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The US forward’s imperious 45 minutes against Senegal put some questions to rest, while his manager still wants to see moreIt wasn’t hard to see how annoyed US men’s national team star Christian Pulisic was getting. Another US national team camp, another friendly on the road to an all-important World Cup at home, and another batch of questions about his goal scoring drought, and the pressure it created for him and the team.Before Sunday, the Milan midfielder hadn’t scored a goal for club or country in nearly six months. His dry spell just with the national team stretched back even further, with Pulisic having last found the back of the net on 19 November 2024, during a Nations League match against Jamaica.By this past March, the US standout sounded exhausted by questions about the drought, always insisting that he felt good about his game and expressing confidence in a return to form. Lackluster performances against Belgium and Portugal did little to end the inquiries. When the US roster was revealed on Tuesday in New York, Pulisic had all but given up trying to hide his annoyance.Pulisic was arguably the most consequential player on the field for the US in a much-needed positive result, a 3-2 win against Senegal that restores some measure of good vibes to the World Cup ho-hosts. After a lovely assist to Sergiño Dest on the US’s opener, Pulisic showed off an even better finish on their second goal, rounding the goalkeeper and finishing neatly from a tough angle off a nice feed behind the backline from Ricardo Pepi.Just like that, Pulisic found himself sprinting, finally, towards the corner flag. He was mobbed by teammates. The celebration felt emotional, visceral even.The questions Pulisic faced in the mixed zone after the match were more easily answered.“Hopefully now people can stop talking about it,” Pulisic told reporters, sounding relieved he could talk about breaking the spell, not extending it.“It felt great,” said Pulisic. “I’ve felt this confidence [the whole time.] I’ve played really well in recent months … I feel good and now, obviously this was just a friendly – we have big games ahead and I have to be ready.”US head coach Mauricio Pochettino has expressed confidence at times in Pulisic, even playing him as a center forward in March in a bid for him to snap out of his funk. At times, though, Pochettino’s praise of his playmaker has felt a bit tempered. That was the case on Sunday, when he answered a reporter’s question about Pulisic’s game and immediately addressed the entire group, not Pulisic alone.“I think for the first time, or second or maybe the third time that we can’t complain that [everyone] had the right attitude and right commitment for the 22 players [that played],” Pochettino said in his press conference. “That’s the attitude that we’re trying to find, the commitment … [Pulisic’s] performance today in 45 minutes was really really good, but I think he still has potential to improve.”It’s worth noting that Pochettino has also provided helpings of no-strings praise toward Pulisic in the past. As recently as last week, he told media that he was certain his star player would score at the World Cup, a ringing endorsement – or a bit of pressure – offered to the man many hope will finish his career as the greatest player in the history of American men’s soccer.The commentary of Pulisic’s teammates was easier to analyze.“Any player goes through high and low moments in their career,” Weston McKennie told reporters. “Obviously I think the outside world may have been worried and questioning ‘what he’s gonna look like, is he gonna be in form?’ But I think Christian has shown countless times at club level and country level that he shows up in the moments that we need him the most. He always has the support from us, the team and his close people around him. We believe in him.“It’s amazing for all of us to witness [the end to the drought], but we move forward and we count on him for a lot of things. He’ll come through when we need him.”It remains to be seen whether Pulisic can stretch his outstanding effort on Sunday into something more sustainable as he approaches the biggest moment of his professional career. Whatever the case, he’ll surely be relieved to stop answering questions about his form.

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West Ham midfielder Tomas Soucek has been named in the Czech Republic squad for this summer's World Cup - their first appearance at the tournament since 2006.With 89 caps to his name, 31-year-old Soucek is the most experienced player selected by head coach Miroslav Koubek.He is joined in the squad by former Hammers team-mate Vladimir Coufal, who joined Hoffenheim in 2025, while Wolves defender Ladislav Krejci also makes the cut.At 17, Sparta Prague midfielder Hugo Sochurek is the youngest player selected, while 10 players from reigning Czech champions Slavia Prague will feature.The expanded 48-team World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico runs from 11 June to 19 July.The Czechs are in Group A and start their campaign against South Korea on 12 June in Guadalajara.They then face South Africa in Atlanta on 18 June before playing co-hosts Mexico a week later in Mexico City.Goalkeepers: Lukas Hornicek (Braga), Matej Kovar (PSV Eindhoven), Jindrich Stanek (Slavia Prague)Defenders: Vladimir Coufal (Hoffenheim), David Doudera (Slavia Prague), Tomas Holes (Slavia Prague), Robin Hranac (Hoffenheim), Stepan Chaloupek (Slavia Prague), David Jurasek (Slavia Prague), Ladislav Krejci (Wolverhampton), Jaroslav Zeleny (Sparta Prague), David Zima (Slavia Prague)Midfielders: Lukas Cerv (Viktoria Plzen), Vladimir Darida (Hradec Kralove), Lukas Provod (Slavia Prague), Michal Sadilek (Slavia Prague), Hugo Sochurek (Sparta Prague), Alexandr Sojka (Viktoria Plzen), Tomas Soucek (West Ham), Pavel Sulc (Olympique Lyonnais), Denis Visinsky (Viktoria Plzen)Forwards: Adam Hlozek (Hoffenheim), Tomas Chory (Slavia Prague), Mojmir Chytil (Slavia Prague), Jan Kuchta (Sparta Prague), Patrik Schick (Bayer Leverkusen)Everything you need to know about the World Cup

