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  3. England defence GFXGetty/GOAL
    EnglandWorld Cup

    Is England's injury-prone & inexperienced defence good enough?

    There are plenty of compelling reasons to suggest that England could win the 2026 World Cup. In Harry Kane, they have perhaps the best striker in world football at present. They also possess the best midfielder in the Premier League in Declan Rice, and an immensely shrewd tactician in Thomas Tuchel to help knit some of the most talented forward players in Europe together.

  4. Norway GFXGOAL
    NorwayE. Haaland

    Haaland's supporting cast make Norway genuine challengers

    Erling Haaland will carry the hopes of a nation as Norway return to football's biggest stage this summer after a 28-year absence, but while his goals will be vital to their cause, the Manchester City hitman won't be shouldering that burden alone. The Scandinavians are back at the World Cup having built a solid team unit that isn't solely reliant on its star striker, and the supporting cast will be looking to show what they can do in North America.

  5. Luka Modric World Cup GFXGOAL
    CroatiaL. Modric

    England, beware - 40-year-old Modric isn't done yet!

    In the lead-up to England's semi-final showdown with Croatia at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, repeated references were made to the fact that Zlatko Dalic's ageing side had been taken to extra-time in their two previous matches. The feeling was among certain sections of the English press that fatigue might be a massive factor in the game at the Luzhniki Stadium.

  9. Rice next England captainGetty
    EnglandD. Rice

    Next England captain? Rice ready to show he's Kane's successor

    After Arsenal lost to Manchester City in April, Declan Rice, perhaps a little inadvertently, went viral. The England midfielder slumped on his heels, sprung to his feet defiantly, and was pictured shouting, "It's not done!" to his Gunners team-mates. At the time, it didn't look good; Arsenal's Premier League lead had shrunk to just three points - and City still had a game in hand.

  10. Marcelo Bielsa Uruguay GFXGetty/GOAL
    UruguayM. Bielsa

    Madness of 'El Loco': Inside Bielsa's 'toxic' Uruguay tenure

    For a coach who's worked in professional football for nearly 40 years, Marcelo Bielsa hasn't won many trophies at the highest level. Pep Guardiola says that doesn't matter, though. "To be loved is this biggest title, bigger than the Champions League or Premier League or whatever," the Catalan once argued. "To be loved is the most important thing, and I think Marcelo has that more than any other manager in the world."

  11. Ousmane Dembele France GFXGetty/GOAL
    FranceO. Dembele

    Ballon d'Or holder Dembele out to alter his World Cup legacy

    Four years ago in Qatar, Lionel Messi ended the GOAT debate by leading Argentina to victory over France in the World Cup final. There was a player on the other team, though, who actually appeared to have sufficient talent to potentially reopen it one day. After all, Kylian Mbappe had actually pipped Messi to the tournament's Golden Boot by outscoring the Argentine No.10 in that epic encounter in Lusail thanks to the first hat-trick in a World Cup final since Sir Geoff Hurst all the way back in 1966.

  1. Mohamed Salah Egypt GFXGOAL
    EgyptM. Salah

    Salah making up for lost time after 2018 World Cup nightmare

    Mohamed Salah will be making up for lost time and missed chances this summer. The 33-year-old is back on the World Cup stage with Egypt for the first time since the 2018 edition - a tournament that descended into a debacle for the Pharaohs. The soon-to-be former Liverpool talisman will be determined that past mistakes aren't repeated as he looks to make history with his country.

  4. Florian Wirtz Germany World Cup GFXGOAL
    GermanyF. Wirtz

    Don't write Wirtz off! World Cup ideal stage to silence doubters

    During Liverpool's historically poor run of results last autumn, Florian Wirtz's form became the subject of much debate. Gary Lineker was among those that felt that the No.10 might benefit from being taken out of Arne Slot’s starting line-up, and thus the spotlight. "Don’t think he isn’t suffering at the moment with this," the former England international said on 'The Rest is Football' podcast.

  5. World Cup debutants GFXGOAL
    World CupCuracao

    Can any of the four World Cup debutants cause a shock in '26?

    Four nations will debut at the World Cup this summer, with Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan all set to grace the grandest stage in international football for the first time. It's 16 years since a newcomer made it into the knockout stages of the tournament, when Slovakia stunned holders Italy to eliminate them in South Africa. So do any of this year's debutants have the potential to replicate such heroics?

  6. Vini Jr Brazil GFXGOAL
    BrazilVinicius Junior

    Vini running out of time to make this Brazil team his

    Vinicius Jr promised that he would do it "10x" if he had to. Those were his words after he did not win the 2024 Ballon d'Or despite a stellar individual season. In fairness, the Brazilian had a fair claim to the trophy - Rodri may have deserved it, but few would have complained if Vinicius got his hands on the Golden Ball.

  7. Andy Robertson Diogo Jota GFXGetty/GOAL
    World CupA. Robertson

    How Robertson carries Scotland - & Jota's - World Cup dream

    There were just seconds to go in Liverpool's 1-0 win over Manchester City at Anfield on October 16, 2022 when Diogo Jota pulled up with a muscular problem that left the Portuguese in agony. Jurgen Klopp feared the worst right away: "If Diogo stays down it is never good." And it wasn't. Jota had sustained a calf injury that would sideline him for months, rather than weeks, thus ruling him out of Portugal's 2022 World Cup campaign.

  11. Alphonso Davies Canada GFXGetty/GOAL
    CanadaA. Davies

    Phonzy's fight to ensure World Cup doesn't pass him by

    There’s a running group that trots through the streets of Toronto on Monday nights, swallowing up sidewalks with expansive crowds, especially when summer temperatures take over the city. On a recent evening, the group passed outside Toronto Stadium, adorned with FIFA's World Cup branding and ready to host six games during the 2026 tournament.

  13. World Cup breakout GFXGetty/GOAL
    World CupY. Diomande

    10 potential breakout stars of the 2026 World Cup

    It's so close you can almost touch it. After years of build-up, the 2026 World Cup will kick-off on Thursday when co-hosts Mexico face off against South Africa in a repeat of the opening game from 2010. Over the next five-and-a-half weeks, records will be broken and legacies rewritten as a number of modern greats do battle to win the most recognisable trophy in all of sport.

  14. World Cup missing stars GFXGetty/GOAL
    World CupC. Palmer

    Palmer & the biggest stars to miss out on the World Cup

    The 2026 World Cup is almost here. After years of build-up, dramatic qualifiers and numerous good - and bad - news stories surrounding FIFA's flagship finals, players and coaches from around the world are completing their last preparations after descending on the United States, Mexico and Canada for the biggest international football tournament to ever have been staged.

  16. World Cup new wave GFXGOAL
    World CupL. Yamal

    Yamal, Haaland & 10 stars making their World Cup debuts

    We're now just hours away from the start of the 2026 World Cup, with teams currently making their final preparations ahead of the big kick-off in the United States, Mexico and Canada on Thursday. This is the biggest World Cup ever, with 48 teams having qualified, meaning there are a whole host of players making their first appearance on the global stage.

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