2026 — The Tournament Of A Lifetime

World Cup News

Luciano Pavarotti provided the most dramatic of soundtracks with the aria Nessun Dorma - which translates to none shall sleep - from Giacomo Puccini's Turandot. In the opera, suitors of a princess are given three riddles to solve to win her hand. There's a catch, though - failure equals death. While not quite vying for a royal bride, the comparisons with the Italia 90 World Cup anthem and Scotland's campaign are clear. The riddles? How to beat Costa Rica in the opening match and how to get enough points from subsequent games against Sweden and Brazil to qualify for the knockout stage. In a welcome plot twist, even a third-placed finish might be enough. Surely a happy ending would befall the Scots this time? Instead, they made their mark with gusto, Juan Arnoldo Cayasso's goal early in the second half the only one of the game. "This touches a raw nerve," 1990 Scotland head coach Andy Roxburgh told BBC Scotland. "Their coach, Bora Milutinovic, has become a good friend of mine. He said to me, 'You hadn't a clue what we would do'. They played a lot of closed-door matches and practised tactics endlessly. He knew everything about us because all our warm-up matches were on public display. "We could have won 3-1 or 4-1. Maurice Johnston had a couple of chances that normally would have ended up in the back of the net.'' Johnston, though, was thwarted by Costa Rica goalkeeper Luis Gabelo Conejo. Former Scotland midfielder Stuart McCall recalled: "There was an old story that we'd found out that they had a really small goalkeeper, hence we started with big Alan McInally up front and put in loads of high balls. But he was 6ft 3in and outstanding! Plucking balls out of the air in the 18-yard box." McCall also remembers being showered with Scotland scarves as he left the pitch as Tartan Army ire rained down. Roxburgh added: "I remember the next day there was a headline somewhere of 'Stop the world, we want to get off' and it was all about how I should be sacked." Roxburgh acknowledged the pressure was already building on Scotland. It was the same for Sweden, their next opponents, who had started with defeat by Brazil. The game on 16 June in Genoa was key for both teams. "On the way to the stadium, we saw a big sign, which read, 'Don't worry Andy, your P45 is in the post'. I even laughed myself," he says. "But I remember standing in the tunnel and seeing the boys standing tall, while the Swedes looked nervous. I thought, 'I'm glad I'm with the team in dark blue'." McCall agreed, adding: "I've played a couple short of 1,000 competitive matches and I genuinely believe two of those were won in the tunnel. One of them was when I was at Bradford and we beat Wimbledon to stay in the Premiership, the other was that night against Sweden. "We had Roy Aitken at the front giving it all the Braveheart stuff, Alex McLeish with his red hair and freckles, Jim Leighton and Robert Fleck had their teeth out. You looked across at the Swedes, tanned Adonises. They looked like athletes, we looked like savages the way we were shouting and bawling." The Scots struck the first blow early, McCall getting on the end of a Dave McPherson flick-on after 11 minutes. "I was always deadly from a few inches," he joked. Johnston converted from the spot to earn a 2-0 lead and Glenn Stromberg's goal four minutes from time was not enough for Scotland to come unstuck. Pride restored and the hope of qualification hauled back from the realms of a long shot. While the Swedes faced Costa Rica, Scotland lined up to play Brazil four days later in Turin. With four of the six third-placed teams making the last 16, a point would be enough. Even defeat may not be fatal. "Playing for a draw would have shown the wrong attitude," Roxburgh said. "[Aitken] had a header cleared off the line by Branco. Some people say that stirred the Brazilians up - the game had gone flat and then suddenly they realised we wanted to win." McCall added: "I remember arriving in the stadium and both buses arrived together. The Brazilians were being mobbed by all these dancing beauties and we had the Tartan Army offering us swigs of lager. "We held our own against them, though; there was nothing in the game." But, with nine minutes to play and Scotland on track for qualification, substitute Muller nudged in after goalkeeper Jim Leighton parried a shot. Minutes later, the Scots came agonisingly close to a leveller, only to be denied by a moment of brilliance. "I knocked the ball down to wee Mo and he hit it terrifically on the half volley about six or eight yards out," McCall recollected. "But Taffarel made an unbelievable save and tipped it over the bar. It was typical Scotland. Another hard luck story.'' A hard luck story with an epilogue as it turned out. All was not lost yet. With just two points from three matches, it was still possible the Scots could qualify if results in other groups went their way. That meant an agonising 24-hour wait. "We'd moved to a quiet town," McCall explained. "We had to kill time going for a walk, having a coffee then watching those games, but none of the results went our way and we were out." In true operatic style, the metaphorical Fat Lady had sung and, as far as Scotland were concerned, it was the same old song. Goalkeepers: Leighton (Aberdeen), Goram (Oldham Athletic), Gunn (Norwich City) Defenders: McLeish (Aberdeen), Aitken (Newcastle United), Gough (Rangers), Malpas (Dundee United), Gillespie (Liverpool), Levein (Heart of Midlothian), McKimmie (Aberdeen), McPherson (Heart of Midlothian) Midfielders: McStay (Celtic), Bett (Aberdeen), MacLeod (Borussia Dortmund), McCall (Everton), Collins (Hibernian), McAllister (Leicester City) Forwards: Johnston (Rangers), McCoist (Rangers), Durie (Chelsea), McInally (Bayern Munich), Fleck (Norwich City)

