been a breakout star of this World Cup, helping to earn his country’s first-ever point and accumulating millions of new followers on social media.“I cried because I grew up with my grandparents and unfortunately they were not here; they died a few years ago,” he said after Monday’s result. “They were everything for me, for my life. I also cried because my mum didn’t manage to be here because of the visa. Because of the money we had to pay for the visa, we didn’t manage to [get it done] on time. I would like her to be here, but I’m also very happy.“I have worked my whole life for this moment. I’m 40 years old. I started playing football professionally when I was 25, in 2012. I thought about leaving but I continued because of this dream. This is for everyone. I was named man of the match but this is for all of my teammates because without them nothing would be possible. I will continue to work for Cape Verde and for the people.”Evora, a 59-year-old house cleaner, told Reuters that she watched the match from home in São Vicente, one of Cape Verde’s 10 main islands.“I said that no ball would enter his goal, and that is exactly what happened,” she said. “He is a great goalkeeper. I am very proud to be Vozinha’s mother, and I hope ​he continues to save every ball that comes his way.”

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Fulham have two candidates "in particular" to take over from former manager Marco Silva, says the club's vice-chairman and director of football operations Tony Khan. Portuguese Silva left Craven Cottage earlier this month after five years to join Benfica and replace Jose Mourinho, who has been reappointed as head coach at Real Madrid.Last week, BBC Sport reported Fulham were in advanced talks with 43-year-old Spaniard Alvaro Arbeloa over the post, while Frank Lampard has also been linked. The former England midfielder, 47, led Coventry City back to the Premier League last season after lifting the Championship title.Speaking to FFCtv,, external Khan said Fulham had expected Silva, 48, to sign a new deal to stay.But in the search for his successor, the American businessman added: "There have been a lot of names mentioned and it is interesting because it is going very well and there has been a few great conversations in particular.Fulham in advanced talks to appoint Arbeloa as Silva's replacement"There have been people who we have been linked to, where it says they were the frontrunner or that there was conversations, that were people we have never talked to or never even had a conversation about."Fulham are also known to have held talks with Kieran McKenna, who has since departed as manager of Ipswich Town following their promotion to the Premier League, saying he wanted a break to spend time with his family.Khan said: "There have been some rumours, but at the same time, we have had lots of conversations and meetings. We have been actively talking."There are two in particular who have had multiple meetings with the board and who we really like, but we are open to more conversations and talking to more people. We are working on that process right now."Fulham finished 11th in the table last season, missing out on a place in Europe by two points.A former defender for both Liverpool and West Ham, Arbeloa was in charge of Real Madrid at the end of last season on an interim basis, having replaced Xabi Alonso - who has been appointed Chelsea's new boss - midway through the campaign.After a successful 13-year playing career at Stamford Bridge, Lampard started his managerial career at Derby before spells at Chelsea, Everton and then Coventry in 2024.Latest Fulham news, analysis and fan viewsAsk about Fulham - what do you want to know?

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Australia lean into their underdog status while fans and media build hype around highly anticipated Group D matchThe poisoned words have added sizzle to the Socceroos’ clash against the USA, and underlined the Australians’ belief in their status as underdogs. Commentators have described the Socceroos as a “lay up” for the Americans. That they don’t have any good players. That they are nothing but an average team with a “smug” coach.USA midfielder Sebastian Berhalter – even as some teammates took a more conciliatory tone on Wednesday – chose to continue the war of words: “I think one [of this team’s core beliefs] is that we’re American. We don’t take shit.”It was a surprisingly aggressive contribution to the escalating hype around the match which has not often been respectful. Socceroos defender Alessandro Circati offered a simple reply to Berhalter later in the day. “I’ve got no response to that,” he said.