As the excitement builds for the 2026 World Cup, preparations are ramping up in various corners of the globe, with England set for a crucial friendly match against Costa Rica in Orlando. Amid the hustle, FIFA President Gianni Infantino made headlines with his humorous remarks about the influx of ‘happy barbarians’ expected to attend the tournament.
For those in Europe, the challenge of timing their viewing for midnight matches is a familiar struggle. Christopher Knaus from Guardian Australia provides a helpful guide for navigating these late-night games, particularly for fans in Australia who have long dealt with sleep deprivation while following their beloved sport.
“This is the lot of us longsuffering Australian football fans. Football and sleep deprivation walk hand-in-hand in this country. The waking weekend hours are a haze and Mondays are four-coffee days. We gamble so much more on that 90 minutes. A scoreless stalemate takes on new levels of frustration when you know it’s going to leave you functionally impaired for 24 hours,” Knaus explained.
While Australian fans are learning to cope, UK supporters face their own set of challenges. The upcoming World Cup, hosted in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, offers manageable group-stage timings for England fans. However, Scottish fans have a grueling 2 AM kickoff right from the start, with many others looking at midnight and 3 AM matchups. In total, 44 out of the 104 games will occur between midnight and 5 AM UK time.
The referee who was barred from entering the United States for the tournament received a hero’s welcome upon arriving in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu. Enthusiastic supporters greeted him at the airport, waving Somali flags.
“I promise you, God willing, that I will attend the next one,” he vowed, garnering cheers from the gathered crowd. “I want the Somali public to take comfort in this and remain confident.”
In club news, Benfica has officially announced the appointment of Marco Silva as their new manager on a two-year contract, succeeding José Mourinho, who is expected to return to Real Madrid shortly. Additionally, Ben Davies has extended his contract with Spurs, while Raul Jiménez has rejoined Wolves with a two-year deal following their relegation.
For those looking to catch up on football analysis, Jacob Steinberg discusses England’s need for diverse attacking options beyond Harry Kane, while guides to the teams from DR Congo and Uzbekistan provide further insights. Luke Entwistle’s interview with Didier Deschamps highlights his impressive yet often underappreciated coaching career, and this week’s Knowledge section tackles various tournament topics.
England’s Pre-Tournament Adjustments
As the England squad approaches their final warm-up match against Costa Rica, concerns are emerging regarding Bukayo Saka’s fitness. Coach Thomas Tuchel noted that while Saka’s teammates—Declan Rice, Eberechi Eze, and Noni Madueke—are ready to compete, Saka is still catching up.
“Bukayo is just not there yet. Some things are missing … consecutive trainings. They took very good care of him [at Arsenal] and were very aware of it, and we will do a little bit the same. He is at the moment not able to do every training session through the week and then play. He is still going to be managed,” Tuchel commented.
In a broader context, as the countdown to the World Cup continues, the tournament’s politicization remains in the spotlight. The fallout from the exclusion of the Somali referee Omar Artan, along with complications surrounding Iran’s team, highlights the ongoing challenges that FIFA faces.
Infantino’s lighthearted take on the situation, referring to the influx of fans as ‘happy barbarians’ during the tournament’s launch event in Los Angeles, adds a humorous touch to the serious undertones.
“You will be invaded. You will be invaded by a horde of barbarians. But it’s happy barbarians, don’t worry,” Infantino quipped. “Men, women, children, grandparents, doesn’t matter, they will all have their faces colored with the colors of their countries,” he added, emphasizing the World Cup’s aim to unite people.
Meanwhile, Argentina concluded their final warm-up match with a decisive 3-0 victory over Iceland in Auburn, Alabama. Lionel Messi made his return, scoring a penalty in the second half while managing his hamstring soreness. Valentin Barco opened the scoring early, and Thiago Almeda sealed the win just before the final whistle. In a separate match, Iraq faced a 2-0 defeat against Venezuela in their final preparations for the tournament.
