Key events
Opta have fired up their supercomputer for some timely knockout stage predictions â Iâm not sure exactly of the metrics but they have calculated each of the teamsâ probability of reaching each knockout round, as well as the eventual winners. Itâs interesting that Argentina are now second favourites behind France, while England have been given a 9.7% chance of glory and Switzerland are more fancied than Morocco!
It should be noted that this was done before Canadaâs win over South Africa, so the co-hostsâ chances will be marginally higher now that they have reached the last 16.
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Updated at 13.47 CEST
If you missed it, we also have Real Madrid superstar Rodrygo as a guest columnist during this World Cup, with the 25-year-old ruled out of the Brazil squad through injury. Rodrygoâs latest column is on Carlo Ancelotti â âthe Misterâ and father figure under whom he thrived at Madrid.
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Japan v Brazil is such an interesting match for so many reasons. The latter has the largest Japanese diaspora in the world, with an estimated 2-2.7 million people of Japanese descent (Nikkei) in the South American country. The J-League in Japan is flooded with Brazilian talent, the two countries are inexplicably linked, despite being culturally so different.
On the pitch, Japan are hugely exciting â arguably their strongest ever squad (even without the injured Kaoru Mitoma), while nobody quite knows what the limits are for this Brazil side under Carlo Ancelotti. It feels reasonable to say that Brazil could go out here, and also feasible to say that they could go all the way and add a sixth star on that yellow shirt.
Jonathan Wilson previewed Japan v Brazil and Netherlands v Morocco in his column, which went live on Sunday.
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Updated at 13.35 CEST
Hello everyone! Cor those images of Scotland players arriving back into Glasgow airport sure are sobering, like a sorry band of brothers arriving back from a lads holiday.
Scotlandâs players may not have succeeded on the pitch, but their supporters were absolutely magnificent all through the tournament. Yes, there was revelry but the Scots were also a credit to themselves, particularly in Boston where they made such an impression that the American city and Glasgow are to be officially twinned. According to Boston mayor Michelle Wu, the arrangement will âcreate new opportunities for meaningful cooperation and mutual growthâ.
Weâll check back in nine months to see if the meaningful cooperation and mutual growth has come to fruition in Boston. The party continued down in Miami, but the Scottish fans are also now on their way back after an unforgettable tournament.
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Thank you for joining me. Michael Butler is here for the next big stint. Enjoy!
Share
Jack Snape
double quotation markLucas Herrington, who at 18 became the youngest Australian to start a menâs World Cup match when the defender played against Paraguay, has already been linked with a move to Barcelona. Such is his trajectory, his next transfer is expected to fetch a price close to â or more than â the Australian record set by Harry Souttar, who was bought by Leicester for ÂŁ15m (approximately A$26m) in 2023.
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Scotland players have landed back in the country following a bruising defeat at the World Cup in America.
Anthony Ralston, Scott McKenna and Nathan Patterson were among those who arrived at Glasgow Airport on Monday morning.
Jack Hendry and Findlay Curtis were also on the plane from the US, along with Scottish Football Association (SFA) chief executive Iain Maxwell and Scotland assistant coach Steven Naismith.
It is expected that other players will make their way back separately. PA Media
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In very pleasing news, the loud whirring noise my laptop was making during the heatwave has disappeared.
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A bit more from Steve Clarke on his departure.
It is interesting to see the names knocking about as his potential replacement. David Moyes and Alex Neil are two Scots being linked, while Ange Postecoglou is another in the orbit.
Share
England are playing at 5pm BST on Wednesday. I supposedly have to attend a meeting with my daughterâs new teacher. I suspect quite a few parents will miss that one.
How are you planning to cope with the earlier kick off time? Slink off from work? Work from home? Generally lie?
Share
You cannot say it has not been a vibrant World Cup.
Share
Rangers have announced the arrival of former Everton defender Ben Godfrey on a season-long loan from Atalanta.