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Álex Arce of Paraguay celebrates after qualifying for the World Cup. Photograph: Christian Alvarenga/Getty ImagesAfter a public holiday was declared to celebrate World Cup qualification, expect a physical Paraguay side well prepared for intense conditionsThis article is part of the Guardian’s 2026 World Cup Experts’ Network, a cooperation between some of the best media organisations from the 48 countries who qualified. theguardian.com is running previews from three countries each day in the run-up to the tournament kicking off on 11 June.Paraguay earned their place on football’s greatest stage by going back to their roots: defensive strength and collective intensity. For years the team tried to play a possession-based game without succeeding in either defence or attack. Then, in August 2024, Gustavo Alfaro arrived with a clear message from day one: “Paraguayan DNA, intensity and clean sheets. That’s what will take us to the World Cup.” He was not wrong.The Argentinian coach remained faithful to the 4-4-2 formation in almost every match, only switching to a back five in the high-altitude games against Ecuador and Bolivia. At the World Cup he seems most likely to favour that classic 4-4-2, with perhaps an occasional 4-2-3-1.Since replacing Daniel Garnero – sacked after a dismal Copa América – Alfaro has transformed the team. From his first match, away against Uruguay in Montevideo, Paraguay looked a different side. Subsequent home victories against Brazil and Argentina convinced even the biggest skeptics that the “new” Albirroja was real.During qualifying, Paraguay lost only once away under Alfaro, against Brazil. They earned heroic draws in Bolivia, 4,100m above sea level, in Ecuador at 2,800m, and in the suffocating heat and humidity of Barranquilla against Colombia. Qualification was sealed with a tense 0-0 draw at home against Ecuador. The result triggered euphoria and the country’s president, Santiago Peña, declared the following day a national holiday.While Paraguay’s greatest strength lies in their intensity and physicality, they can also produce good football, building smoothly from the back and relying on the gamechanging talent of Julio Enciso.Gustavo Alfaro has inspired the rebirth of the national team after years of failure. The Argentinian retired as a footballer in 1992, aged 30, to concentrate on a burgeoning coaching career. Relying on toughness and defensive discipline, Alfaro guided humble Arsenal de Sarandí to glory winning the 2007 Copa Sudamericana and the 2012 Argentinian Primera División. Those triumphs defined his whole career and he is still regarded as a defensive coach. He once used a quote widely attributed to the former basketball player and executive Pat Riley to explain his philosophy: “If I want to build an offensive team, the first thing I have to do is work on defensive discipline, otherwise my ass is going to be out of here.”One of his greatest achievements came when he led a young Ecuador side to the 2022 World Cup. A well-read man, who often uses philosophical phrases in press conferences to explain things, Alfaro is also known as “El Cazador (The Hunter)” in reference to the book he wrote after taking La Tri to Qatar, titled Cazadores de Utopías Imposibles, Hunters of Impossible Utopias.Julio Enciso. One of the greatest players produced by Paraguayan football in the last 20 years. La Joya (The Jewel) amazed with his talent in Libertad – who gave jobs to both his mother, a house cleaner, and his father, a street vendor, to convince them to move to Asunción when their son was just 12 – and debuted for the national team at 17 before making the bold leap to the Premier League. He had some good moments in Brighton, scoring a Puskás Award-worthy screamer against Man City, however injuries and managerial changes gradually eroded his impact.Enciso got married and found a new beginning in Strasbourg, where he currently plays. Fast and direct, a difference-maker, a gamechanger in the final third, Enciso is a special talent. In honour of his grandfather, he fulfilled his dream of playing in a World Cup: “I dedicate this to him. He’s surely watching me from heaven.”Damián Bobadilla. Unlike his father, the former goalkeeper Aldo Bobadilla, Damián Bobadilla never put on the gloves. And it’s a good thing he didn’t – he has become an excellent midfielder. But his father remains his great hero. “My dad didn’t have a cape, but he flew from post to post,” he once said affectionately. Bobadilla burst onto the scene at his boyhood club Cerro Porteño in 2021, showing all the strengths of a high-quality box-to-box midfielder: physicality, calmness, and clever decision-making. Since 2024 he has been playing for São Paulo in Brazil’s top division, where he has already established himself as one of the team’s key players. Now 24, if he continues performing at this level he looks ready for the next big step in his career.The entire team structure relies on Andrés Cubas. He provides balance, wins duels and fights for every ball as if it were his last challenge. Although he is primarily a defensive midfielder, Cubas is also capable of initiating quick transitions into attack after regaining possession. Born in Argentina, and a former Argentina international at under-20 level, Cubas promised his mother – who was born in Paraguay – that he would represent her country if he was given the chance. At 5ft 6in he is not physically imposing, but his intelligence, positioning and tenacity more than make up for it.Travel agencies in Paraguay are offering round-trip packages to the United States that include tickets to all three group-stage matches, with prices starting from US$20,000 (£15,000). Considering the average monthly wage in the country is around $450 it is an enormous sum. Nevertheless, thousands of Paraguayans fans are expected to make the journey to the World Cup after a 16-year absence. The streets of Inglewood and Santa Clara are likely to be filled with red, white and blue – not the stars and stripes, but the traditional Tricolor of Paraguay and the Albirroja jersey. And those colours will be joined by the iconic chanting: “La Albirroooo, la Albirroooo, la Albirroja, la Albirroooo!” on repeat.Paraguay and the US have been long-term allies and there has been little to suggest that is about to change: Peña, the 47-year-old who has served as president of Paraguay since 2023, described Donald Trump’s reelection as “a dream come true”, while Marco Rubio described Peña as a “strong American ally”. Earlier this year, however, Trump described his Paraguayan counterpart as a “young, handsome guy”, which turned out not to be as positive as it initially appears. “It’s always nice to be young and handsome. It doesn’t mean we have to like you,” Trump continued. “I don’t like young, handsome men. Women, I like. Men, I don’t have any interest.”Written by Christian Pérez and Óscar Gómez for VS Sports.

