Latest Sports Stories

World Cup News

In this extract from their forthcoming book on South America and the World Cup, Mark Biram and Tim Vickery describe la Seleçao’s strange buildup to the classic tournamentIn January 1969, João Saldanha was appointed as Brazil’s coach. Saldanha was barely a coach – he had had a brief spell in charge of Botafogo more than a decade earlier. He was an immensely popular football journalist, who with typewriter or microphone had the fluent gift of communication, talking about the game in language that was both fresh and straightforward, easy to understand. And he was so much more. He was a charismatic powerhouse, who claimed to have popped up at many key moments in history, usually in the service of international communism. Because, yes, at the right-wing height of Brazil’s military dictatorship, a communist was appointed to coach the national football team.João Havelange, the president of the Brazilian sports confederation, knew what he was doing. At a stroke, he had cut away all the intrigue and politicking which was surrounding the side. Saldanha’s opening move was to announce his starting lineup and his reserves. No argument, no discussion, no balancing off one region against the other. Just one man picking the team. And it worked. Brazil sailed through qualification for the 1970 World Cup.But Saldanha was never likely to make it all the way to Mexico, for a number of reasons. One, obviously, was his politics. It seems clear that authorities in Brasília were gunning for him.Another reason is his own erratic behaviour. He had a penchant for waving his gun around, he was observed drunk in public. But the main reason that Saldanha was sacked was almost certainly pragmatic – it was hard to imagine his Brazil winning the World Cup. He played an old style 4-2-4 – fine against the likes of Venezuela in qualification. Mexico would be another matter. His last matches in charge were a couple of friendlies at home to Argentina in early March, a 2-1 win preceded by a 2-0 defeat, a match where his relationship with Pelé broke down.Saldanha was replaced by Mario Zagallo, the “little ant” from the triumphs of 58 and 62. “I took over without a fixed idea of what I was going to do,” he told me many years later, “but I knew there would be a lot of changes, because I didn’t accept the idea of 4-2-4.” But before thinking about tactics, Zagallo had to sort out a key personal relationship – the one with Pelé.It seems bizarre in hindsight – from the point of view of July 1970, let alone well into the 21st century. But Pelé could easily not have gone to the Mexico World Cup.Saldanha had been chuntering about him, hinting that Pelé owed his place in the team to financial considerations, questioning his fitness as well as his eyesight. He was backed up by Aymore Moreira, who when Saldanha was sacked wrote an article under the headline “I, too, would have dropped Pelé”. He was specific. “The problem of the team was structural. And it has a name – Pelé. He can no longer help out the men in midfield because physically he does not have it in him to work back and forth.”Otto Glória, who had been in charge of Portugal in 1966, had been a candidate to replace Saldanha. “The way he is playing,” said Glória, “Pelé would not have a place in my team. He is not fighting in the area or working back as part of the midfield block.” An opinion poll in Placar, the new football magazine, showed that a significant number of people were in favour of dropping Pelé, from 27% in São Paulo (the state where he played with Santos) to 59% in the state of Minas Gerais (where Dirceu Lopes was a competitor).Zagallo wanted to nip this in the bud. In the first training session, he reassured Pelé of his importance. The team, said Zagallo, would be Pelé and 10 more. But who would be the 10? Here, Zagallo had a luxury that modern international coaches can only dream of – months on the training ground to get the blend right.He was not happy with his defence. And so Wilson Piazza was withdrawn from midfield to supply more quality, opening up space for the young Clodoaldo, who had taken over from Zito at Santos as the classy and combative box-to-box midfielder. His lung power would create space for Gérson, the midfield pass master. Zagallo wanted Paulo César on the left wing, but it was not working. And so in came Rivellino – whose natural position was central midfield creator – as a false left-winger. This could have meant that the team were blunt down the left flank, especially after the steady but limited Everaldo replaced the talented but flaky Marco Antônio at left-back. But Tostão was left-footed. He could drift out to the flank.Tostão and Pelé had played together in the qualifiers. But Zagallo was initially not convinced, thinking that they were too similar. He wanted an out-and-out centre-forward, and brought players of this type into the squad. But Tostão, recovered from a detached retina, was technically brilliant and mentally sharp, and this made him an excellent partner for Pelé, who needed someone with whom to combine at pace. Improvised as a centre-forward, not his natural position, Tostão wrote of himself years afterwards that he “was slow and offered little threat to the goal”. But it worked because of Jairzinho, who would burst infield from the right wing supplying speed and physical presence inside the area. The parts fitted together and, going forward at least, the team gelled.But how to defend? There was no Hilderaldo Bellini, Mauro Ramos, Orlando Peçanha. Zagallo’s idea, then, was to play as “a block, compact, leaving only Tostão upfield. Jairzinho, Pelé, Rivellino, all tracked back to help Clodoaldo and Gérson. We brought our team back behind the line of the ball. I’m happy to see the team in terms of 4-5-1.”And if Brazil had moved forward in tactical terms, the same was emphatically true of physical preparation. Brazil already attached great importance to this area. Indeed, one of Havelange’s errors in 1966 had been to bring in a specialist with a background in martial arts rather than football. Now they put themselves ahead of the curve once more.The dictatorship that took charge of the country in 1964 was an alliance between the military and the technocrats, one which made its presence felt very strongly in getting the national team into shape for Mexico. The technocrat class loved the data produced in physical preparation – what they could measure they could manage – and so, with military involvement and even some influence from Nasa, Pelé and company were prepared for the conditions in which the World Cup would be played; both the extreme summer heat of lunchtime Guadalajara and the altitude of Mexico City. This is the main reason that Brazil were the first team to arrive for the competition – with Zagallo promising that they would be the last to leave. Once the ball began rolling, could they live up to his words?This is an edited extract from Mundiales: A South American History of the World Cup (Pitch Publishing) by Mark Biram and Tim Vickery. To support the Guardian buy a copy at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply.

