FEATURES

Netherlands belatedly announced themselves as serious World Cup contenders by hammering Sweden 5-1 in Houston on Saturday evening. The Dutch had performed only in patches in their opening-round draw with Japan and coach Ronald Koeman was criticised for his perceived conservatism. However, his team produced a devastating attack display to dismantle a Sweden side that had kicked off their campaign with a 5-1 win of their own, over Tunisia.

Spain might have one of the strongest squads at the 2026 World Cup, but that hasn't stopped debate raging around one position in particular. Despite having world-class goalkeepers David Raya and Joan Garcia at his disposal, head coach Luis de la Fuente has stood staunchly by Unai Simon. The statistical case against the Athletic Club man is impossible to ignore, but don't expect anything to change anytime soon.

PHILADELPHIA -- Matheus Cunha proved his credentials up front, and Vinicius Jr had a hand in all three goals as Brazil found their stride at the World Cup with a 3-0 win over Haiti. The Real Madrid winger was at his devastating best, scoring and assisting, and has the Selecao well-positioned to top Group C. Haiti, for all of their efforts, are eliminated from the tournament in their first appearance since 1974.

The USMNT is into the World Cup knockouts after another statement win, with Folarin Balogun, Alex Freeman and a growing belief turning a strong start into something bigger.

Scotland suffered a potentially damaging 1-0 defeat to Morocco in their second match of the 2026 World Cup in Boston, meaning they will need to take something from their final Group C clash against Brazil to stand any chance of reaching the last 32. Steve Clarke's side fell behind inside two minutes, and in truth they never recovered.

After opening their tournament with a big win over Paraguay, the Americans triumphed again in front of a raucous Seattle crowd

Brazil have long inspired Haiti through its darkest moments. Now Les Grenadiers meet them on the World Cup stage aiming to prove they belong, not just admire.

The USMNT's second group game will either guarantee that they have a carefree stroll into the knockouts or make for a nervy third fixture.

Mohamed Salah's end-of-season exit left Liverpool with a major problem - and Yan Diomande looks like the best possible solution. Unfortunately for the Reds, they're likely to have as much trouble signing the teenage sensation this summer as Ecuador's defenders had trying to keep up with him in Philadelphia on Sunday. In a way, Diomande's dazzling display on his World Cup debut was a positive for Liverpool, as it illustrated precisely why they believe he could have a transformative effect on an attack that struggled so badly last season.

There was something all-too predictable about Brazil's performance in their World Cup opener against Morocco. Having been consistently inconsistent since Carlo Ancelotti was appointed a year ago, a disjointed display in New Jersey yielded only a point as the Selecao were forced to rely on a moment of magic from Vinicius Jr to snatch an equaliser. Looking ahead, the Italian tactician has plenty of food for thought.

Luis Romo’s winner sealed Mexico’s place atop Group A, sending El Tri back to Azteca and fueling belief that this could be their strongest World Cup team since 2002.

Canada made history with their first men’s World Cup win as Jonathan David delivered a hat-trick and Jesse Marsch’s press overwhelmed Qatar, but Ismael Koné’s serious injury cast a shadow over a dominant night in Vancouver.

With Christian Pulisic's status still up in the air, the USMNT must solve Australia's towering backline, manage the Socceroos' physicality and stay balanced in a crucial World Cup group-stage clash.

The U.S. may be missing a key attacker - could they turn to Reyna to provide the spark needed in the second group stage game?

England fans came to Texas for the Three Lions' World Cup opener. They found rodeos, pickup trucks, cowboy hats, Oasis sing-alongs, and a tournament experience unlike any they’ve had before.

Newcastle fans can be forgiven for experiencing a strange and unwanted feeling of deja vu this week. After being linked heavily with an exciting young attacker throughout the build-up to this summer’s transfer window, Liverpool have snuck in at the last and pipped them to the post - again. Last year, it was Hugo Ekitike; this year, it is Victor Munoz.

Thousands of Argentina fans turned Kansas City into a Lionel Messi pilgrimage, with banderazos, late-night parties and unwavering support ahead of the World Cup opener.

Thomas Tuchel did not describe, exactly, what he said at half-time of England's 4-2 win over Croatia that opened up their 2026 World Cup campaign. The score was deadlocked at 2-2 at the time, and England weren't playing particularly well. Tuchel insisted that he had some calm words and told his team to play with courage. The reality, though, is probably a little harsher.

Just over a month before the start of the World Cup, Ayyoub Bouaddi had yet to decide where his international future lay. Would the France Under-21 midfielder continue representing the nation of his birth? Or accept an offer to represent his parents' homeland, Morocco? In the end, after much deliberation, he went with the latter, and it's already looking like the correct call.

England made a winning start to the 2026 World Cup as they beat Croatia 4-2 in their Group L opener on Wednesday. Harry Kane scored twice in the first half, only for the Three Lions to be pegged back on both occasions, and it required a brilliant solo goal from Jude Bellingham early in the second period to put Thomas Tuchel's side back ahead before Marcus Rashford made the points safe late on.

GOAL takes a look at the big storylines and takeaways in the latest installment of the USMNT notebook.

Portugal were held to a disappointing 1-1 draw by minnows DR Congo in their first World Cup group game, with a Yoane Wissa effort cancelling out Joao Neves' opener. Cristiano Ronaldo cut a frustrated figure up front, while Bernardo Silva also had an afternoon to forget as Roberto Martinez's side failed to live up to their billing as one of the pre-tournament favourites.

Thomas Tuchel has spent more than a year trying to figure out his best England starting XI, but with the Three Lions about to kick-off their 2026 World Cup campaign, things have remained up in the air until the last few days before England clash with Croatia in Dallas.

James Rodriguez says that every time he sets foot on a football field, he plays for "those that love beautiful football" - and they were utterly enamoured with him during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. The Colombian No.10 blessed with boyband good looks and a lovely left foot didn't just claim the Golden Boot - he also won hearts all across the globe with his sensational displays.

The tears began to flow down Cristiano Ronaldo's cheeks as soon as the full-time whistle blew at the Al Thumama Stadium in Doha on the night of December 10, 2022. The forward was so upset by Portugal's shock World Cup quarter-final loss to Morocco he couldn't even bring himself to acknowledge his side's supporters. The pain was too great. So great, in fact, that he wasn't able to properly express his devastation until the following day - and even then only in a social media post.

Mexico can take a major step toward winning Group A when El Tri face South Korea in Guadalajara, where Javier Aguirre's latest rebuild first began to take shape.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Argentina's World Cup title defence began nervously before Lionel Messi reminded everyone he is Lionel Messi. The 38-year-old scored a hat trick in a 3-0 win over Algeria before 69,045 fans at Kansas City Stadium. Messi's three-goal performance also moved him level with Miroslav Klose on 16 career World Cup goals, though Klose reached the mark in fewer matches.

Erling Haaland was the predictable protagonist as Norway picked up a crucial 4-1 victory over Iraq in their first World Cup match since 1998 on Tuesday. The Manchester City striker's first-half brace proved to be decisive, helping to ensure the dark horses made a winning start in Boston in the so-called 'Group of Death'.

They made hard work of it, but much-fancied France got their World Cup campaign off to a winning start as they eventually secured a 3-1 victory over Senegal in Group I. After a dire first-half display Les Bleus were transformed, with Kylian Mbappe - who had been particularly poor - delivering a brace either side of Bradley Barcola's fine finish to become his country's record goal-scorer.