Thank you for joining us for this World Cup news blog. Our live coverage of France v England will start in one hour so keep an eye out for that. We will be back with a similar blog tomorrow to build up to the World Cup final, so we will see you then. Enjoy the football.
This is a good listen and great build-up to tomorrow’s final:
There is an abundance of sport happening this weekend, including the World Cup final. Here is how you can keep across it:
Reuven Fletcher has emailed:
Declan Rice is one of England’s biggest problems in my opinion. Hailed consistently as “world class” and one of the best players in the Premier League, it’s foolish to argue he’s not good. However his game appears to be strong running, set pieces, maybe a goal when Arsenal dominate. It kind of explains why England fail, athleticism over brains, power (and pace) over possession.
As an international or European midfielder Rice lacks so much in his game, a problem England have had in centre midfield notwithstanding Scholes or Carrick. He’s not a player who unlocks a defence. He apparently “created 15 goalscoring opportunities” this tournament, but they were surely set piece based? They have other set piece takers, and Rice offers no more than Anderson, they don’t need both starting.
England need to bring in players like Wharton who had an excellent season for Palace and can help them retain the ball. At present Tuchel has morphed into an international Eddie Howe, one -plan and no variety, Kane is his Bruno Guimaraes not in style but in relying on him to come up with something, or Anthony Gordon.
On Kane he dropped so deep in the semi final, playing the ball out wide to Rogers that Rice picked up before the goal. What is the point in this? Why not play Wharton who does that from the centre of the park? Play strikers who test the back line and get the team up the park at other points. This is the problem England now face with no obvious successor to an ageing Kane.
If they do the same things in the Euros they will no doubt get the same results when facing France, Spain, Portugal or whoever else. It really needs some brave management to try and change the team and drop- some big media favourites, not sure Tuchel has that in him now sadly.
Do you agree? Email and let us know.
In the 37 minutes between England going ahead against Argentina and falling behind, they had 12% possession. It’s fair to assume that in the World Cup final Spain will provide a rather different challenge.
They do not suffer the Mafeking tendency of the English, seeking to re-enact some famous siege every time they take the lead. The finalists have averaged 64% possession so far in the tournament. Spain could hardly be more different to England: their way is not of panic but of process.
Do you think you know ball? Well we have a quiz here to really test your knowledge:
Outside of the World Cup but still in the football domain, Wrexham have beaten Manchester United in a pre-season friendly. Of course the World Cup stars were not involved but players such as Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw were in United’s starting 11.
The Welsh club came out with a 1-0 victory at Helsingin olympiastadion in Finland after Sam Smith scored in the first half.
The World Cup trophy will be decided tomorrow but it is not the only silverware that will be handed out. The Golden Boot is still being contested with Lionel Messi top with eight goals and four assists. Other stars like Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappé could still take the crown though, take a look at the race:
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Want to know more about the teams in the bronze final? We have you covered:
Here are all of the threats facing the final:
No matter who is playing, I always get my friends to predict what the score is going to be. I figure we are all friends here so I would love it if you emailed in your score prediction for the bronze final between France and England. I’m thinking a 2-1 France victory.
Here is Nathán Goldberg Crenier on the US hosting the tournament:
Ever since the United States won the rights to co-host the 2026 World Cup, Fifa president Gianni Infantino has worked to ingratiate himself with Donald Trump at all costs, supposedly to secure preferential treatment for Fifa from the American government. Predictably, he suffered the same fate as everyone who has made a Faustian bargain with the US president: he learned that cozying up to Trump always backfires, tarnishing the entire sport along the way.
Mel Clinton has emailed:
It’s interesting to note that no team has won the World Cup with a foreign manager. I don’t think its because it can’t be done (obviously it can), but because other nations put more emphasis on developing their national footballing culture and identity - a way of playing that aways underpins performances, whatever the circumstances.
We have a habit of outsourcing our approach and application of expertise, diluting the ability to build a deep English football culture and style. In this context its interesting to compare Lee Carsley’s substitutions in the 2025 U21s Euros Final v Germany. His substitutions reacted to England sitting too deep and being pegged back to 2-2, aiming to put the team back on the front foot. They won the final, just as they did in 2023 with a different team. That he spent much of his career in English football, while learning from approaches and innovations in other countries, and has had a period of continuity in the U21 set up is significant, I think.