World Cup News

Côte d’Ivoire have been set the target of reaching the quarter-finals. Photograph: Sia Kambou/AFP/Getty ImagesReturning to the world stage after 12 years the 2023 African champions are ambitious and have plenty of options in attackThis 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.Côte d’Ivoire return to the world stage for the first time since the golden years of the early 2010s. They do not quite have the star power of old, but their squad is packed with recognisable faces to fans in Europe’s top leagues. The 2023 Africa Cup of Nations winners, on home soil, usually play 4-3-3 although there are questions over who will play in arguably the most important position: holding midfield. Jean Michaël Seri, the 34-year-old former Fulham and Hull midfielder, made the position his own, but has not been the same since spending a year out with an ankle injury. Nottingham Forest’s Ibrahim Sangaré is expected to step into the breach.The coach, Emerse Faé, prioritises defensive solidity and relies on the individual qualities of wingers on the counterattack. Les Éléphants did not concede a goal in 10 qualifying matches. Their defence, which sometimes evolves into a back three, is led by Roma’s Evan N’Dicka, whose revolving defensive partners include Atalanta’s Odilon Kossounou and Besiktas’s Emmanuel Agbadou. Franck Kessié, formerly of Barcelona and Milan, still runs the midfield and wears the captain’s armband. Faé has a wealth of options in attack such as Nicolas Pépé, Amad Diallo and Yan Diomandé. Evann Guessand may bear the weight of expectation in the absence of a Didier Drogba-type figure up front.Absent in 2018 and 2022, Côte d’Ivoire want to make the most of their return and the president of their federation has set expectations high. “The fixed objective is to play at least six games, which is the quarter-finals,” said Yacine Idriss Diallo. He will want to move on from a disappointing Afcon defence in January, exiting to Egypt at the quarter-finals in Morocco. Friendly wins in March (1-0 v Scotland and 4-0 v South Korea) showed signs of promise.“I’m not going to the United States for a holiday,” Emerse Faé said. “I’m a competitor and my objective is to go as far as possible. Why not win it?” The former midfielder has been on the coaching staff since 2022, initially as an assistant to Jean-Louis Gasset. After Gasset was sacked, mid-tournament at a home Afcon in 2024, Faé stepped in and led the hosts to their third continental title. This is the 42-year-old’s first job as a head coach after he had spells in charge of youth teams at Nice and Clermont in France. This is his second World Cup experience having played in their debut in 2006.Nicolas Pépé arrives at the World Cup in perfect shape to lead Côte d’Ivoire from the front. The former Arsenal winger was nominated for the player of the season award in La Liga after a fine campaign with third-place Villarreal that included eight goals and eight assists. The left-footer excels coming in off the right wing, but can also play as a second striker. His main qualities lie in his dribbling, but he is not shy of letting fly when in range. Absent from Afcon in Morocco for personal reasons, this is the first, and probably last, World Cup for ‘Nico’ after winning his first cap 10 years ago. “I’m 30 now and I don’t see myself staying with the national team until 34 to play at the next World Cup,” he said.Christ Inao is the present and the future of the side. The 19-year-old is a risk-taking midfielder who has enjoyed a breakthrough season in senior football with Trabzonspor in Turkey. He won his first cap in November and played his way into the starting lineup during the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. After impressing in the Super Lig and winning the Turkish Cup, Trabzonspor hope to make a handsome profit on any sale of Inao. Some standout displays this summer could increase that margin.Franck Kessié has been an international since 2014, winning his first cap a few months after their last World Cup appearance, in Brazil. Now, at 29, he is the captain and yet still goes under the radar. The box-to-box midfielder provides much-needed balance to the team and does a lot of the dirty work. He left Barcelona for Al-Ahli in 2023 and has won back to back AFC Champions League titles with the Saudi Arabian club, being named best player in the competition this past season. A serial winner, Kessié also has league medals from Serie A and La Liga.Not many will make the trip to North America thanks to a number of administrative constraints placed on citizens of Côte d’Ivoire who want to enter the United States. It will be down to the diaspora already in the States to bring the noise, although their group fixture against Germany will take place in Toronto. The other two are in Philadelphia, where the team are based. Expect to see some familiar colours: the flag is very similar to Ireland’s and the team strip is like the bright orange of the Netherlands. Song and dance, and a dose of humour, form the base of the support.Everyone in Côte d’Ivoire is happy to be back at a World Cup for the first time in 12 years. No comments have been made by the federation or players regarding politics in any of the host nations, including the United States, nor about the ticket costs. The Trump administration said in May that Côte d’Ivoire fans would be exempt from paying the $15,000 visa deposit to enter the US if they had valid match tickets, but that was way too late for the majority of people who had considered going. Côte d’Ivoire was one of a number of countries affected by the Trump administration’s cuts to USAID, with bilateral deals for public health aid agreed instead.Written by Prince Akabla for Le Kpakpato Sportif.

