2026 — The Tournament Of A Lifetime

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When Germany crashed out of the 1998 World Cup – a miserable 3-0 quarter-final defeat to Croatia – the DFB hit the factory reset button. Youth coaching was overhauled, as was the scouting system designed to spot the talent, and it was made compulsory for the 18 top teams in the country to build performance centres. Euro 2000 came too soon for any meaningful impact on the German national team – the defending champions finished bottom of their group – but the wheels were in motion. Das Reboot was born, and a generation of footballers later, Germany would again be world champions in 2014. “At least 10 players who are involved in the national team today we would have never found otherwise,” swooned Dietrich Weise in 2015, a key figure in the earlier revamp. “Think of Toni Kroos. He hails from a small place in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. No one would have looked at him.” It’s hard to know where the next Kroos will come from, or what steps the DFB will take following Germany’s Geopolitics World Cup humiliation: a penalty-shootout defeat (!!!!) to plucky Paraguay, who had never previously scored a goal in World Cup knockout football. One suspects another German factory reset is needed, but the country was too busy sticking Das Boot into Julian Nagelsmann and co on Tuesday to think about that. Bild’s front page described the result as “the next German football nightmare”, while columnist Marion Horn went a step further: “German football is now living solely off its past reputation. And if I’m to believe Lothar Matthäus, then within the team, it was a more important issue whose mother was allowed to fly on the private jet and whose was not, than how we would win the cup.” The hottest take, though, surely belonged to Germany’s chancellor, Friedrich Merz: “Even though the elimination hurts: What a game, @DFB_Team!,” he finger-on-the-pulsed. “With your commitment and team spirit at this World Cup, you have thrilled our country. We are proud of you.” That freezing cold take from a politician wasn’t quite as bad as David Cameron, supposedly a long-time Aston Villa fan, telling an audience he supported West Ham, but it wasn’t far off. The Paraguay president, Santiago Peña, read the room a little bit better, immediately declaring a national holiday on Tuesday following his country’s historic win. For Germany, the road to 2030 starts now. Unfortunately for Nagelsmann – or Jürgen Klopp, or whoever else is put in charge of this mess – the revolution will be televised. We go again: join Scott Murray for Côte d’Ivoire 1-2 Norway from 4pm BST (1pm EDT). Then it’s over to Will Unwin for France 3-1 Sweden (10pm BST/5pm EDT), before Mexico 1-1 Ecuador (aet, 5-4 on pens) at 2am BST (9pm EDT). Vamos! “When we have the ball we don’t have a problem, when we don’t have possession we’re going to have to be efficient. But we have a ­capacity to generate danger, which is a strength, and I want us to keep it” – France head coach Didier Deschamps issues a warning to the rest of the tournament. double quotation mark It looks bleak for upcoming games, For who is replacing Reece James? It should have been Quansah, Instead might be Konsa … Will England be shot down in flames?” – Nick Smith. double quotation markThe Memory Lane image of Claudio Gentile taking down Maradona (yesterday’s full email), made me realise what this tournament has been missing: pantomime villains. Uruguay teams of yesteryear would proudly collect their red cards in the first 10 minutes of vital World Cup games, not the last. Even Portugal have become hard to hate, given how mean-spirited you have to be to scorn a group of young men helping an elderly gent across the pitch” – Justin Kavanagh. double quotation markRe: soccer (Daily letters passim): The great Sir Matt Busby, whose Proper Football credentials need no AI verification, titled his autobiography ‘Soccer at the Top’. Let’s move on: there are far more important reasons to berate Americans, like the disgusting stuff that passes for chocolate over there” – Antony Crossley. double quotation markFair play to Germany for consistently boycotting the round of 16 during World Cups in countries with questionable human rights situations. Gotta respect that! – James Vortkamp-Tong. double quotation markIf the James Bond franchise is looking for a name for their new villain, may I recommend Mullin Markwayne?” – Krishna Moorthy. If you have any, please send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s prizeless letter o’ the day is … Nick Smith. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we run them, are here . This is an extract from our daily football email … Football Daily. To get the full version, just visit this page and follow the instructions. World Cup Daily looks back over Monday’s heavyweight last-32 clashes, as Brazil survive and advance but Germany and the Netherlands crash out. Listen here. David Squires’ latest, up-to-the-minute GWC cartoon includes a German mullet, Casemiro’s brat summer and a Wordle easter egg. Get stuck in.

