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BBC Sport women’s football news reporterPublished11 minutes agoTottenham have signed Scotland forward Kirsty Hanson from Aston Villa for an undisclosed fee.Hanson was impressive in the Women's Super League last season, scoring 12 goals in 22 matches.Only Manchester City's Khadija Shaw and Arsenal's Alessia Russo scored more than Hanson, who was named Villa's player of the year.She also scooped up WSL Football's goal of the season award for her strike against West Ham, and it is a major blow for Villa to lose her this summer."I'm absolutely delighted. It’s an exciting time to be a part of this club," said Hanson."I'm ready for a new challenge and I always want to be better every single day. Martin Ho, the staff and the players are at such an exciting point - and I want to be a part of that."The 28-year-old had a year remaining on her contract at Villa and it is unknown what fee Tottenham have agreed to sign her for.She has scored six goals in 48 Scotland appearances and will reunite with Spurs manager Ho, whom she worked with at Manchester United while he was assistant coach."I know Kirsty well from working with her previously and I know the qualities she brings both as a player and as a person," said Ho."She has strong experience in the league, international experience with Scotland and a clear hunger to keep pushing her game forward."We are delighted she has chosen to come to Tottenham Hotspur and I'm excited to work with her again in an environment where we believe she can continue to develop, contribute and become an important player for the club."Tottenham had a strong campaign in 2025-26, finishing fifth in the table in Ho's first season in charge, and they have already shown ambition in the transfer market.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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1233 CommentsUpdated 7 minutes agoIt was the sort of friendly that could easily have slipped from memory.Played early in the season against Kazakhstan, who had only recently joined Uefa, the fixture took place in front of a sold-out crowd of just 8,000 fans and on a pitch so shabby that the grass had to be painted to improve its appearance.And yet, that narrow 1-0 win in Chaves in northern Portugal has never really faded away.That is because 20 August 2003 is the day Cristiano Ronaldo's story with the senior Portugal national team began.It would have been a stretch at the time to anticipate the boy from Madeira making his World Cup debut three years later, and entirely unrealistic to predict that he would go on to feature at a record sixth World Cup in 2026 - along with Argentina's Lionel Messi and Mexico's Guillermo Ochoa, both fellow six-timers.But Ronaldo - the all-time leading scorer in international football with 143 goals - has reinvented Portuguese football, transforming its mentality like no player before him and, most importantly, redefining what an entire nation believed was possible."We are a small country that rarely has global impact outside football," Joao Aroso, who worked with the forward both at Sporting and at the national team, told BBC Sport."Cristiano allows our small country to be known worldwide for something great - because of all the positive things he stands for."In his previous five World Cups, the superstar, now 41, always arrived with an untouchable status. It won't be different this summer, even if the scrutiny back home around his role has only intensified since Qatar 2022.For a long time, openly questioning Ronaldo's place in the team almost felt like treason. Not any more."He doesn't play to win, he plays to be the main figure," argued Antonio Simoes, a member of the Portugal side that finished third at the 1966 World Cup."Do you understand that it's the opposite of Eusebio? Let's call things by their name. I have nothing against him. I can still see, I can still hear and I can still think. But I can't run away from the reality of the facts."Portugal coach Roberto Martinez has dismissed the debate around Ronaldo as "lift talk".Whenever Martinez is asked questions about the five-time Ballon d'Or winner, he has pointed to the same statistic in all his recent interviews - 25 goals in his past 31 games for the Selecao."We are talking about the greatest player of all time. He is here because he is still performing at a very high level, not because of what he achieved in the past," Martinez said.Having scored at each of his five World Cups, Ronaldo will have another chance to answer critics on the pitch.The Al-Nassr man has eight World Cup goals to his name, one short of Eusebio's Portuguese record, but the ultimate prize is obvious: helping Portugal lift the trophy for the first time.Ronaldo has already confirmed this will be his final World Cup.Even if he is no longer at his peak physically, there is little doubt Portugal will revolve around him when they begin their campaign against DR Congo on 17 June."Cristiano understands the big moments better than almost anyone in football," former Portugal international Abel Xavier told BBC World Service."That experience can be decisive in a World Cup."His presence is very important. People