“I mean, we don’t take it [shit] either. We’re just out there to play a game of football, to win, and to do our best.”The slandering began late last year when the USA were drawn against Australia. Former professional player and now TV pundit Mike Grella said the Socceroos represented a “lay-up” for the hosts.Grella addressed the backlash to his comments on Wednesday: “I’ve got tell you something, I don’t think they’ve ever been more united as a football side. If they do something in this tournament – which they won’t – if they do something in this tournament, they should make a statue of me there in Australia, because I’ve unified an entire country.”The barbs didn’t stop with him. Former USA player Landon Donovan also dismissed the Socceroos’ chances after the draw, and took aim at Australia’s “smug” coach. “You can get on the Qantas airplane and head back home,” he said.Circati, asked to offer his own adjective on Wednesday to describe Popovic, used the word “smart”. “He doesn’t let these things get to him,” the defender said. “People spoke probably about him before Turkey … and he sort of just shut them all up because we got a result.”The team have also been targeted by Alexi Lalas, another former USA player, who described the Socceroos as “average”. He doubled down, encouraging the Australians to use his words as motivation. “I hope that they print it out,” he said. “Make sure you spell my name correctly. I hope that it’s wallpaper all around the Australian dressing room, because they’re going to need all the help they can get.”Australian fans and media jumped on the comments, inflaming tensions ahead of an already a highly anticipated clash which is likely to decide the winner of Group D. Harry Kewell even weighed in, claiming he hadn’t heard of Grella even though the American had a brief stint at Kewell’s former club Leeds.Former Australian rugby league player Josh Mansour asked Socceroos goalkeeper Maty Ryan about the vitriol on his podcast two weeks ago. Ryan’s response was seen as controversial, even if it was offered half in jest. “I’ve heard there’s been some Americans saying comments and to be honest I have a chuckle to myself because actions speak louder than words and I try to let my football do the talking,” he said, adding he was confident Australia could beat the hosts. “Ain’t no C-word scoring against me.”Strictly speaking, the goalkeeper may have been right, given he lost his place to Patrick Beach. But the contributions from Ryan and Berhalter are the exception, as the players appear to be going out of their way to avoid giving their opponents any additional motivation.USA midfielder Tim Weah said the rhetoric from TV pundits was “nonsense” and the Australian team “has a lot of fight, a lot of grit, and a lot of hunger, just like us”. His teammate Tyler Adams addressed Grella’s comment specifically: “It’s not going to be a lay-up. If anything, it’s going to be one of the most difficult games we play.”Circati and USA winger Christian Pulisic are friends – both playing in Serie A. “I know him very well and I think he’s a great player,” the Australian said. “His season has been a little bit stop and start, but keeping that aside, I think he’s phenomenal.”The negativity towards the Socceroos has mostly been confected by broadcasters and commentators with incentives to inflame in the polarised age of social media. But there is no doubt the Socceroos go into the match as underdogs, despite their impressive victory over Turkey.The USA have three highly rated Premier League players in midfielder Tyler Adams (Bournemouth), defender Chris Richards (Crystal Palace) and fullback Antonee Robinson (Fulham) – while the Socceroos have none. Pulisic is at AC Milan, with teammates playing in Germany’s Bundesliga and France’s Ligue 1. By comparison, the only Australian at a top-division European club is Ryan, and he just lost his job as No 1 goalkeeper to Beach.After his heroics against Turkey, Beach said that whatever people say, the Socceroos know they are outsiders and that is motivation enough. “They are a great opposition, they’ve got great players, and we just don’t worry about that stuff,” he said. “We know we’re the underdogs in the minds of a lot of other people and a lot of teams, and we’re happy with that.”

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For the first time in World Cup history, Central Asia will have representation after Uzbekistan created history on 5 June 2025.A 0-0 draw with the United Arab Emirates triggered wild scenes in Tashkent and beyond as Uzbekistan's participation in the 2026 World Cup was confirmed.The White Wolves are not a traditional footballing powerhouse, but qualifying for the World Cup has been a long time coming, with numerous heartbreaks along the way making their 2026 journey all the more special.The nation had earned the tag of Asian football's "nearly men", having narrowly missed out on three World Cups this century, but the slate can be wiped clean as Uzbekistan embark on a new journey this summer.Before their Group K opener against Colombia, Uzbekistan football expert Conor Bowers told BBC Sport that, for the country, qualification is as "significant as winning it would be for nations like England".Bowers said: "Uzbekistan have historically always been the nearly men of Asian football, having missed out on previous tournaments due to poor refereeing decisions in 2006 World Cup qualifying and utter self-sabotage before the 2022 World Cup."The success of qualification has already begun to create noticeable results domestically, with new football clubs being created, previously defunct clubs re-emerging and the number of professional clubs in the country increasing by 36% from the years 2025 to 2026 alone."Drawn in a group alongside Portugal, Colombia and fellow debutants DR Congo, expectations around what Uzbekistan can produce in the World Cup have understandably risen.But Bowers said: "Qualification was the goal. Anything more than that will be seen as an