World Cup News

Let me know if you agree by ranking them yourself at the bottom of the list. It speaks volumes of the man that Messi is that he did not step away from international football in 2022 after winning the World Cup at the age of 35. Now 39, Messi is obliterating record after record at this tournament. No man has scored more goals in World Cup history than Messi's 19, to go with eight assists. He has now scored in seven consecutive World Cup games. In 2014, he won the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player when Argentina lost in the final to Germany. He won it again in 2022, leading his country to their first World Cup title since 1986. This is his sixth time playing at the World Cup, with his great rival Cristiano Ronaldo the only other outfield player to do so. Messi's next game will be his 30th for Argentina at a World Cup, in a career spanning more than 200 international caps. It will feel odd at the 2030 World Cup when, in all likelihood, he will not be playing. On Saturday, Modric, at the age of 40 years and 291 days, became the oldest player to record a World Cup assist. "He plays as if he were 20 years old. He was incredible. He's our leader and our best player," said Petar Sucic, his Croatia team-mate. And you only have to look at how Croatia have fared in the past two World Cups to get an understanding of his legacy. In 2018, Croatia stunned everyone to reach the final, where they lost to France, and last time around, they came third - with Modric's display across 120 minutes as a 37-year-old against Brazil in the quarter-final, a clear standout. For a nation of just under four million people, Croatia's recent World Cup runs are nothing short of remarkable. Only five players have made more than Modric's 22 appearances across five World Cups. He made bow in 2006 and he is another player to have played more than 200 times for his country. The World Cup remains the one major trophy that has eluded Ronaldo. No man has more international caps (231) or goals (145) than the 41-year-old, who made his Portugal debut in 2003. In 2016, he led his country to success at the European Championships but this is his sixth time at the World Cup and he is yet to better the run to the last four in his first appearance in 2006. Nevertheless, a record of 10 goals in 25 World Cup appearances is impressive and so is him becoming the only man to score at six World Cups - even if Portugal's emphasis to play around him is a constant talking point. Ronaldo knows this is probably his last chance of winning the World Cup. "I'm back," he said, after scoring twice against Uzbekistan last week. Back, but for how long? It would be easy to judge Neuer on his performances in recent weeks, which have been far from convincing, but there is a reason why Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann asked him to come out of international retirement. The Bayern Munich keeper is one of the greatest of all time. Neuer, 40, won the World Cup with Germany in 2014 and the Golden Glove that summer. This is now his fifth World Cup and in that time, he has played for his country 23 times at the finals, since making his bow in 2010. A forgettable tournament this time round with Germany exiting in the last 32 may well tarnish Neuer's World Cup legacy but he will forever be remembered as a World Cup winner in 2014. The first thing that comes to mind when you think of Neymar at a World Cup is Brazil's campaign at home in 2014. The then 22-year-old took on the weight of a nation scoring four goals in five games, before his tournament came to a crushing end, when he broke a bone in his back during the quarter-final. Brazil were then mauled 7-1 by Germany in the semi-finals. In 2018 and 2022, he scored twice in each of the tournaments, with Brazil exiting at the quarter-final stage. At 34, and against the odds given his injury problems since 2022, the chance remains to win a World Cup for his country and the tears that flowed from Neymar after his return for Brazil against Scotland spoke volumes. He may no longer be the main man but the boyhood dream is still a possibility for a player with eight goals and four assists in 14 World Cup games. De Bruyne was part of Belgium's Golden Generation that never truly delivered. A quarter-final exit in 2014 was followed by a semi-final defeat in 2018 before Belgium were knocked out of the group stage in 2022. Rudi Garcia's side take on Egypt in the last 32, knowing that a potential tie against the United States awaits. Now 35, De Bruyne is playing in his fourth World Cup and has scored in three of those, with four assists, in 16 appearances. It might come as a surprise that Van Dijk has only featured eight times for his country at a World Cup but the Netherlands did not qualify the 2018 tournament - the year when he moved