focus on the physical side, but there is also the technical side and especially the mental side. The younger players look up to him and he always gives something to the team."Former Portugal goalkeeper Ricardo, who was on the pitch for Ronaldo's international debut in 2003 and is part of the national team coaching staff, takes a similar view to Xavier."The speed may no longer be quite the same," Ricardo said. "Instead of running at 200km/h, he is running at 195km/h now. It is still incredibly high."As long as the physical, technical and mental qualities are still there, he remains a devastating force. With him, danger is never far away."Since Martinez took over in 2023 after leaving Belgium, Ronaldo has featured in 31 of the Spaniard's 39 games in charge, with most of his absences coming through injury or suspension.Portugal recorded their biggest win of the cycle in one of those matches when Ronaldo was not involved - a 9-0 drubbing of Luxembourg in Faro in September 2023.Their second-biggest victory, a 9-1 over Armenia in Porto last November, also came without Ronaldo.Unsurprisingly, after both games, discussions over whether the team play better without their captain quickly returned."He doesn't have the football any more to be a starter for a side that wants to win the World Cup," said Sofia Oliveira, a pundit for CNN Portugal, DAZN Portugal and TSF radio."But it is easy to arrive at this tournament and say Ronaldo should not be starting, which I agree with. The problem is that the national team has not been preparing for it."Fernando Santos knows that better than anyone else.After dropping Ronaldo to the bench at the 2022 World Cup, the then Portugal manager faced a backlash on social media from members of the forward's family and left his post shortly afterwards.Asked earlier this year if he feared the same fate if he made a similar decision this summer, Martinez played it down.Such is Ronaldo's power in the country that Pedro Proenca, president of the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF), had to address in an interview with SIC whether the forward would have any say in choosing Portugal's next coach if Martinez were to leave. Proenca denied it.With Ronaldo still part of the current squad, the FPF's announcement in February of a partnership with AVA CR7, a physical recovery company owned by the player, inevitably raised eyebrows.The federation, however, insists there is no conflict of interest."In the FPF's view, this partnership complies with all applicable compliance rules and does not constitute any conflict of interest in relation to Cristiano Ronaldo's status as captain and player of the national team," the FPF told BBC Sport in a statement."It should be clarified that Cristiano Ronaldo was never involved in the negotiations, nor was he a subject of those negotiations, with the entire process having been conducted exclusively with AVA's management team."Over the past months, with the former Manchester United and Real Madrid forward nearing the end of his career, there has been growing discussion over whether the FPF is ready for life after him.In May, it approved its 2026-27 budget, projecting record revenue of 161m euros, after closing the previous financial year in profit for the 13th consecutive year."The FPF is preparing for this moment without dramatising it. Cristiano will always be intrinsically linked not to the federation, but to Portugal as a country," Proenca said at a recent event."The FPF has always prepared for its present and its future. Of course, we know the importance Cristiano has. The two brands overlap - Cristiano Ronaldo and the FPF - I have to be honest and sincere about that."What I can guarantee is that the federation's operating revenues are secure for the continuity of a cycle that will happen naturally and normally, which is Cristiano's departure."Everything you need to know about the World Cup

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Lionel Messi says he was brought to tears after scoring the opening goal in Argentina's 3-0 win against Algeria because of a matter "completely unrelated to football".The Argentina captain claimed a magnificent hat-trick on his 200th appearance for his country as his side made the perfect start to their World Cup defence.After a curling home a wonderful opener after 18 minutes, the 38-year-old was swarmed by team-mates in celebration before being spotted wiping away tears on his shirt."Why did I cry? It was something completely unrelated to football," said Messi."I went through some difficult days, but I'm grateful to the entire delegation and my team-mates because they were always by my side, giving me a lot of strength to help me get through it."Messi's hat-trick, which was his first at a World Cup, took his finals goal tally to 16, moving him level with Germany's Miroslav Klose as the all-time leading scorer in the competition's history.Messi also became the first player in history to feature at six World Cups, 20 years to the day since his debut at the tournament, where he scored in a 6-0 win over Serbia and Montenegro.The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner's performance helped Argentina win their opening