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Mauricio Pochettino hold new Nike footwear during USMNT training. Photograph: John Dorton/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty ImagesOptimism is not high for Mauricio Pochettino’s co-hosts, who are under pressure to justify fans’ considerable outlay on ticketsThis article is part of the Guardian’s 2026 World Cup Experts’ Network, a cooperation between some of the best media organisations from the 48 countries who qualified. theguardian.com is running previews from three countries each day in the run-up to the tournament kicking off on 11 June.Host nations get a direct runway to the tournament field, but a qualifying campaign would have likely helped clarify the USA’s ideal approach.While Mauricio Pochettino has overseen immense tactical fluctuation throughout his half-cycle in charge, the aim is always to retain at least shared custody of proceedings. The USA had about 60% of possession against lower-ranked opponents such as Paraguay, Australia, and Ecuador last autumn, while clashes with presumed favorites (recently: Uruguay, Japan, and Belgium) saw closer to a 50/50 split. Pochettino’s longtime penchant for high pressing has largely been absent in this role, instead focusing on establishing a mid-block defense to try limiting the opponent’s final-third touches.In possession, the USA works to string passing sequences up the channel, recently utilising a pair of attacking midfielders and a double-pivot behind them to better navigate the middle of the park. Width almost entirely falls on full-backs or wingbacks, with midfielders occasionally drifting off-center to create numerical advantages.Despite a thin center-back corps, Pochettino saw great success with a back three and wingbacks last fall … only to revert to a 4-2-3-1 in a disastrous 5-2 thrashing against Belgium in March.Both formations largely operate the same, with a 3-2-5 in possession and a 4-4-2 or 5-3-2 when defending. It’s a classic predicament of personnel: will Pochettino get his team in its best structure with five defenders (the 5-1 win over Uruguay), or get more of his best players on the pitch in spite of the tactical ramifications (the Belgium bummer)?“Belgium and Portugal have, in the top 100 players, [a] few or some players in that top 100. I think we don’t have [any],” Pochettino said after a 2-0 loss to Portugal. It was their final match before his squad was named. Gulp!While they may not be world-beaters, Pochettino’s 26 picks have received the more welcome WhatsApps and emails than those left off the squad. There are proven glue guys who help the squad regardless of their on-field roles, and a determination for a more harmonious environment than four years ago. Once the whistle blows, this group remains determined to show they can control games more than the bunker-and-counter iterations of bygone World Cups. All that’s left for them to do is to play in such a stylish manner and get results against top opposition.One of a few celebrity managers at this tournament, Mauricio Pochettino opted to test international soccer after a grueling and thankless stint with Chelsea. As a player, he represented Argentina at the 2002 World Cup, offering physicality and sharp tactical reading at center-back. He’s forever a beloved figure in some parts of north London after guiding Tottenham through its best stretch of the modern era. Appointed in 2024 after the USMNT went out in the groups at a home Copa América under Gregg Berhalter, Pochettino is expected to return to the club scene following this tournament.While Pochettino and the Guardian’s voting panel have omitted him from the top 100 players in the world, Christian Pulisic is a proven match-winner for the USA and Milan alike. The 27-year-old has been the face of the program since it missed out on the 2018 World Cup, bearing immense pressure to lead the USMNT into a brave new era of contention rather than competence. This year has been tough for the Hershey-born forward, goalless since last December in all arenas. Nonetheless, his ability to bypass opponents and set up a shot makes him a marking priority in every match.Following the exits of Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey, the USA got through the 2022 cycle with a striker-by-committee approach. It was a coup, then, when Folarin Balogun committed to his birth nation over England and Nigeria: an Arsenal-raised striker worth more than $40m in the transfer market. Balogun is a fine finisher, with the requisite movement to earn tap-ins away from opponents and the turn-and-shoot chops to fire from just about anywhere inside 25 yards with the right service. His form with Monaco has fluctuated but he was largely in-form this spring. He’s the latest danger man to wear the No 20 shirt for the USA, following Brian McBride.Aside from possibly Tyler Adams, no player is more irreplaceable in this USA roster than Chris Richards. An FA Cup winner with Crystal Palace in 2025, Richards is the surest presence along the backline in the program, a modern center-back with strong defensive rates on the ground or aerially and the range of passing to work into possession schemes. His club exploits were largely overshadowed by Marc Guéhi’s until the England man’s departure; similarly, his partnership with Tim Ream was an unheralded strength for much of this cycle. A dependable set of shifts this summer could inspire the next generation to appreciate the art of defending.Optimism is in short supply after the calamitous March window, coupled with feeling wrung out for every dollar with this World Cup’s pricing model. The rates are so lavish, in fact, that it’s hard to guarantee similar support to past tournaments with far friendlier pricing models. The four-figure get-in point could alter morale in the stands with more pressure to justify the outlay. You know the rest: red, white and blue, “U-S-A! U-S-A!” and cosplayers as Revolution patriots and bald eagles abound.While hosting the 1994 World Cup catalyzed this nation’s interest in the game, 2026 was seen as a trampoline upon which the sport would spring to even more prominence. Domestic leagues have synced their mid-to-long-term planning with this summer hoping to maximize reach to newcomers. If fans don’t flock (again: it’s insanely expensive to get in) to find their local club, some worry about attrition among the investor class.As for the lads on the field: last-16 exits in 2010, 2014, and 2022 have left the program without a quarter-final showing since 2002. They were once hyped as a possible golden generation and a deep run would make amends for an up-and-down cycle and justify Pochettino’s lavish wages. If not, fans will be eager to get on to the next generation in hopes of becoming a bona fide top-10 team worldwide.