Yes, England have had a few foreign managers. But they have had English ones too, obviously most recently Gareth Southgate. It feels like more of a problem of culture, rather than the nationality of the manager.
“A lot of our community has been pushed out by the World Cup. We’re not just dollar signs, we’re more than that. We’re people and we’re frustrated that they’ve chosen to treat us less than human.”
“They dropped me off there in the middle of the night. They call them Mormon centres or whatever, but it ain’t nothing but a warehouse of cops. It looked like a Fema camp. When I saw it, I left, I walked all the way back here. It’s because of the World Cup. They’re trying to make it look good for tourists. They don’t want the eyesores around.”
One week before the World Cup final Gianni Infantino flew from Miami to Qatar on a luxury private jet. Infantino was in Lusail to attend the funeral of the former Emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani (“mentor, a visionary”) and was duly pictured frowning on a silver throne in full global statesman mode.
There is a fan friendly between France and England supporters currently happening in Miami. It is half-time and England lead 6-2, I wonder if the game later will follow suit…
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For neutral fans, the final may be just a chance to watch the biggest game in the sport. But for others, they will choose a side to support. Many in Latin America are going for Spain instead of Argentina, here is why:
I am just flagging this as it is one of the biggest stories before the France v England match later on. Manager Thomas Tuchel has said he has “no regrets” despite a lot of blame being laid at his door for the Three Lions’ exit from their World Cup trophy campaign. England switched to a defensive system after going 1-0 up against Argentina but fell to a 2-1 loss.
Thank you Billy, I am back for more and I will take you through the next few hours. I was thinking while I was away ‘I wonder if anyone has watched every single game of this tournament’. I concluded with no research that there must be thousands who have, if you have get in touch and let me know which game has been your favourite.
That’s all from me. Sarah Rendell is back for more.
Slavko Vincic will referee the World Cup final tomorrow. For its content machine, Fifa captured the moment the Slovenian was told in front of his peers by referees chief Pierluigi Collina.
It’s quite sweet, really.
Johan Manzambi is the latest World Cup star to be on the move this transfer window. Keep track of all the deals, updated daily (sometimes hourly) here …
An email from David Wall …
In his interview Mikel Merino talks about how the Spanish players have been reflecting on what the team of 2010 did when they won the tournament. Perhaps the most important thing they could take from that team is how to keep your cool against a team that has decided the only way they can beat you is to kick you off the field. They might also do well to borrow some proper shin-pads rather than the tiny things that seem to be fashionable nowadays.
Do we really think Argentina will deploy the same tactics as they did in the first half against England? There was more of a historical edge to that game for starters and it was the shock factor of it, rather than actually riling the England players, that had an impact. Spain have got Marc Cucurella, after all.
Del Bosque: Spain must not underestimate 'nuisance' Argentina
Former Spain manager Vicente del Bosque has warned the national team not to underestimate Argentina ahead of the World Cup final, describing their opponents as a “real nuisance” and urging Spain to remain cautious.
Del Bosque led Spain to World Cup victory in 2010, when they beat the Netherlands 1-0 in South Africa. “Argentina are a tough team to play against – a real nuisance, if I may use the word – and they know exactly what they need to do,” Del Bosque told El País. Del Bosque pointed to Argentina’s comeback victory over England as evidence of their quality.
“I see the final as favouring Spain, but they need to be wary of the Argentinians, given how difficult they are to face and their experience,” he said.
Andrés Iniesta, who scored the winning goal for Spain in 2010, also said he hoped a new generation of Spanish players would claim the trophy.
“I really want this generation – these players – to become champions and for us to get another star, the second one,” he told El País.
Iniesta, who played with Messi at Barcelona, praised the Argentina captain’s ability to stay at the pinnacle of the game at the age of 39.
“I’d say he’s pretty much the same as always: making a difference, playing a leading role, providing assists, scoring goals – doing what he’s done his whole life,” he said.