World Cup News

Belligerent backdrop to tournament tests Fifa’s ‘football unites the world’ slogan Iran will present a major challenge to Fifa’s “football unites the world” slogan on Monday by becoming the first country in World Cup history to compete on the soil of a host nation with which it is at war. The national team’s opening match against New Zealand in Los Angeles will kick off amid continuing hostilities between Iran and the US that have intensified in recent days, as a fragile ceasefire has failed to hold and attempts at reaching a negotiated settlement have sputtered. The belligerent backdrop makes a mockery of the message of unity being peddled by Fifa’s president, Gianni Infantino, analysts say. “Despite Fifa’s fever dreams that this could be an apolitical World Cup, it is the most politically combustible World Cup ever, and the Iran-United States-Israel war sits right at the centre of it,” said Jules Boykoff, a politics professor at Pacific University in Oregon and a former professional footballer. “There’s never been a World Cup where one of the hosts is openly threatening war crimes against one of the participating nations, and that participating nation, in turn, is bombing other participating nations. The levels of newness is off the charts.” Iran’s players will take the field at So-Fi stadium following months of speculation over whether they would be allowed to participate at all, after Donald Trump suggested it would be safer for them to stay away. Doubts about their involvement were dispelled only this week after squad members were granted US visas, although several officials have been denied entry, including the president of Iran’s football governing body, Mehdi Taj, because he once belonged to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The uncertainty has upended preparations and created organisational headaches that could complicate the team’s hopes of progress in the tournament. Amid doubts about their reception in the US, the squad’s training headquarters was switched from Arizona to Tijuana, in northern Mexico, where the players arrived this week after three weeks at a camp in Turkey. The team will travel to Los Angeles on the day of the match and return to Mexico immediately afterwards to avoid staying in the US overnight. The pattern will be repeated for subsequent games – against Belgium, in Los Angeles, on 21 June and Egypt, in Seattle, five days later. The Egypt fixture has already drawn controversy after local authorities designated it the city’s Pride match to coincide with that weekend’s LGBTQ Pride festival, prompting protests from both Iran and Egypt, where homosexuality is criminalised. The outlook has been further clouded by an ideological tug-of-war between Iran’s Islamic regime and its opponents about who the team represents and where its loyalties lie. In ordinary circumstances, the players could expect fervent backing in Los Angeles, home to a large ethnic Iranian community that has earned the city the nickname of “Tehrangeles”. But fervent opposition to Iran’s theocratic rulers among many expats could dilute support. A major salvo in what looked like a battle for the team’s soul came this week in the form of an officially sanctioned World Cup video posted on social media, depicting the players as representatives of the regime’s Shia Islamist ideology. It shows footage of the players to the soundtrack of a religious eulogy that pays homage to the imams Ali and Hussein, the two most revered figures in Shia Islam after the prophet Muhammad, and refers to the seventh-century Battle of Karbala. Alex Vatanka, the head of the Iran programme at the Middle East Institute in Washington, criticised the video. “The World Cup was a chance for Tehran to speak to Iranians as a nation. Instead, it chose to speak to them as an Islamist ideology,” he wrote, calling the video “a major own goal”. Reza Pahlavi, the son of Iran’s deposed last shah, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, attacked efforts to portray the team as emissaries of regime ideology. He has promoted himself as an alternative to the ruling theocracy and posted a video highlighting its persecution of footballers. “Today, many Iranians no longer see the national team as a team that represents the nation,” the video’s female narrator says. After lobbying from the Iranian football federation, Fifa has banned displays of national flags predating the 1979 Islamic revolution, depicting a lion and the sun, symbols of the monarchy, which are still flown by many critics of the regime. Pahlavi attacked the ban, and some regime opponents vowed to defy it by smuggling in the old flag under the official one. Iranian officials have said the team will stop playing if banned flags are displayed or anti-regime slogans are chanted during a match. Mahmood Ebrahimzadeh, a former Iran international now living in Maryland, predicted that many US-based Iranians would withhold support. “I would say the majority don’t want to support the national team,” said Ebrahimzadeh, who heads an organisation of retired Iranian athletes living in exile. “As a soccer player, it’s unfair. “Everybody is expecting those players to speak out for the people against the government. But they are not strong enough in education to speak about human rights. And the country is in a very hard situation with the war against America and Israel, so its hard right now to use football to speak out.”