World Cup News

There are just 10 days to go until the start of the 2026 World Cup where 48 nations will face off for the biggest prize in football. To mark it, we want to test your knowledge. Can you name every side who has featured at a World Cup - including those who are doing so for the first time this year?And be aware, we're after the name of each country as it was when they appeared in the World Cup, which might not always be the same name a nation is now known by.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 2026Play 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

World Cup News

All you need to know about the 16 host stadiums in the US, Mexico and CanadaThe 2026 World Cup is the largest tournament ever, and as such it involves more stadiums in more countries than ever before. A total of 16 venues will play host to this summer’s big games, and each has a story to tell about the past, present and future of sports in its city. Stadium names may look unfamiliar, as we are using the Fifa-approved names instead of the sponsored names that run afoul of the governing body’s clean venue rules.Location: Vancouver, British Columbia, CanadaWhat to know: BC Place has one of the most distinctive architectural features you’ll see at this World Cup: a cable-supported retractable roof, the largest of its kind in the world. The feature was a late addition to the stadium, part of a major renovation that took place immediately after the 2010 Winter Olympics that got rid of the previous permanent roof. When open in the sun, the cables cast a shadow across the field, which is either pleasantly distinctive or terribly distracting, depending on your point of view. Recent reports indicate the roof will remain closed for the World Cup, due to potential issues with uneven sunlight affecting the growth of the natural grass surface that is being imported for the occasion. Should Fifa decide to open it, though, it won’t be a huge operation – that process takes about 20 minutes.Usual tenants: Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS) and BC Lions (Canadian Football League)Memorable event (non-soccer): The opening and closing ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics were held at BC Place. It was the first Olympic opening ceremony to be held indoors. Hockey legend Wayne Gretzky was among the torch bearers to light the Olympic cauldron at the opening ceremony, and Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young sang as it was extinguished at the closing ceremony.Memorable game (soccer): The 2015 Women’s World Cup final, where Carli Lloyd’s hat-trick led the US to a 5-2 win over Japan and their first World Cup title in 16 years. The official crowd was 53,341 and the game tied a record set by Brazil v Sweden in 1958 for the most goals in a men’s or women’s World Cup final.Location: Seattle, Washington, United StatesWhat to know: Seattle Stadium sits on the site formerly occupied by the excellently named Kingdome, and is one of the few World Cup stadiums in the US located within its city’s urban core. Aside from its location, the stadium’s distinctive architecture makes it stand out. In particular, it features three rarities for outdoor NFL stadiums. One is its roof, covering most of the seats along the sidelines. Another is the pyramid-shaped bleacher section (known as the Hawk’s Nest) at the base of a tower in an otherwise-open north end – purposely left empty so as to maintain views of the city skyline. And lastly, the grounds feature a variety of public art on display. The most visible to viewers on TV will be the four circles that adorn the other side of the tower – that’s Earth Dialogue, a work by Native American artist Bob Houzous that is “intended as a constant reminder of our deep connection to the earth”, according to the Washington state stadium authority.Usual tenants: Seattle Sounders (MLS), Seattle Reign (NWSL), Seattle Seahawks (NFL)Memorable event (non-soccer): The Pacific Northwest Seismic Network began placing sensors at the stadium in 2011 and has since recorded numerous instances of crowd shaking powerful enough to register on a seismometer. Among them: the 2011 Beast Quake run by Marshawn Lynch during a Seahawks home game (with peaks similar to a 2.0-magnitude earthquake) and two of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour dates in July 2023 (a 2.3-magnitude event).Memorable game (soccer): The Concacaf Champions League final in May 2022. Seattle became the first MLS club to win the tournament in its current format, beating Pumas before a crowd of 68,741 that also produced seismic activity after the Sounders’ three goals. The title was monumental for the Sounders, who have played at the stadium since their days in the US minor leagues, and at the Kingdome before that as members