“I believe the reason he’s still active at his age is that he continues to do so many things right – the way he takes care of himself, his dedication to the sport, the people around him, and the fact that he maintains the passion and mindset to keep improving both personally and as a teammate.” Reuters
Abou Diaby scored the winner in Didier Deschamps’ first game as France manager. I’ve dug out the XI from that World Cup qualifier away to Finland on 7 September 2012 …
GK Hugo Lloris
RB Anthony Reveillere
CB Mapou Yanga-Mbiwa
CB Mamadou Sakho
LB Patrice Evra
MID Yohan Cabaye (Blaise Matuidi 73min)
MID Abou Diaby
MID Rio Mavuba
RW Jeremy Menez (Mathieu Valbuena 63min)
ST Karim Benzema
LW Franck Ribery (Bafetimbi Gomis 89min)
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The only outfield players yet to get a runout for England at this tournament are Kobbie Mainoo and Trevoh Chalobah.
For France, it’s just 35-year-old N’Golo Kanté who is yet to play a minute. C’mon Didier, for old times’ sake.
Didier Deschamps takes charge of his 185th and final game for France later today. His record at major tournaments is outstanding, but maybe he will be left thinking he should have picked up more silverware …
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World Cup 2014 – quarter-finals (beaten 1-0 by Germany)
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Euro 2016, hosts – runners-up (beaten 1-0 by Portugal)
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World Cup 2018 – winners
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Euro 2020 – last 16 (3-3, beaten on pens by Switzerland)
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World Cup 2022 – runners-up (3-3, beaten on pens by Argentina)
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Euro 2024 – semi-finals (beaten 2-1 by Spain)
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World Cup 2026 – semi-finals (beaten 2-0 by Spain)
They also won the Nations League in 2021, beating Spain 2-1 in the final at San Siro.
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From four quarters to half-time shows, soaring ticket prices to championship rings, Fifa has really embraced American sporting culture at this World Cup. But how much will these additions’ financial success, if not universal popularity, embolden Fifa to take the same approach at their other tournaments?
Will we see hydration breaks at next year’s Women’s World Cup in Brazil, for example, or the 2030 men’s edition? If tomorrow’s half-time show – rumoured to widen the break to 30 minutes – is a hit, do we see the same at the Bernabéu in four years’ time?
And what about ticket prices? Will people in Spain, Portugal, Morocco, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay – yes, yes – be willing to shell out as much as Americans have? Even in Mexico and Canada, the ticket prices have been eye-watering.
A (rare) comment leaping to Thomas Tuchel’s defence BTL …
French-born coach Sébastien Migné, who led Haiti to the World Cup, has been appointed to take charge of Gabon as they seek to qualify for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations finals.
It is a return to African football for the 53-year-old, previously coach of Congo, Kenya, and Equatorial Guinea. He was also the assistant coach of Cameroon at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Migne helped Haiti to qualify for the World Cup for the first time in 52 years, but they were eliminated in the group stage of the tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
Gabon begin their Cup of Nations qualifying campaign in September with matches against Morocco and Niger. The Gabon football federation did not give any details of the contract terms when announcing the appointment. Reuters
Spain World Cup winner Capdevila denied entry to US
Joan Capdevila, Spain’s World Cup-winning left-back in 2010, is unable to travel to the US for the final after his travel permit application was rejected.
He has called on the help of Donald Trump and Marco Rubio to try to get the situation sorted so he can attend the final with his children and his 2010 teammates.
Capdevila posted on X …
I NEED HELP @realDonaldTrump! They just told me that I can’t travel to the final with my kids because my ESTA has been denied.
Can anyone help me with this? You have no idea how excited I was to be there with all my 2010 team-mates and this team to cheer them on.
I can’t believe they’re not letting me into the USA... and that I’ll miss a moment like this with my kids who love soccer so much. If anyone knows how to fix this, I’ll be grateful to you for life.