World Cup News

Jibril Rajoub attended opening match in Mexico but becomes latest football official hit by US visa issues, he says The head of the Palestinian Football Association has said he is unable to travel to the US with other federation heads attending the 2026 Fifa World Cup because he has not been issued a visa. Jibril Rajoub went to the opening match between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City on Thursday. But he is among several people accredited to attend the World Cup who have been denied visas or have yet to receive them from the US. “I don’t believe that it’s fair to use or to abuse and deny the right of all footballers all over the world to attend,” the veteran Palestinian political figure said. The Palestinian team did not qualify for the World Cup but Fifa typically invites the heads of football associations from around the world to the event held every four years, which it frames as a celebration of global unity. Fifa’s president, Gianni Infantino, said last year: “Everyone will be welcome in Canada, Mexico and the United States for the Fifa World Cup next year. We are working exactly for that.” The US, however, has refused entry to delegates from several countries, including a referee from Somalia and a photographer travelling with Iraq’s team. Infantino said this week that Fifa had been trying to resolve visa issues but could not overrule the US government. “We need to respect that we are not the kings of the world who can rule over governments and police forces,” he told reporters on Wednesday. The US state department had no immediate comment on Rajoub’s visa, but last year it implemented new restrictions on Palestinian passport holders, including on anyone who had been employed by the Palestinian Authority. It revoked a visa to allow Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, to travel to the UN general assembly last September. Rajoub and other Palestinian football officials have long argued that Israel violates statutes by allowing teams from settlements in the occupied West Bank to play in Israel’s national league. They have pushed Fifa to impose sanctions on Israel, also decrying restrictions on the movement of Palestinian players and how war in the Gaza Strip has damaged or destroyed 80% of sports facilities and killed at least 565 players there, according to the association. Last month, Rajoub refused to shake hands with the head of Israel’s football federation at Infantino’s behest because he said the gesture would not heal wounds but instead whitewash Israel’s actions. Rajoub pointed out that when Russia hosted the 2018 World Cup, it did not implement comparable visa restrictions for people who were invited to the tournament.

World Cup News

Players receiving a red card in the 2026 World Cup will receive a one-match suspension. This applies to both straight red cards and red cards that are the result of the same player being cautioned twice. During the opening game of the tournament, three red cards were shown. It means that South Africa's Sphephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane will miss their side's match against the Czech Republic, while Mexico defender Cesar Montes will miss their meeting with South Korea. Players can also receive suspensions for an accumulation across multiple matches. Should players received two bookings, they will be handed a one-match suspension. However, yellow cards are wiped following the conclusion of the group stage. They are wiped again following the conclusion of the quarter-finals. Contact formContact formPlayers who will miss next World Cup match because of red cardSphephelo Sithole (South Africa) This article is the latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team.

