Ray Flanagan, too: \u201cI\u2019m Irish and that theory is very weak. The cost and the fact tickets weren\u2019t exactly flying off the shelf like a Katie Taylor fight in Croker meant it wouldn\u2019t have made a huge difference. The tickets that weren\u2019t sold seemed to be the most expensive ones around midfield.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust as another data point, Boston are hawking thousands of free tickets to kids and veterans to their games and Scotland were automatic qualifiers so if it was as simple as the last emailer made out it wouldn\u2019t be repeating itself in other locations.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ger Clancy: \u201cHi John. RTE tv in Ireland went to full ad breaks during the hydration stop. Football really is ruined. Mexico 86 – ordinary people in the stands, magical players and scandalous referees. I miss the old days.\u201d<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n John Brennan gets in touch: \u201cI don\u2019t think James Beesley\u2019s\u2019 theory about Irish fans buying tickets for last nights game based on the possibility of Ireland qualifying is true.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile there was a lot of misplaced optimism, I don\u2019t think a lot of people would have gone out buying tickets to Guadalajara based on a one in four chance of Ireland qualifying (and if they did the old adage of a fool and their money being easily parted applies). I applied unsuccessfully for tickets to a possible match against Mexico based on the logic that I would easily sell those but knew getting tickets for either South Korea or South Africa was too risky as I knew they would be too hard to find other people willing to buy. \u201c<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Ed Aarons on the new Brazil, led by a familiar face in Carlo Ancelotti<\/p>\n double quotation mark\u201cSince Ancelotti\u2019s arrival, the environment has been transformed. He carries a strong presence and gives us the tranquility of an environment focused on work, without controversy,\u201d said the Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson this week. \u201cHe\u2019s a multi-champion. He has won everything in football and is here with joy and enthusiasm. His position perhaps has more pressure than being the president of the country.\u201d<\/p>\n Brazil kick off against Morocco on Saturday in New Jersey.<\/p>\n Share<\/a> Martin Belam on the headsets you might have seen on officials<\/p>\n double quotation markAs part of their matchday equipment a small, high-definition \u201cstabilised\u201d camera is attached to the referee\u2019s headset. Before the tournament, the Italian veteran referee Pierluigi Collina, chair of Fifa\u2019s referees committee, said: \u201cWe think that it is a good chance to offer the viewers a new experience \u2026 from an angle of vision which was never offered before.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Via AFP: Pele\u2019s 1958 World Cup<\/a> winners\u2019 medal is expected to fetch \u00a3500,000 ($670,000) when it is auctioned in England later this month.<\/p>\n The medal, won by the Brazilian legend when he was a teenager, is part of a catalogue of 450 World Cup-related items being sold by sporting memorabilia specialists BUDDS, which estimates they will fetch \u00a32 million in total.<\/p>\n A Brazil shirt won by Pele in the 1958 final is estimated to sell for more than $6 million in a separate auction at Sotheby\u2019s in New York, which runs June 29 to July 16 \u2013 three days before this year\u2019s World Cup final.<\/p>\n Pele’s 1958 World Cup Final winners medal, which will go under the hammer this month. Photograph: BUDDS auctioneers\/PAShare<\/a><\/p>\n James Beesley gets in touch: \u201cThis is just a theory, but the empty seats at South Korea v. Czechia game may have been a consequence of Ireland\u2019s swell of misplaced optimism going into the playoffs. The \u201clucky\u201d Ireland fans who managed to snag match tickets may not have been able to resell them following the playoff heartbreak. It seems likely that Fifa\u2019s official numbers may conveniently speak to tickets sold as opposed to actual attendees at the game.\u201d<\/p>\n That\u2019s a good theory, workable.