additional bonus."Khusanov named in Uzbekistan's World Cup squadQualification 'not been overnight success story'In 2006, when they placed 45th in the Fifa rankings - five places lower than they are now - Uzbekistan controversially lost a two-legged intercontinental play-off against Bahrain.A 1-0 first-leg home win was ordered to be replayed in full because the referee incorrectly awarding a free-kick to the visitors when an Uzbekistan attacker encroached during a team-mate's penalty.They drew the replay 1-1, and it was 0-0 in the away leg, meaning an away-goals defeat - something Uzbekistan fans will never forget.In 2014 Uzbekistan missed out on goal difference to South Korea. Then in 2018 they were two points short of qualifying for the tournament in Russia, with South Korea edging them out again after the two sides drew 0-0 in Tashkent in the final group game.It is no wonder qualifying for 2026 drew such jubilation, but it was merely a reflection of the progress in Uzbekistani football in the past decade."The qualification to the World Cup has not been an overnight success story, with it being the goal of a long-term development plan to increase the standards of Uzbek football as a whole," said Bowers."New expectations when it comes to stadium standards, coaching, opening up of Uzbek football association academies in multiple regions of the country and further youth development, among others, has raised the level of professionalism occurring within the domestic game."This has had a trickle-down impact on success initially at both youth level - Under-17 and Under-20 Asian Cup winners, Olympic qualification, Under-17 World Cup qualification, among other youth finals and semi-finals on an continental level - and senior level."The Uzbekistan FA has recently opened up a national training centre outside Tashkent similar in concept to St Georges' Park to provide national teams of all levels high standards of facilities for training."Manchester City signed Uzbekistan defender Abdukodir Khusanov in January 2025 from Lens for a fee worth £34m.A relatively unknown 20-year-old at the time, Khusanov's stature in the City side and in the Premier League means he is already the face of Uzbekistani football.But paving the way for Khusanov, now 21, was Server Djeparov - the only Uzbek to be crowned Asian footballer of the year. He did this not once, but twice.Recognised by his famous mullet, Djeparov had trials at Chelsea and was a part of the Uzbekistan side that missed out on the World Cup three times.But now, there is a new hero in Khusanov and Bowers compares the impact in his home nation to that of David Beckham in England in the early 2000s.He said: "Khusanov's rise from Minsk to Manchester has been incredible and his impact on Uzbek football relative to his age and experience is difficult to measure."Uzbekistan has had players play for big historical European clubs like Roma and Dynamo Kyiv, but Khusanov's move in the age of social media and the reach of English football globally has seen Khusanov become similar to how David Beckham was back in the early 2000s, being who kids want to be and the face of the national team."It's too early to measure his impact on kids playing football, but the longer he spends at a club like City, the bigger it will undoubtedly be."We have already seen players get trials or join prominent European sides, or be expected to join soon, in very good level leagues in Belgium and Portugal, so the impact is perhaps already being felt."Uzbekistan forward Jaloliddin Masharipov told BBC World Service about Khusanov's stardom in his home country: "He's the first guy in the Premier League in Uzbekistan."All the fans love him now but fans love all the players here who play national team. Every time you go outside, go to a restaurant, people come for a picture."You go to a restaurant, you don't pay. Respect, like this here."It has been all change for Uzbekistan since they realised their dream.Italy legend and 2006 World Cup-winning captain Fabio Cannavaro will guide them to the World Cup this summer after taking over from Timur Kapadze in October 2025.Cannavaro is expected to help meet the demands of a first World Cup and was recently hired to add the international experience, nous and gravitas that the nation lacks."I want warriors," Cannavaro said after overseeing a 3-1 friendly victory over Gabon at a packed Milliy Stadium during the March international break."I want high intensity, always. This is the key for me, to have fighters."We will go to the World Cup to face top teams and, if people think it's easy, they will make a mistake."It's Uzbekistan's first time at the World Cup and we go to face everyone without fear."Bowers said: "Despite initially being seen as a disappointing and underwhelming choice to replace interim manager Kapadze, who was very popular, Cannavaro has undoubtedly thrown himself into his role with consistent appearances at Uzbek Super League games, meeting Uzbeks playing abroad and holding a number of training camps already."I believe he will bring his experience from his time in the Italian national team, his flexible but pragmatic management style and his passion for the role will ideally allow Uzbekistan to play as well as they can in the matches."What information do we collect from this quiz?The World Cup and beyondReaching a 48-team World Cup was the goal for Uzbekistan.They might fancy their chances in a relatively weak group, but Bowers says the focus should be on consistent World Cup qualification.He said: "Uzbekistan should aim for this World Cup to be the first of many and ideally become a regular Asian nation at the tournament like Japan and South Korea."At youth level they are consistently among the strongest teams in any tournament despite often sending very young squads relative to their competition."With the positive domestic developments ongoing, the rise of players like Khusanov and getting the World Cup qualification hoodoo off their back, I don't think this will be the last the World Cup sees of Uzbekistan."Everything you need to know about the World Cup