World Cup News

When Edin Dzeko decides the time is right to retire, the highlights reel of his career will be extensive. Two Premier League titles headline an impressive collection of honours won with the likes of Manchester City, Inter Milan and Wolfsburg. Yet the enduring image of the 40-year-old's career may prove to be an altogether more vulnerable one. Moments after Bosnia-Herzegovina had beaten Italy on penalties to qualify for only their second World Cup, Dzeko celebrated cautiously while nursing his arm in a sling. It's the kind of wear and tear you might expect for a man who for almost 20 years has carried the hopes of a nation still deeply affected by past horrors. "His career is connected to the country's own image - resilience, persistence and proving people wrong," Bosnian journalist Sasa Ibrulj says of Dzeko. Placed in a relatively even group with Canada, Switzerland and Qatar, the final chapter of Dzeko's story as a player could be the beginning of a new one for his country. His team's campaign begins against co-hosts Canada (Friday, 20:00 BST). The anatomy of a Golden Boot winner - and who could win it in 2026? Dzeko was six years old when the Bosnian War began in 1992, a conflict that cost the lives of around 80,000 fellow Bosnian Muslims. The Srebrenica Genocide perpetrated by Bosnian Serb forces was the largest massacre in Europe since the Holocaust. His family remained in Sarajevo during the near four-year siege of the city, as Serbian snipers targeted civilians including children. He moved to live with his grandparents after his parents' house was destroyed. "It was terrible," Dzeko told the Guardian. "The whole family was there, maybe 15 people all staying in an apartment about 35 metres square. It was very hard. We were stressed every day in case somebody we knew died." A young Dzeko often played on a local football pitch, but one day his mother made him stay at home; that day a shell hit the field and killed several children. After the war, Dzeko began his football journey with local club Zeljeznicar, but in his early career went largely misunderstood. He was nicknamed Kloc - local slang for lamp-post - because of his lanky appearance, and Zeljeznicar directors could not believe their luck when Czech side Teplice offered to buy him for 25,000 euros. Years later, Dzeko became the first player to score at least 50 goals in the Premier League, Bundesliga and Serie A, but he did not forget his roots amid superstardom. He has made several donations to aid renovations at Zeljeznicar, and in 2009 became Bosnia's first Unicef ambassador. "People remember that he did not come from privilege or from a powerful football system," says Ibrulj. "What makes him different is that people in Bosnia have never experienced him as distant or untouchable." Dzeko's friend, Mirza Trbonja, told AFP: "When he comes, you need a lasso to catch 10 minutes with him. When someone asks him for a photo or autograph, he never refuses." Dzeko made his international debut in 2007, and now holds the records for the most appearances (148) and most goals (73) for Bosnia. After losing to Portugal in the play-offs for both the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2012, Dzeko helped Bosnia qualify for their first major tournament since independence. The 2014 World Cup in Brazil proved to be the first and last for Bosnia's so-called golden generation, as play-off heartbreak struck again for Euro 2016, 2020 and 2024. Then, 12 years later, Bosnia overcame their play-off demons by beating Wales and then Italy on penalties having trailed to both. Ibrulj says: "2014 felt historic because it was the first generation that truly gave Bosnia international sporting legitimacy after independence. "This second qualification feels even heavier emotionally. Bosnia spent more than a decade failing to return, and over those years there was disappointment, pessimism and a growing feeling that the country had missed its moment. "For many younger supporters, this is the first team that feels like their team in the same way older generations emotionally belonged to the side of Dzeko, Miralem Pjanic and Emir Spahic." For musician Alen Dokic - who has produced a World Cup song under the alias Doppelganger - Bosnia's qualification is an example of 'Bosanski Inat', a cultural mindset of defiance and overcoming adversity. "Never forget, never forgive - this is one of the mottos that reminds us who we are, what we have been through, and how resilient we Bosnians are," says Dokic. Dokic, born in Rome to Bosnian parents, is part of a Bosnian diaspora thought to be as large as two million people. Sergej Barbarez's World Cup squad mixes experience with youth and vibrance. Seventeen of the 26 players were born outside of Bosnia & Herzegovina. "It's a unique dynamic of players growing up all over the world but coming back to represent Bosnia," says former Bosnia goalkeeper Asmir Begovic. Esmir Bajraktarevic, scorer of the penalty that sent Bosnia to the World Cup, is one such player. The 21-year-old was born and raised in Wisconsin after his parents fled Srebrenica. "That common interest, common goal, the passion of representing Bosnia plays a big role," he says. "What the country has been through, there's still lingering effects from the conflict and the past. "When everyone comes together in Bosnia, it's a pretty unique feeling and really special. For a country so small to compete at this stage is a really big thing." After the Italy match, thousands of fans took to the streets and partied until dawn. "This is still a country shaped by political division, economic uncertainty and the long shadow of war, so moments of collective joy carry unusual weight," says Ibrulj. Who are the oldest players to feature at a World Cup? Despite the lack of investment and sporting infrastructure in a nation of three million people, the future of the national team looks bright. It feels fitting that Dzeko should captain Bosnia as they enter a new era. "For younger players he became a constant. Coaches changed, federations changed, generations came and went, but Dzeko remained there," says Ibrulj. "In a country where people often struggle to trust institutions, figures like that become larger than sport itself." After a video of Italian players allegedly celebrating the fact that they would face Bosnia instead of Wales in the play-off final went viral, Dzeko showed his leadership qualities. He implored supporters to respect the Italian anthem, reminding them that Italy were the first side to visit Bosnia after the war. "He is someone who has big pressure and expectation on him," says Begovic. "He galvanises everybody. When I played with him he certainly wasn't the most vocal of leaders but he definitely led by example and I think a lot of people fed off that." But Dzeko isn't going to the World Cup to cheerlead from the sidelines. After scoring a late equaliser against Wales before setting up the equaliser against Italy, the 40-year-old clearly still has plenty to offer. "I didn't think I would be playing at 40 - 10 years ago I would've said 'no', but I'm listening to my body and doing a lot of work before and after training to help my body," says Dzeko. "I am so happy I can do it [go to the World Cup]. It is so amazing for the young players. They don't know it yet, but it will change their lives for sure." Listen to the latest Football Daily podcast SoundsGet football news sent straight to your phone