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Ousmane Dembele has been defending France\u2019s key man, Kylian Mbappe:<\/p>\n \u201cThe criticism towards him is very, very unfair. Some people go a bit too far with the criticism of Kylian. He\u2019s an incredible player and a very good person off the pitch. Some people overdo the criticism because he\u2019s Kylian Mbappe. They shouldn\u2019t keep going after him. Whether he ties his shoelaces or not, whether he pulls up his socks or not… it\u2019s too much. He\u2019s still a human being. With the France team, he\u2019s very good with us, he\u2019s a leader.\u201c<\/p>\n France start their World Cup<\/a> campaign against Senegal on Tuesday. Dembele, not Mbappe, has won a Ballon d\u2019Or.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Justin Kavanagh gets in touch? \u201cCan it be a coincidence that Scott McTominay goes down with a stomach problem around the times when TV\u2019s most bellyaching, bombastic, and English-accented chef shows up in the Scots\u2019 camp?\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Myke Bartlett writes: \u201cI was once like you. How I mocked grown men \u2013 and occasionally women \u2013 on TV panel shows, discussing football like it mattered. Talking about sport with the same intensity philosophers might debate existence (or Star Wars fans the latest film).<\/p>\n \u201cHaving unexpectedly sporty children has changed me<\/a>. I understand now the appeal and importance of sport is that it doesn\u2019t matter. Sport is something into which we can invest our most intense passion and emotion, in 90-minute instalments, without it having any real effect on our broader lives.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Cristiano Ronaldo speaks from the Portugal camp: \u201cWe\u2019re approaching this competition with a lot of hope. The preparation has been very good, tiring, because we have worked hard,<\/p>\n \u201cI am very positive, I believe things will go well and that we will put in a good performance. It\u2019s a very good generation… which will bring a lot of joy to the Portuguese people,\u201d the forward said of the squad around him.<\/p>\n \u201cThe most important thing is to start well, with the first match, then follow up with the second and third… finish top of the group and from there, take it one match at a time.\u201d<\/p>\n This will be the sixth World Cup<\/a>, and his first, back in 2006, was the best, when his team lost in the semi-finals.<\/p>\n Paraguay are up later, and may be a difficult proposition for the daddy hosts.<\/p>\n double quotation markNone of the teams in Group D can afford to underestimate La Albirroja. They have recovered, consolidated and added countless strengths. \u201cI would love people to see Paraguay again as the team no one wants to face,\u201d Alfaro said upon his arrival in August 2024. Although his appointment initially raised doubts, his words have proved prophetic.<\/p>\n Under Alfaro, Paraguay lost just one away match in the qualifiers \u2013 to Brazil \u2013 and, alongside Ecuador and Argentina, finished as one of the strongest teams in the competition under the man they call \u201cthe hunter of utopias\u201d.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>McTominay fitness boost for Scotland<\/p>\n Good news for Scotland: Scott McTominay trained with the Scotland squad in Foxborough ahead of the World Cup<\/a> opener against Haiti on Saturday<\/p>\n The Napoli midfielder missed Thursday\u2019s training session at the Scots\u2019 training base in Charlotte, North Carolina due to an upset stomach. Steve Clarke and his squad flew to Boston after training, and it was reported the 29-year-old made his own onward journey with a doctor as a precautionary measure.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.07 EDT<\/p>\n Good afternoon, the hype is gathering for the entry of the remaining host nations.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n And, with that, I\u2019ll hand you over to John Brewin\u2026<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n USA v Paraguay is the early hours offering. Here\u2019s an official Opta fact although Bert\u2019s hat-trick is shrouded in controversy<\/a>.<\/p>\n This will be the second World Cup<\/a> meeting between the United States and Paraguay. Their only previous encounter came in 1930, when USA won 3-0 \u2013 a match that featured the first hat-trick in World Cup history, scored by Bert Patenaude. It is also the USA\u2019s joint-largest win at the competition.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n And here\u2019s, erm, a boost for the Scotland camp. Gordon Ramsay has turned up.<\/p>\n Gordon Ramsay serves up some inspirational words. Photograph: Andrew Milligan\/PA<\/p>\n But is it as inspiring as this? Rod Stewart with a horse.