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The US probably won’t start their A-team for both friendlies against Senegal and Germany, but the games are still opportunities to build momentumThe 26-man squad has been confirmed. The disappointing emails and uplifting WhatsApp videos have been sent. And so, the US men’s national team’s World Cup campaign begins in earnest.Much about the co-hosts’ impending tournament feels unrefined, although that may have been inevitable. Hosting the World Cup ensures a spot in the 48-team field, but robs a team of the qualifying gauntlet that can clarify who can handle the pressure and identify a group’s core. These issues were further compounded by the mid-cycle appointment of Mauricio Pochettino, with his initially thin grasp on his player pool leaving most of his tenure to assess individuals before he could refine a collective.We’re unlikely to see an A-team start both friendlies against Senegal (Sunday in Charlotte, North Carolina) and Germany (6 June in Chicago), and Pochettino won’t want to reveal his entire gameplan before the group-stage opener against Paraguay on 12 June.“I’ve thought of it a little bit,” Pochettino said Thursday when asked if he knows his best lineup. “I am honest. The only thing that can change is that sometimes watching them in training, I think, ‘Oof. I was thinking in that but now I don’t see.’ [I have had the XI in mind since] before March. But we’ll see. I will let you know.”These shifts will be closely studied by the rest of Group D as they finalize their preparation. Still, a team’s final tune-ups can be crucial for refining rotations and building momentum.This is arguably the top priority. Pulisic is in a stretch of scoring futility that would make Job blush.From 1 January onward, Pulisic took 38 shots for Milan without a goal. In the USMNT’s March friendlies, he tried another six attempts without rippling the net. All told, he has played 1,164 consecutive minutes for club and country without scoring – just shy of 13 full matches.Surely, his dry spell has to snap before the tournament commences. And surely, it can be done without a second ill-advised experiment like the one against Portugal, when Pochettino gave Pulisic a half-time hook after he struggled in a rare start at center forward.Although Pochettino alternates between deploying a pair of wingers or two attacking midfielders in the channels, either approach can suit Pulisic. He has been a mainstay at left wing for the US, scoring most of his 32 international goals in that role. Since joining Milan, he’s been a threat as the right-sided attacking midfielder, getting more looks in width of the goal without needing to set up a shot with his dribble.He’s one of very few players who could start both games – unless he scores against Senegal, at which point rest may be more important if the slump has ended.While Pochettino contends that wing-backs are hardly defenders – a based take, having watched many wing-backs struggle when retreating to a full-back’s station – US Soccer listed 10 defenders in its squad announcement. Initial reactions (including this author’s) assumed that was a sign that this team will play with three center-backs and a pair of wing-backs rather than the program’s decades-long preference for a back four.In reality, both base shapes have operated very similarly under Pochettino.In possession, the team advances upfield in a 3-2-5. Both wide defenders are given license to join the attack. In a back four, this usually means one of the defensive midfielders drops deep to provide defensive cover, while a nominal winger or attacking midfielder withdraws slightly to accommodate the overlap. Out of possession, the US usually shift to a 4-4-2 or a 5-3-2, with Pulisic staying level with his striker and the other winger or attacking midfielder joining the holding midfielders to fortify the center of the field.By and large, nine of the selected defenders have obvious roles to fill in these shapes: six among the stay-back brigade, and three upfield advancers. The sole exception is Freeman, who has proved dependable in both approaches to transition phases.At last summer’s Gold Cup, Freeman mostly worked the overlap on the right, playing all but three minutes of the USMNT’s six-match campaign. That role is the natural fit for Sergiño Dest, who has reached the World Cup in good form after logging more than 2,000 league minutes for just the second time in his eight-year career. Freeman started three of Villarreal’s final La Liga games at right-back.Uncapped at this time last year, Freeman has since become one of Pochettino’s most trusted charges. He’s one of just four players to appear in all eight post-Gold Cup friendlies, along with Max Arfsten, Cristian Roldan and Folarin Balogun. These friendlies could clarify whether he enters this World Cup as Dest’s understudy or as another wide center-back – the latter of which may complicate Joe Scally’s path to minutes.The expanded 26-man squad affords teams greater flexibility to pick specialists or players who are unlikely to be 90-minute options. Game situations always have the most outsized influence on who and when checks in from the bench, but these friendlies may show a player or two who’s primed to serve as a super-sub.The most obvious candidate is Gio Reyna. His late-summer move to Borussia Mönchengladbach did little to help his playing time: he logged 520 Bundesliga minutes across 19 games (four starts). That’s narrowly ahead of how Borussia Dortmund deployed him in 2024/25 (350 minutes).The last time Reyna exceeded 625 league minutes in a season: 2020-21, when he earned 1,976 minutes playing alongside Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham and Jadon Sancho.There’s a scenario in which Reyna logs more minutes in a hypothetical quarter-final run – remember, there’s a round of 32 now – than he did in a club season. But it’s more likely he’ll be among the first options off the bench to change a game against tiring defenders.Striker is another area to watch, with Balogun likely to start whenever available. The Monaco forward has rare quick-turn-and-shoot accuracy and can maneuver in transition at a similar pace to his most fleet-footed teammates. Without Patrick Agyemang, who logged the most minutes up top of any player under Pochettino but missed out on the World Cup with an achilles injury, Ricardo Pepi and Haji Wright will jockey to be the chief alternative. Wright saw more action after the Gold Cup, with 132 minutes to Pepi’s 37, but Pepi’s pressing led to a consolation goal against Belgium.Entering the friendlies, Wright has scored seven goals from 20 caps; Pepi arrives with 13 international goals from 35 caps. Neither is unproven nor a wild card for this level. A timely goal or thankless work in buildup could earn them more minutes when crunchtime comes.

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ShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleLewis AdamsEssexEx-England goalkeeper Peter Shilton said he was too frightened to get help with his gambling addiction, out of fear it would leak in the press.The 76-year-old, who lives on Mersea Island in Essex, lost more than £1m betting on horseracing over 45 years, but he quit in 2015.He has now launched a charity to help other addicts, called Shiltons' Silverlining, and said using his platform was a "no-brainer"."It affects you in so many ways and it's a silent illness that's getting worse and worse," Shilton told BBC Essex presenter Ben Fryer.He is England's most-capped player with 125 appearances, and he played in the World Cup finals of 1982, 1986 and 1990 while also turning out for Nottingham Forest and Leicester City at club level.Shilton has long credited his addiction counsellor wife, Steph, with helping him to kick the gambling habit."Being quite well known, it's difficult [to get help] because you're frightened it's going to get out and somebody's going to [write] it in the press, it's going to go haywire," he said."That's why Steph was so good. She worked on me over a period of time until it finally clicked. It is a terrible, silent disease."The legendary goalkeeper, who famously conceded Diego Maradona's "Hand of God" goal in 1986, said his charity would help gamblers rehabilitate themselves and manage their debts, and offer prevention work.It has been backed by his former teammates Gary Lineker, Terry Butcher and Paul Parker, as well as cricket icon Graham Gooch.There are between 117 and 496 suicides associated with problem gambling every year, according to government figures.If you, or someone you know, has been affected by addiction, the following organisations at BBC Action Line may be able to help.Steph Shilton said those "heartbreaking" numbers inspired them to set the charity up."Peter just looked at me and said, 'We're not doing enough, we need to be doing more.' They're unnecessary deaths and it's so heartbreaking," she said.Shilton, whose club career also included playing for Southampton, Stoke City, Derby County and Plymouth Argyle, added: "It's so easy to get drawn in."It's always looked upon with the advertising as fun - 'Let's all get together and have a good time'."But there's a dark time to it, which we know, and that's why we want to help people who've reached a bad place."Do you have a story suggestion for Essex? Contact us below.Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.