match at a World Cup as defending champions for the first time, after defeats in 1982 and 1990.Messi's record-breaking performance followed doubts about his fitness after he was substituted early due to muscle fatigue last month in his last MLS match with Inter Miami before the World Cup."It makes me very happy to have lived through everything that came my way," Messi added."What I'm living through now is the cherry on top. I'm very happy and grateful for this wonderful group, I enjoy it so much."Messi was substituted after 80 minutes against Algeria to a standing ovation as his name echoed around the Kansas City Stadium.Messi inspired Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar in 2022 to win the one trophy which had long eluded him, and he will be essential to Argentina's hopes of becoming only the third nation to defend the trophy."There are no words to describe him. If anyone thought this team was better without Leo, today it was proven that the opposite is true," said Argentina midfielder Alexis Mac Allister."He is our most important player. We need to build a team around him, and we are doing it."Argentina's second match in Group J is against Austria on Monday 22 June (18:00 BST).Messi equals World Cup goals record with hat-trick in Argentina winExtraordinary Messi makes more history in masterclass for the agesListen to the latest Football Daily podcastSoundsGet football news sent straight to your phone

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Very rarely in life do we get an opportunity to say goodbye in real time.The end often comes before we know it's the case. But, as he enters his sixth and final World Cup, Cristiano Ronaldo may well be saying goodbye to the footballing world.Five Champions Leagues. Five Ballons d'Or. Domestic success in four different countries. He has two Nations League titles and a European Championship as well.All that eludes him is the famous gold trophy.If he doesn't win it, the World Cup probably won't be his curtain call. His obsession with greatness means that he probably won't let go of the 1000 goals landmark that he is currently 27 away from.Imagine if he does do it, though. Could there be a better ending?Regardless, the most-capped international player will likely never feature on a global stage like this again. In that sense, this is a last dance for an all-time great.If it is to be the end, Ronaldo will leave behind an intriguing legacy at the world's biggest tournament. A legacy in which he could have several milestones to his name, yet is still rather unfulfilled.After this summer, only Ronaldo and Lionel Messi will have played at six World Cups. However, should he find the net at least once, he will do what he wasn't able to at the Euros two years ago and become the first player to score at six different World Cups.As for appearances in total, Messi currently leads the way with 26. Ronaldo is four behind on 22. It is impossible to think that Messi doesn't feature for Argentina. But on the slim chance the defending champions get knocked out in the group stages, he could only climb to 29 appearances.Ronaldo can surpass that tally if Portugal go all the way and he appears in every game.He could also surpass the Argentine in the rankings for the oldest goalscorer in a World Cup final. Messi is second behind Sweden's Nils Liedholm who was 35 years and 264 days old when he netted in the 1958 final.Ronaldo will be 41 years, 5 months and 14 days old come July 19, meaning he would smash the pre-existing record. That is also true to the oldest player in a World Cup final, with the current record standing at 40 years and 133 days courtesy of Dino Zoff.The final record he may have his eye on is the oldest goalscorer in the competition's history across all games, an accolade that currently resides with former team-mate Pepe.Let's say that Ronaldo claims all the aforementioned records. That will mean he has six records to his name. That's no mean feat. But to do that he has to reach the final. If he doesn't he can only claim three of them. Still impressive, but perhaps not enough to overshadow his relatively disappointing track record in this competition.Ronaldo has never made it past the semi-final. The only time he got to the final four was his first World Cup in 2006. Two decades ago.As for his record of scoring in five consecutive World Cups, when you take into account he has only scored eight and failed to score more than once in four of his tournaments, there is this sense of wanting more from the face of a generation.That's not all his own fault. Portugal's squads in 2010 and 2014 weren't particularly strong and were never likely to be pushing to reach the latter stages of the competition. But that's where you need your superstar to produce moments.What Ronaldo moments have there truly been at World Cups? Only two spring to mind. His unquestionably fabulous hat-trick against Spain in 2018. Other than that, all he really has is that infamous wink after Wayne Rooney was sent off in the 2006 quarter-final.Compare that to Messi for example. Not only has he gotten his hands on the trophy, he nearly single-handedly dragged Argentina to glory eight years earlier in 2014.It's