<\/p>\n Rod Stewart (right). Photograph: Evening Standard\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Wow. Great recall here from Roger Kirkby on email. I can now place myself accurately \u2013 in the Original Oak in Headingley. The OJ chase was the clincher.<\/p>\n \u201cHi David, last time the WC was played in USA, the opening day, June 17th, was a day like no other. Two World Cup<\/a> games involving West Germany in one and Spain in the other. Arnold Palmer played his last round ever in the US Open. The Knicks were playing in game five of the NBA finals and pandemonium broke out because of the OJ car chase. Pretty unforgettable.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n We\u2019re on our way. We are Ron\u2019s 22 Thomas\u2019s 26. Instead of swaying along awkwardly in jumpers on Top Of The Pops, the boys for this World Cup<\/a> are suited and booted while sitting on bespoke furniture\/empty M&S fruit boxes. Don\u2019t they look smart.<\/p>\n This time, we\u2019ll get it right \u2013 up to the last eight. Photograph: FAShare<\/a><\/p>\n The World Cup\u2019s oldest player: Mexico goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa didn\u2019t come off the bench against South Africa so the first 40-year-old we\u2019ll see in action at this World Cup<\/a> will be Bosnia & Herzegovina\u2019s Edin Dzeko. The former Manchester City star was their top scorer in qualifying, with six goals in nine matches. He played in all three of their games at their only previous World Cup in 2014, scoring in the 3-1 win over Iran.<\/p>\n Edin Dzeko<\/a>Edin Dzeko – still got it!Share<\/a><\/p>\n Thanks Martin. I\u2019ve just been looking at various World Cup<\/a> wallcharts and fixture lists. If you want to watch every minute of England and Scotland, these are the timings you need to plan for.<\/p>\n SCOTLAND ENGLAND A tougher gig for Scotland fans. That Haiti one will test a few but note that Brazil v Morocco is 11pm on the Saturday night so that can get you in the mood.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n That is it from me today, I will be back with you on Monday. And now over to David Tindall \u2026<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Pro-tip in this article<\/a>: Telemundo, the World Cup\u2019s Spanish-language broadcaster in the US, did not cut away to full-screen advertising during the hydration breaks.<\/p>\n Another pro-tip: apparently this page \u2013 bbc.co.uk\/nospoilers<\/a> \u2013 will get you to the football streams in the UK after the fact without, well, spoilers. It isn\u2019t perfect, thumbnails of players celebrating goals are still there, but it isn\u2019t directly declaring the result at least.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n An interesting perspective I note from partenopei in the comments<\/a>: \u201cI approach this group phase as a final round of World Cup qualifiers. With the actual tournament only beginning next month.\u201d<\/p>\n I can\u2019t say I entirely agree, but I do think, as with the last men\u2019s Euros, that third-placed teams having a shot at qualifying really changes the dynamic of the group stage. For the larger nations, who tend to take it for granted they should progress, the three group matches seem to be a bit more about playing yourself into form and tactical practice rather than having a genuine air of jeopardy about them.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Here are those quotes, via AP, that I promised you earlier from the Bosnia and Herzegovina camp, before I got distracted by Dubioza Kolektiv<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cEven if we are underrated or underdogs, we did something that everyone knows who we are,\u201d forward Ermedin Demirovi\u0107 said. \u201cIt\u2019s not a problem to be the underdog, to be honest.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe are a small country, this is our second ever World Cup<\/a> and for sure we are sort of an underdog in many of the matches ahead,\u201d coach Sergej Barbarez said. \u201cBut if you look at the previous 20 or so games there were only two teams that were ranked lower than us, and if you know our results, I think that you have to just admire what we\u2019ve managed to achieve.\u201d<\/p>\n If you recall, Bosnia condemned Italy to watch a World Cup from the sidelines yet again after a penalty shoot-out play-off win<\/a> in March. They the lowest-ranked team in Group B behind Switzerland (19), Canada (30) and Qatar (56).