of the NASL.Tournament name: San Francisco Bay Area StadiumLocation: Santa Clara, California, United StatesWhat to know: The Bay Area venue was built to replace the 49ers’ old home Candlestick Park, one of the most iconic and soulful old stadiums of its era. Given that and its location 40 miles south, the new venue was always going to suffer by comparison. In reality, it’s a perfectly fine modern stadium, praised for its environment-friendly design and clean sightlines throughout, with a large block of luxury suites resulting in an upper deck that is closer to the field than most. However, that upper deck also happens to face fans directly into the sun for afternoon and evening games. The resulting temperatures have resulted in multiple heat stress-related issues among fans.Memorable event (non-soccer): The stadium has twice hosted the Super Bowl, first in 2016 and most recently this year. Back then, Beyoncé soft-launched her Lemonade era to overshadow the Denver Broncos’ win over the Carolina Panthers. In February, a crowd of 70,823 watched the Seattle Seahawks defeat the New England Patriots 29-13. Bad Bunny headlined the half-time show, with sets that mirrored the Puerto Rican countryside and guest appearances by Lady Gaga and Ricky Martin.Memorable game (soccer): The Copa América Centenario in 2016 kicked off at this stadium with Colombia’s 2-0 win over the USMNT. Cristián Zapata and James Rodríguez scored for Los Cafeteros, who went on to finish third in a tournament won by Chile.Location: Inglewood, California, United StatesSwitzerland v Bosnia and Herzegovina, 18 JuneWhat to know: Constructed at a total cost of around $5bn, this stadium has quickly become a fixture for major events, sporting and otherwise, on the west coast of the United States. Its distinctive feature is the semi-clear canopy, spanning around 1m sq ft and covering the entire stadium structure while letting a good amount of light through. That roof extends in a teardrop shape to create a plaza in the south-east corner while also covering an event venue. Despite California’s warm, inviting climate, the stadium usually uses an artificial turf surface because it serves as the home for two NFL teams, who can wreak havoc on natural grass over time. That’s not the only major modification: as did a few other venues, this stadium has had to demolish a few rows of permanent seats in order to accommodate a pitch that meets Fifa’s sizing standards.Usual tenants: Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers (NFL)Memorable game (non-soccer): The stadium will host the opening ceremony and the swimming events at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The swimming venue will seat 38,000 spectators – the largest for a swimming event in the history of the Olympics – and take its design inspiration from the structures built at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis for the 2024 US Olympic trials.Memorable game (soccer): The 2023 Concacaf Gold Cup final between Mexico and Panama had a crowd of 72,963, still the largest for a soccer game in the venue’s six-year history. Santiago Giménez’s goal off the bench gave El Tri their record ninth Gold Cup title.Colombia v Democratic Republic of Congo, 23 JuneWhat to know: From the inside, there does not appear to be anything especially noteworthy about the everyday home of Chivas, the Mexican league team who play here. From the outside, though, Estadio Guadalajara has perhaps the most striking facade of any venue at this World Cup. Designed by French architects Jean-Marie Massaud and Daniel Pouzet to resemble an erupting volcano, the vast majority of the stadium sits within a grass-covered, man-made hill. Only the 360-degree roof rises above, with fans entering through overhangs in the hill below. It’s quite a statement, even if the interior does not immediately distinguish itself among the other 2026 venues.Memorable event (non-soccer): The stadium’s attendance record was set at a 2023 boxing bout between Mexico’s Canelo Álvarez and British fighter John Ryder. The Guadalajara native, fighting in his home country for the first time in 12 years, dominated in front of a reported 51,000 fans.Memorable game (soccer): Manchester United and Chivas played one of the first friendlies after the stadium opened in 2010. Javier “Chicharito” Hernández, a former youth player at Chivas, played the first half for his boyhood club and scored the first goal at the stadium before switching kits and playing for United in the second half.Usual name: Estadio Banorte (more commonly: Estadio Azteca)What to know: For all the large capacities, flashy amenities and significant history offered by other stadiums, there’s no denying that this is easily the most iconic of this year’s World Cup venues. Built for the 1968 Olympics, this