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Thanks Sarah. Let’s dip into the mail bag …
I appreciate Jonathan Liew’s article challenging the idea that England suffers from ‘a kind of moral deficiency…an endemic national culture of failure’. Not only does this bring the team down after their heroics in the Azteca, or difficult wins over teams like Norway (who knocked out Brazil by the way) - it also simply doesn’t hold up. If English mentality were truly the problem, how were the English women able to win the euros back to back? – Julia B
Like everyone I was convinced by the idea of TT as a tournament specialist who would create a team that brought out our best attacking qualities without fear. When the moment came. One idea of what happened against Argentina is that the memory of holding out against Mexico was the way to go. Perhaps this was even muscle memory. Whatever happened TT didn’t play the game in front of him and it was pretty shocking to see how we failed to try and control possession. That said it almost worked. It’s quite peculiar really as the football in the Croatia match made me feel Like supporting England like a real fan – Mikey G
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With that my watch is ended for a few hours, I hand back to Billy Munday.
Former England player Rio Ferdinand has made a prediction for the World Cup final and also spoken to Sky Sports about “disrespect” shown towards the defending champions Argentina.
I think it is hard to bet against Argentina. I think they have shown such great character, determination and grit. I think people have been a bit disrepectful and saying they are an average team, they’re not.
They’ve got one of the best players that has ever played the game. Even though he is 39, still one of the best players on the planet and they’ve got a great team. You don’t do what they have done in finals, in big competitions over the last few years, world champions and you call them average. I think it is out of order, it’s disrespectful.
There is a good discussion about the bronze final here, have a read:
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Mikey Georgeson has emailed and expressed his disappointment in England, specifically their manager Thomas Tuchel:
Like everyone I was convinced by the idea of TT as a tournament specialist who would create a team that brought out our best attacking qualities without fear. When the moment came. One idea of what happened against Argentina is that the memory of holding out against Mexico was the way to go. Perhaps this was even muscle memory. Whatever happened TT didn’t play the game in front of him and it was pretty shocking to see how we failed to try and control possession. That said it almost worked. It’s quite peculiar really as the football in the Croatia match made me feel like supporting England like a real fan.
The Croatia game was England’s best performance.
The third place play-off, or the bronze final as it is known at this tournament, will be played this evening between France and England. Both camps have said they do not want to be playing the game, which seems a pretty obvious statement as they would both want to be in the final. But is it a waste of time? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or by email. If England win the game it will be their best finish at a men’s World Cup since 1966.
Spain are on an unbeaten run of 14 matches but can Argentina put a stop to their domination? It will be one of Spain’s toughest tests since they run began back in 2024:
Here’s guides to the two teams in the final:
This is an interesting article, the World Cup through the age of conspiracy. One key part is the amount of AI generated content this tournament has seen:
Wayne Rooney said if Norway reached the World Cup quarter-finals he would row the River Mersey. Norway did exactly that, going out to England 2-1, and the former Manchester United player has stuck to his word but in a different location. He took to the Hudson in New York:
Exclusive: Infantino unlikely to face IOC sanctions over Balogun scandal
An exclusive bit of news here from our very own Matt Hughes and Nick Ames who are in New York.
Gianni Infantino is poised to escape without sanction after complaints he breached rules on political neutrality in his dealings with Donald Trump over the Folarin Balogun affair.
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White House backs Argentina players over World Cup Falklands banner
After beating England, the Argentinian players held up a sign which read “Las Malvinas son Argentinas” which translates to the Falklands are Argentinian. Politicians have called for Fifa to bring sanctions on the team for the political statement but the White House has now back to Argentinian team. Read more here:
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There is always a debate about the commentators on football but some English-speaking fans have switched to Telemundo for more energetic coverage. Have you made the switch?
Will Enzo Fernandez stay at Chelsea? He is having a good World Cup but his future at the Blues is still up in the air:
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Some of the highlights of the World Cup haven’t been related to playing the game, but instead have manifested in generational memes. Here’s a round-up of the best ones:
The leader of the UK political party the Liberal Democrats, Sir Ed Davey, has called for the Football Association to withdraw from Fifa after accusing the organisation of “destroying the integrity of the beautiful game”.
Among incidents at this World Cup has been the US president Donald Trump calling the head of Fifa Gianni Infantino to overturn Folarin Balogun’s red card. Davey said:
The only route forward is for the FA, along with other European governing bodies, to lead a co-ordinated exit from Fifa.
It is time for Uefa to step up and walk away from Fifa, and start working with other confederations to build a clean, transparent governing body that puts fans first.