hard to criticise Ronaldo in any aspect. Especially when it comes to international football. Nobody has more caps. Nobody has more goals. He was inspirational on and off the pitch in 2016. Yet, in World Cups, it has never happened for him. This is his final time to change that narrative, or it will linger with him forever.Regardless of his World Cup track record, Roberto Martinez had to include Ronaldo in his squad. Not doing so would've caused greater headaches.However, if there is an insistence on him still being the be-all and end-all of this group of players, it could become problematic. His chase and subsequent failure to score in the last Euros was the main talking point of the team's tournament.The reality is, with stars like Bruno Fernandes, Vitinha and Joao Neves arguably coming off their best seasons to date, the need to rely on Ronaldo is less than ever before.As Portuguese football expert Kevin Fernandes told Sky Sports: "Ronaldo will always be the star, but footballing-wise, is an asset for Portugal and not the main protagonist. For the benefit of his country, one of the most clinical finishers of all time should be concentrating on providing the final touch as an elite poacher, while not looking to disrupt the flow of Portuguese attacks with an incessant need for the ball."As strange as it sounds to say, Ronaldo should be seen precisely as an asset - not as untouchable, given his limitations in the press and the characteristics of team-mates to provide further dynamism in Portugal's attack."Is that the role Ronaldo will want this summer? No - that's not in his DNA. Truthfully, no one will care if it leads to glory.If he can score for a sixth consecutive tournament and then be pictured holding the trophy at the end of the it, no one will remember that he played an inferior role.All they will remember is that in his final act, Cristiano Ronaldo brought Portugal their first World Cup and, if this is the case, said farewell to the beautiful game with no stone unturned.

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Austria won their first World Cup game in 36 years with a 3-1 Group J victory over tournament debutants Jordan in San Francisco.Ralf Rangnick's side needed a late own goal and a Marko Arnautovic stoppage-time penalty to see off a Jordan side who were nerveless on their tournament bow.The Asian team nearly took a 90-second lead as captain Ehsan Haddad hit a volley into the side netting, but their positive start was punctured when Romano Schmid bent in a wonderful 21st-minute opener - Austria's only shot on target of the first half.But Jordan were not deterred by Schmid's stunner as Ali Olwan hit the bar just 113 seconds later with a glancing header.The debutants deservedly levelled early in the second half as Olwan produced a fine curling equaliser in off the post in the 50th minute.A triple change then shook up Austria, who thought they had restored the lead in the 67th minute through half-time substitute Arnautovic only for his close-range goal at a corner to be disallowed for a handball by Stefan Posch following a VAR review.Austria did eventually go back in front through a 76th-minute Yazan Al Arab own goal as the ball flicked off his back into the net at a corner.Jordan failed to trouble Austria, who made the win safe through Arnautovic's penalty in the 12th minute of stoppage time after a VAR review spotted Saleem Obaid had handled the ball when blocking the former Stoke and West Ham forward's shot.It was a pleasant return to the World Cup for Austria after a 28-year absence from the competition, but they will need to up it if they are to upset holders Argentina in their next Group J game on Monday (6pm UK time), especially after Lionel Messi's hat-trick heroics against Algeria, whom Jordan face next on Tuesday (4am UK time).2: JORDAN GO CLOSE! Haddad raids forward from a counter-attack to smash a low volley from the angle into the side-netting after just 90 seconds.21: GOAL! Schmid scores a stunning opener for Austria as he bends one home from outside the box to score with their first shot on target.22: JORDAN HIT THE BAR! Nearly an instant reponse as Olwan heads against the woodwork with a glancing header from a corner.50: GOAL! Jordan deservedly equalise early in the second half through a fine Olwan goal as he curls one in off the post for the country's first-ever World Cup goal.70: AUSTRIA GOAL DISALLOWED! Arnautovic's close-range goal from a corner is ruled out following a VAR review after Posch handled before the ball fell to him.76: AUSTRIA RETAKE THE LEAD! VAR doesn't save Jordan this time as Al Arab scores an own goal at the near post from a corner as the ball glances off his back while he battled with Arnautovic.90+12: AUSTRIA SCORE FROM THE SPOT! Arnautovic gets on the scoresheet this time as he buries a penalty home after a VAR review for a handball against Obaid, who had deflected Arnautovic's shot wide with his arm.Austria came into this World Cup having sailed through qualification, losing just one of their eight games and scoring 22 goals.Yet in San Francisco, it was tournament newcomers Jordan who looked like that team rather than the one who had been on a five-game winless