<\/p>\n At home in Sarajevo it seems like the kids are already getting World Cup fever \u2013 I hope they will be allowed to stay up to watch. The match kicks off at 9pm local time in the Balkan nation.<\/p>\n Children in football shirt in the old part of Sarajevo today. Photograph: Armin Durgut\/APShare<\/a><\/p>\n Ahead of the USA opening their campaign against Paraguay later today, there will be an opening ceremony featuring Katy Perry and other music stars, and US secretary of state Marco Rubio is expected to attend the match. Speaking yesterday this is what boss Mauricio Pochettino had to say:<\/p>\n double quotation markFor me, successful is to win. Is to win tomorrow. And win after. If we don\u2019t arrive to the final and we don\u2019t win the World Cup, to talk about \u2019successful\u2019? I don\u2019t know.<\/p>\n Christian Pulisic, one of the US men\u2019s national team who have been increasingly verbose in their religious devotion as this fascinating article<\/a> by Leander Schaerlaeckens explored, has also been on media duty. He insisted the US is \u201cable to compete with anyone\u201d. He said:<\/p>\n double quotation markWe want to be a real force in this tournament. We\u2019ve got three really good games to show everyone what we\u2019re all about. We know we have to be ready to battle. It\u2019s not about just playing beautiful football.<\/p>\n Christian Pulisic talks to the media during training in California, yesterday. Photograph: Liza Rosales\/ISI Photos\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Graham Ruthven has our daily handy guide to which fixtures are on, what to watch for, and where you can watch them. I\u2019m actually going to see Sparks tonight at the Royal Chelsea Hospital<\/a>, so I suspect my plans involve avoiding the score and perusing Canada v Bosnia and Herzegovina on catch-up, leading straight into USA v Paraguay.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n I\u2019ve just seen a headline on the newswires \u201cAI replaces Paul the Octopus for 2026 World Cup<\/a> tips\u201d which has almost made me lose the will to live. To cheer you up, instead of that, here is a gorilla at Guadalajara Zoo who is supporting Uruguay for some reason.<\/p>\n A female gorilla takes part in an environmental enrichment activity at Guadalajara Zoo. Photograph: Francisco Guasco\/EPA<\/p>\n And in actual football news, Brighton have made a \u00a330million bid to sign Croatian defender Luka Vu\u0161kovi\u0107 from EFL Championship side fellow Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur, the Press Association understands.<\/p>\n Luka Vuskovic of Croatia profile<\/a>Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a008.41 EDT<\/p>\n Dear lord, a piece previewing the Canada v Bosnia match-up from a Bosnian perspective has just dropped on AP \u2013 I\u2019ll get to the serious football bit shortly \u2013 but it has alerted me to the fact that there is a viral Bosnian song for the World Cup which is now absolutely lodged in my mind as an earworm. Turn your volume up and annoy somebody on a bus near you by blasting this out: Dubioza Kolektiv with I Am from Bosnia – Take Me to America<\/a><\/p>\n Sample lyrics: A few years back Dave Simpson for the Guardian described the band<\/a> as \u201ca surreal Bosnian version of Madness\u201d, and I can very much see why.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Dubioza Kolektiv with I Am from Bosnia – Take Me to AmericaShare<\/a><\/p>\n In non-World Cup news, Tom Garry reports England forward Beth Mead has joined Manchester City on a deal until summer 2029, and there is a picture to prove it.<\/p>\n Beth Mead announcement. Photograph: Manchester City FCShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.06 EDT<\/p>\n Canada are up this evening to join the party as co-hosts. It is their third appearance in a World Cup<\/a> finals, and they are yet to win a match. In Qatar last time out they came a cropper in a group which featured Morocco, Croatia and Belgium.<\/p>\n Qatar, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Switzerland seems like a much kinder draw this time, with the Balkan nation up first. Jesse Marsch, once of Leeds United, is leading their campaign. Ben Fisher in Toronto reports on their preparations<\/a>.