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Speaking of the final, Argentina and Spain have played one another in a World Cup before. It was during the 1966 tournament in the group stage, have a read of all the action from 60 years ago here:
Thank you Billy and hello everyone. The half-time show during the final tomorrow has mixed opinions amongst the fans but if you were to pick your dream performer for it, who would it be? Email us and let us know.
It’s time to hand you over to Sarah Rendell.
Strong and thorough views BTL on England and Tuchel …
More lines from Donald Trump and Gianni Infantino’s press conference at Trump Tower yesterday …
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Trump indicated that he’d like the US to host another World Cup, but “this time we’ll leave Mexico and Canada out”, a remark which drew laughter from the assembled dignitaries.
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Trump also shared that Infantino has approached him about the possibility of the US and China co-hosting a World Cup in the future.
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Trump repeated that he was “forced to call Gianni” about the Folarin Balogun red card and said Infantino had “made yet another of his many good decisions”.
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Trump repeated his claims about the 2020 presidential election being “rigged”, saying: “I was supposed to not be here right now. I was supposed to be president for eight years.”
It is not immediately obvious what Infantino’s reactions to these comments were but he thanked Trump for putting on “the greatest human social and cultural event that mankind has ever witnessed”.
Atmosphere B-, Affordability F – here’s how Jeff Rueter has graded America’s World Cup hosting duties …
A couple of World Cup TV reviews for you.
From the UK …
The BBC clearly hasn’t quite fathomed its post-Lineker roster, where he acted as host and a pundit who had been there and done that at a World Cup. You either love or loathe the energy of Micah Richards, but from the BBC ranks the former England No 1 Joe Hart was the one who stood out, with Alan Shearer and Wayne Rooney often coming across as pedestrian as an England backline faced with an Argentina attack.
And the US …
Darren Fletcher won points for noting during England’s first knockout match that “if it’s coming home, it’s taking a while to get there”, but lost them all for his execrable “siuuu” to mark Cristiano Ronaldo’s first goal against Uzbekistan, which sounded like someone dying mid-orgasm. In a World Cup that has seen much important and difficult work done to fit America’s artificial turf NFL stadiums with soccer-friendly grass, the reforestation of Landon Donovan’s head still stands out as this tournament’s most impressive single feat of terraforming.
I’ve just got a fairly respectable 10/15 in our challenging World Cup final quiz.
Have a go …
Yes, one last chance this summer for us to get a glimpse of the highly rated Maghnes Akliouche.
Fifa has held a legends match in New York and it’s not taken Vozinha long to elbow in on this particular part of the retiree circuit.
I’ve done a brief search of a few ticket resale sites for tomorrow’s final and, if you’re in New York and interested in attending Spain v Argentina, then it’ll probably set you back around $7,000. If you find some spare cash down the back of the sofa then maybe you could stretch to the most expensive seats – upwards of $40,000.
To the wildfire smoke that is threatening to disrupt tomorrow’s final in New Jersey – from Matt Hughes in New York …
Wildfires in Canada’s wildlands have led to thick smoke spreading south across many of the United States’s eastern cities, with an air quality advisory altered from “unhealthy” to “very unhealthy” late on Thursday.
New York city hall’s emergency management officials issued a citywide code red for Tuesday to Thursday, telling residents to stay inside unless absolutely necessary and to avoid strenuous exercise, hardly conditions for the biggest match in global sport, which is expected to attract a worldwide television audience of 1.6 billion.
The smoke was clearly visible in downtown Manhattan, unlike the Statue of Liberty across the Hudson River that was temporarily hidden from view, with conditions so bad that many flights from New Jersey’s Newark airport were cancelled.
I’m still getting my head around the 2007 photo of Lionel Messi, 19, bathing Lamine Yamal, four months, for a Unicef calendar shoot.
Sid Lowe has done some digging to find out how it all came out …
The photograph was taken around Christmas 2007. Sport newspaper was putting together a charity calendar on behalf of Barcelona and Unicef, a studio set up in the away dressing room at the Camp Nou. Each player had a month and appeared with a child. Ronaldinho, the star, was July. Messi was January. Lamine Yamal was four months old. His mum, Sheila, had put him into a draw to take part. Monfort got the idea the night before when bathing his daughter, taking a plastic tub and a rubber duck with him. Although the baby was tiny and Messi was timid, with Sheila’s help he got a shot he was happy with.