run.It might now be six, but Jordan can be encouraged by their performance against an Austrian side containing players from Real Madrid, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.When Olwan scored Jordan's first-ever World Cup goal - and deservedly so - the Asian side were Californian dreaming of becoming the first debutant to win their opening World Cup match since Senegal's victory over France in 2002.Jordan constantly threatened Rangnick's side - they had the same number of shots (11) and shots on target (4) as Austria - and the ex-Manchester United boss needed his bench to save him.Half-time substitute Arnautovic made an excellent impact as he forced the own goal which restored Austria's lead and then struck the decisive stoppage-time penalty. His experience told.Jordan will now be hoping their newfound World Cup experience can earn them their first-ever tournament points in their next game against Algeria, who were hammered by Argentina.If Austria play like this against the holders, then Messi will massively fancy his chances of breaking the World Cup goals record in Arlington.

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Ivan Perisic has been representing Croatia for 21 years but his passion for his country burns as fiercely as ever."I feel a deep pride in representing Croatia and hopefully inspiring younger generations who dream of following the same path," he tells Sky Sports ahead of this summer's World Cup, having just won Eredivisie with PSV.It will be his eighth major tournament with the senior team and fourth World Cup. The 37-year-old - who first pulled on the famous red and white chequered shirt for the U17 team in 2005 - has experienced some incredible moments on the biggest stage.Perisic was a breakout talent in 2014, scoring twice in three matches. Four years later, he scored one and set up another as Croatia beat England in the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup. He then equalised against France in the final, where Croatia ultimately lost 4-2.At the 2022 World Cup he became Croatia's top scorer in major tournaments, scoring in the last-16 before a semi-final defeat to eventual winners Argentina. A third-place play-off win was secured with the help of a Perisic assist."It's difficult to choose just one moment," says Perisic, when reflecting on those wild World Cup days. "The entire 2018 World Cup was unforgettable."Reaching the final stands out the most. Even though we didn't win, it was a historic achievement for Croatia and a moment that united the whole country."That feeling, and the connection we shared with the people back home, is something I'll carry with me forever and especially right now."Those second and third place finishes - following the third place the country achieved in their first-ever World Cup in 1998 - are outrageous achievements for a nation made up of just 3.8m people. What is the secret?"Croatia may be a small country but we've shown that with passion, unity, and commitment, you can compete on the biggest stage," said Perisic, who has racked up 152 caps.It is a country blessed with talented players - Luka Modric and Josko Gvardiol are among the other star names lining up for them in North America this summer - but the sense of purpose the players feel wearing the shirt seems powerful, too."There's always a huge sense of excitement, but also responsibility," Perisic says about playing at a World Cup."You carry the pride and emotions of an entire nation with you. More than pressure, it brings gratitude. I often reflect on our journey as a country and what it means to stand on the world stage wearing the Croatian shirt. That feeling never loses its importance."Every World Cup feels special. No matter how many you play in, you never fully get used to the scale of it or what it represents.""There's a strong alignment between the values of Mackage and those of our team and country: discipline, precision, resilience, and quiet excellence. The collaboration came together very naturally because we share many of the same principles."This Mackage capsule collection reflects that perfectly. It feels authentic to me as an athlete, but also representative of Croatia's character: understated, confident, and strong."This one kicks off with a particularly significant fixture. It's England against Croatia on June 17 in Texas.The two teams have a storied recent history, from that 2018 World Cup semi-final, through England's Nations League revenge later that year to the opening-game win for England at Wembley in Euro 2020.Perisic has been at the heart of the contests and, having made 50 appearances for Tottenham between 2022-24, he has added connection, excitement and motivation for the fixture."Definitely," he says when asked if facing England holds extra meaning."Playing in the Premier League gave me a real appreciation for the intensity, quality, and culture of English football."There's a lot of mutual respect whenever we face England, especially after some important matches over the years."Those are always exciting games to be part of, and I'm really looking forward to this upcoming one."Mackage is the official off-field outfitter of the Croatia national team.