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Gabriel Magalhães has established himself as one of the best centre-backs in the world. Photograph: Foto Arena LTDA/AlamyUnimpressive in qualification, fans will be hoping Carlo Ancelotti can get the best out of Vinícius Júnior, as he did at Real MadridThis article is part of the Guardian’s 2026 World Cup Experts’ Network, a cooperation between some of the best media organisations from the 48 countries who qualified. theguardian.com is running previews from three countries each day in the run-up to the tournament kicking off on 11 June.Brazil went on a true rollercoaster ride to reach the 2026 World Cup. There was a political crisis within the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) which led to a change in presidency. On the pitch it was just as bad, if not worse. It was the country’s worst qualifying campaign ever with defeats in Argentina, Colombia, Uruguay, Paraguay and Bolivia, as well as a historic home defeat – a first in World Cup qualifying – by Lionel Messi and co.After the 4-1 reverse in Buenos Aires in March 2025, the head coach Dorival Júnior was sacked and there were even fears Brazil would miss out on the tournament. However, the South American qualifying – with six direct spots for 10 teams – is extremely forgiving and there was renewed hope, not only for qualification but for the actual tournament, when Carlo Ancelotti was appointed in May 2025.Brazil go into the World Cup with the intention of playing a 4-2-4 formation, which has been Ancelotti’s preferred tactical set-up since his arrival. However, the Italian has lost several important players to injury, such as Eder Militão, Rodrygo and Estêvão. “Considering the players we have at our disposal we believe the best model of play for us is to go with four up front,” Ancelotti said in March. A week before the World Cup the full-back Wesley was ruled out with a thigh injury. Ancelotti responded by calling up the midfielder Éderson as a replacement.In this system the defensive midfielders have to support the defence. The lack of high-level full-backs is a concern, especially for a country long accustomed to players such as Cafu, Roberto Carlos, Marcelo and Dani Alves among others.The question of whether Neymar would make the World Cup dominated the buildup to the squad announcement and in the end the 34-year-old Santos forward had done just enough to get a place in Ancelotti’s 26-man squad. “We realised that in this last period he had continuity and was in good physical condition,” the coach said.However, he has now suffered a new calf injury is unlikely to start. He could even miss out on the whole tournament. Without a true No 9, Ancelotti’s Brazil showed in the friendlies against France and Croatia in March that they will rely on counterattacks and pace, exploiting the potential of Vinícius Júnior, much like Ancelotti did so successfully during his second spell at Real Madrid.Carlo Ancelotti has won everything – and in every possible way – throughout his career as a club manager. He is one of the most successful managers ever and has won a record five Champions League titles. Now, at the age of 66 – he turns 67 the day before the World Cup starts – he has embarked on a whole new adventure. “Coaching Brazil is highly motivating,” he told Estadão in 2025. “I believe this is one of the most important moments of my career.” The start to life in Brazil was not easy because of injuries to key players, defeats against Bolivia, Japan and France and the very strong pressure to select Neymar. But the likable Italian seems as unruffled as always. “I’m not obsessed with winning,” Ancelotti told the Guardian in May. “What I have is a passion for enjoying the moments that football has given me.”Viní Jr’s status as one of the best players on the planet is indisputable but he has, so far, never managed to replicate his Real Madrid performances with the Brazil national team, where he has, at the time of writing, played 47 matches, scoring just eight goals and providing seven assists. This is his chance to change that narrative as he will wear the historic No 10 shirt and be the team’s star at the 2026 World Cup. “If Vinícius is focused on the game, focused on his football, he is the best in the world,” Casemiro told the newspaper As in 2025. “In that way, he is the best. But that’s not easy, because he is constantly provoked.”Endrick needed to take a step back in order to move two steps forward. Overlooked at Real Madrid by Xabi Alonso he was loaned to Lyon in January and rediscovered his form, making 12 goal contributions in 17 Ligue 1 games. Ancelotti did not hesitate to call him up in March and against Croatia, having come on as a substitute, he proved the impetus as the Seleção won 3-1 with two late goals. He may not be in Ancelotti’s starting XI at the start of the tournament but be not surprised if he is later on.During Arsenal’s climb to the top of the game in England and Europe, Gabriel Magalhães has established himself as one of the best centre-backs in the world. At the World Cup, much will be made of the performances and likely goals from Raphinha and Viní Jr or even Alisson’s saves, but all of that will count for nothing if Gabriel does not hold the defence together. “When you talk about the Brazilian national team, you have to work every day, work at your club so you can arrive here in top form,” Gabriel said in 2025. “I know I’m doing very well, but I also know the level I can still reach.”This World Cup will not feel like playing away for Brazil. According to the government, more than 2.8 million Brazilians live in the United States, most of them in the New York and Miami regions, where Brazil will play two of their three group games. In addition, many fans, possibly as many as hundreds of thousands, are expected to travel to North America for the tournament. The supporters’ group Movimento Verde Amarelo will be present and has the backing of fan groups from 40 different Brazilian football clubs. This should make venues such as MetLife Stadium and Hard Rock Stadium feel as close as possible to the Maracanã.The players and the CBF are staying well out of politics for this World Cup but Brazil and the US had a disagreement in March when president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said he had “forbidden” one of Donald Trump’s advisers from visiting the South American country. That was in retaliation for his health minister being denied a US visa. The two met recently at the White House and, while Trump said discussions had been “very good”, the two governments do not agree on key issues such as crime and trade.