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The GWC has barely had time to unpack its suitcase and already the goals are flying in like overenthusiastic airline baggage. Stadiums are full, scoreboards are busy and, most importantly, football’s three marquee attractions decided that now would be a good time to remind everyone why they dominate highlight reels, sponsorship campaigns and social media algorithms.First up, Kylian Mbappé. France’s resident cheat code arrived in New Jersey with a mission and left with a place in the history books. Senegal did a respectable job of standing in his way until Mbappé remembered who he actually is. A low finish broke the deadlock before a thunderous long-range effort in stoppage time effectively put a bow on proceedings and a crown on his head.A 3-1 win for France, 58 international goals for Mbappé and a new national scoring record. We would apologise to the previous record holder, Olivier Giroud, but he did not seem that fussed. “Congratulations Kylian,” Giroud tooted on BBC One, where he is working as a not-so-great pundit. “I’m happy for him. It makes sense, it was expected. He will beat every single record – the number of caps and goals.”Mbappé’s goals for France have come in just 99 appearances and his double against Senegal moved him to 14 World Cup goals, leaving Miroslav Klose’s all-time record of 16 looking less like a countdown.“I think he can easily reach 100 goals and maybe [beat] Miroslav Klose’s World Cup record,” predicted Giroud. “He’s delivered great performances in World Cups and big games.”On to Norway’s Erling Haaland. Big Cup debut? Hat-trick. Bundesliga debut? Hat-trick. Premier League debut? Two goals. GWC debut? Naturally, two goals in a 4-1 win over Iraq.The Norway manager, Ståle Solbakken, certainly was not surprised. “You can see he lived up to the occasion – it wasn’t too big for him. I had a good feeling before the game, the last training session was very good. I had a feeling he would do it for us today.”Yet for all the brilliance of Mbappé and Haaland, football’s greatest showman was not about to accept third billing. Hours after the younger generation had dazzled, Lionel Messi wandered on to the stage and reminded us sequels rarely outperform the original.A first World Cup hat-trick. A record-equalling 16th World Cup goal. Another entry in the ever-expanding folder labelled “proof he still has it”. Argentina beat Algeria 3-0 and Messi was involved in absolutely everything that mattered, including a raking challenge on Aissa Mandi that surely would have been a red card for mere mortals. Perhaps not inconsequentially, Gianni Infantino was in Kansas, watching on through misty eyes.As the sun dipped behind the Kansas City skyline, the 38-year-old became the first player in history to appear at six World Cups, beating his old rival Cristiano Ronaldo to the landmark by a single day. Twenty years after making his World Cup debut as a teenager in Germany, and on his 200th international appearance, Messi looked a man casually ignoring the passage of time.Afterwards, he cheered: “To enjoy this with my family, with my teammates, the ones who are always there, is a really beautiful moment. The squad, it’s a very united, very strong group. I feel good; we were lucky enough to win a tough match. It’s important to start off with a win in the first game.“I’m grateful to the fans, because once again they’ve shown that Argentina is crazy about this – we packed the stadium again. Everything I’m experiencing now is a bonus. I’ve been fortunate enough to achieve all my dreams – or even more than I ever dreamed of achieving – professionally and personally.”So then. Mbappé has broken more records. Haaland has continued his full-time hobby of terrorising defenders. And Messi has once again bent time and logic to his will.Join Daniel Harris for live updates from Portugal 1-0 DR Congo from 6pm BST (1pm EDT), before Scott Murray guides you through England 1-1 Croatia from 9pm BST (4pm EDT). Then, it’s Rob Smyth in the hot seat for Ghana 2-0 Panama at midnight BST (7pm EDT), with Jonathan Howcroft taking over for Uzbekistan 0-2 Colombia (10pm EDT, Thu 3am BST). Then you can sleep.“I said that no ball would enter his goal and that is exactly ⁠what happened. He is a great goalkeeper. I am very proud to be Vozinha’s mother and I hope he continues to save every ball that comes his way” – Ana Candida Évora hails her boy’s performance in keeping Spain at bay for Cape Verde, after hacks popped up at the family home in Mindelo on São Vicente.double quotation markFirst we have Football Daily on the weekend, and now we have Tuuka Tomperi stating in yesterday’s letters: ‘Football Daily is the best newsletter in the world, by far!’ The first I can pass off as GWC Fever, but the second is inexplicable and means I will be visiting my general practitioner as soon as the group stage is over” – Alex Bull.double quotation markBefore kick-off on Sunday I was pessimistic about having to slog through three Curaçao matches in the GWC. But, after seeing them torn apart by Germany, 7-1, I can safely say that it’s just like watching Brazil. 2014-era Brazil, but still” – R Reisman.double quotation markYou could argue that Vozinha is actually better than Pat Jennings (yesterday’s Football Daily). Vozinha’s given first name is Josimar, after the Brazilian defender who was a star of Mexico ‘86. That Josimar not only played in the game against Northern Ireland (and Jennings) that you referenced, he scored the second Brazilian goal, with a shot from way out on the right touchline if I remember correctly. Surely that’s conclusive proof that a Josimar is better than a Jennings?” – Richard O’Hagan.double quotation markThe late music legend Cesaria Évora had a voice that reached the ends of the earth. She was from the same town in Cape Verde as the goalkeeper Vozinha, whose nickname is Portuguese for ‘little voice’. That little voice produced a massive roar heard around the world” – Peter Oh.double quotation markI wanted to add my Roy Hattersley recollection (yesterday’s Football Daily letters). His column was my favourite part of the Guardian, bar none. The man wrote exquisitely, so I was delighted to bump into him at Priestfield before a Gillingham v Sheffield Wednesday game about 25 years ago. He was polite and charming for our brief chat and responded with ‘I hope not’ when I bid him adieu, having said ‘may the better team win’. Wednesday duly lost to my beloved Gills. RIP Roy” – Martin Griffiths.If you have any, please send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s prizeless letter o’ the day is … Alex Bull. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we run them, are here.With the World Cup expanding to 104 matches, navigating the “morass of endless football” can feel a bit overwhelming. Thankfully, Barney Ronay, has done the heavy lifting. He breaks down the group fixtures you absolutely cannot miss.This is an extract from our daily football email … Football Daily. To get the full version, just visit this page and follow the instructions.

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The durable core of Croatia's side continues to defy the ageing process.Their third place at the 2022 World Cup followed on from being runners-up four years earlier.Six players remain from the 2018 tournament, in which they beat England in the semi-finals, with the majority of the regular midfielders and forwards now well into their 30s.Ranked 11th in the world, Croatia will once more provide a stern test for England in Wednesday's Group L opener.BBC Sport takes a look at five key players England need to watch out for.Club: Tottenham Hotspur Age: 19 Position: Defender Caps: 5 Goals: 1The 6ft 4in teenager greatly enhanced his reputation on loan in Germany in 2025-26 as promoted Hamburg finished 13th.Vuskovic was shortlisted for both the Bundesliga player of the season and rookie of the season awards, as voted for by fans, clubs and selected media.He could be the main beneficiary if Croatia play with a three-man defence - his four starts for his country prior to the World Cup all came in the middle of a back three and he scored in the March friendly win over Colombia.Head coach Zlatko Dalic said in April that Vuskovic "will be one of the pillars of our national team for the next 10 years".Gvardiol only returned on 13 May after a four-month absence caused by a fractured shinbone in his right leg during a Premier League draw against Chelsea.He started all 14 of Croatia's games across the past three major tournaments, with their opening Euro 2020 defeat by England marking his first start for the national side. It made him Croatia's youngest ever player in a major tournament, aged 19.Gvardiol was hailed as "the best centre-back in the world" by Croatia's head coach Zlatko Dalic during the 2022 World Cup. He played every minute for Croatia in Qatar and gave them the lead with a diving header in the third-place play-off victory over Morocco.He will likely play in central defence if Croatia opt for a back three or else at left-back in a 4-2-3-1 formation.Club: AC Milan Age: 40 Position: Midfielder Caps: 198 Goals: 29Croatia's captain and talisman has recovered from a fractured cheekbone on 26 April to stay on course for his 200th cap this summer.Modric, the 2018 Ballon d'Or winner, is yet to decide on his future following AC Milan's failure to qualify for the Champions League.He was heavily relied on to dictate the team's tempo in 2025-26 and played his most league minutes (2,788) in a season since 2010-11 with Spurs.A glorious 13 years at Real Madrid began ignominiously when he was voted 'worst signing of 2012' in a poll by Madrid-based sports daily Marca.But Modric more than proved his worth - claiming 28 trophies, including six Champions Leagues and four La Liga titles at Real.Club: Inter Milan Age: 22 Position: Midfielder Caps: 17 Goals: 1An emerging