to Liverpool. The Dutch were impressive in 2022, where they were knocked out on penalties by eventual winners Argentina in the quarter-finals. And in the space of three games this year, they had already scored as many goals as they did in five games in Qatar - although they had also conceded the same amount as in 2022 too. Van Dijk, the Netherlands skipper, opened his tournament with a goal but it ended with a penalty shootout defeat by Morocco in the last 32. At the age of 34 will this be Van Dijk's last World Cup appearance? When Egypt beat New Zealand to all but secure their place in the last 32, it was their first World Cup win since 1934 and Salah was integral to it with a second-half goal and assist. This is the 34-year-old's second time at the finals, with Egypt previously qualifying in 2018, to end a 38-year drought, before missing out in 2022. In Russia, a far-from-fit Salah scored twice but his nation lost all three of their group games. His overall World Cup tally is three goals and two assists in five games. Salah's Egypt face Australia on Friday for a place in the last 16 that could see the him come up against Messi. No South Korean player has scored more goals than Son (three) at World Cups or played more World Cup matches (13) than the 33-year-old. But this World Cup is already over for his country. The former Spurs player may get another go in four years time but he is no longer the force he once was, as shown by his group-stage displays, where he failed to score or get an assist. Son was dropped from the starting XI for the final group game. The South Korea captain has played in four World Cups and his highlight remains 2018, where he scored against Mexico and Germany but he and his countrymen have failed to come close to the standard set by the 2002 team that reached the semi-final on home soil. Before 2018, Senegal's solitary appearance at the World Cup was in 2002. With Mane they have qualified for the past three World Cups. The 34-year-old scored his only World Cup goal so far in 2018 but a knee injury kept him out of the 2022 tournament, when Senegal were eliminated in the last 16. That was after he scored the winning penalty against Egypt in a play-off to help his country qualify for the tournament in Qatar. Like Salah, it would be a stretch to see the former Liverpool player at the 2030 tournament. Senegal take on Belgium on Wednesday for a place in the last 16. 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Dutch coach to ‘reflect on future’ after shootout loss Mohamed Ouahbi says Morocco can be ‘unstoppable’ An embattled Ronald Koeman said he will consider his future as manager of the Netherlands after they were eliminated from the World Cup by Morocco. The Netherlands tumbled out on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the last-32 tie, the pill even more bitter to swallow because they had been leading at the start of added time. Issa Diop cancelled out Cody Gakpo’s goal and, in a spiky post-match press conference, Koeman said he will decide whether to continue his three-and-a-half year tenure, which is his second in charge of the national team. “No, I haven’t,” he said, when asked whether he had already handed in his resignation. “I’m going to reflect on my future. This is straight after a game and the disappointment is so fresh in your mind. I’m going to reflect on it and maybe I’ll come to a conclusion by tomorrow morning.” Koeman came under fire for selecting a five-man back line and setting up a team that, for long periods, were content to operate on the break. “You can think whatever you like but we gave away much less against a team that was stronger than [group stage opponents] Sweden and Tunisia,” he said. “If I had to do it again I’d do it all the same way. As the Dutch coach when the equaliser is scored I am always going to be scolded for the fact I chose five defenders. “But you criticise, which is your right. You watch from the sidelines, I’m here with the team and, once again, I’d do it again.” The Morocco head coach Mohamed Ouahbi admitted he had not expected Koeman’s team to adopt a more defensive posture. “We were taken aback by their formation,” he said. “When we saw it we knew they wanted to defend in a low block. That’s not usually how they play and we had to adapt. I saw this type of play as a form of respect.” Ouahbi’s team will face Canada next and are on course to face France, who beat them in the Qatar 2022 semi-finals, in the last eight. Expectation is rising that they can at least emulate their feat four years ago, when they finished fourth. “Talk is cheap, it’s what we can do on the pitch that counts,” Ouahbi said. “The World Cup in Qatar changed the mentality of the Moroccan team. We’re unstoppable if we play the football we know how to play, but if we get things wrong we’ll go home.”