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Charlotte FC’s Tim Ream appears to be in pole position to lead the US on the field this summer, but there are many factors to considerIf you want to get US men’s national team head coach Mauricio Pochettino started, just use one word: leadership.The former Tottenham Hotspur manager is famously well-studied on the subject and there are no shortage of clips of him waxing poetic about it. He’s led players over hot coals, or had them press their neck up against the tip of an arrow and lean into it until it shatters. Ask Mauricio Pochettino about leadership and the words he’ll sprinkle into his answers will overlap heavily with late-night self-help ads, his sentences dotted with words like aura, bravery and self-determination. “I don’t want to spend too much time on this,” Pochettino said, laughing, when asked by the Guardian in March about his leadership style. He then spent roughly a third of his press conference unpacking his views. “Leadership is not something you can buy in a supermarket.”Pochettino’s job, of course, is to lead from the sidelines, and to be among the public-facing faces of the program. But on the field, leadership is largely the job of his captain. And ahead of the 2026 World Cup, there’s been no official announcement of who that will be.“Your guess is as good as mine, honestly,” said midfielder Tyler Adams, who captained the US at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. “I [couldn’t] care less. It’s a privilege and an honor, anybody that gets to wear the armband. But what I represent, how I lead, I think anybody that plays with me knows that I’m a leader, whether I’m wearing the armband or not. It is what it is.”Pochettino has rotated the captaincy throughout his tenure, handing the armband most recently to Christian Pulisic and Chris Richards in friendlies against Portugal and Belgium this March. But 38-year-old Charlotte FC defender Tim Ream has served as captain most often – 16 times out of Pochettino’s 23 games in charge.“He has the experience, he knows what it means to play in Europe and travel here (to play with the national team),” said Pochettino. “He has the values and the humanity and character to have the capacity to help the team day to day. In a national team you don’t need to do too much. You need to do the right things. Sometimes you need to say one word and sometimes you need to not talk, if you want to be a good leader.”Aside from Ream, relatively few of the US’s World Cup squad regularly serve as captain for their club team – and the few that do mostly play in MLS. Miles Robinson is often FC Cincinnati’s captain when fit, while Cristian Roldan is practically synonymous with the leadership of the Seattle Sounders. A handful of others have worn the armband for their clubs, but more occasionally: Alejandro Zendejas at Club América, Auston Trusty at Celtic, Antonee Robinson at Fulham, Weston McKennie at Juventus and goalkeeper Matt Turner with the New England Revolution.“Of course it’s important, who is captain,” said former USMNT attacker Jozy Altidore, who captained the US during a handful of World Cup qualifiers and friendlies. “You’re first one out of the tunnel, it’s very important especially in a home World Cup. But when I see this group I see a bunch of leaders. Maybe they didn’t start that way but now they’re most certainly leaders, in terms of how they’ve played at their clubs, how they’ve developed as young men … I think when you have a World Cup team, you’d like to think the 26 guys you’ve selected are all team leaders.”For all of his success with the national team, Landon Donovan only captained the squad in roughly 10% of his appearances, thanks to his tenure largely overlapping with defender Carlos Bocanegra, the program’s all-time leader in captaincies. Donovan captained the LA Galaxy for two different stretches and famously gave up the armband to David Beckham when he arrived in 2007, reclaiming it two years later. Donovan is a veteran of three World Cups.“In those tournaments, it didn’t really matter who was wearing the armband,” Donovan told the Guardian on Thursday. “It really didn’t. Almost everyone on the field was wearing the armband for their club team. Whether it was Carlos, or Claudio (Reyna), or (Jeff) Agoos, it didn’t really matter because there were at least six or seven or eight guys who wore the armband for their club team or who were leaders with their club team. The difference with this team is there actually aren’t many of those players. If you just went through the roster and put together a potential lineup, [you have a few] but that’s kind of it, right? I do think there’s more importance this time in who the captain is. My guess would be that it’s Tim Ream.”Ream has shied away from specifically addressing the captaincy, calling himself just another “cog in the machine” in an interview during Fox’ roster reveal earlier this week. Yet he’s proven to be Pochettino’s most consistent choice. Should he see action this summer, as he almost inevitably will, he will become the oldest player in the history of the USMNT to appear at a World Cup, narrowly beating 1994 World Cup veteran Fernando Clavijo by a matter of months.His standing within the group – Ream is widely liked and respected – is another reason he seems the safe money in terms of the captaincy. And there are other considerations, as well. At World Cups, captains are usually the players called to accompany a team’s manager to pregame press conferences that tend to draw the largest crowds. And on the field, this summer’s tournament will be the first in which captains will be relied upon as the primary mode of communication with the referee. In both cases, keeping a cool head is key.Ream certainly has that. But Pochettino frequently proved full of surprises. It’s entirely possible that he throws the captaincy elsewhere, perhaps sensing a shift in energy.“Leadership is not to score three goals or save three penalties,” said Pochettino. “It’s to make cohesion. It’s to provide the tools to the group to find the dynamic, to be alive, to feel the energy, to create energy. At the moment, though, who leads the national team is who needs to lead in every single team or in every single club or national team.”“It is the coach,” said Pochettino, laughing. “Sorry.”