The 28-year-old â capped twice by England in 2021 â becomes the Ibrox clubâs third signing of the summer after Scotland internationals Lawrence Shankland and Ross McCrorie joined from Hearts and Bristol City respectively.
Godfrey told Rangersâ website: âI am buzzing, I am really happy to be here. I know the size of the club so it is a massive honour to be wearing the shirt this season, and I canât wait to get started.
âI am looking forward to meeting the boys and hopefully helping this club achieve what it deserves, which is silverware and exciting times.â PA Media
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Krishnamoorthy emails: âIsnât it so tragic to potentially have a Germany France face off in the last 16? That is a quarter final billing at the least.â
Sort of ⊠but Iâve not been impressed with Germany.
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It was confirmed yesterday that Manuel Ugarte suffered knee ligament damage in Uruguayâs loss to Spain. A tough blow for the Manchester United midfielder, who would probably have been sold this summer but will instead need to rehabilitate and get back fit, which could take a long time.
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In fairness, as top fives go, itâs not a bad little group.
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Spanish midfielder Juan Mata has â agreed to become â a shareholder âin Melbourne Victory in a deal that will extend beyond his playing career, the Australian club said on â Monday, with the World Cup winner also set to take up an off-field role once he retires.
The 38-year-old, who â has played for Valencia, Chelsea and Manchester United and was part of âthe Spain squad that won âthe 2010 World Cup, âjoined Victory in September last year from rivals Western Sydney Wanderers.
Mata made â25 appearances for the club, scoring five goals and providing 13 assists in the 2025-26 season for the Melbourne club. He also claimed the Johnny Warren medal as the A-League menâs best player.
Victory finished fourth in the recently concluded season, amassing 40 points. Mata is also âa part owner of U.S. Major League Soccer expansion side San Diego FC and has invested in the Formula One âteam Alpine Racing.
Mata is still considering whether to continue playing next season but, once he retires, he will chair a newly formed football committee at Victory to support their operations, the club added.
âAustralian football has a future I â genuinely believe in,â Mata said. âFrom the moment I arrived at âMelbourne Victory, Iâve âfelt the passion of this âclub and the potential of the A-Leagues, and I want âto be part âof building what âcomes next â ânot just for a season, but for the long term.â Reuters
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If one has to put money on who will make the difference for Brazil later, you have to imagine the odds on it being Vinicius Jr are pretty short. He looks pretty fired up for this World Cup, eager to prove he can be the main man on a global stage.
Share
Iâve never been a fan of the polo shirt but once again I am seen to be in the wrong.
Share
The president of Saudi Arabiaâs Football Federation has announced his resignation after the Green Falcons were knocked out of the World Cup in the first round.
Saudi Arabia finished bottom of Group H with two points, after two draws against Uruguay (1-1) and Cape Verde (0-0), and a heavy 4-0 defeat to Spain.
âThe failure of the national team to qualify for the next round of the World Cup is a result that falls short of all our ambitions, and I bear full responsibility for it. I offer my apologies to everyone who hoped to see our team in a better position,â Yasser al-Misehal wrote on X late Sunday.
âA sense of responsibility requires giving the opportunity to open a new chapter, and I have decided not to continue until the end of my current term,â he added.
At the head of the federation for seven years, Misehal played a central role in Saudi Arabiaâs successful bid to host the 2034 World Cup, a cornerstone of its strategy to diversify an economy heavily dependent on oil. AFP
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Ewan Murray
But who will replace Clarke? Ewan Murray has some advice.
double quotation markThe position vacated by Clarke is no longer a job for a Scot. Instead it is a fortunate opportunity to allow a world outside Glasgow to assess and improve a national football model that is failing badly. Scotland must look towards coaches who have made great strides at similarly sized nations. Fixing sights on managers in other countries is not because the SFA need to be bold or different; it is an essential move at this point in time.
Share
Clarke: 'It was right time to leave Scotland job'
Steve Clarke said it was a straightforward decision to step down from his role as Scotland head coach because he always planned to depart if the World Cup did not go to plan.