stadium has undergone several rounds of renovations over the course of its life. That includes a wide-ranging recent round that wrapped this spring, bringing the official capacity to 87,500, making it the eighth-largest stadium in the world used for soccer. (Fifa lists the capacity for this tournament as 83,000.) It was also the first stadium to host two World Cup finals, with Mexico staging in 1970 and 1986. The environment when Mexico plays here is legendarily tough – partially due to El Tri’s passionate fans but also due to the elevation (7,200ft above sea level).Usual tenants: Club América, Cruz Azul and Atlante (Liga MX)Memorable event (non-soccer): A parade of big-name acts have made this stadium a stop on their world tours. Some of note include Michael Jackson, who brought in more than half a million people across five nights for his Dangerous World Tour in 1993. In 2011, U2 brought their 360° Tour to the Azteca, attracting 282,978.Memorable game (soccer): There’s certainly no shortage of these. In the 1970 World Cup final, Brazil beat Italy 4-1 to secure a third star above their crest. In 1986, Diego Maradona was paraded around the stadium on the shoulders of his teammates after Argentina defeated West Germany 3-2 to win their second World Cup. Days before that, though, was perhaps the most infamous match of the stadium’s lifetime: Argentina’s win over England in the quarter-finals, where Maradona introduced the world to the Hand of God and the Goal of the Century.What to know: No stadium at this World Cup has a more magnificent view from the stands than this one, so expect no shortage of photos from fans in the upper decks in Monterrey of the mountain lying just beyond the south end. That would be the Cerro de la Silla, whose peak is just below 6,000ft. The stadium and the grounds it oversees are among the newest and most advanced in Mexico, with a number of nods to preserving the surrounding ecological environment with sustainable design. Nicknamed the “steel giant”, the stadium also features a cantilever roof designed to block sunlight and allow airflow to cool the hot temperatures in north-east Mexico.Memorable event (non-soccer): The stadium has held numerous big-name concerts in the 11 years it has been open, with Bad Bunny visiting for two sold-out nights on his World’s Hottest Tour in 2022.Memorable game (soccer): Inter Miami got their first taste of continental disappointment here on 10 April 2024, as Lionel Messi and co fell 3-1 to home side Monterrey in the second leg of their Concacaf Champions Cup quarter-final.Usual name: NRG Stadium (formerly and soon to be Reliant Stadium)Portugal v Democratic Republic of Congo, 17 JuneWhat to know: Opened at the turn of the century, this stadium was the first with a retractable roof to be used in the NFL. Designed by architecture firm Populous (then known as HOK Sport), the roof meets in the middle of the field in two sections and is covered in fabric, giving the interior a boxy feel that nonetheless makes use of abundant natural light. The roof opening procedure takes about seven minutes, but it’s anticipated it will be closed for every World Cup match. The stadium was initially known as Reliant Stadium, but later changed to NRG Stadium after the parent company of Reliant. After the World Cup, it will return to the original Reliant moniker – not that it changes much about the product being promoted. In true Houston fashion, both are energy companies – Reliant is a subsidiary of NRG.Memorable event (non-soccer): The only thing more Texan than American football: the rodeo. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is held at NRG Stadium for three weeks each March. Top professional rodeo cowboys like Stetson Wright and Riley Webb headline events from calf roping and bronc riding to steer wrestling and bull riding. This year’s event drew more than 2.6m visitors across the 21 days.Memorable game (soccer): At the 2010 MLS All-Star Game, 70,728 watched Chicharito and Manchester United beat Landon Donovan and the MLS All-Stars 5-2. United were the first international club to beat the MLS All-Stars in regulation.Location: Arlington, Texas, United StatesWhat to know: In a country of huge stadiums, this one stands out. Colloquially known as Jerry World, after Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, this retractable-roof behemoth has the largest capacity of any stadium at the World Cup. The stadium’s dome is one of the tallest in the world, supported by two 300ft-tall arches spanning the length of the venue and then some. The retractable roof, like others at the World Cup, is expected to remain closed throughout the tournament. But when it is open, the relatively small opening it reveals is a nod to the Cowboys’ previous home, Texas Stadium, which had a distinctive hole