FEATURES

Germany made an early statement at the 2026 World Cup as they ran out 7-1 winners over tournament debutants Curacao. A brace from Kai Havertz and goals from Felix Nmecha, Nico Schlotterbeck, Jamal Musiala, Nathaniel Brown and Deniz Undav ensured a relatively straightforward introduction to Group E for Die Mannschaft, though they were given something of a shock when Curacao found the net midway through the first half.

The USMNT had one chance to show the country - and the world - what soccer in America is and could become. They made the most of it.

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.

Scotland waited 28 years for this. Haiti waited five decades. In a match between two sides desperate to make their World Cup return count, John McGinn provided the moment that mattered, turning a lucky bounce into the lone goal as the Tartan Army escaped Boston Stadium with a 1-0 win, Scotland’s first victory at the tournament since Italia ’90.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Vinicius Jr scored a wonderful goal to give life to an otherwise languid Brazil performance as the Selecao settled for a 1-1 draw with Morocco to open their World Cup campaign. Brazil started slowly and conceded first, but a moment of magic from their main man restored parity before the break. Both sides, it seems, will take the point with more manageable opposition to come.

Folarin Balogun’s USMNT story began with fanfare, Instagram sleuthing, and an Orlando recruiting dinner. Against Paraguay, it came full circle as the striker delivered a dream World Cup debut.

The USMNT were immensely impressive in their World Cup opener, and hopes are high after an emphatic victory to start the tournament

After 'thirty years of hurt' for the England national team, football was meant to come 'home' in 1996. And yet 30 years on, the Three Lions still haven't won a major trophy since the 1966 World Cup. Might the most infamous title drought in international football be about to come to an end, though? England qualified for this summer's World Cup by winning all of their matches and without conceding a single goal, meaning there's a legitimate sense of optimism surrounding Thomas Tuchel's team.

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?

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.

Christian Pulisic dazzled, Folarin Balogun delivered and the USMNT made a World Cup statement. GOAL breaks down the winners and losers vs Paraguay.

It was a near-perfect World Cup opener for Mauricio Pochettino's side as they swept away their opponents in a way that will be remembered for a long, long time.

Canada finally have their first men’s World Cup point, but after Cyle Larin’s late rescue act against Bosnia and Herzegovina, GOAL picks winners and losers from a tense opener.

Cyle Larin came off the bench to spare Jonathan David's blushes by earning Canada a 1-1 draw with Bosnia and Herzegovina in their 2026 World Cup opener on Friday. The Canucks were the better side for the majority of the match but looked set to slump to a seventh consecutive finals defeat after Lovo Jukic headed in a near-post flick from Sead Kolasinac midway through the first half.

Explore the top game-day foods from 2026 World Cup Groups D, E and F, plus NYC restaurants to watch matches and sample global flavors.

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.

In a GOAL exclusive, USWNT legend Alex Morgan backs the U.S. men to make noise at the World Cup and shares her advice for handling the pressure.

The game is rigged against the Black Stars, but the more uncomfortable truth, as the tournament kicks off, is that this team simply isn’t good enough.

For England, the time for talk is almost over. Soon, all that will matter is the task at hand: Winning the 2026 World Cup. The Football Association (FA) and manager Thomas Tuchel have spoken forthrightly about that being their only objective in North America, and as the days tick down to the Three Lions getting their campaign underway, there is no reason to believe that they can't achieve their ultimate goal.

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.

The Asian powerhouse kicked off their World Cup campaign with a hard-fought win over Miroslav Koubek's men

The Feyenoord man made the difference to give his nation a perfect start to the showpiece across Mexico, USA and Canada

Mexico made history in their World Cup opener, but Cesar Montes’ red card left a sour note. GOAL breaks down the winners and losers from El Tri’s 2-0 win.

It's actually happening! After repeatedly threatening to bring Jose Mourinho back to the Bernabeu, Florentino Perez has only gone and done it. On Thursday, it was confirmed that Real Madrid had agreed a three-year contract with Mourinho for him to return for a second spell as coach, 13 years after his first ended in acrimony.

Mexico made the perfect start to their 2026 World Cup campaign as the co-hosts ran out 2-0 winners over South Africa in the opening game of the tournament on Thursday. Goals from Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez ensured a routine victory for the Group A favourites in a game that featured three red cards in the second half.

From youth soccer in Croatia to Canada's World Cup roster, Promise David's rapid rise and calm mindset could be key as Les Rouges open on home soil.

Canada's World Cup opener is here. Can Jonathan David, Promise David and Jesse Marsch's deep squad overcome injuries and start strong vs. Bosnia?

The wait is over. Christian Pulisic and the USMNT open their home World Cup vs Paraguay on Friday, with Chris Richards' fitness and key decisions in focus.

Mic'd Up: The FOX host will be at the center of coverage for the World Cup, and she thinks it's time for England to dream once again