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n I must just add my condolences to the family and friends of Kenny Jackett, who has died aged 64<\/a>. He didn\u2019t enjoy a particularly successful spell in the dugout at Brisbane Road, but that was where I watched him managing Leyton Orient. Justin Kavanagh gets in touch via email to point out to me that while many Wolves fans will be sad about his loss today, the World Cup has already given them a lot to shout about:<\/p>\n double quotation markThe human story of the day was about Raul Jim\u00e9nez finally scoring on the biggest stage (and with his head!). Then Wolves veteran defender Ladislav Krej\u010d\u00ed popped up for a very English goal for the Czechs. They may have been relegated this year, but Wolves are making waves in Mexico.<\/p>\n Raul Jimenez of Mexico celebrates. Photograph: H\u00e9ctor Vivas\/FIFA\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a008.00 EDT<\/p>\n Good afternoon\/morning\/evening*. As someone who can pretty much count on one hand the number of televised group stage World Cup matches I\u2019ve missed since 1982, I am trying to manage my expectation of how many matches I can actually catch this time round and still retain my job. One I will definitely be making time for is France v Senegal on Tuesday. Ahead of that there has been some criticism of Kylian Mbapp\u00e9 and his decision to speak out about the rise of far-right politics in France. French football writer Rapha\u00ebl Jucobin looks at the fall-out for us<\/a>.<\/p>\n Kylian Mbappe walks towards a bus after a training session in Boston. Photograph: Franck Fife\/AFP\/Getty Images<\/p>\n [*Delete as applicable]<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n What a whirlwind hour that was, Martin Belam is here for the next stint. Bye for now.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n ITV\u2019s coverage of the World Cup\u2019s opening game between Mexico and South Africa received their highest viewing figures of the year, peaking at 7.7million.<\/p>\n It does go to show that having football on free-to-air television is a very good thing. Maybe some governing bodies can learn from that. The biggest games in the Premier League do not get close to half that.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n I think it is worth throwing some light on players to keep an eye on at the tournament. Isma\u00ebl Kon\u00e9 could be an interesting player for Canada in midfield and aged 23 has the potential to kick on.<\/p>\n Isma\u00ebl Kon\u00e9<\/a>Share<\/a><\/p>\n Joe Callaghan<\/p>\n double quotation markWhat the football public here crave now and over the next five and a half weeks is something permanent. A legacy which can last. Marsch and his players do, too, desperately so. The most gifted squad Canada have assembled sometimes talk about having already turned their homeland into a football country. At others they reference it as an ambition. The truth is somewhere in the middle \u2013 a work in progress, one which maybe feels closer to its start than finish. Which makes their World Cup opener on Friday afternoon, and all that follows, so precious.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThe ITV studio is up there with the BBC one in 2024 overlooking the Brandenburg Gate,\u201d writes Andrew Goudie.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Australia coach Tony Popovic has signed a contract extension through early 2027 on the eve of his team\u2019s World Cup<\/a> opening match against Turkey on Saturday.<\/p>\n Football Australia said Friday that the 52-year-old Popovic\u2019s deal now extends through the Asian Cup, which will take place in January and early February in Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n The former Australia international was hired in September 2024 and led the Socceroos to qualification for the 48-team tournament.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m proud to lead my country into a World Cup, but most importantly, I want to ensure that our team is fully prepared and focused on our group matches against Turkey, the United States, and Paraguay,\u201d he said of Australia\u2019s opponents in Group D. AP<\/p>\n![\"Martin](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1781282110_270_Martin_Belam.png\")
Martin Belam<\/p>\n![\"Cristiano](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/588.jpg\")
Who could forget the wink in 2006? Photograph: Publicity imageShare<\/a><\/p>\n
Sunday, 14 June 02:00: v Haiti
Friday, 19 June 23:00: v Morocco
Wednesday, 24 June 23:00: v Brazil<\/p>\n
Wednesday, 17 June 21:00: v Croatia
Tuesday, 23 June 21:00: v Ghana
Saturday, 27 June 22:00: v Panama<\/p>\n
I am from Bosnia
Take me to America
I want to see
Statue of Liberty
I can no longer wait
Take me to United States
Tak\u0435 me to Golden Gate
I will assimilat\u0435<\/p>\nMartin Belam<\/p>\n