The 62-year-old told his players on Saturday night, at their hotel in Charlotte, that he was bringing the curtain down on his seven-year reign after it was confirmed that the Scots had failed to get out of a group containing Brazil, Morocco and Haiti.
The shock announcement came exactly a month after he signed a new four-year contract that would have incorporated Euro 2028 and the 2030 World Cup.
In a Scottish Football Association interview reflecting on his time in charge, Clarke â heavily criticised in some quarters following back-to-back defeats by Morocco and Brazil â said he was leaving âjust because thatâs the feelâ.
âListen, what I wanted to make sure was that when I felt it was time to step away, it was time to step away,â he said. âSigning the contract before (the World Cup) was a case of trying to give a little bit of comfort to the players knowing that we could continue the journey.
âI always had in my head that if we didnât come out of the group, which is something that weâve tried to do across three tournaments now, I always had in my head that if that didnât happen then it was probably the right time to step away.
âObviously if weâd managed to get that extra point and got out of the group then Iâd probably have stayed on and tried to do another tournament.â
Asked if it was an easy decision, a philosophical Clarke said: âYeah, in some respects it was easy because I already had in my head what I wanted to achieve as a head coach. Iâd also ticked all the boxes.
âI wanted to go to a major tournament with my country. I did that with the Euros. The first Euros (in 2021) was a little bit not the Euros because it was Covid affected. The second Euros was great. The tournament didnât go as we wanted but getting to Germany was fantastic. My lifelong ambition was to do a World Cup with my country. Iâve done that, so not a bad time to step aside.â PA
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PSG in talks with RB Leipzig to buy Ivory Coast star Diomande
Paris Saint-Germain are in talks with Bundesliga side RB Leipzig to buy Ivory Coast forward Yan Diomande, a source close to the dossier told AFP.
The 19-year-old has told the German club he wants to join the French giants and the two clubs opened negotiations after Diomande, who is under contract with Leipzig until 2030, told PSG management he was âvery keenâ to sign for the reigning European champions this summer, the source added. Liverpool are also interested in the player but his future does look to be in the Premier League.
His arrival would also likely involve the departure of Portuguese forward Goncalo Ramos to AC Milan with PSG having reached a deal with the Italian outfit, the source said. AFP
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Thanks Luke. Hello one and all! Why not start the day with 3000 words from a sleep deprived man? Plus it should take a while to get to the end, so I have time to make a coffee.
Share
Itâs been a hell of a ride, but itâs time for me to go. Will Unwin is here to guide you through the next bit. Ciao.
Share
The first line of our Netherlands team guide is: âHas Ronald Koeman ever started a major tournament with more headaches?â â which was entirely fair given all the pre-tournament injuries.
To me, they look light on huge stars (Virgil van Dijk notwithstanding) but heavy on team spirit, a strong tactical plan, an accomplished manager â and excellent players, too. How many teams in the tournament would want Denzel Dumfries, Van Dijk or Micky Van de Ven in their team?
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Updated at 10.51 CEST
#TalkingPoints:
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Updated at 10.53 CEST
Jonathan Liew
âNo, please, stop with this nonsense,â snapped Julian Nagelsmann. Germany had just lost 2-1 to Ecuador in their final group game and the television interviewer was suggesting that with Germany already qualified, perhaps the Ecuadoreans had simply wanted it more. âThey didnât want it more,â Nagelsmann bristled. âI cannot tell any of my players that they didnât give it their all. Thatâs far too simplistic.â
If that was the line, then fair enough. Albeit, a line Nagelsmann may have wanted to run past his players before they did their post-match media duties. âThe difference today was that the opponent wanted to win more than us,â said Joshua Kimmich. âI had the feeling they wanted it more than us,â said the substitute Deniz Undav.
A minor disagreement, on the face of things. And yet also quietly emblematic of this Germany team at the moment, on and off the pitch: a team operating on multiple planes, a little lost in translation, a little lacking in message discipline. If they can get their constituent parts working in harmony, they can be a genuine threat. Until then, it remains hard to take them seriously.