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Tim Ream not feeling additional pressure for knockouts USA play Bosnia and Herzegovina on Wednesday It’s easy to assume that the onset of the World Cup knockout rounds brings immediate tension. These are the games where legacies are crystalized in a zero-sum manner – every heroic turn paired with a Baggio-like blemish. Then again, the round of 32 is new. The field doesn’t truly feel like it’s been narrowed down yet. So maybe the ho-hum start of the tournament had brought the temperature down as Tim Ream fielded questions from the press on Monday, hours before boarding a plane to the Bay Area and ending the team’s lengthy stay here in southern California. The knockout round journey is about to begin. “Would it be weird if I told you I don’t really feel too much pressure at this minute?” the US captain quipped when asked about Wednesday’s date with Bosnia and Herzegovina. “I just think there’s so much pressure that we put on ourselves. It feels very different this time around than 2022, I will say that – not because [this is] the round of 32 and that was the round of 16. I think we felt more pressure for that first game against Paraguay than than anything, and that’s coming from ourselves, not from from anything on the outside.” This will be the first competitive clash between the two teams, after three friendlies. The most recent, on 18 December 2021, involved just three members of Mauricio Pochettino’s squad for this World Cup; only one of Bosnia’s players from that day is on their 26-man squad this summer. Yet history still looms. The aftermath of USA’s dead-rubber defeat to Turkey has restored hand-wringing over the team’s record against Uefa opposition – the Americans have failed to win in 13 consecutive matches against Europeans since a win over Northern Ireland in March 2021. The US have lost the last 10 of those. “With knockout rounds, anything can happen,” Gio Reyna said, donning a backwards snapback that drove home his youthfulness compared to Ream. “This team really does well with challenges.” Reyna has undergone a years-long challenge to get playing time for club and country. He cracked Pochettino’s rotated lineup to close the group stage, exiting after 76 minutes for his longest run-out since a Borussia Dortmund match on 15 December 2024. There was evidence of rust. Reyna struggled to find viable passing lanes into dangerous areas and saw most of his upfield passes fail to find a target, instead recirculating often before his exit. His frustration was visible at times, such as when he slammed a ball into the turf as the referee blew for halftime. If group play is any indication, lock-pickers like Reyna will be necessary to unsettle a well-structured opponent. Bosnia managed only 20 passes into opponents’ boxes across three games, the third-fewest of any team that advanced to the knockouts. Pressure will likely come from wide areas, as the youthful wing tandem of Esmir Bajraktarević (PSV) and Kerim Alajbegović (Bayer Leverkusen) offers dynamism and a threat to cross on to the timeless forehead of Edin Džeko. Unless they change their approach, of course. “I don’t know that we completely expected Paraguay to be the way that they were in the first game,” Ream reflected. “There’s always things that get thrown at you, so I don’t know that we fully expect Bosnia to just be defensive. I think we have to be able to expect the unexpected, as we proved against Australia. You see similarities [with Paraguay and Australia], but then there’s also things that we’re going to have to solve that they throw at us in situations in game. That’s down to us as players to figure those puzzles out.”

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Steve Clarke says it was an easy decision to step down as Scotland head coach because he always planned to depart if they did not qualify for the knock-out stages. The 62-year-old told his players on Saturday night, at their hotel in Charlotte, that he was ending his seven-year reign after it was confirmed that the Scots had failed to get out of a group containing Brazil, Morocco and Haiti. The shock announcement came exactly a month after he signed a new four-year contract that would have incorporated Euro 2028 and the 2030 World Cup. A request from the BBC to interview Clarke was declined and, instead, the Scottish Football Association released its own on You Tube, external and the former head coach – heavily criticised in some quarters following back-to-back defeats by Morocco and Brazil – said he was leaving "just because that's the feel". Pampered, protected & primed - so why didn't Scotland players perform? "Signing the contract before [the World Cup] was a case of trying to give a little bit of comfort to the players knowing that we could continue the journey. "I always had in my head that, if we didn't come out of the group, which is something that we've tried to do across three tournaments now, I always had in my head that if that didn't happen then it was probably the right time to step away. "Obviously if we'd managed to get that extra point and got out of the group then I'd probably have stayed on and tried to do another tournament." Asked if it was an easy decision, a philosophical Clarke said: "In some respects it was easy because I already had in my head what I wanted to achieve as a head coach. I'd also ticked all the boxes. "I wanted to go to a major tournament with my country. I did that with the Euros. The first Euros [in 2021] was a little bit not the Euros because it was Covid affected. "The second Euros was great. The tournament didn't go as we wanted, but getting to Germany was fantastic. My lifelong ambition was to do a World Cup with my country. I've done that, so not a bad time to step aside." Clarke told his players of his decision at 19:00 local time on Saturday, immediately after Scotland's exit from the tournament was confirmed. "It's obviously an emotional