World cup reader Q&A with Ewan Murray
Roll up, roll up, log on, for our Q&A with Ewan Murray, who will be online to answer your questions at 5pm BST.
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Roll up, roll up, log on, for our Q&A with Ewan Murray, who will be online to answer your questions at 5pm BST.
The early days of the internet were so innocent. Here’s Gary Lineker during the 2002 World Cup, poking fun at an American report of their game against Mexico.
Except…
64 min: GOAL Mexico 0 – 2 USA. Two soccer points to no score! Eddie Lewis makes a cross-pitch play from the left zone, finding Landon Donovan alone in the danger area. He top-bodies the sphere into the score bag, and Mexico have a double-negative stat!
Our Experts’ Network have, well, networked to bring you comprehensive guides to all 512 48 teams at the World Cup.
Here’s an extract from’s Jesús Valdéz’s guide to one of the co-hosts.
Mexico will arrive at their home World Cup carrying a strange mixture of excitement, pressure and a need to reconnect with themselves. Co-hosting the tournament alongside the United States and Canada spared them the grind of a long qualifying campaign, but it also removed the chance to build competitive rhythm. That is why their manager, Javier Aguirre, has turned friendlies and regional competitions into character tests.
Aguirre’s footballing idea is far more pragmatic than aesthetic. Mexico do not try to dominate through endless possession; they play with intensity, aggressive pressing and quick transitions. Aguirre wants to make his team uncomfortable to face, something that was evident in the recent friendlies against Portugal and Belgium. As he puts it: “At a World Cup, the team that plays the prettiest football does not always win. The team that knows how to compete does.”
A flexible 4-3-3 that can become a 4-2-3-1 or even a 4-4-2 depending on the opponents is most often used. Edson Álvarez operates as the midfield anchor, Érik Lira acts as the silent worker who balances everything while Gilberto Mora, Brian Gutiérrez and Álvaro Fidalgo provide movement between the lines. Out wide, Alexis Vega and Roberto Alvarado bring pace and unpredictability, while Raúl Jiménez and Armando González alternate as attacking outlets.
Here’s more on today’s big news: Iran’s football federation says their World Cup ticket allocation has been revoked on the eve of the competition.
We’ve come a long way since the days of trying to force Shoot! magazine’s league ladders into the appropriate slots
Scott Murray
A gem from the archive: Scott Murray on Argentina v England in 1986
High noon, one blistering Sunday in Mexico City, and a quarter-final shootout between two arch rivals who hadn’t met in a World Cup for 20 years and had grievance on their minds. Rattín’s Revenge! Or, in the offices of various tabloid newspapers and the heads of the slow: Falklands II.
Only five of the 32 teams at the last World Cup were African. This year it’s 10 out of 48. Osasu Obayiuwana looks at which teams are most likely to repeat Morocco’s success in 2022.
Our New York sports desk has spent the past four years week ranking and rating the USMNT’s top 25 World Cup goals. Yes, of course Eric Wynalda is in the top three.
As football’s greatest spectacle comes to North America, our cartoonist creates a heartwarming narrative around the Fifa president.
Somalia’s Ministry of Sports has expressed “deep regret” that the referee Omar Artan will not take part at the World Cup after being denied entry to the United States.
In a statement, the Ministry of Sports reaffirmed its “unwavering support” for Artan, saying it “has full confidence in his integrity, professionalism, and continued contribution to the advancement of football both in Somalia and internationally… Artan represents the very best of Somali talent.”
Thanks Tom, hello everyone. Let’s start this stint with another plug for our guide to all ONE THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED AND FORTY EIGHT players at this year’s World Cup. I can’t be the only one who’s dead excited to see this kid in action on Thursday.
That’s my stint on the blog done with. Here to take the reins is Rob Smyth.
Michael Sainato
Hospitality and food service workers in several US cities hosting World Cup games are warning of looming labor disputes and possible strikes as the largest single sport tournament in the world gets ready to kick off on 11 June.
In Los Angeles, California, about 2,000 workers at SoFi Stadium represented by Unite Here Local 11 voted 96% in favor of a strike authorization as workers are seeking a new union contract with wage increases and protections from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Cashiers, dishwashers, cooks, bartenders, concessions workers and food attendants at the stadium, could walk off the job at any time. The US’s opening match, against Paraguay, is scheduled to take place at SoFi Stadium on 12 June.
“We’re just trying to make things fair,” said Eva Miles, a bartender at SoFi stadium since it opened in 2021. “Without us, they don’t have a stadium. Are they going to cook? Are they going to pour those drinks? Are they going to serve these people?”
Full story:
Bit of Fitba transfer news, Falkirk have signed Ethan Laidlaw from Brentford for an undisclosed fee.
