- 1h ago PFA award nominees unveiled
- 3h ago World Cup 2026: comprehensive guide to all 1,248 players
- 3h ago Opening thoughts
What’s the latest scoop, folks? Our reporters have shared their initial insights, and it’s an intriguing read.
Top-tier footballers aren’t simply manufactured in a lab or pampered into greatness. Take Germany’s Antonio Rüdiger, for instance. He grew up in Neukölln, Berlin, amidst a community primarily composed of refugees, as his parents fled civil strife in Sierra Leone.
The Real Madrid defender recently shared his story after becoming a member of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees’ “Gamechanging Team,” a coalition of footballers with backgrounds of displacement standing in solidarity with refugees and working to dismantle stereotypes. Rüdiger recounts his experiences to Sam Cunningham.
Thomas Tuchel will not have his preferred starting lineup available for the match against New Zealand this Saturday. The reason? His Arsenal players, including Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka, will only rejoin the squad next week after their Champions League commitments.
As for England’s probable starting XI for their World Cup opener against Croatia in Dallas on June 17, the announcement of the squad numbers a few days ago has certainly provided some clues.
1/ Jordan Pickford 2/ Ezri Konsa 3/ Nico O’Reilly 4/ Declan Rice 5/ John Stones 6/ Marc Guehi 7/ Bukayo Saka 8/ Elliot Anderson 9/ Harry Kane 10/ Jude Bellingham 11/ Marcus Rashford
Remaining squad: 12 Tino Livramento, 13 Dean Henderson, 14 Jordan Henderson, 15 Dan Burn, 16 Kobbie Mainoo, 17 Morgan Rogers, 18 Anthony Gordon, 19 Ollie Watkins, 20 Noni Madueke, 21 Eberechi Eze, 22 Ivan Toney, 23 James Trafford, 24 Reece James, 25 Djed Spence, 26 Jarell Quansah
This Saturday, England’s cricket and football teams face New Zealand. That is, unless the Lord’s Test matches extend into that time frame. Stay tuned for updates!
In Tampa at 4pm local time (9pm UK), Tuchel’s squad will aim to handle the heat while defeating a New Zealand team that recently suffered a 4-0 loss to Haiti. However, it’s worth noting that the All Whites are more competitive than that scoreline indicates. Discover more about them here.
Last night’s pre-World Cup friendly results included a surprising defeat for France.
Spain 1-1 Iraq France 1-2 Ivory Coast Sweden 2-2 Greece Panama 4-2 Dominican Republic South Korea 1-0 El Salvador Iran 2-0 Mali
Some highlights: France initially took the lead with Rayan Cherki scoring just before halftime, but a late goal from Manchester United’s Amed Diallo led to their first defeat in 364 days.
Sweden conceded an equalizer in injury time against Greece, but there’s a notable stat: the often-criticized Arsenal striker Viktor Gyökeres has netted 20 goals in his 33 international appearances after equalizing for Sweden.
Panama scored four times in their match, having also found the net twice against Brazil last weekend, despite conceding six goals. Expect plenty of scoring, particularly from England, when they face Tuchel’s squad in their final Group L match on June 27. Remember that England triumphed 6-1 in their last World Cup encounter, with Harry Kane achieving a hat-trick from the penalty spot. A mythical prize awaits those who can recall the other goalscorers, one of whom surprisingly netted twice.
Spain will kick off against Cape Verde. Join us as we delve deeper into the profile of their Group H competitors, the Blue Sharks.
Spain enters the tournament as slight favorites over France. Thus, their 1-1 draw with Iraq in their last friendly before the finals raised eyebrows. Sid Lowe was at Estadio Riazor and notes that there’s no cause for alarm since the Spanish squad fielded a team that will look nothing like the one that opens against Cape Verde on June 15.
Bruno Fernandes rightfully secures his spot on the PFA shortlist. However, will he remain at Old Trafford next season?
The nominees for the Men’s and Women’s PFA Player Awards have been announced. Arsenal’s triumvirate of Declan Rice, Gabriel, and David Raya, all pivotal in their Premier League triumph, are included. Meanwhile, Bunny Shaw and Yui Hasegawa have both received nominations for the Women’s Player of the Year award after contributing significantly to Manchester City’s title success.