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It comes as the attorneys general of New York and New Jersey officially launched an investigation into Fifa's practices.New Jersey attorney general Jennifer Davenport called the process a "gauntlet of confusion, fake scarcity and impossibly high prices".She added there would be a "thorough investigation of Fifa's conduct" with world football's governing body subpoenaed to provide information.A subpoena compels a party to release specified internal documents or information.Davenport made a joint announcement alongside New York attorney general Letitia James and the New York City department of consumer and worker protection (DCWP).DCWP commissioner Samuel AA Levine said the body would be taking "allegations of blatantly deceptive conduct very seriously" and would look into allegations of "artificially inflating prices".In particular, Fifa has been asked to explain why tickets have "exceeded the prices for any previous World Cup tournament".Fans have reported they were "misled" about the location of seats, including through the creation of more expensive 'front' category tickets released after the initial sales.It is also alleged variable pricing through various phases had allowed Fifa to raise prices for about 90 of the 104 fixtures by an average of 34%.The investigation will consider how the ticket release schedule and public statements may have impacted prices.World Cup transport prices cut after fan backlashBut as of Wednesday, there were face-value tickets available for 86 of the 104 matches and all but 10 of the group-stage matches, for which the fixtures have long been known.The attorneys general in particular highlighted the cost of tickets for eight matches, including the final, at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey."Being honest about ticket sales is not complicated," Davenport said. "It's an honour to host the World Cup but the event is not an invitation to exploit our residents and visitors."James said local residents "deserve a fair shot at affordable tickets"."No-one should be manipulated into paying sky-high prices for seats and fans should be able to trust that the tickets they purchase will be the ones they receive," James added.Levine said supporters should expect "transparency and fairness" when buying tickets for the World Cup."Reports of Fifa conduct in violation of the city's consumer protection law, including misleading fans about seat locations and artificially inflating prices, are deeply troubling," Levine said.The investigation comes after California attorney general Rob Bonta sent a letter to Fifa, external raising concerns about "potentially misleading ticketing practices" earlier this month.Local organisers have been at loggerheads with Fifa for the past few months over high costs.New Jersey governor Mikie Sherrill previously criticised Fifa's refusal to subsidise transport at the event and insisted local taxpayers would not foot the bill.After initially announcing a train ticket would cost $150 (£111), earlier this month NJ Transit backtracked and reduced the fare to $98 (£73).Rail journeys from Penn Station in Manhattan to the venue - a distance of about 18 miles - are normally $12.90 (£9.50) for a return fare.Everything you need to know about the World Cup

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England have announced their squad for the 2026 World Cup.Thomas Tuchel named his 26-man squad on Friday, with England's tournament getting under way against Croatia on 17 June, before further group games against Ghana and Panama.Now that the squad has been announced, it is time to pick the line-up you want to see Tuchel deploy in the United States.The World Cup, which takes place across the US, Mexico and Canada, starts on 11 June.Meet the 26 players in England's World Cup squad'Tuchel's gambles and iron conviction position him as the anti-Southgate'

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580 CommentsBy the time the England World Cup squad was officially announced on Friday morning there had been more plot twists than an Agatha Christie novel. While the likes of Phil Foden, Cole Palmer, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Harry Maguire had that feeling of a rug being pulled out from under them, Ivan Toney represents one of manager Thomas Tuchel's big reveals.The 30-year-old Al-Ahli forward has not featured for England for almost 12 months since making his only appearance under the German - and that was as an 88th-minute substitute in a defeat by Senegal at the City Ground.So having been left out of the past four squads, why has Tuchel decided to bring the forward back in from the international wilderness?The former Brentford striker was part of Gareth Southgate's squad at Euro 2024, when England lost in the final to Spain.And he is expected to play a similar role this time, as a back-up to Harry Kane, with all three of his appearances in that tournament coming as a late substitute when England were chasing the game.He also showcased his formidable penalty-taking qualities in the last eight, scoring from the spot in the shootout victory over Switzerland, when he found the net without looking at the ball as he stared down the keeper.Toney's record of 36 goals in 85 Premier League games equates to almost a goal every other game and he has been even more prolific in the Saudi Pro League, where he has plundered 55 goals in 62 matches over two seasons.For context, Portugal great Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 53 times in 60 appearances in the same competition."[It was] also a bit of a surprise to us [his inclusion]," said Tuchel. "When it came down to all different kinds of scenarios he was back in the picture."I had fantastic feedback from his club coach [Matthias Jaissle], who was my player [when Tuchel coached Stuttgart's youth team], and I have a close connection with him, always fantastic feedback about his role there, about his ability, his fitness."'Tuchel's gambles and iron conviction position him as the anti-Southgate'This season, Toney finished second in the domestic scoring charts with 32 goals in 32 games - he evens boasts more assists and a better shot conversion rate than Bayern Munich forward Kane.Just what those goals are worth outside Europe's top five leagues is yet to be seen, but on numbers alone his record stands up to scrutiny against any English striker around.Given he is also one of only three centre-forwards selected by Tuchel, with Ollie Watkins also in the squad, it does not feel like a position that is overmanned given that 26 squad places were up for grabs.Previous Three Lions squads at major tournaments have at times included four or five personnel for the exact same position.The argument against his inclusion would ask why England need another forward aside from Kane and Watkins, given modern-day formational switches and a dearth of top-quality options for that position?Detractors would also argue Toney's place should be used to accommodate another of those multi-talented number 10s who have been left behind.However, former Chelsea and Paris St-Germain boss Tuchel could make a viable case for leaving behind Palmer and Foden, who have not hit previous heights in 2025-26.Instead he has gone for a player brimming with confidence and one that is accustomed to dealing with the intense temperatures that England will encounter this summer at the tournament in the US, Mexico and Canada."We could see that he still collects the numbers. I think he has very special skills that could help us, the situations, scenarios when we are chasing a result," added Tuchel."I think he can be a very valuable addition to Harry Kane, he can be present in the box when we are pushing for a goal."He can take attention off other strikers, he has a natural presence within the box, he is a natural finisher, he can help us with set-pieces - he is very strong in there. Very good in using his body and not to forget, he is a world class penalty taker. He ticks some boxes that we wanted to be ticked."The Three Lions, who reached the semi-finals in Russia in 2018 and the quarter-finals in Qatar four years ago, face Croatia in their opening Group L fixture on Wednesday, 17 June (21:00 BST).Starting at Northampton, Toney moved to Newcastle but was sent out on six different loan spells before joining Peterborough. He scored in all four of the top divisions in English football before settling at Brentford in 2020.Toney scored as Brentford beat Swansea 2-0 at Wembley to win promotion to the Premier League in 2021. And it was at the Bees where he peaked, with 20 league goals in the 2022-23 season.Toney has, however, been a bit of a late bloomer. He was 27 years old when he won his first England cap. In comparison, Kane had 46 caps by that stage - while Wayne Rooney had 78.His career has also been marked with controversy. In May 2023 he was banned from playing for eight months for 232 breaches of the Football Association's betting rules.Toney scored on his return from his ban in a 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest in January 2024 and then netted for the Three Lions in a March friendly draw with Belgium.He was included in the England squad for Euro 2024 and played in the final against Spain, but was left out of the Brentford squad on his return because of transfer speculation.Toney opted to join Al-Ahli in August 2024 for £40m. It was reported that his four-year-deal with the Saudi side would earn him £400,000 per week after tax.