The Scotland youth international spent three years in west London after leaving Hibernian and was voted players’ player of the year for the Brentford B team last season after producing 15 goals and 10 assists, including 12 goals in his final 12 matches.
The Edinburgh-born forward, 21, has signed a two-year contract with the option of a further 12 months.
Manager John McGlynn revealed Laidlaw was well known to himself and his assistant, Paul Smith.
“His dad Stevie played under Paul at Berwick and was a very good striker,” McGlynn told the club’s website.
“For much of his time there, he featured as a striker for Brentford B, although this season he has also played out wide as well as through the middle.
“He has had a very promising season. His direct running, power and strength, combined with his ability to get into the right positions and score goals, are qualities that really attracted us to him.”
Quiz fans, I got 22 out of 26. Surely you can do better than that. Go!
It’s full-time in Sydney and the Matildas have beaten Mexico 3-1, with goals from Alanna Kennedy, Caitlin Foord and an unfortunate OG from Esthefanny Barreras.
Reaction with Jo Khan here:
Away from the factory of sadness that is the Geopolitics World Cup, there is the far more wholesome world of the summer transfer window and some of these famous footballers are soon to be unemployed, briefly.
There are so many well-known names that are going for a change of scenery that my colleague Michael Butler has compiled two age-group teams. Check it out:
Reuven Fletcher has emailed in with a call on referees to stand with Omar Artan after US Customs denied the Somali national entry in order to officiate during the World Cup:
As officials are arbiters of the game and are supposed to intervene in instances of racism on pitch surely it’s time for the ofifcials at World Cup 26 to stand up in support of a colleague?
If the likes of Anthony Taylor and Michael Oliver (who like my family has deep roots in the mining community of Ashington, Northumberland) have anything about them they will decline to officiate until Omar Artan is admitted to the US and allowed to referee.
It’s about solidarity in the workplace, decency and standing up to racism, values that used to mean something in our society.
Frankly history won’t judge them well if they simply abandon a colleague.
Jacob Steinberg
Former pornographer, who owns 38.8% of club, has been accused of sexually exploitative and predatory behaviour
The football regulator could force David Sullivan to sell his stake in West Ham United after the former pornography billionaire was accused of sexually exploitative and predatory behaviour against women over several decades.
The 77-year-old announced his resignation as a director and co-chair of the football club on Saturday, ahead of a joint investigation by the BBC and the Times reporting on seven women accusing him of sexual misconduct.
Three women alleged Sullivan abused his power as the owner of the Sport newspapers to prey on them for sex when they were seeking work. A further four women accused Sullivan of exploitative and predatory behaviour, including allegations he tried to pressure them into sex during business meetings.
The BBC and Times said their reporters had spoken to dozens of former models and industry insiders, with some sources alleging Sullivan was known for “casting couch” behaviour.
Full story from Jacob Steinberg:
More on the allegations against the now former West Ham chairman David Sullivan. A spokesman for the UK’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport has told AFP: “These deeply concerning allegations must be treated with the utmost seriousness and be investigated by the relevant authorities, with victims given the support they need.”
Speaking Saturday before the allegations were made public, Sullivan said he “categorically denies” all the claims.
Neither he nor his lawyers have made any further public comment since Monday’s reports were published in the Times and by the BBC.
Iraq’s journey to their first World Cup in 40 years involved sacrifices unmatched by any other side. After 20 qualifiers, the team faced a decisive playoff in the Mexican city of Monterrey but, with Iraq dragged into the Middle East war and airspace closed, several staff and players had an arduous job getting there.
“They had to travel from different cities to Baghdad by car or bus,” says René Meulensteen, the assistant to Iraq’s coach, Graham Arnold. “Some of those journeys took up to eight hours. Then, from Baghdad they travelled roughly 15 hours on bumpy roads to Amman, in Jordan, where occasional flights were still operating. The other Asian-based players made their own way to Amman, so they could all travel together.”
Fifa had arranged a private charter, but the squad faced a nine-hour delay. An eight-hour flight to Lisbon followed, then a two-hour stopover, before a 12-hour journey to Mexico.
Read Arthur Renard’s full interview with Iraq’s No2 and Sir Alex Ferguson’s former assistant, René Meulensteen, here:
Morning blog fans! Who knew the Geopolitics World Cup would have so much going on?
According to some new research this tournament is expected to carry a climate cost more than double that of Qatar 2022. The 2026 World Cup’s enlarged footprint will see 48 teams and venues scattered across North America, generating 7.8m metric tonnes of carbon dioxide, according to an assessment published last week by global carbon accounting platform Greenly. That is roughly equivalent to the annual emissions of 1.7m cars, or the yearly emissions of Sierra Leone, making it the most polluting World Cup ever staged, according to academics and campaigners, driven mostly by the vast distances that teams, fans and media will travel across the three-country, 16-city format.