World Cup News

The show featuring a host of Latin American talent raced along and was over in a flash, leaving those at the Estadio Azteca wanting more ITV’s Mark Pougatch could barely contain his excitement. “Let’s be honest, opening ceremonies aren’t very memorable,” he offered, clearly intent on whipping up viewers into a frenzy of anticipation before events in the Estadio Azteca got under way. A few minutes later, he was at it again. “Nothing is happening,” he shrugged, when the opening ceremony didn’t kick off bang on time. “This is why they don’t live long in the memory.” No one was going to accuse him of overselling Mexico’s big night, but then perhaps he was underwhelmed by the lineup. With the global star power reserved for the final’s half-time show – which features Madonna, Coldplay and BTS – the Mexican ceremony stuck fast to relatively local talent. It kicked off with Maná, the most successful Latin American rock band of all time, who – to judge by the 1992 hit they performed, Oye Mi Amor – have sold 45m records by sounding not unlike The Police. They were pretty good, as was Venezuela’s Danny Ocean and the Mexican singer-songwriter Belinda, both of whom broke out one of the 18 (eighteen!) official World Cup songs: Ocean’s Partidazo was a nippy bit of reggaeton, Belinda’s Por Ella a sweet collaboration with veteran cumbia band Los Ángeles Azules, the latter a disconcerting sight for British viewers on account of the fact that their bass player looked as if he was being impersonated by Paul Whitehouse. You couldn’t fault the ceremony for its brevity: it zipped along at a remarkable clip. Indeed, you could possibly have done with a bit more of J Balvin, who was charismatic and self-deprecating enough to turn up in a cardboard car to perform his 2017 hit I Like it, one of the few latterday Latin pop hits to make a splash in the UK. That notwithstanding, the big draw for anyone not immersed in Latin American music was Shakira and the Afrobeats star Burna Boy – who presumably even Mark Pougatch has heard of – performing yet another official World Cup song, Dai Dai. You used to know where you were with the official World Cup song. It came out, no one cared – at least in England, where none of them have ever even made the Top 20 – and it was swiftly consigned to the dustbin of history. Who today recalls Ricky Martin’s La Copa de la Vida or indeed The Time Of Our Lives by Toni Braxton and operatic man-band Il Divo, the latter a musical cocktail only a lunatic would order? But in 2026, it’s showing signs of mission creep: you can’t move for the bloody things. There is the official Fifa anthem, Desire, sung at the finals draw in December by Robbie Williams and Nicole Scherzinger but subsequently given a reboot. It’s now a frankly terrifying-sounding collaboration between Andrea Bocelli, David Guetta, K-pop singer EJAE and Megan Thee Stallion. There are 16 versions of the official theme, each remixed by a producer from one of the host cities. And there are the aforementioned 18 official World Cup songs, collected together on an album featuring not only Ocean and Belinda, but an online influencer called IShowSpeed and country pop star Jelly Roll. The latter caused consternation with his official World Cup song Lighter, which featured a lot of Bible-belt-pleasing lyrics about religious redemption and feeling “like a broke-down Chevy” and absolutely no references to the World Cup or even football: a suitably America First approach to the whole business. If nothing else, it casts Dai Dai in a more forgiving light: a coolly minimal Afrobeats track that you could actually imagine listening to for pleasure, which given that it’s hard to imagine listening to Toni Braxton and Il Divo without crying for death’s merciful release, counts as a win. Shakira gyrated her famously non-lying hips, Burna Boy occasionally forgot to put the microphone up to his mouth on cue – mysteriously, his voice rang out loud and clear regardless – and the whole business was over in a flash. Cautioned to expect the worst, the viewer was instead presented with something genuinely entertaining, even educational: a pleasant surprise.