We know most Brazilians will be supporting Spain against Argentina, but what about everybody else in that part of the world?
While Latin Americans have traditionally rallied behind football teams from the region who advance deep into the World Cup tournament, a flood of memes, jokes and criticism has made it clear there is one exception: Argentina.
In one photoshopped pic that went viral, Lamine Yamal – who leads Argentina’s opponents, Spain – is wearing a Brazil jersey. The snarky caption? “The hope of the Brazilian people.”
The fervour goes beyond the historic rivalry between Pelé’s Brazil and Diego Maradona’s Argentina: Mexico, Colombia, Chile and others are all hoping Lionel Messi’s Albiceleste bite the dust on Sunday. A similar phenomenon occurred before Argentina won its third World Cup title in 2022.
Colombian sociologist Germán Gómez told AFP that the “dynamic of solidarity ... has been broken” with Argentina. He said the digital era and social networks have fuelled “narratives” that the team is a darling of football’s world governing body Fifa and its president, Gianni Infantino.
“Argentina has had help from referees,” said Francisco Santos, a Brazilian fan trading World Cup stickers at a shopping center in São Paulo, where cheers rang out when England scored first against Argentina in the semi-finals.
“We’re going to cheer for Spain,” said Juan Camilo Abusaid, a 28-year-old finance worker in Bogotá, Colombia.
Antonio López, 51, a police officer in Mexico City, described Messi as a “legend” but added: “If you’re going to sweat and break your back on the pitch to become champions twice, I accept that. If referees are going to help you, I don’t.”
At a press conference, the Mexican president, Claudia Sheinbaum, jokingly asked journalists which team they were supporting in the final. “Spain! Spain!” they replied.
For Mexican anthropology professor Jorge Negroe, a specialist in social studies of sport, “this World Cup has proven to be very political.”
“I really don’t like Javier Milei (Argentina’s president) at all,” said Rachid Sjoberg, a 29-year-old agricultural laboratory operator in Santiago, Chile. “The idea that he would then boast about having won the World Cup if they win does not sit well with me.”
Messi himself has acknowledged the strong feelings around whether the team wins or loses. “Four years ago, we achieved what we wanted: to play the final and be the best for four years. Once again, we have shown that nobody gives us anything for free, and we have put ourselves among the two best again,” he said. “Let it hurt whoever it hurts.” AFP
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OK, let’s talk about the final. Spain’s late-goal-getter Mikel Merino has been doing exactly that with Sid Lowe in New Jersey …
Coming from the bench isn’t the ideal plan for any player, but when you join a national team that’s as strong as I and Lautaro have, you value every opportunity and try to help your team if you come on or if you don’t. You focus on the present, embrace the situation, and think of yourself as the guy who can do it. I have complete belief in myself, my ability: every time I come on to the pitch I think I can have impact. In the final, I hope anyone [Spanish] is the hero. The trophy belongs to all of you, not just the 11 on the pitch.
It’s important to have ego as a footballer. With all the criticism from outside, you need it. But you also need the humility. Players come to the national team because they’re important [at their clubs] and find a new reality. It is easy to talk about ‘family’ but when things don’t go well, when they’re difficult, is when you truly see that. It’s thanks to Luis and the squad he assembled, focused on being a good human first and then being a good footballer. That helps a lot when it comes to spending a lot of time together. We know each other very well, we know when to joke, when to be silent; that’s the strength of the group. That after 46, 47 days all together, we’re still …
It is interesting to see the dial shift quite so quickly on Thomas Tuchel. There was something heroic about choosing to sit back (albeit with 10 men) against Mexico but now …
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Wayne Rooney has honoured his pledge following Norway’s run to the World Cup quarter-finals by rowing down the Hudson River in New York.
Norway’s fans delivered some of the most memorable images of the 2026 tournament with their ‘Viking row’ celebration, leading the former Manchester United and England striker to promise he would take to Liverpool’s River Mersey if they toppled Brazil in the last 16.
Erling Haaland ensured they did with a brilliant late double and he challenged Rooney to keep to his word.