as a result of abandoned plans for its own retractable roof. Befitting Texas, just about everything about the stadium is big. The twin video boards running the length of the field were the largest in the world upon opening, and still remain among the biggest. They’re so big, in fact, that some NFL punters have been able to hit them with kicks. Let’s hope that won’t be an issue this summer.Memorable event (non-soccer): The 2021 bout between Canelo Álvarez and Billy Joe Saunders surpassed Leon Spinks v Muhammad Ali in 1973 as the most-attended indoor boxing fight in US history with an official attendance of 73,126. Jake Paul and Mike Tyson faced off there before more than 72,000 in 2024.Memorable game (soccer): Some trivia for your World Cup watch parties: the first sporting event at Jerry World wasn’t American football. It was a 2009 Concacaf Gold Cup quarter-final between Costa Rica and Guadeloupe. Costa Rican legend Celso Borges scored the first goal in the stadium’s history; the nightcap match of Mexico v Haiti drew a crowd of 82,252.Usual name: Arrowhead Stadium (or, if you must, GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium)Location: Kansas City, Missouri, United StatesWhat to know: At the time this stadium was built, multi-purpose monstrosities like Riverfront Stadium (Cincinnati), Three Rivers Stadium (Pittsburgh) and Veterans Stadium (Philadelphia) were all the rage. Those concrete donuts sought to serve both baseball and gridiron football teams, and featured modular designs with movable stands to accommodate both. Kansas City went a different route, building a stadium for the NFL’s Chiefs separate from one for MLB’s Royals. Fifty years later, all of the multi-sport buildings have been demolished and Arrowhead remains, still high-functioning even if it lacks some of the flashier amenities and glass of newer venues. This is the oldest World Cup stadium in the United States, but it has undergone numerous renovations over the years, including the addition of a new press box, updated football-shaped video boards at either end and the removal of some rows of seating to allow for a Fifa-approved pitch. Its distinctive feature is the swooping silhouette along the top, meaning that seats in the corners are truly in the corners.Memorable game (non-soccer): Take your pick of any of the six AFC championship games hosted at the stadium since 2018, the second most of any stadium all-time. The Chiefs won four of those to advance to the Super Bowl. Other than those, the biggest game played at the venue may well be the 2007 college football game between Missouri and Kansas, who were ranked No 4 and No 2 in the country respectively at the time and carry huge fanbases in the city, which straddles the Missouri/Kansas state line. Mizzou won that edition 36-28.Memorable game (soccer): The venue served as home of the Kansas City Wizards of MLS before they rebranded to Sporting Kansas City and moved into their own stadium on the Kansas side of town. The team won a US Open Cup title there in 2004, when Russian forward Igor Simutenkov scored what was likely the last top-flight golden goal in the world before the rule was nixed. Years later, Manchester United fell to the Wizards 2-1 in a preseason friendly at the stadium, with Davy Arnaud and Kei Kamara scoring for the hosts.Location: Atlanta, Georgia, United StatesDemocratic Republic of Congo v Uzbekistan, 27 JuneWhat to know: A stadium with a retractable roof is not exactly a rarity in the United States, but none of those retractable roofs quite resemble the pinwheel-esque design utilized here. It’s one of several distinctive features utilized throughout the stadium, including one end that utilizes a massive glass wall to provide views to the outside. The stadium was designed with American football and soccer in mind, with the NFL’s Falcons and MLS’s Atlanta United always in the picture to be primary tenants. Beyond that, the stadium’s most unusual feature may be its prices. Hot dogs, sodas, beer and other snacks are priced similarly inside the stadium as you might see on the outside, a key factor in what owner Arthur Blank sees as the stadium’s commitment to fan experience.Usual tenants: Atlanta Falcons (NFL), Atlanta United (MLS), Atlanta NWSL (future)Memorable event (non-soccer): In this case, the game in question was memorable for how relatively unexciting it was. Super Bowl LIII occurred here in 2019, when the New England Patriots defeated the Los Angeles Rams 13-3 in the lowest-scoring Super Bowl ever.Memorable game (soccer): Atlanta United lifted their first and to date only MLS Cup at their home stadium in 2018, defeating the Portland Timbers 2-0 to set off wild celebrations.Location: Miami Gardens, Florida, United StatesThird-place match, 18 July (RU101 v RU102)What to know: Of all of