World Cup News

Message comes ahead of politically-charged World Cup ‘Socceroos are best representation right now of what Australia is’ The Socceroos have addressed growing anti-immigration sentiment in a powerful video message ahead of the World Cup, speaking of their pride in their heritage and playing for the national team. Compared to their equivalent release ahead of the Qatar World Cup, which directly addressed the hosts’ human rights record, the Socceroos’ statement on Friday was uncontroversial. However, in a climate of harsh deportations by United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the rise of One Nation in Australia, the Socceroos’ simple language held a clear message and its timing carried weight. Awer Mabil, a winger playing for Castellón in Spain, begins the video: “I was born in Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya. My parents are South Sudanese.” Defender Lucas Herrington, who has Zimbabwean heritage, “was born in Brisbane, Australia”. Full-back Aziz Behich adds: “My family migrated from Cyprus.” Jason Geria, who has Ugandan roots, says he was born in Australia. The message is a result of meetings in recent weeks with the players, organised by players’ union Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) and largely led by co-president Jackson Irvine. PFA chief executive Beau Busch said the Socceroos “highlight the profound impact of multiculturalism” on the country. “At a time when some seek to divide us and question who belongs, the Socceroos stand as a powerful reminder of who we truly are as a nation and as Australians,” he said. During the meetings, the Socceroos were invited to consider what kind of statement they wanted to issue ahead of the politically-charged tournament. They agreed to promote multiculturalism, and 20 of the 26-player squad recorded videos that make up the near-two minute message. Irvine, the Socceroos’ outspoken midfielder who said last month Fifa’s awarding of a peace prize to Donald Trump “makes a mockery” of football as a force for positive change, presented the video’s key theme: “No matter where you come from, football is for everyone.” That slogan is repeated by Jacob Italiano, Aiden O’Neill and Harry Souttar, the latter in a strong Scottish accent. “The Socceroos aren’t just a team, we are a reflection of modern Australia,” continues Irvine. In the video, Mo Touré explains his upbringing, as a child to Liberian refugees, born in Guinea before moving to Adelaide as a refugee. Milos Degenek fled Croatia as an 18-month-old, living in Serbia as a refugee before moving to Sydney at the age of six. The World Cup has brought players, staff and supporters of 48 teams to the United States, Canada and Mexico over the next six weeks. What should be a celebration of difference began on Friday amid tension around the place of migrants within US society. The Trump administration has undertaken sometimes cruel mass deportations, including sending 21,000 people to places US calls too dangerous to visit, and this month threatened to send more ICE agents to New York. “Our diversity is our strength,” says Mat Leckie in the video. “The Socceroos are the best representation right now of what Australia is,” says Geria. In Australia, political party One Nation has surged in popularity. The populist party founded on anti-immigration policy has occupied the fringes of politics since its establishment in 1997. One Nation has emerged, however, as a major electoral force, winning its first federal lower house seat and challenging the mainstream incumbents in polling. Captain Maty Ryan, Paul Okon-Engstler, Jordy Bos and Herrington speak of the pride in playing for the Socceroos, as does Mabil. “There’s a lot of journeys behind the jersey, so to be a Socceroos has many different meanings, but with one purpose and that is to do the country proud,” Mabil said. Irvine concludes: “We are proud of where we come from and who we represent, and proud to represent Australia.” The Socceroos play their first World Cup match against Turkey on Saturday evening in Vancouver (Sunday AEDT).