Men’s Players’ Player of the Year nominations
Rayan Cherki (Man City) Bruno Fernandes (Man Utd) Erling Haaland (Man City) Gabriel (Arsenal) David Raya (Arsenal) Declan Rice (Arsenal)
Kirsty Hanson (Aston Villa) Yui Hasegawa (Man City) Lauren James (Chelsea) Jess Park (Man Utd) Alessia Russo (Arsenal) Bunny Shaw (Man City)
England has a chance to secure a spot in the 2027 Women’s World Cup finals in Brazil tonight. The positive news: they only need to avoid a loss. The downside: they’re facing the reigning champions, Spain. Tom Garry is on site in Mallorca to cover the event.
Now for a brief niche update from my colleague, Will Unwin.
“For those who appreciate nostalgia, one name that Leicester considered for their managerial position was former Everton and Sunderland goalkeeper Thomas Myhre, and initial discussions took place. The Norwegian currently manages top-tier HamKam in his home country.”
Jonathan Wilson offers insights into whether Liverpool and Andoni Iraola would be a fitting match. The overall assessment appears to be favorable.
“Iraola’s approach seems well-suited for Liverpool. Bournemouth typically plays an attractive, progressive style, in stark contrast to the passivity that sometimes defined Slot’s Liverpool during difficult spells. The 4-2-3-1 formation that Iraola has commonly used aligns with some of Liverpool’s strategic thoughts over the past year. Florian Wirtz is likely to excel in the central creative position often held by Eli Junior Kroupi this season. The full-backs also adopt an attacking style, mirroring Bournemouth’s approach; for Milos Kerkez, who improved towards the end of the season after a challenging start at Liverpool, this reunion with Iraola is significant, as he celebrated an assist against Tottenham by running to the technical area to acknowledge his contribution.”
Could Andoni Iraola make a significant impact at Liverpool? The initial reaction from Reds supporters has been overwhelmingly positive, especially regarding his statement: “For me, football is about emotions. About passion.”
First up, here’s Andy Hunter’s account of the 43-year-old Spaniard signing with Liverpool.
What hurdles will England need to overcome to secure their first World Cup victory on foreign soil? The Opta supercomputer has analyzed the data. Caution: the road ahead is challenging.
Bracketology! In previous World Cups, the only method to determine England’s likely phase of elimination was through a pencil and eraser on a wall chart. But times have changed. Now, we have a fantastic tool: a clickable online bracket. If they finish atop their groups, will Spain and France (the two frontrunners) clash in the final? Drag and click to discover!
Next, the wall chart. Make sure to borrow some blu tack from your child’s crookedly-hung K-pop poster and display this centrally in your kitchen. Perhaps another one in the restroom as well. It’s elegantly designed and beautifully illustrated.
There’s only one way to kick things off. The World Cup 2026: guide to all 1,248 players is an exceptional piece of work. Hats off to my colleagues who dedicated themselves to preparing this. It’ll take some time to sift through, so let’s dive right in. Out of curiosity, my first clicks were to find out Luka Modric’s age and to learn more about Spain’s Mikel Oyarzabal because I believe he’s destined to win the Golden Boot.
Good morning! The countdown is officially on! Just under a week remains—six days and 11 hours, to be exact—until the World Cup begins with the Group A match between co-hosts Mexico and South Africa. Prepare for an overwhelming amount of analysis as we gear up, including the results from last night’s friendlies. Also, if you’re a fan of wall charts and online brackets to track England’s potential match against Spain, we have that covered too.
In addition, Andoni Iraola’s appointment at Liverpool has been finalized, while a significant clash in women’s international football is set for this evening as England faces Spain. The Lionesses will qualify for the 2027 World Cup finals in Brazil if they manage to secure at least a draw. Meanwhile, the men’s team will keep you updated ahead of their friendly against Chris Woods’ New Zealand this Saturday night.
“You must admit that’s remarkable!”