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Letâs turn our attention to Germany. Jonathan Liew content incoming.
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Updated at 10.39 CEST
Imminent World Cup fixtures
Brazil v Japan (1pm EST, 6pm BST)
Germany v Paraguay: (4.30pm EST, 9.30pm BST)
Netherlands v Morocco (9pm EST, 2am Tue BST)
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Who could offer valuable insight into Carlo Ancelottiâs methods, before Brazil v Japan?
Rodrygo, thatâs who:
Share
Updated at 10.26 CEST
Nick Ames
âMorocco were welcomed enthusiastically in Mexicoâs north-east and their head coach was quick to compare the hostsâ passion for football with the fervour that engulfs his own country.
âIn fact, the hand of friendship between the nations reaches back four decades. Morocco drew with Poland and England in Monterrey during Mexico 1986, when they made history by reaching the knock-out stage.â
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Updated at 10.20 CEST
And in âLetâs get jazzed up about Netherlands v Moroccoâ news âŠ
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Meanwhile, in âLetâs get jazzed up about Brazil v Japanâ news:
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Updated at 10.12 CEST
People love to hate commentators, in general, so itâs refreshing to see good work being recognised and praised:
(And while weâre on the subject, for all the haterz: until youâve actually picked up a mic and tried to commentate on a football match, or any other sport, you are hardly in a position to criticise.)
Share
Updated at 10.07 CEST
If you would like to email thoughts about any of this, please do so here.
Share
Letâs begin with everyoneâs favourite subject: His Majestyâs England football team.
Andrew Beasley takes a look at the data on the Jude Bellingham x Harry Kane collaboration for England:
Share
Preamble
Canada are the first team into the last 16:
And in a little over nine hours, Brazil v Japan will go toe-to-toe in Houston, as the mouthwatering-ness of the knockout ties increases further.
Letâs talk about the World Cup.
Share
Updated at 09.40 CEST
Opta have fired up their supercomputer for some timely knockout stage predictions â Iâm not sure exactly of the metrics but they have calculated each of the teamsâ probability of reaching each knockout round, as well as the eventual winners. Itâs interesting that Argentina are now second favourites behind France, while England have been given a 9.7% chance of glory and Switzerland are more fancied than Morocco!
It should be noted that this was done before Canadaâs win over South Africa, so the co-hostsâ chances will be marginally higher now that they have reached the last 16.
Share
Updated at 13.47 CEST
If you missed it, we also have Real Madrid superstar Rodrygo as a guest columnist during this World Cup, with the 25-year-old ruled out of the Brazil squad through injury. Rodrygoâs latest column is on Carlo Ancelotti â âthe Misterâ and father figure under whom he thrived at Madrid.
Share
Japan v Brazil is such an interesting match for so many reasons. The latter has the largest Japanese diaspora in the world, with an estimated 2-2.7 million people of Japanese descent (Nikkei) in the South American country. The J-League in Japan is flooded with Brazilian talent, the two countries are inexplicably linked, despite being culturally so different.
On the pitch, Japan are hugely exciting â arguably their strongest ever squad (even without the injured Kaoru Mitoma), while nobody quite knows what the limits are for this Brazil side under Carlo Ancelotti. It feels reasonable to say that Brazil could go out here, and also feasible to say that they could go all the way and add a sixth star on that yellow shirt.
Jonathan Wilson previewed Japan v Brazil and Netherlands v Morocco in his column, which went live on Sunday.
Share
Updated at 13.35 CEST
Hello everyone! Cor those images of Scotland players arriving back into Glasgow airport sure are sobering, like a sorry band of brothers arriving back from a lads holiday.
Scotlandâs players may not have succeeded on the pitch, but their supporters were absolutely magnificent all through the tournament. Yes, there was revelry but the Scots were also a credit to themselves, particularly in Boston where they made such an impression that the American city and Glasgow are to be officially twinned. According to Boston mayor Michelle Wu, the arrangement will âcreate new opportunities for meaningful cooperation and mutual growthâ.