force, Sucic has won the domestic double in his first season in Italy and become a regular in central midfield for Croatia.He made six starts in World Cup qualifying - five in a box-to-box role and one in an advanced position at home to the Faroe Islands when Croatia switched to a 3-4-2-1 system.Renowned former Croatia international Robert Prosinecki said of him last summer: "Inter has found a player who can cover every midfield role, and I'm sure Sucic will become a pillar of the new era."He was born in Bosnia to Croatian parents and spent his childhood on the family farm there in a small village, helping to milk the cows in the mornings.Cousin Luka Sucic, who plays for Real Sociedad, is also part of Croatia's World Cup squad.Club: Hoffenheim Age: 34 Position: Forward Caps: 116 Goals: 36The evergreen attacker is the third-highest goalscorer in Croatia's history, two behind Ivan Perisic and nine off Davor Suker's record prior to the World Cup.He scored six goals in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, aided by finally playing regularly in his preferred position behind the striker after years of spearheading the attack or playing out wide.Leicester City's one-time £9.7m record signing started all seven of Croatia's World Cup games in 2022, scoring twice in a group win against Canada.Kramaric scored 15 goals for Hoffenheim in 2025-26. He has spent a decade at the German club and is their all-time top scorer with 158 goals.Ask Me Anything is a service dedicated to answering your questions.We want to reward your time by telling you things you do not know and reminding you of things you do.The team will find out everything you need to know and be able to call upon a network of contacts including our experts and pundits.We will be answering your questions from the heart of the BBC Sport newsroom, and going behind the scenes at some of the world's biggest sporting events.Our coverage will span the BBC Sport website, app, social media and YouTube accounts, plus BBC TV and radio.

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Focus on business dealings with mining company TerniumGuadalajara rally to highlight fate of Mexico’s ‘disappeared’Hyundai will be targeted by protesters at a rally before the group A game between Mexico and South Korea in Guadalajara on Thursday, due to the World Cup sponsor’s business dealings with the South American mining company Ternium.A 2025 report from environmental group Mighty Earth criticised Hyundai’s involvement in what they described as a “dirty steel supply chain”, as the South Korean motor company is a major buyer of iron ore from Ternium for use in steel production. Ternium has faced repeated criticisms for its destructive environmental impact and corporate governance policies from campaign groups, as well as its alleged links to the disappearance of two Mexican activists.A rally will take place at the Plaza de La Liberación in Guadalajara, to highlight the fate of Mexico’s so-called 130,000 disappeared, some of whom worked in the mining industry.Three years ago two men went missing in Guadalajara after being critical of Ternium for its role in the alleged destruction of rural areas. Ricardo Arturo Lagunes Gasca, a renowned human rights lawyer, and Antonio Díaz Valencia, leader of the Aquila Indigenous community in the state of Michoacán, disappeared after attending an anti-mining community meeting in January 2023. The Guardian reported eyewitnesses at the time stating that the two activists were threatened and followed by several men in cars and motorbikes after they left the meeting in Aquila and headed towards the neighbouring state of Colima. Lagunes and Díaz were travelling in a white Honda pickup truck that was later found abandoned on the side of a highway riddled with bullets but no blood.The protesters at the rally on Friday will accuse Hyundai of sportswashing by signing World Cup sponsorship deals and hold placards urging the company to show Ternium the red card. Hyundai and Kia are Fifa’s official mobility partners for the World Cup as part of a deal that also involves them providing transport for players, referees and other officials during the tournament. Hyundai has supplied Fifa with a fleet of 994 cars and 506 buses across the US, Canada and Mexico, while Kia will deploy 660 vehicles across North America.Protest movements have been a significant feature of the Mexican element of the World Cup. Striking teachers succeeded in forcing road closures around the Azteca Stadium last week before the opening match between Mexico and South Africa, where about 200 protesters fought with police after attempting to force entry into the stadium.Ternium Mexico has categorically denied any involvement in the disappearances. “Ternium expresses its solidarity with the families of the missing men, and with the community of Aquila,” a spokesperson said. “Ternium is against any type of violence and categorically rejects any speculation and/or defamation that tries to associate it with any type of illegal activity.“We always operate within the law and with a broad sense of social responsibility. Ternium is a leading public company in the manufacture of steel in Latin America, which operates transparently and under the highest standards of control in all its operations.”Hyundai declined to comment on the protests.