Researchers estimate that as much as 87% of the tournament’s emissions will come from travel – chiefly flights – as millions of fans criss-cross the geographical spread of the tournament that stretches 2,800 miles from Vancouver to Miami. This makes it inherently more carbon-intensive than the compact Qatar event, which was criticised for building seven new stadiums. Greenhouse gas emissions from Qatar were calculated at approximately 3.8m tonnes.
Right, time for a change in the liveblog hotseat here, as I leave you in the expert hands of Tom Bassam. Bye for now.
There is, of course, some competitive World Cup action tonight, and a big test for England’s women as they seek to bounce back from their one-sided mauling by Spain last Friday. They host Ukraine at Hill Dickinson Stadium and Lauren Hemp’s still upbeat:
A World Cup summer is always a hell of a shop window, albeit sometimes a confusing and misleading one, and there’s a huge amount of out-of-contract talent about, from young stars to seasoned veterans. Michael Butler pits the 20-somethings against the 30-somethings:
Away from the World Cup, the latest allegations against the now former West Ham chairman have alerted the new regulator, as PA Media reports:
The football regulator is in contact with West Ham after allegations were made against. the co-owner David Sullivan that he had pressured aspiring models for sex.
The 77-year-old recently quit as chairman of the east London football club to fight what he claimed were “false allegations” about his conduct.
On Monday, the BBC and the Times reported the accounts of seven women who claimed Mr Sullivan engaged in sexually exploitative and predatory behaviour.
The Independent Football Regulator (IFR) said it is in contact with the football club seeking information about Mr Sullivan’s suitability as a co-owner following the claims, which he denies.
An IFR spokesperson said: “These are extremely serious allegations.
“We are in contact with West Ham on this matter and will use our statutory powers to seek urgent information from David Sullivan relating to his suitability under our owners, directors and senior executives regime. We are unable to comment further at this stage.”
The accounts from the women date back to the 1980s and 1990s, when he owned tabloid newspapers the Daily Sport and the Sunday Sport.
According to the reporting, the claims about Mr Sullivan involve him pressuring young or aspiring models in their late teens or early 20s.
The Times said it was a two-year investigation, which involved its reporters interviewing dozens of former models and other industry sources.
Some more reaction from Somalia to the denial of entry to the referee Omar Artan by US authorities.
Artan, named CAF’s best referee in 2025, said in a statement: “I would like to thank FIFA and CAF (Confederation of African Football) for all their support and I promise to keep my refereeing levels up as I concentrate on the future.”
Meanwhile Somalia’s government said it had unsuccessfully tried to negotiate with the US and Fifa so that Artan could enter the country and it was saddened by what had happened. “His international achievements are a source of honour and pride for the Somali people,” Somalia’s sports ministry said in a statement.
On this day in World Cup history … one of the more fun tournament openers, from Germany’s summer of love (just nestling behind Argentina 0-1 Cameroon and France 0-1 Senegal in my own chart of best opening games).
In more Football Family news, this just in from PA Media:
Gianni Infantino is the subject of a criminal complaint from his former boss at Uefa, Michel Platini, just days before the World Cup kicks off.
The former Uefa president Platini, one of the most gifted footballers of the 1970s and 1980s, had been favourite to succeed Sepp Blatter as Fifa president in 2016 until the launch of an ethics probe into a payment he received from Blatter in 2011.
Platini was banned for eight years by Fifa’s ethics committee in 2015 – a sanction which was later reduced to four years by the court of arbitration for sport. Platini and Blatter also faced criminal proceedings regarding the payment, but both were acquitted by the Swiss federal criminal court in 2022 and then by the appeals court in 2025.
Now Platini has launched criminal and civil proceedings in the French courts over the matter, with Infantino one of the individuals named.
The criminal complaint, as confirmed by his lawyer Olivier Baratelli, alleges that Infantino and others “worked to exclude [Platini] from the race for the presidency of Fifa”. The complaint alleges that Infantino was the one “first and foremost” seeking to achieve this.
Fifa has been contacted for comment.
Platini has always maintained that the two million Swiss francs (£1.9m) payment from Blatter was back pay for work conducted as an adviser to Blatter between 1998 and 2002.
Tried out our World Cup bracketology game yet? Every time I have, it’s ended up with France winning, in my most recent effort beating Japan – my dark horses for the whole tournament – in the final.
Staying on the “football and politics don’t mix” tip, Iran’s football federation (FFIRI) has said that their ticket allocation for the World Cup has been pulled, leaving supporters who had already made travel plans unable to attend their team’s matches, Reuters is reporting. “This is despite the fact that many Iranian football fans, relying on the officially announced process, had already made the necessary plans to attend the matches,” the FFIRI added in a statement.