moment when you tell your players that you're stepping away after such a journey together," he said. "I think seven or eight of them have been with me from the start, right the way through. It was very important to me that the players knew first, and obviously just before I went into the meeting I had to tell my captain [Andy Robertson] because I knew that he'd want to say a few words back to me." Despite the backlash to Scotland's group-stage performance, Clarke is adamant he had a "brilliant" World Cup experience. "I said I was going to enjoy it," he said. "Coming out for the Haiti game with the Scotland fans there in their thousands and my family in the stands was just the best moment. "The next two games were tough. We played difficult opponents. Morocco and Brazil, both of them can go really deep in the tournament and we competed with them, no matter what other people might say. We competed, both games were competitive. "We showed a lot of character and we played some good stuff. We didn't find the quality in the final third of the pitch, but I could maybe say that across the whole seven years we've always been chasing and trying to find that quality in the final third of the pitch - and I hope my successor manages to do that." Assessing his time in charge, a "100% proud" Clarke believes he achieved his goal "to change the mentality round the group" and give them belief that they can compete at the highest level. "We'll become part of Scottish folklore as we move forward," he predicted. "People will be talking about some of these matches, some of these occasions right into the next century. "Everybody keeps saying this core group's finished. They're not finished yet, because they can all make it for Euro 2028." Everything you need to know about the World Cup

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Djed Spence expected to start with Reece James out Tuchel says Bellingham is on board as ‘team player’ Declan Rice will give England a boost by returning for the last-32 game against the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Wednesday but Jarell Quansah is likely to add to Thomas Tuchel’s worries at right-back by missing out with an ankle injury. Tuchel’s plans were complicated by Tino Livramento leaving the camp with a calf injury this month and the head coach was given another ­headache when Reece James tweaked a hamstring last week. James, who started England’s first two games in Group L, missed the win against Panama last Saturday, is unavailable against the DRC and is increasingly unlikely to be back for a possible last‑16 match against either Mexico or Ecuador in Mexico City the ­following Sunday. Tuchel replaced James with ­Quansah against Panama but the Bayer Leverkusen defender’s World Cup debut was cut short when he twisted an ankle in the second half. The 23-year-old was replaced by Djed Spence and is a major doubt to play against the DRC. Tuchel was optimistic about Quansah’s chances of recovering but sources believe the last 32 could come too soon. With Quansah and James expected to be out it is likely Spence will start. Tuchel likes the versatile Tottenham defender and used him in all three games as England topped their group with seven points. The alternative would be to shift Ezri Konsa to right‑back and start John Stones next to Marc Guéhi in central defence. Stones played only five times for Manchester City during the second half of last season and has not featured for England since their 4-2 win against Croatia in their first game. Tuchel, asked whether Stones would be ready to start against the DRC, said: “Yeah, for sure. Why not? He was even in consideration to start [against Panama] but then it would have been the third change in the central defence in the third match, and I thought I’d stick with the pair because I saw them good against Ghana – and I saw them good against Panama.” Tuchel is convinced Jude Bellingham has fully bought into his approach and can continue to make the difference at the World Cup. Bellingham starred in the 2-0 victory against Panama, settling England’s nerves by scoring the opening goal – his second of the tournament – before providing the assist for Harry Kane. The Real Madrid midfielder, who won his 51st cap, did not start in several of England’s qualifying matches and Tuchel warned before the tournament that he would have to fight for a place. Bellingham played in a slightly deeper role on Saturday as Morgan Rogers started in the same England side as his childhood friend for the third time under Tuchel. Bellingham stole the show and the England head coach said he was not surprised the 22-year-old had stepped up when required. “I’m not sure if it’s a reaction but it is what we want from him,” Tuchel said. “He was very positive from the first day in camp. He buys fully into all the things we demand as a team player, and then he brings his own individual quality to decide football games. That’s what you see in World Cups now, and what you see from other teams and other big players. We have it in him and he’s a key player … So well done until now. He needs to keep going.” England have returned to their base in Kansas City to prepare for the meeting with the DRC. Marcus ­Rashford should retain his place in attack after a positive performance on the left. Tuchel refused to be drawn on whether he now knew his best team and believes being able to adapt will hold the key for England. “I know my starting 15,” he said. “And from there I build and I see the energy on the training pitch and I see what the output is from match to match. Then we see what the opponent brings and how we need to react. But I see good performances and detail out there against very physical opponents, and I think we will find solutions when they are needed. “With a new stage of the tournament, it starts new again. It’s knockout football. It brings its very own tension, its very own dynamics. We’ll prepare for that and be ready for it.”