Weâll check back in nine months to see if the meaningful cooperation and mutual growth has come to fruition in Boston. The party continued down in Miami, but the Scottish fans are also now on their way back after an unforgettable tournament.
Share
Thank you for joining me. Michael Butler is here for the next big stint. Enjoy!
Share
Jack Snape
double quotation markLucas Herrington, who at 18 became the youngest Australian to start a menâs World Cup match when the defender played against Paraguay, has already been linked with a move to Barcelona. Such is his trajectory, his next transfer is expected to fetch a price close to â or more than â the Australian record set by Harry Souttar, who was bought by Leicester for ÂŁ15m (approximately A$26m) in 2023.
Share
Scotland players have landed back in the country following a bruising defeat at the World Cup in America.
Anthony Ralston, Scott McKenna and Nathan Patterson were among those who arrived at Glasgow Airport on Monday morning.
Jack Hendry and Findlay Curtis were also on the plane from the US, along with Scottish Football Association (SFA) chief executive Iain Maxwell and Scotland assistant coach Steven Naismith.
It is expected that other players will make their way back separately. PA Media
Share
In very pleasing news, the loud whirring noise my laptop was making during the heatwave has disappeared.
Share
A bit more from Steve Clarke on his departure.
It is interesting to see the names knocking about as his potential replacement. David Moyes and Alex Neil are two Scots being linked, while Ange Postecoglou is another in the orbit.
Share
England are playing at 5pm BST on Wednesday. I supposedly have to attend a meeting with my daughterâs new teacher. I suspect quite a few parents will miss that one.
How are you planning to cope with the earlier kick off time? Slink off from work? Work from home? Generally lie?
Share
You cannot say it has not been a vibrant World Cup.
Share
Rangers have announced the arrival of former Everton defender Ben Godfrey on a season-long loan from Atalanta.
The 28-year-old â capped twice by England in 2021 â becomes the Ibrox clubâs third signing of the summer after Scotland internationals Lawrence Shankland and Ross McCrorie joined from Hearts and Bristol City respectively.
Godfrey told Rangersâ website: âI am buzzing, I am really happy to be here. I know the size of the club so it is a massive honour to be wearing the shirt this season, and I canât wait to get started.
âI am looking forward to meeting the boys and hopefully helping this club achieve what it deserves, which is silverware and exciting times.â PA Media
Share
Krishnamoorthy emails: âIsnât it so tragic to potentially have a Germany France face off in the last 16? That is a quarter final billing at the least.â
Sort of ⊠but Iâve not been impressed with Germany.
Share
It was confirmed yesterday that Manuel Ugarte suffered knee ligament damage in Uruguayâs loss to Spain. A tough blow for the Manchester United midfielder, who would probably have been sold this summer but will instead need to rehabilitate and get back fit, which could take a long time.
Share
In fairness, as top fives go, itâs not a bad little group.
Share
Spanish midfielder Juan Mata has â agreed to become â a shareholder âin Melbourne Victory in a deal that will extend beyond his playing career, the Australian club said on â Monday, with the World Cup winner also set to take up an off-field role once he retires.
The 38-year-old, who â has played for Valencia, Chelsea and Manchester United and was part of âthe Spain squad that won âthe 2010 World Cup, âjoined Victory in September last year from rivals Western Sydney Wanderers.
Mata made â25 appearances for the club, scoring five goals and providing 13 assists in the 2025-26 season for the Melbourne club. He also claimed the Johnny Warren medal as the A-League menâs best player.
Victory finished fourth in the recently concluded season, amassing 40 points. Mata is also âa part owner of U.S. Major League Soccer expansion side San Diego FC and has invested in the Formula One âteam Alpine Racing.
Mata is still considering whether to continue playing next season but, once he retires, he will chair a newly formed football committee at Victory to support their operations, the club added.