“With less than three days remaining until the start of the 2026 World Cup… the United States has once again acted to obstruct the presence of Iranian supporters at the stadiums hosting the national team’s three group stage matches,” the Iranian federation said in a statement. It described the move as “contrary to the spirit governing international competitions and the principle of equality among participating countries”.
More on Iran’s chequered buildup here:
And the treatment of Artan is filling up the inbox, early doors. Here’s Krishna Moorthy:
“Uncertainty over Iran. Now a top referee from Africa is sent back from Miami. Bankruptcy ensured ticket prices. To rephrase a famous quote. It is not the schedule that killed the game, it is the greed!”
While Robbie has a proposal:
The English or Scottish FA or EFL/SPFL should invite the banned Somali referee Omar Artan to referee a marquee game – something like the Community Shield. We need to show tangible support.
And another thing that we need, frankly, to feel righteously angry about is the denial of entry by US authorities to the Somali referee Omari Artan, who was refused entry to the country at Miami International Airport despite apparently having a valid travel visa. Fifa, so quick to deploy control-freakery when it comes to pressing matters such as recyclable water bottles, shrugged its shoulders and abdicated responsibility for one of its own referees. “Fifa is not involved in host country immigration processes, including visa adjudications … in line with previous Fifa events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country,” sniffed a statement.
The Football Family there, bringing the world together.
Time for some morning reading recommendations for y’all:
Ben Fisher gets his chat on with the evergreen Edin Dzeko, still churning out the hits at 40 as a spearhead of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s World Cup challenge:
Ewan Murray in Charlotte reports on Scotland’s verbal stramash with Norway after they cancelled their training match, citing injury concerns in Steve Clarke’s camp.
Djed Spence talks jaw-breaks, seizing his England chance and bantz with Arsenal players:
Our latest experts’ network team guides feature Jordan and Portugal:
And here’s a great interview by Donald McRae with Kelly Cates, who’ll be presenting from the BBC’s Salford studio in the middle of the night but has got the Tunnocks Caramel Wafers in (other caramel wafers are available). She also talks of the centrality to the tournament of fans, who’ve not been made universally welcome what with one thing and another:
“You don’t get the full World Cup experience unless the fans are there, unless you have fans being able to travel in the first place. Not everybody’s going to be able to, either financially or logistically or because of travel bans. So that’s another issue and I think they’re missing out on what makes a World Cup special. They’re hoping they will be able to put razzmatazz around it and bring the American showbiz factor that’s going to make up for [the missing fans]. But it won’t feel like a traditional World Cup.”
Morning (BST) everyone. Two days to go, and the excitement/tension/hype is mounting. We’ll be across as much of it as possible, as the countdown continues. While Europe may have been sleeping, there’s been more friendly action and fitness news, starting with the revelation that Neymar is “recovering well” from the calf injury that had made him a doubt for Brazil’s opener against Morocco.
Brazil’s all-time record scorer underwent an MRI scan on Monday, Reuters reports, which showed he is “making good progress in his treatment” amid hopes that he will be able to play a part for Carlo Ancelotti’s side.
“He will continue to follow the recovery schedule and fitness programme as planned by the Brazil team medical staff,” the Brazilian Football Confederation said in a statement on Monday. He did not take to the field with his teammates for Monday’s workout at Brazil’s base, the new training ground of MLS outfit New York Red Bulls, around 30 miles west of Manhattan. Instead he stayed inside to work in the gym.
In last night’s friendly action, Michael Olise again demonstrated why he’s one of the most watchable footballers in the world with a hat-trick in France’s 3-1 win over Northern Ireland in Lille. Didier Deschamps fielded his attacking big guns – Desiré Doue and Kylian Mbappé also featured – in Les Bleus’ final match on home soil before flying out to their Boston base.
“We’ll need a Michel Olise at that level,” Deschamps purred. “Michael stands out because of the season he has had at Bayern and with us. He has achieved some really great things, he is full of confidence. He also has the ability to put in the effort, which is remarkable.” Patrick Kelly scored Northern Ireland’s consolation, a first international goal for the Barnsley midfielder.
Elsewhere, Spain turned it on for a Mexican crowd when they beat Peru 3-1 in Puebla. Mikel Oyarzabal opened the scoring after two minutes with a fierce shot from the edge of the area before Pedri doubled the lead after half an hour, tapping into an empty net following a cross from Ferran Torres. Spain added a third early in the second half when Yéremy Pino’s delivery forced an error from goalkeeper Pedro Gallese, before Jairo Velez pulled one back for Peru with a low finish.
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