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Close00Giovani Lo Celso scores a fantastic free-kick on his World Cup debut to give Argentina the lead against Jordan. Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated topicsFootballFollow Football close panelYou are now following FootballUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.JordanFollow Jordan close panelYou are now following JordanUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.ArgentinaFollow Argentina

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So what can we expect from today’s match between Algeria and Austria? Austria’s opening 3-1 win over Jordan was their first World Cup victory since 1990, with 37-year-old Marko Arnautovic coming off the bench to turn the tide for Ralf Rangnick’s side. The polarising striker had a goal disallowed in the 69th minute before forcing an own goal and scoring a penalty in a dominant second half. But that jubilant start came to a screeching halt after Austria were faced with the might and magic of Lionel Messi, whose brace lifted Argentina to a 2-0 victory in their second group match. Austria played well in that game, filled with fight and exhaustive gegenpressing, and did well to force Argentina to find solutions to their crisp passing and lingering transitional dangers. Unfortunately, there is only so much a team can do when they come up against the best player in the world. Austria, then, will be feeling confident coming into this final outing against Algeria. They’ve been competitive so far, though there are some questions over where their goals will come from as they haven’t looked super convincing in the final third. Their opponents, meanwhile, have similar Messi-related traumas after Argentina thumped them 3-0 on the opening day. That was Messi’s hat-trick day, sliding three easy goals past a lacklustre Algeria, which started with a chalked-off tap-in just five minutes after kick-off. Algeria’s back-line was pulled apart with ease, and while they had some organised and high-energy moments going forward, they couldn’t convert the few chances they created. Their second match against Jordan, though, reminded fans of the kind of football that earned them a reputation during qualifying. Their 2-1 win over the tournament debutants thanks in part to a stand-out performance from veteran winger Riyad Mahrez, who was brought back into the starting side after being bizarrely rested against Argentina. Austria may be slight favourites coming into today’s game based on the past two games’ worth of form, but given the long history between these two teams, anything is possible.

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Odel al-Fakhouri and Ali Azaizeh come into the Jordan side in place of Musa al-Taamari and Mahmoud al-Mardi. Argentina rest nine of the XI that started against Austria on Monday; the two men keeping their place are Emi Martinez and Lautaro Martinez. Jordan (3-4-2-1) Abulaila; Nasib, al-Arab, Abu Dahab; Haddad, al-Rashdan, al-Rawabdeh, Abu Taha; Olwan, O al-Fakouhri; Azaizeh. Subs: Bani Attiah, A al-Fakhouri, Abu Hashish, Abualnadi, Obaid, al-Rosan, Badawi, Jamous, Ayed, Sadeh, Abu Ghoush, al-Dawoud, Abu Zrayq, al-Taamari, al-Mardi. Argentina (4-4-2) E Martinez; Simeone, Otamendi, Senesi, Tagliafico; Lo Celso, Paredes, Palacios, Lo Celso; Alvarez, Lautaro Martinez. Subs: Musso, Rulli, Monitel, Lisandro Martinez, Romero, Medina, Molina, De Paul, Barco, Gonzalez, Almada, Mac Allister, Fernandez, Lopez, Messi.

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Close40Harry Kane praises Jude Bellingham's ability to thrive when he has the freedom to "attack the game" after the midfielder set up a goal for the England captain, and scored one himself, in the 2-0 win over Panama. Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated topicsFootballFollow Football close panelYou are now following FootballUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.FIFA World Cup 2026Follow FIFA World Cup 2026 close panelYou are now following FIFA World Cup 2026Updates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.England Men's Football TeamFollow England Men's Football Team

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The Geopolitics World Cup has its North Korea 1966, its Cameroon 1990, rank outsiders to revive hearts hardened by relentless cynicism. For Pak Doo-ik and Roger Milla, read Vozinha, and all his Cape Verde teammates, including Pico Lopes, a defender recruited while playing for Shamrock Rovers from the diaspora via LinkedChat. An archipelago nation with a population smaller than Bradford has negotiated a tough group including two former winners in Spain and Uruguay. They will next meet Argentina in Miami, the adopted city of Lionel Messi, where the fairytale likely ends. Though if not, then they would become the greatest World Cup story of all. “We are small but we have big hearts,” sobbed Vozinha following a 0-0 draw with Saudi Arabia and a quick check on the other Group H result from Guadalajara. Talking of football heritage, Uruguay exiting in a flurry of filth and fury during their 1-0 loss to Spain showed