the stadiums in the United States, none has had a makeover quite like this one over the course of its life. Founded as Joe Robbie Stadium, the namesake of the founder and owner of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins, the venue was initially completely uncovered and over time adapted to host baseball in addition to American football. After the baseball team left, a large-scale renovation was undertaken that included the addition of a canopy over most of the seats, lending a more traditional feel to a stadium that has hosted no shortage of international soccer events over the years. That canopy is much needed – the south Florida heat has been a factor at numerous games played within the confines. Aside from hosting a wide variety of major events over its history, the venue is also known for its near-constant name-changing – Miami Stadium will be the ninth moniker used, following Joe Robbie Stadium, Pro Player Park, Pro Player Stadium, Dolphins Stadium, Dolphin Stadium, Land Shark Stadium, Sun Life Stadium, New Miami Stadium and its current Hard Rock Stadium name it will revert to after the tournament.Usual tenants: Miami Dolphins (NFL), Miami Hurricanes (college football)Memorable event (non-soccer): Miami’s stadium may have the most wide-ranging resume of any venue at this World Cup. In addition to six Super Bowls, it was home to baseball’s Miami Marlins from 1993 to 2001 – during which it hosted the World Series twice – and is still the site of tennis’s annual Miami Open, where the main show court is built over the grass field. The stadium’s parking lots also are used as part of the course of Formula One’s annual Miami Grand Prix.Memorable game (soccer): Miami hosted the 2024 Copa América final, where Argentina beat Colombia 1-0. The match may be best remembered for chaos off the pitch: kickoff was delayed for more than an hour due to overcrowding, with an estimated 7,000 people gaining entry without having tickets; the president of the Colombian federation was arrested after getting in several fights; and the venue was left with significant damage. On a brighter note, Shakira did the half-time show. (She’s also co-headlining the World Cup final half-time show.)Opened: 2007 (last renovated and expanded in 2016)What to know: Originally built as a modest home with about 20,000 seats for Toronto’s entry into MLS, this stadium’s permanent capacity has expanded significantly and its physical profile has grown to match. Its current configuration, with an added upper deck along the sideline, seats about 28,000, and the added roof over many of the seats gives it a European feel. This summer the stadium will add more than 17,000 new temporary seats, largely through the addition of a large structure at the stadium’s south end, just under the canopy that was installed in 2016. The stadium is getting other notable upgrades for the showpiece event, namely new LED video boards, new team dugouts and a fresh sound system.Usual tenants: Toronto FC (MLS) and Toronto Argonauts (Canadian Football League)Memorable game (non-soccer): The 104th Grey Cup, the championship of Canadian football, was hosted at BMO Field in 2016. In that game, the Ottawa Redblacks defeated the Calgary Stampeders 39-33 to win the championship despite finishing the regular season with a losing record.Memorable game (soccer): BMO Field has hosted MLS Cup three times, once as a neutral venue in 2010 and twice as Toronto FC’s home stadium in Cup wins over Seattle Sounders in 2016 and 2017, with the home side losing on penalties in the former before winning 2-0 in the latter.Location: Foxborough, Massachusetts, United StatesWhat to know: This stadium was built to replace the old Foxboro Stadium, which served as a venue for the 1994 World Cup and was located adjacent to the current plot in what is now a parking lot. It has many notable architectural features, the most obvious being a slice cut out of the seating bowl to its north-east corner. That is there at the behest of New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who also owns the stadium and insisted upon a grand entrance to the venue. Next to that grand entrance is a mock lighthouse that features 360-degree panoramic views of the stadium and Patriot Place, a nearby open-air shopping center also owned by the Kraft family.Usual tenants: New England Patriots (NFL), New England Revolution (MLS) and Boston Legacy (NWSL)Memorable event (non-soccer): The 2002 Tuck Rule game is storied in NFL lore. As heavy snow fell during a playoff game between the Patriots and Raiders, Tom Brady was initially ruled to have fumbled the ball after being sacked deep in the fourth quarter with New England down by three. The referee overturned the decision, citing the controversial Tuck Rule. The Patriots went on to win the game and then the Super Bowl, starting a run of six championships with Brady and coach Bill Belichick.Memorable game (soccer): The 2002 MLS Cup between the New England Revolution and the LA Galaxy. The Galaxy won with Carlos Ruiz’s 113th-minute golden goal in double overtime – the final MLS Cup to be played with a golden-goal rule – before a crowd of 61,316, an attendance record that stood until 2018.Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United StatesWhat to know: Like many stadiums of its era, Philadelphia’s venue is a huge mass of exposed steel and irregular seating sections. One notable feature is located at the stadium’s north end – a steel tower upon which sits a small circular seating section called the Eagles Nest. At one point, a row of wind turbines adorned the top of the adjacent seating section, but they were removed in 2019 and never replaced. Directly abutting Interstate 95 and situated in a mass of parking lots alongside the city’s baseball stadium and basketball/hockey arena, the stadium is not within the downtown core but is easily accessible via the city’s Septa train, which will be running extra service for the usual $2.90 fee with no charge for outbound trips after the games.Usual tenants: Philadelphia Eagles (NFL) and Temple Owls (college football)Memorable event (non-soccer): Located between the US Military Academy in upstate New York and the US Naval Academy in Maryland, Philadelphia is the most regular home of the annual Army-Navy college football game. The city has hosted the game 90 times – 14 times at this stadium – with sitting US presidents from Truman and JFK to Clinton and Trump attending over the years.Memorable game (soccer): The first sporting event held in the stadium was a 2003 friendly between Manchester United and Barcelona. Patrick Kluivert scored the first goal in the stadium’s history off a Ronaldinho assist before United responded for a 3-1 win. The crowd of 68,396 was a record for a Philadelphia soccer game for 21 years until a 2024 friendly between Liverpool and Arsenal garnered 69,879 fans.Tournament name: New York/New Jersey StadiumLocation: East Rutherford, New Jersey, United StatesWhat to know: The site of this summer’s World Cup final is no stranger to big events, having been one of the few open-air stadiums in a cold-weather city to host a Super Bowl. Built for about $1.6bn, it is shared by the Giants and Jets of the NFL, who collaboratively designed the stadium. The exterior is marked by rows of aluminum slats that surround the facade, and the massive seating bowl is interrupted only by four high-definition TV screens. There is no roof over the stadium and only a small canopy over some of the seats, the result of a late change to the funding agreement that saw a proposed retractable roof dropped from the plans. Located across the Hudson River from New York City in the swamplands of New Jersey, getting to and from the stadium is a bit of a chore even at the best of times. There is no direct rail connection between New York City and the small station that serves the stadium, and car traffic often slows to a total gridlock after big games. On the mildly positive side, the American Dream mall is linked to MetLife by a pedestrian walkway, and it features numerous places to eat along with a water park and an indoor skiing facility.Usual tenants: New York Giants and New York Jets (NFL)Memorable game (non-soccer): Super Bowls don’t often get played in open-air stadiums in cold-weather cities, but NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell made an exception for Super Bowl XLVIII. The game didn’t necessarily reward that risk – the Seattle Seahawks dominated the Denver Broncos 43-8 in one of the most lopsided Super Bowls ever.Memorable game (soccer): The stadium has been the site of two notable finals: the 2016 Copa América Centenario final that saw Chile win on penalties, prompting a distraught Lionel Messi to retire from the national team in the tunnel after the match. (Obviously, that retirement didn’t last.) The other notable final came last year, as Chelsea lifted the Club World Cup as Donald Trump stayed front and center in the celebrations.Photos supplied by Getty Images, Reuters and the Associated Press.

World Cup News

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.

World Cup News

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

World Cup News

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.

World Cup News

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.

World Cup News

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.

World Cup News

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.

World Cup News

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.

World Cup News

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.”