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England's World Cup campaign gets under way on Wednesday, 17 June, when they take on Croatia (21:00 BST).They then face Ghana on 23 June (21:00 BST) and Panama on 27 June (22:00 BST).With the Three Lions' tournament about to begin, it is time to test your knowledge of their previous opening matches.Take our quiz to see how well you know your history of England at World Cups.After more quizzes? Go to our dedicated Football Quizzes and Sports Quizzes pages and sign up for notifications to get the latest quizzes sent straight to your device.What information do we collect from this quiz?Related topicsFootballFIFA World Cup 2026England Men's Football TeamPlay more quizzesQuiz: Name every nation at the 2026 World CupWhich World Cup team are you? Take our quizWorld Cup quiz: Name every player in England's squadWorld Cup quiz: Name every player in Scotland's squad

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Plus: World Cup winners with no domestic honours, and why Australia are unofficial world championsMail us with your all of your questions and answers“In 1986, Gary Lineker scored six of England’s seven World Cup goals,” writes Brendon O’Mahony. “Has anyone scored a higher proportion of their country’s goals at a World Cup? Let’s exclude teams who were knocked out in the group stage or who scored three goals or fewer”A number of you mentioned Oleg Salenko, the Russian striker who matched Lineker by scoring six of their seven goals at USA 94. That included five in one game against Cameroon, which turned out to be Salenko’s last in international football at the age of 24. Russia went out at the group stage despite Salenko’s romp, so he doesn’t meet the criteria laid out in Brendon’s question.But there are dozens of net-botherers who do. Enormous thanks to Mirosław Skaczkowski, who has been through every men’s World Cup and confirms that Gary Lineker is indeed top of the list. In winning the Golden Boot at Mexico 86, Lineker scored 85.71% of England’s goals (Peter Beardsley scored the other one, in case you were wondering).Second on the list wasn’t even a centre-forward. Northern Ireland’s Peter McParland was rated by Jimmy Greaves as “one of the most dangerous wingers I have ever seen, cutting through defences at tremendous speed and finishing with cannonball shots”.McParland scored five of Northern Ireland’s six goals at the 1958 World Cup, including both in a 2-2 draw against the defending champions, West Germany, and two more in a 2-1 playoff win over Czechoslovakia. That took Northern Ireland into the quarter-finals, but it was their third match in five days and they were hammered 4-0 by France.Other players with at least 60% of their teams goals at a World Cup include Peru’s Teófilo Cubillas, insouciant destroyer of Scottish dreams in 1978, Chile’s Marcelo Salas in 1998 (remember his mighty leap against Italy?) and the Italian giant Christian Vieri. He looked irresistible in 2002 until a costly miss against the co-hosts South Korea. (Go to 89 minutes of this minute-by-minute report, or fire up YouTube.)Thanks again to Miroslaw for providing us with all the information needed for this list.85.71% Gary Lineker (England, 1986)6 out of 7 goals83.33% Peter McParland (Northern Ireland, 1958)5 out of 680% Marcelo Salas (Chile, 1998); Jon Dahl Tomasson (Denmark, 2002); Christian Vieri (Italy, 2002); Robert Vittek (Slovakia, 2010)All 4 out of 575% Luis Artime (Argentina, 1966)3 out of 471.43% Teófilo Cubillas (Peru, 1978)5 out of 766.67% Anatoliy Byshovets (USSR, 1970); Michel (Spain, 1990) Both 4 out of 662.50% Roberto Baggio (Italy, 1994)5 out of 8, including 5 out of 6 in the knockout rounds. Another Baggio, the unrelated Dino, scored two of Italy’s other three goals.“The German great Thomas Hässler won the World Cup in 1990 and the European Championship in 1996. His club career was considerably less glittering, netting only a solitary Intertoto Cup trophy with Karlsruhe. That means he won one more winner’s medal as a national player than with clubs. Has anyone exceeded his tally by two or more international honours?” wonders Kári Tulinius.A single Intertoto Cup is an unworthy legacy at club level for a player of Hässler’s mischievous brilliance. He came close to more significant honours on several occasions, most notably at the start of his career when Köln lost the Uefa Cup final to Real Madrid in 1986. But as Kalen Kasraie points out, he’s not the only late-1990s German footballer to win more trophies for country than club.