off something else not yet commodified and flogged to the highest bidder. Marcelo Bielsa’s tournament legacy is mixed. His Argentina team of all the talents were dumped out at the group stage in 2002 amid floods of woe. Chile in 2010 played some of the loveliest soccer on show in South Africa before exiting to Brazil in the last 16. A third stab with Uruguay has been a self-confessed disaster. Such true confessions were made most publicly. Bielsa’s guttural demand that the flash interviewer hurry the bleep up was followed by a paint-stripping mea culpa. “I haven’t left anything to Uruguayan football,” he sniffed, hurling himself through the door marked DO ONE. The warnings had been there pre-tournament, Bielsa declaring he had been “toxic” with his players. Following drab draws with Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde, against a Spain team grinding through the motions themselves, a first-half mistake by goalkeeper Fernando Muslera gifted the winner. A distraught Muslera did not return after half-time. Both teams kicked merry lumps out of the other, though it was colliding with a teammate that caused serious knee-knack for Manuel Ugarte, the midfielder Manchester United are looking to ship out for their annual rebuild. Agustín Canobbio’s late red card for a “tackle” launched towards Pau Cubarsí put the cap on it. “Clearly I didn’t go in with the studs,” Cannobbio wailed after refusing to leave the field in full “hold me back” mode, his challenge having echoed José Batista on Gordon Strachan in 1986. If Bielsa made his own emotions clear, how might his Uruguayan players react? Hopefully better than Argentina’s Juan Sebastián Verón in 2002, who admitted he spent the rest of that summer tearfully pounding the streets near his Cheshire home by night. Sobbed Seba: “I seemed like a lunatic but in this time I had chance to think a lot about what has happened … like knowing who is on my side and who is supporting me.” Anyone residing near a Uruguayan GWC player knows what to look out for. The last games of the GWC group stage, completing the marathon, 72-game epic, starting with Scott Murray’s Panama 0-4 England MBM report, concurrently with Croatia 0-0 Ghana from Will Unwin, as Group L concludes with a pair of 5pm EDT/10pm BST kick-offs. After that comes Beau Dure’s coverage of Colombia 3-3 Portugal, with a 7.30pm EDT/12.30am BST kick-off shared with Bryan Armen Graham’s MBM of DR Congo 2-1 Uzbekistan in Group K. The final showing is a Group J double bill of Samantha Lewis covering the Algeria 0-0 Austria “shame” the world awaits, while Rob Smyth covers Jordan 0-7 Argentina (Messi hat-trick) at 10pm EDT/3am BST. “What happened today in training, this is a normal situation. I would’ve liked to see these situations more often, that means the team is alive. They are willing to do a good effort … to be in the first XI for the game. If this happens another time, it’s a good sign that they are alive” – the Panama coach, Thomas Christiansen, welcomes the training-ground confrontation between Cecilio Waterman and José Luis Rodríguez, hailing these as scenes everyone wants to see, before tackling England in New York on Saturday night. Big Website’s app now features a special edition of On the Ball for the GWC. On the Ball: World Stage invites you to guess the World Cup player in five attempts – and it’s pretty tricky. You can have a go right now – and there are loads of other good puzzles to take up your time, too. double quotation markHaving sat through the first group games and fumed at the obvious lack of jeopardy, I decided my GWC experience would be significantly enhanced if I ignored some games and played walking football for the 60-plus generation instead. To my amazement, there is an entire new football language waiting to be discovered by anybody prepared to play the beautiful game at a sedate pace. For example, the walking football term used when a player scores three goals is ‘a gerihat-trick’. Come to think of it, this all isn’t far removed from descriptions of England’s performance against Ghana. Does anybody else have any walking football terms?” – Mike Towers. double quotation markRe: tournament wording in different languages (Football Daily letters passim). I’d love to be the first of 1,057 Scots to tell you what ‘knockout stage’, ‘quarter-final’, ‘semi-final’, ‘final’ and the like are in our national tongue, but I don’t think any of us knows” – Peter Storch (and no other Scots). double quotation markLeaving aside the £116m for Elliot Anderson (yesterday’s Beyond The GWC, full email edition), I’m concerned about a midfielder called Odysseas Vlachodimos being mentioned in passing. Is he the kind of player who gets lost in the middle of games, or does he tease the opposition till they lose control?” – Kev The Poet. If you have any, please send letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s prizeless letter o’ the day is … Peter Storch. Terms and conditions for our competitions, when we run them, are here . This is an extract from our daily football email … Football Daily. To get the full version, just visit this page and follow the instructions.