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Chief football writerPublished22 May 20262265 CommentsEngland head coach Thomas Tuchel has never hidden from taking tough decisions or throwing down wild cards, so his eyebrow-raising World Cup squad follows true to form.Whether it was leaving Jude Bellingham out of England's squad when Real Madrid's superstar wanted to be included, or announcing Harry Maguire was only fifth choice in central defence after an impressive return to international duty in March, Tuchel refuses to bend to the popular mood or a star system.If predecessor Gareth Southgate was criticised for being cloaked in conservatism and playing it safe, Tuchel's iron will in following his instincts has now effectively positioned himself as the anti-Southgate.As ever, Tuchel had iron-clad confidence in his selection, saying: "We have specialists with us. Specialists for all kinds of different scenarios - when we are leading, when we are chasing a game, a result."We've always said we want to be a strong set-piece team, so we have specialists for that and we want to be a strong penalty team, we have specialists for that."Tuchel has mentioned "proof of concept" in the past, which will come in a matter of weeks, but there is no doubt there is a heavy element of a gambler's roll of the dice in almost every position with this England squad.Why Tuchel wanted Toney back in England pictureToney the wildest of wild cardsIvan Toney's sudden return to England's squad after a year out is both a remarkable act of faith – or change of heart - on Tuchel's part as well as a condemnation of others who had claims on being Harry Kane's understudy.It is also another sign of what is surely England and Tuchel's biggest fear – how can they cope should misfortune befall all-time record goalscorer Kane?Quite how 30-year-old Toney has worked his way back into Tuchel's consciousness is intriguing, given he was summoned from Saudi Arabia a year ago for a World Cup qualifier away to Andorra then a friendly at home to Senegal, given two minutes as a substitute in the latter as England lost 3-1, then was dispatched never to be seen again.Until now. Until Tuchel laid out his World Cup masterplan.Toney has scored 42 goals for his Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli this season, not necessarily the acid test of international quality, but this pick has not come from left field. It has come from a different continent.It may be that Toney has the cool temperament required in the heat of World Cup combat, and he is a penalty expert of course, but why has Tuchel left his selection until now after trying Dominic Calvert-Lewin and ignored the claims of Brighton veteran Danny Welbeck?If he felt Toney was going to be part of his World Cup plans for those March friendlies, why not pick him then?Tuchel has come up with an emphatic answer to the question of whether Manchester City's Phil Foden or Chelsea's Cole Palmer should make his squad – neither.In reality, Foden or Palmer can have no complaints based on form this season. Nottingham Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White and Bournemouth's Alex Scott can be equally, if not more, aggrieved.And Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton, a smooth mover and passer but maybe not quite intense enough for Tuchel's liking, might just be the most disappointed of all.England's midfield has great talent, but could Tuchel not have made room for one more creator in that area rather than effectively pick two understudies to Harry Kane in Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins, who deserves to go on current form, and Toney?Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson will form the bedrock of England's midfield, but there was certainly a strong case for either Wharton or Gibbs-White to make the plane.Kobbie Mainoo's renaissance under Michael Carrick at Manchester United in the second half of the season got him a place in the squad, as did his previous successes at club level."We have a huge chunk of youthfulness in the squad" said Tuchel. "We have six players who have won titles with the under-21s."We have Kobbie Mainoo, who is still young and has won his titles, we have Nico O'Reilly on top who is young and already won his medals."Further thorny issues will become clearer soon, such as who gets the nod between Bellingham or Aston Villa's outstanding Morgan Rogers in the number ten role.Tuchel has never swayed from his belief the influence Brentford's Jordan Henderson, who will be 36 on the day England play their first game against Croatia, has on his squad. It is hard, though, to see him getting many minutes at the World Cup.Once again, as he has done since he took over, Tuchel has conviction in his principles and has stuck to them firmly.He said: "The squad has a significant number of players that will compete for starting minutes and starting places, that also gives us the chance to rotate on a high level and a significant number of players who carry the sportive responsibility on the highest level."World Cup 2026: Every nation's squad as they are announcedThis will cut no ice with Tuchel, but his defensive selection will come under serious scrutiny.John Stones, on sheer class and ability alone, would usually start England's first game at the World Cup, but this selection is high-risk based on his recent fitness record.Stones, who leaves Manchester City after their final game this Sunday, has only started four Premier League games this season, 12 in all, so Tuchel's fingers will be crossed.He may even be forced to return to Maguire should Stones suffer any further injuries, but the defensive questions do not end there, even though he also has Marc Guehi and Ezri Konsa, as well as Bayer Leverkusen's former Liverpool defender Jarell Quansah, at his disposal.Reece James will be first choice right-back, but has had hamstring troubles again recently, while Manchester City's Nico O'Reilly can occupy the left while offering versatility.Tino Livramento, another who has had fitness issues, can play on both flanks, which begs the question as to whether the inclusion of Newcastle United's Dan Burn is one Tuchel gut feeling too many.He has struggled to shine for England and is only likely to be utilised as a left-back if needed, where specialists such as Lewis Hall, Luke Shaw and Myles Lewis-Skelly, who have looked at home on the international stage, have been ignored.Burn's giant stature would make him an obvious weapon for Tuchel at set-pieces, but he has looked uncomfortable in possession and against mobile forwards for England. He would be a target for the opposition should he play at the World Cup.Djed Spence's inclusion – another who can play left or right – will only fuel the argument about Trent Alexander-Arnold once more.Alexander-Arnold was never going to make England's World Cup squad, his ship sailed when he was not included in a 35-man squad for friendlies against Uruguay and Japan, then overlooked for the previously self-exiled Ben White from Arsenal, when Tuchel needed replacements.The simple question, however, is whether Spence would offer more to England's squad than Real Madrid's Alexander-Arnold, in either a defensive or attack context?This, once more, is another Tuchel gamble.And as with all rolls of a dice, the stakes on whether you win or lose are huge for Tuchel – as we will discover once the World Cup gets under way.How Palmer and Foden lost ruthless Tuchel's battle for number 10 roles