“Hässler’s teammate Andreas Köpke won the same international honours he did but his only trophy at club level was the 2. Bundesliga title with Nürnberg in his last professional season,” writes Kalen. “Ramón Ramírez, the Mexican midfielder, won three Gold Cups and the 1999 Confederations Cup with his country, but only won one title at club level, with Chivas.Bettering all these achievements is current Atlético Madrid and Argentina full-back Nahuel Molina, who has won the World Cup and two Copa Américas with his country, not to mention the Finalissima against Italy in 2022. At club level, he has won nothing at all.” Molina came close to domestic glory last season, featuring in Atleti’s Copa del Rey final loss to Real Sociedad.As Dirk Maas points out, Tottenham’s Cristian Romero has won the same international tournaments as Molina with a single club honour to his name, the 2025 Europa League. Another of that triumphant Argentina team, Rodrigo De Paul, has a country:club ratio of 4:2 after winning the MLS Cup and Eastern Conference with Inter Miami. Gerónimo Rulli’s ratio is 3:1 after the keeper won the Europa League with Villarreal in 2021.Dirk also found three more examples from the back end of the 20th century: the Argentina pair of Sergio Vázquez (4:2) and Claudio Garcia (3:1), plus France’s Albert Rust (3:1).For the purposes of this answer, an Intertoto Cup counts the same as a Champions League – and the same applies at international level. “God bless the British Home Championship, which gives us a few very good answers,” writes Daz Pearce. “Sir Tom Finney runs away with it as he participated in 10 Home Championship-winning teams with England. The only trophy he won at club level was the old Division Two title with Preston.”“What’s this I hear about Australia being unofficial world champions?” asks Alf Mangle.This is based on the old winner-stays-on format, going right back to the first men’s international fixtures in the 1870s. A very long list of relevant matches – all 1045 of them – can be found here.Argentina ended Qatar 2022 as both official and unofficial world champions. Since then, the lesser, largely meaningless crown has changed hands as often as Ferris Bueller skipped school.Argentina 0-2 Uruguay (World Cup qualifier, 16 November 2023)Uruguay 1-2 Côte d’Ivoire (Friendly, 26 March 2024)Sierra Leone 1-0 Côte d’Ivoire (Afcon qualifier, 15 October 2024)Sierra Leone 1-2 Liberia (African Nations Championship qualifier, 27 October 2024)Algeria 5-1 Liberia (Afcon qualifier, 17 November 2024)Sweden 4-3 Algeria (Friendly, 10 June 2025)Kosovo 2-0 Sweden (World Cup qualifier, 8 September 2025)Kosovo 0-1 Turkey (World Cup playoff, 31 March 2026)Australia 2-0 Turkey (World Cup Group D, 13 June 2026)Australia’s next game is against the United States on Friday. For the love of sanity, nobody tell the White House that the USMNT could become world champions, unofficial or otherwise.“Mexico, Sweden or Germany could go out of the tournament despite winning two of their group games,” noted Paul Blandon in 2018 [In the end they didn’t because Germany lost to South Korea – 2026 ed.]. “Has this ever happened before? And on the flip side, who are the worst-performing teams to get out of their group?”Only one team has been eliminated after finishing third despite winning two of their group games: Algeria, whose loveable 1982 team were stitched up by West Germany and Austria. But this question is muddied slightly by the fact that, from 1986 to 1994, the four best third-placed teams also qualified for the last 16. Had only the top two teams in each group gone through, both Argentina and Belgium would have been eliminated in 1994 despite winning two of their three matches.As for the worst-performing teams to qualify, let’s start at the top: Italy, who finished second in their 1982 group after drawing all three games – and then went on to win the tournament.In 1986, two teams snuck through as one of the “best” third-placed sides after recording two draws and a defeat: Bulgaria and Uruguay after their infamous 0-0 draw with Scotland.Since the tournament went to 32 teams in 1998, and back to the old system in which only the top two teams qualified, Chile have the worst record of a team to reach the last 16. They failed to win a game at France 98 but got through with three draws.2026 update: at the last two men’s World Cups, no team has qualified for the knockout stage with fewer than four points or been eliminated with more than four. That may change now that some third-placed teams will go through to the last 32.