World Cup

Mauricio Pochettino says he was encouraged by the spirit and competitiveness shown by the United States despite their 2-1 defeat to Germany in their final World Cup warm-up. 

Cristian Volpato says something inside him finally told him it was "time to come home" after the former Italy Under-21 international made his senior debut for Australia following a dramatic late switch of allegiance ahead of the World Cup. 

Egypt coach Hossam Hassan says his team's World Cup opener against Belgium will be the hardest match in a "highly competitive" Group G, but he also delivered a major boost by confirming Mohamed Salah is now ready after completing his recovery work. 

Yassine Bounou says belief and confidence will be crucial if Morocco are to make another big impact at the World Cup, insisting the Atlas Lions now possess a level of self-belief that African teams have not always been able to carry.

Scotland has withdrawn from a planned behind-closed-doors friendly with Norway ahead of the 2026 World Cup, according to officials from the Norwegian Football Federation. 

Harry Kane's 79th goal for England earned the Three Lions a 1-0 friendly win over New Zealand, but the performance did little to silence doubts after another display that never fully came to life. 

Switzerland and Australia signed off their World Cup preparations with a 1-1 draw in San Diego, a useful if imperfect final test that ended Australia's run of three straight defeats against top-25 opposition since qualifying for the tournament. 

Germany closed their World Cup preparations with a narrow 2-1 win over the United States, but despite the defeat, the hosts produced enough to suggest they can still head into the tournament with genuine encouragement. 

Portugal opened their World Cup preparations with a 2-1 win over Chile in Lisbon, a match they controlled for long stretches before late drama ensured the scoreline looked tighter than the overall performance suggested. 

World Cup 2026 is almost here, and although England remains among the strongest contenders for the title, Thomas Tuchel still has a few important lineup questions to answer before the opening game against Croatia.