Wirtz, Isak & Diomande shine at World Cup as Iraola plots Liverpool revival

Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Yan Diomande all shine as World Cup provides perfect scouting mission for new Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola, says Phil McNulty.

Gyokeres and Isak shine as Sweden secure dominant win versus Tunisia

Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres were in fine form as Sweden cruised to a comfortable 5-1 victory against Tunisia to kickstart their World Cup campaign in Group F.

Japan leave it late and Germany’s magnificent seven: World Cup Daily – podcast

Max Rushden is joined by Barry Glendenning , Alex Abnos and Ben Fisher as the Netherlands and Japan play out a cracker in Dallas, while Germany put seven past Curaçao Rate, review, share on Apple Podcasts and join the conversation on email . On the podcast today: Netherlands v Japan comes to life in the second half with all four goals in their 2-2 draw coming after the break. The Netherlands took the lead twice but Japan equalised with a late header just as everyone was questioning their decision to keep crossing into the box. Continue reading...

Fashion goals: Socceroos trade kit bags for it-bags as they level up off-field style

Australia stepped off the team bus in suits and holding designer pouches, showing they’ve come ‘a long way from a Country Road bag on the side of the field’ Video: Is this Australia’s greatest World Cup win in 20 years? As suited and booted Socceroos stepped off the bus in Vancouver and towards a 2-0 victory against Turkey , many dangled designer pouches. Tete Yengi and Mo Touré carried what appeared to be Goyard, the it-bag of choice for athletes world wide . Burberry checks and monograms from Louis Vuitton and Dior were also spotted. “They’ve come a long way from a Country Road bag on the

Two-goal Yasin Ayari combines with Sweden stars to sweep aside error-prone Tunisia

When they picture a messiah, few perhaps imagine a mild-mannered 51-year-old with a greying beard who used to play at left-back for York City. Certainly Chelsea and West Ham fans don’t. But the degree to which Graham Potter is loved in Sweden has to be seen to be believed. He was a down-on-his-luck manager seeking a new start; they were a country who didn’t win a single game in World Cup qualifying. And somehow they were perfect for each other. By the standards of what Potter has achieved over the past nine months, a comfortable win over a self-destructive Tunisia barely registers, but it is t

'Thunderbolt!' - Brighton's Ayari scores stunner but refuses to celebrate

Yasin Ayari scores a stunner for Sweden against Tunisia but refuses to celebrate. The Brighton midfielder could have represented the opposition as his father is Tunisian.

France’s Adrien Rabiot: ‘We all have a role. You have to be humble with that’

The midfielder on providing the balance to allow attacking stars to shine and wanting a fitting World Cup sign-off for Deschamps France will look a little different this summer. “Naturally, it seems a bit more attacking than usual,” Adrien Rabiot says. “I think it is good because we have the players for it.” Lucas Hernández adds that France have “the best attack in the world” and Rayan Cherki talks about “crushing” opponents at the World Cup. Rabiot says: “I think that we have one of the most well-equipped teams in an attacking sense. We have real threats from the start but also from the bench

Iraq head coach Graham Arnold: ‘We’re capable of doing something that will shock the world’

Australian has had to contend with war, 50C heat and playoffs to steer country to a first World Cup in 40 years Twenty-eight months, 21 games, four rounds, a 117th-minute penalty and a playoff. A coach stuck in Dubai where he watches war start over the water, bombs shaking everything. A team trapped in Baghdad first and Jordan next, missiles flying around them. A scrambled 9,000-mile trip to Mexico where it all rests on one night, the very last country to make it. And, when they do finally land, the hero whose goal took them there is held up by the FBI and the man whose photographs are due to

'Hard to read' Bellingham criticism - Henderson

England's Jordan Henderson says he finds it "hard to read" what is written about Jude Bellingham but believes the midfielder can be the team's "X-factor" at the World Cup.

Uruguay delayed by plane paperwork as World Cup travel challenges continue

Bielsa unruffled but Giménez says situation was ‘difficult’ Initial flight from Mexico cancelled and second delayed Uruguay’s preparations for their opening World Cup game against Saudi Arabia were severely disrupted after their flight from Mexico was hit by multiple delays. Marcelo Bielsa’s squad had been due to fly from Cancún to Fort Lauderdale early on Sunday afternoon, but paperwork issues relating to the plane led to their initial flight being cancelled. Continue reading...

Sweden vs Tunisia team news LIVE!

‘We all love him’: Henderson says Bellingham can be England’s X-factor

Midfielder expects Madrid man to have major impact Henderson: ‘He’s a huge player for us in this tournament’ Jordan Henderson says Jude Bellingham is loved by his teammates and will be England’s X-factor at the World Cup. Bellingham, who is vying with Morgan Rogers to start at No 10 against Croatia on Wednesday, has been the subject of plenty of debate at international level during the past two years. There has been speculation about the Real Madrid star’s relationship with Thomas Tuchel, but Henderson is close with the midfielder and insists there is no issue with his attitude. Continue rea