The 40-year-old has done just that, albeit swapping Merseyside for New York, alongside fellow BBC Sport pundits Micah Richards and Joe Hart.
“I loved it. The [Norwegian] fans were brilliant, weren’t they? So we’ve done it out of respect for the fans. We gave it our best shot!” Rooney said.
Addressing Haaland directly, Rooney added: “Enjoy it. We’ve seen a video of you dancing in Marbella, so hope you enjoy this!”.
Norway pushed England to extra time in the quarter-final before succumbing to Jude Bellingham’s winner. PA Media
The fallout from England’s exit continues. Jonathan Liew’s column is cutting and a must-read …
“If we lose, we lose in our way,” Tuchel told his players at half-time in the opening game against Croatia, a call to arms that generated some of the most thrilling football England have played at a major tournament in my lifetime. Where did that go, Thomas? Or: where did that Thomas go? Perhaps at some point on the road to the Azteca, or in the heat of Miami, Tuchel lost the simple faith that had brought England to this point.
In other through-the-looking-glass events, Trump’s comments were put to Thomas Tuchel in his pre-France press conference in Miami. The England head coach was not overly pleased …
“Do you use Donald Trump as your witness for the case or … ?” asked Tuchel.
We defended in a deep block. That’s what you do if you defend in a block. You defend in a block. We were not active enough. We could not escape the deep block. That is what teams build: togetherness and mentality is translated to in football terms. We defend as a 10 and as an 11. Together as a team, the team spirit, the togetherness, the mentality that this team built in the last six and a half weeks, is not to be questioned.
Ed Aarons was there …
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Trump: England made mistake putting Kane 'on defence'
Donald Trump joined the chorus of criticism over Thomas Tuchel’s defence-minded approach against Argentina as the United States president questioned the England manager’s “unusual” use of his golf buddy Harry Kane.
The inquest into Wednesday’s late 2-1 World Cup semi-final collapse to their bitter rivals is well under way, with fans and pundits alike panning the head coach’s tactics and substitutions in Atlanta.
In a World Cup event at Trump Tower in New York, the US president surprisingly joined those questioning Tuchel as England ready themselves for Saturday’s unwanted bronze medal match against France rather than the final against Spain.
Trump was particularly puzzled by the way the German coach utilised captain Kane, who revealed last week that they had played a round of golf together around 18 months ago in Florida.
“You have a great player in England, who I played golf with,” Trump said in a press conference. “You know that, right? He is Harry, who’s been fantastic.
“I think they perhaps made a mistake when they made him a defensive player. What do I know about soccer? They took the lead, and they took their best player and put him on defence.”
Gianni Infantino laughed alongside Trump, with the Fifa president shrugging and then applauding his remarks.
President Trump continued: “We have got to be a little offensive, right? But, no, I am not going to call it.
“Look, what do I know about coaching? But that was a little unusual, but Harry is a great guy, actually.” PA Media
Argentina and Spain have arrived in New York ahead of tomorrow’s final, with Lionel Messi, Emi Martínez and Rodri among those taking part in a fanfest in the city last night.
Can you spot the other famous faces in attendance?
Pablo Iglesias Maurer was there for a Q&A with Messi, Martínez and Lionel Scaloni, with the Argentina head coach lauding his captain once more …
He is pure history. A legend. Reaching a final at 39 years of age is unbelievable. We must enjoy him as it happens. With Diego [Maradona], we miss him. But Messi is still with us. He is the history, he is the legend, and together with this group of people who have brought us these wonderful years, we’ll always remember him.
Preamble
Hello and welcome to the final weekend of the 2026 World Cup. After five and a half weeks, 102 games and 44 teams have gone home, it’s time for the prizes to be handed out. The big one is tomorrow, with Spain and Argentina contesting a hugely intriguing final in New York/New Jersey – and that’s before you factor in wildfire smoke, a lengthy half-time show and Donald Trump crashing the trophy lift.
Today’s action comes from Miami as France and England fight for bronze in the third-place playoff. What’s the approach here? Ring the changes? Go all out to try to get your star striker the golden boot? Just avoid a heavy defeat?
Either way, we’d like to hear from you about how you think the tournament has gone and what you think will happen in tomorrow’s showpiece. Get in touch via email or comment below the line.