World Cup News

Mauricio Pochettino’s team won their group after some impressive performances. But they’d probably need to beat some of the world’s best to claim the title After all, why do a random draw when you can build a matrix with 495 possible scenarios in order to assign the fixtures for the eight best third-placers? Anyway, what matters is that Mauricio Pochettino’s team will face Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32, and no new format is going to stop us from – in time-honored fashion – speculating wildly about what may happen next while we still have the chance, with the potential for American wins rated using one of the mantra-loving manager’s motivational rallying cries of choice. Opponent: Bosnia and Herzegovina (1 July, 8pm ET, Santa Clara) In a World Cup of twinkling veteran stars, striker Edin Džeko remains influential at the age of 40, while winger Kerim Alajbegović – 22 years his junior – is an emerging talent who scored in the 3-1 win over Qatar that secured Bosnia and Herzegovina third place in Group B and a first-ever trip to the knockout stages. The US won’t want this to go to penalties, since their opponents beat Wales and Italy on spot-kicks in the qualification play-offs. It shouldn’t; while Sergej Barbarez’s physical side are undeniably resolute and improving after an unremarkable qualifying campaign, and may feel liberated by a lack of pressure having already made history, the Americans have superior individual talent and are more fluid in possession. It’s easy to imagine a scenario where the host nation dominates from the start, with Bosnia’s best hope to defend stoutly and pinch a goal from a set-piece; or indeed, win via another shootout. Why not us? US chances of victory rating: 7/10 Predicted opponent: Belgium (6 July, 8pm ET, Seattle) Belgium seem to be dwindling: a fading bunch of elites who missed their window for glory a couple of tournaments ago. Is the 5-1 win over minnows New Zealand that lifted Rudi Garcia’s side to the top of Group G better evidence of their continuing potential than the tepid ties with Egypt and Iraq? Not necessarily. There’s cause for the US to be wary, certainly, but not fearful. This would be a fixture to evoke memories of one of the most heroic failures in US men’s national team history: the 2-1 extra time loss to Belgium in the last 16 at the 2014 World Cup. Belgium won with goals from Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku – who both also scored against New Zealand in Vancouver. And Thibaut Courtois is still in goal. More relevant is the 5-2 win for Belgium over the US in an Atlanta friendly only three months ago. But both teams were under-strength and it was a useful learning experience for Pochettino and his charges, who at least had most of the possession. If the US do indeed have to face a top 10 nation at this relatively early stage, Belgium are probably the one they’d want. And the confidence-boost from victory would be colossal. Predicted opponent: Spain (10 July, 3pm ET, Los Angeles) The European champions and second-favourites at this World Cup? Of course, they’re more likely than not to beat the US. Here’s the case for the “not”: Spain look heavily reliant for their creative spark on Lamine Yamal, who’s still only 18. Rampant possession isn’t a guarantee of an end product, as we saw in the goalless draw with Cape Verde. They weren’t especially impressive in Friday’s 1-0 win over Uruguay, doing just enough but no more. And the US may thrive as heavy underdogs on home soil, with fervent backing but little pressure. Spain are better-equipped now than they were at Qatar 2022, when they lost on penalties to an inspired Morocco in the last 16. But if Luis de la Fuente’s men are significantly below par while the Americans play the game of their lives, there’s enough ability in the US team to deliver another shock. It would, though, probably require a level of defensive discipline and tactical rigidity that the US don’t appear to possess. They look good when on the front foot against comparable or weaker opponents; when on the back foot against higher-ranked teams … not so much. Predicted opponent: France (14 July, 3pm ET, Dallas) Didier Deschamps’ side were the most impressive nation in the group stage, though their tremendous attacking flair and depth glossed over some lackadaisical defending: see, for example, the insouciance that allowed Norway to score a few seconds after the restart when France took a 2-0 lead on Friday. Les Bleus, did, admittedly, go on to win 4-1. But the US are more dynamic and sharper than a second-string Norway XI. An on-song Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun could surely test the French back line, especially if the team are given free rein to overlap with the same ambition and flexibility that demolished Paraguay. After all, “When people believe in each other, impossible dreams become possible,” as Pochettino likes to put it, in a motivational motto that sounds like it could have been lifted from a 1980s power ballad. On the other hand, France are not Paraguay, and if they’ve made it this far they may well have beaten Germany and the Netherlands en route, which would imply that their defense is good enough. If the game becomes a stretched-out slugfest, a nightmare thrashing at the hands of France will become possible. Predicted opponent: England (19 July, 3pm ET, New York-New Jersey) It’s the history-making, history-repeating match-up that’s meant to be. In the month that the United States celebrates its founding, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the fundamental principles that have shaped American greatness in the past 250 years: dreaming big, working hard, bringing the hype and charging as much as the market will bear. This World Cup has richly – very richly – delivered in every respect. A US-England World Cup final in New York (OK, New Jersey) would be an even more unusual party than UFC fights on the White House lawn. And what better way to assuage the nation’s disappointment after the Vanilla Ice concert on the National Mall was cancelled? If England don’t top their group, this is a potential quarter-final match-up. Whenever it might occur, with a former Premier League manager at the helm and plenty of players with English experience, the Americans have a degree of familiarity with England that will help them stun Thomas Tuchel’s side, with spirit, swelling confidence and home advantage compensating for inferior individual skill. If the US really do make it this far something magical and miraculous is happening and they’re destined to win the trophy. Which will probably end up on a shelf in the Oval Office next to the Fifa Peace Prize and all the other gilded clutter.