âAustralian football has a future I â genuinely believe in,â Mata said. âFrom the moment I arrived at âMelbourne Victory, Iâve âfelt the passion of this âclub and the potential of the A-Leagues, and I want âto be part âof building what âcomes next â ânot just for a season, but for the long term.â Reuters
Share
If one has to put money on who will make the difference for Brazil later, you have to imagine the odds on it being Vinicius Jr are pretty short. He looks pretty fired up for this World Cup, eager to prove he can be the main man on a global stage.
Share
Iâve never been a fan of the polo shirt but once again I am seen to be in the wrong.
Share
The president of Saudi Arabiaâs Football Federation has announced his resignation after the Green Falcons were knocked out of the World Cup in the first round.
Saudi Arabia finished bottom of Group H with two points, after two draws against Uruguay (1-1) and Cape Verde (0-0), and a heavy 4-0 defeat to Spain.
âThe failure of the national team to qualify for the next round of the World Cup is a result that falls short of all our ambitions, and I bear full responsibility for it. I offer my apologies to everyone who hoped to see our team in a better position,â Yasser al-Misehal wrote on X late Sunday.
âA sense of responsibility requires giving the opportunity to open a new chapter, and I have decided not to continue until the end of my current term,â he added.
At the head of the federation for seven years, Misehal played a central role in Saudi Arabiaâs successful bid to host the 2034 World Cup, a cornerstone of its strategy to diversify an economy heavily dependent on oil. AFP
Share
Ewan Murray
But who will replace Clarke? Ewan Murray has some advice.
double quotation markThe position vacated by Clarke is no longer a job for a Scot. Instead it is a fortunate opportunity to allow a world outside Glasgow to assess and improve a national football model that is failing badly. Scotland must look towards coaches who have made great strides at similarly sized nations. Fixing sights on managers in other countries is not because the SFA need to be bold or different; it is an essential move at this point in time.
Share
Clarke: 'It was right time to leave Scotland job'
Steve Clarke said it was a straightforward decision to step down from his role as Scotland head coach because he always planned to depart if the World Cup did not go to plan.
The 62-year-old told his players on Saturday night, at their hotel in Charlotte, that he was bringing the curtain down on his seven-year reign after it was confirmed that the Scots had failed to get out of a group containing Brazil, Morocco and Haiti.
The shock announcement came exactly a month after he signed a new four-year contract that would have incorporated Euro 2028 and the 2030 World Cup.
In a Scottish Football Association interview reflecting on his time in charge, Clarke â heavily criticised in some quarters following back-to-back defeats by Morocco and Brazil â said he was leaving âjust because thatâs the feelâ.
âListen, what I wanted to make sure was that when I felt it was time to step away, it was time to step away,â he said. âSigning the contract before (the World Cup) was a case of trying to give a little bit of comfort to the players knowing that we could continue the journey.
âI always had in my head that if we didnât come out of the group, which is something that weâve tried to do across three tournaments now, I always had in my head that if that didnât happen then it was probably the right time to step away.
âObviously if weâd managed to get that extra point and got out of the group then Iâd probably have stayed on and tried to do another tournament.â
Asked if it was an easy decision, a philosophical Clarke said: âYeah, in some respects it was easy because I already had in my head what I wanted to achieve as a head coach. Iâd also ticked all the boxes.
âI wanted to go to a major tournament with my country. I did that with the Euros. The first Euros (in 2021) was a little bit not the Euros because it was Covid affected. The second Euros was great. The tournament didnât go as we wanted but getting to Germany was fantastic. My lifelong ambition was to do a World Cup with my country. Iâve done that, so not a bad time to step aside.â PA
Share
PSG in talks with RB Leipzig to buy Ivory Coast star Diomande
Paris Saint-Germain are in talks with Bundesliga side RB Leipzig to buy Ivory Coast forward Yan Diomande, a source close to the dossier told AFP.
The 19-year-old has told the German club he wants to join the French giants and the two clubs opened negotiations after Diomande, who is under contract with Leipzig until 2030, told PSG management he was âvery keenâ to sign for the reigning European champions this summer, the source added. Liverpool are also interested in the player but his future does look to be in the Premier League.