World Cup News

There was a time when football boots came in one colour - black. That has not been the case over the past quarter of a century or so, with all the colours of the rainbow coming to the party as the major brands have sought to stand out from the crowd. Yet at the 2026 World Cup, things appear to have come full circle, with players all back to wearing the same colour again - only this time it is pink. The key reason is because the top-selling global brands Nike, Adidas and Puma have all produced similarly-styled boots in similar hues for the showpiece event. That was evident during the opening match of the tournament between Mexico and South Africa in Mexico City, when almost every player on the pitch appeared to be wearing bright pink boots. Here is why it will be the dominant colour at the World Cup. Contact formContact formHow did brands know pink was 'in' for 2026?In the past, industry-leading brands such as Nike, Adidas and Puma have often favoured more understated black and white designs. But this summer their latest releases have been centred around standing out from the crowd through bold, vibrant colours. Back in 2024, consumer trend forecaster WGSN predicted 'Electric Fuchsia' would be one of the defining colours of the 2026 summer season. The company described "a vivid neon with a kinetic and digital quality" and a "luminous hue, sitting between pink and purple". Whether such a prediction resonated with the design experts at Nike, Adidas and Puma, we can't say. So is it a coincidence almost every major boot style is pink? When manufacturers begin to design new boots - a process that can start up to two years before release - they often consult trend forecasters such as WGSN to learn which colours, themes and styles are likely to be 'in' when the product eventually hits the shelves. But there are other factors as to why pink has been a hit in football. Of course, players are far more open to wearing extravagant boots than previous generations. But the simple reason the companies have hit upon pink is because of how it contrasts with the green of the pitch. It stands out whether you are watching on television, at the stadium, or scrolling on your phone. The pink boot shows up if you are looking at slow-motion clips, or watching under stadium lights. But the irony may be that, with so many manufacturers arriving at pink, perhaps it is more difficult for their designs to stand out? This article is the latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team.

World Cup News

ShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleMegan BonarBBC Scotland, BostonThe Tartan Army is feeling the heat in Boston as plane-loads of fans continue to arrive in the city as the World Cup gets underway. Visitors are facing 31C temperatures, with the soaring heat expected to continue into Saturday when Scotland's men face Haiti in their opening match. Around 30,000 fans are expected in Boston for the fixture and city streets and bars are gradually filling up with kilts and Scotland tops. The tournament kicked off on Thursday night with the opening ceremony and first game between Mexico and and South Africa. Mexico, one of the three host nations, won the match 2-0. The atmosphere has been building at the Haven Bar - Boston's only Scottish pub - with a piper playing the US national anthem and extra Scottish beer shipped in. At one table are brothers Paul Flynn and Gary Collins, who have come together for the tournament. Originally from Glasgow, they now live thousands of miles apart in Australia and York. "There's a real air of anticipation, everyone is in a good jovial mood," said Gary "It feels like we're on the cusp of something special. "The tartan army has got a reputation and Boston is welcoming us well so far. "We've had people pulling over in the car just to say good luck." "Big" Jay Howard and his brother Ed Murray are in charge of security at The Haven. They have been given a crash course in Scottish culture. Jay told BBC Scotland News: "It blew my mind, I came in yesterday and then these guys were wearing these kilts and they just started singing for no reason. An American football fan, Jay said the crowd was very different to what he is used to. He added: "This is a whole new world for me. Bostonians are excited, the bars are booming and it's bringing a real buzz to the city." There have been some concerns about where Scotland fans will go in the city, with larger groups expected to arrive on Friday and Saturday. Boston's main fan zone is oversubscribed and a huge number of travelling fans do not have match tickets. Mayor of Boston, Michelle Wu, said her office was working on opening a "consumption area" for supporters. It is not clear whether it will be ready in time for Scotland's opening fixture with Haiti at 21:00 local time on Saturday. Many fans are just happy to be in Boston and soak up the atmosphere Jim Brown from Edinburgh said: "It's almost as good as at home. The beer has actually got a head on it here." "A lot of US cities don't have that feeling. I don't think Boston truly knows what is about to hit it." For Nikki Smith from Keith, a lost suitcase has been an unlucky start to the trip, but is not a bad omen for Saturday. He said: "My kilt is in the bag so and I don't have that and my contact lenses are in the bag so I can't see the game but we'll make it work." Meanwhile, dozens of other Scottish fans have reported issues with US travel permits being revoked at the last minute. On Thursday, Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander said he was "making representations" on behalf of supporters who had problems with their Electronic System of Travel Authorisation (ESTA). Alexander said he had spoken to the British ambassador to the United States who is in touch with US authorities. He said: "Thousands of members of the Tartan Army have gone through the US visa system successfully, but we will continue to work with the US authorities to help resolve this issue as quickly as possible."