“Sweden’s Yasin Ayari has a Tunisian father and chose not not to celebrate his first goal against Tunisia (he couldn’t resist celebrating when he scored later though). Declan Rice did something similar after scoring against the Republic of Ireland in 2024, but what is the earliest example of a player not celebrating a goal at international level because of a connection to the opposition?” asks Michael Pilcher.“Two questions on Dick Advocaat,” begins Luke Carruthers. “1. He has coached eight different men’s international teams – can anybody beat that? 2. He has managed the Netherlands men’s and women’s teams at senior level. How rare is this?”“The three goalkeepers in Scotland’s World Cup squad played a combined total of four league games in 2025-26. Even if you include cup games, they only managed seven appearances. Has a World Cup squad ever contained a complement of custodians with less collective game time?” asks Al Pollock.“New Zealand’s Chris Wood and Tommy Smith are playing at their second World Cup, 16 years after their first,” writes Alexander Scott. “Has any player had a longer wait between World Cup appearances?”“Morocco’s starting XI against Brazil were all born in another country,” notes Alexey Svirin. “Who were the first international team to field such an XI?”“Before signing Marc Cucurella, Real Madrid had no players in Spain’s squad, but 11 of their players are at the World Cup with other countries,” notes Tom Pinder. “Has any other club provided so many players at a finals, without a representative of the (participating) country where they are based?”We’ll have another World Cup Knowledge special next week. Send your World Cup questions and answers to knowledge@theguardian.com.

Football News

Previously unknown players have gained millions of social media followers thanks to attention of tournamentBreakout talent emerges at every World Cup, but in 2026 these players’ actions are not confined to the pitch. Social media has become football’s parallel tournament, an arena where one viral clip can reshape an entire career. Here are some standout risers from the tournament so far.The Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha has become a global sensation after starring in his country’s stunning goalless draw with Spain on Monday. Before the match, reports suggested the 40-year-old had roughly 20,000 followers on social media – that figure now stands at 7.2 million and rising. It’s fair to say Vozinha could end up being one of the faces of the tournament.Payne arrived at the World Cup with a mere 4,715 followers on Instagram. After being picked out by the Argentinian influencer Valen Scarsini in a challenge to find the “least-known player” at the tournament based on social media metrics, the New Zealand defender saw that figure rise to an enormous 5.8 million. Caught by surprise at his sudden rise in social media popularity, Payne posted videos thanking Scarsini for his support. The pair have also subsequently met in the flesh.A couple of days before the World Cup started, the Australia defender saw his Instagram following jump from 3,000 to over 100,000 as part of an internet campaign instigated by the football content creator RubikayTV intended to make the 25-year-old the “the Cristiano Ronaldo of the World Cup” in response to Scarsini’s support for Payne. Trewin is now one of the most well-known players in the Socceroos squad despite not featuring in their 2-0 victory over Turkey on Sunday.A shoutout from the influencer FiagoBall catapulted Curaçao’s back-up goalkeeper from 1,606 to 45.1k followers on Instagram, which is some level of online support for a player who sat on the bench all season for VVV-Venlo in the second tier in the Netherlands and may not feature at all at this World Cup.The Morocco defender is not a viral star having gained a mere 2,000 followers since the start of the World Cup, but he very much remains one to watch after starring for Genk in the Belgian Pro League this season, registering eight goals and four assists in 34 appearances and subsequently being named the best player of African descent in Belgium’s top flight. What he needs now for his profile to truly soar is to play for his country at these finals – he was an unused substitute in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Brazil – and/or for a influencer to shoot him to social media prominence.