His arrival would also likely involve the departure of Portuguese forward Goncalo Ramos to AC Milan with PSG having reached a deal with the Italian outfit, the source said. AFP
Share
Thanks Luke. Hello one and all! Why not start the day with 3000 words from a sleep deprived man? Plus it should take a while to get to the end, so I have time to make a coffee.
Share
Itâs been a hell of a ride, but itâs time for me to go. Will Unwin is here to guide you through the next bit. Ciao.
Share
The first line of our Netherlands team guide is: âHas Ronald Koeman ever started a major tournament with more headaches?â â which was entirely fair given all the pre-tournament injuries.
To me, they look light on huge stars (Virgil van Dijk notwithstanding) but heavy on team spirit, a strong tactical plan, an accomplished manager â and excellent players, too. How many teams in the tournament would want Denzel Dumfries, Van Dijk or Micky Van de Ven in their team?
Share
Updated at 10.51 CEST
#TalkingPoints:
Share
Updated at 10.53 CEST
Jonathan Liew
âNo, please, stop with this nonsense,â snapped Julian Nagelsmann. Germany had just lost 2-1 to Ecuador in their final group game and the television interviewer was suggesting that with Germany already qualified, perhaps the Ecuadoreans had simply wanted it more. âThey didnât want it more,â Nagelsmann bristled. âI cannot tell any of my players that they didnât give it their all. Thatâs far too simplistic.â
If that was the line, then fair enough. Albeit, a line Nagelsmann may have wanted to run past his players before they did their post-match media duties. âThe difference today was that the opponent wanted to win more than us,â said Joshua Kimmich. âI had the feeling they wanted it more than us,â said the substitute Deniz Undav.
A minor disagreement, on the face of things. And yet also quietly emblematic of this Germany team at the moment, on and off the pitch: a team operating on multiple planes, a little lost in translation, a little lacking in message discipline. If they can get their constituent parts working in harmony, they can be a genuine threat. Until then, it remains hard to take them seriously.
Share
Letâs turn our attention to Germany. Jonathan Liew content incoming.
Share
Updated at 10.39 CEST
Imminent World Cup fixtures
Brazil v Japan (1pm EST, 6pm BST)
Germany v Paraguay: (4.30pm EST, 9.30pm BST)
Netherlands v Morocco (9pm EST, 2am Tue BST)
Share
Who could offer valuable insight into Carlo Ancelottiâs methods, before Brazil v Japan?
Rodrygo, thatâs who:
Share
Updated at 10.26 CEST
Nick Ames
âMorocco were welcomed enthusiastically in Mexicoâs north-east and their head coach was quick to compare the hostsâ passion for football with the fervour that engulfs his own country.
âIn fact, the hand of friendship between the nations reaches back four decades. Morocco drew with Poland and England in Monterrey during Mexico 1986, when they made history by reaching the knock-out stage.â
Share
Updated at 10.20 CEST
And in âLetâs get jazzed up about Netherlands v Moroccoâ news âŠ
Share
Meanwhile, in âLetâs get jazzed up about Brazil v Japanâ news:
Share
Updated at 10.12 CEST
People love to hate commentators, in general, so itâs refreshing to see good work being recognised and praised:
(And while weâre on the subject, for all the haterz: until youâve actually picked up a mic and tried to commentate on a football match, or any other sport, you are hardly in a position to criticise.)
Share
Updated at 10.07 CEST
If you would like to email thoughts about any of this, please do so here.
Share
Letâs begin with everyoneâs favourite subject: His Majestyâs England football team.
Andrew Beasley takes a look at the data on the Jude Bellingham x Harry Kane collaboration for England:
Share
Preamble
Canada are the first team into the last 16:
And in a little over nine hours, Brazil v Japan will go toe-to-toe in Houston, as the mouthwatering-ness of the knockout ties increases further.
Letâs talk about the World Cup.
Share
Updated at 09.40 CEST
