Of course, whenever I think of footballer photoshoots I go back to this: <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n Hello, folks. I am very much in the market for a T-shirt with that Bielsa pic on it.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>L\u2019\u00c9quipe apologises to Doku over ‘disgusting’ comments<\/p>\n Story from Associated Press:<\/p>\n L\u2019\u00c9quipe has disavowed comments by a female presenter who criticised Belgium winger J\u00e9r\u00e9my Doku for wanting to leave the World Cup<\/a> to be at the birth of his first child.<\/p>\n L\u2019\u00c9quipe also apologised to Doku in a statement late Sunday and said the comments by France Pierron did not represent its values.<\/p>\n Pierron described childbirth as \u201ca disgusting moment, excuse me, where the dad is useless\u201d when taking part in the television show \u201cL\u2019\u00c9quipe de Choc\u201d on Friday.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are hundreds of footballers who would kill to be in your place,\u201d she said on the show, reacting to Doku\u2019s comments in the United States.<\/p>\n Doku\u2019s wife, Shireen, is due to give birth to their son in early July when Belgium hopes to be playing in the knockout rounds of the World Cup.<\/p>\n \u201cNo one wants to miss a birth,\u201d said the 24-year-old Doku, who is a star in the Belgium squad and plays for Manchester City.<\/p>\n Pierron questioned Doku\u2019s priorities as he was \u201cliving a childhood dream. It might never happen again in your life.\u201d<\/p>\n It was unclear if Pierron would be part of Monday\u2019s scheduled broadcast of the talk show on the cable channel run by the storied daily sports newspaper. AP<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Righto, that\u2019s it from me for now; here\u2019s Taha Hashim to guide you through the next bit.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n I cannot fathom a way anyone could disagree with this \u2013 and it\u2019s been true for the last two tournaments, at least. Portugal had the players to win them, as they do to win this \u2013 but will Roberto Mart\u00ednez find the moxie to do what even he must know is essential? He really ought to be able to sell a supersub\/finisher role, and should Ronaldo take against him, he can simply indicate the best route to the door.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n It\u2019s worth noting, though, that Lionel Scaloni is proving himself to be an excellent coach \u2013 he\u2019s getting the most out of his players and finding a way to accommodate Messi without ruining the balance. For that, he also has Rodrigo De Paul, who gets through much of the missing graft, to thank, and if things get harder in that regard as we move through the tournament, he has the option of Nico Paz, a younger creator.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Can Argentina retain the trophy? My sense is not, impressive though they were in beating a decent Algeria side.<\/p>\n How lots of teams do though, may depend on the draw, as there are lots of teams good enough to beat any of the favourites and all the favourites are able to beat each other. But Argentina are, I think, not one of those able to see off a succession of top sides, if that is what is demanded of them.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Every time you think you\u2019ve got a handle on the Iran situation, you realise that verily, you do not.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Iran leave note of thanks in LA locker room<\/p>\n Iran left a message in their SoFi Stadium locker room on \u2060Sunday thanking Los Angeles for its hospitality during the World Cup<\/a> and saying they are leaving \u2060with dignity after \u2060a 0-0 draw with Belgium kept alive their hopes of reaching the knockout stages.<\/p>\n Los Angeles hosted both \u2060of Iran\u2019s Group G matches so far, with the team returning to their base in Tijuana, Mexico between \u2060games.<\/p>\n Iran have spent the tournament based in Tijuana commuting to the U.S. for their matches because \u200cof restrictions surrounding \u200ctheir stay in the country, while a number of Iran\u2019s team \u200cstaff and officials have been banned.<\/p>\n U.S. officials have said the squad\u2019s travel arrangements would continue to be assessed, while discussions over easing some restrictions have continued.<\/p>\n \u201cFrom the ancient Persia of thousands of years ago to the civilized Iran of today, the spirit \u200cof Iran remains alive and steadfast,\u201d read the handwritten note, which was released by Iran\u2019s football federation.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you Los Angeles for your hospitality.<\/p>\n \u201cWe came to Los Angeles with pride, competed with honor, and leave with dignity.\u201c<\/p>\n The note also thanked Iranian supporters who gave their \u201cheart, voice and soul\u201d for the team during \u2060the two matches and ended with a call for peace, respect and friendship among all nations.<\/p>\n Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei has repeatedly criticised the travel restrictions imposed on the \u200cside, saying the team has faced challenges no other side have had to endure.<\/p>\n Iran, who drew 2-2 with New Zealand in their opener at SoFi Stadium, play their final group match against Egypt in Seattle.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a005.48 EDT<\/p>\n The old shirts photographed for this piece are works of art.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n So how do Iraq \u2013 and the rest stop them? Well, I think their defence can be got at, especially in wide areas and especially down the left, because Jules Kound\u00e9 isn\u2019t the greatest right-back in the world. And in midfield, there are better duos than Aurelien Tchouameni and Adrien Rabiot, the latter a good but not brilliant player. Thing is, Deschamps seems to love him, though Warren Za\u00efre Emey would give them a bit more mobility and enterprise.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Olise, by the way, has a serious chance of winning the Ballon d\u2019Or. He\u2019ll need an outrageous tournament, but he looks ready for that, and if France lift the trophy it\u2019ll surely be him or Mbapp\u00e9.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Like lots of people, I\u2019d love to see this squad managed by someone other than Didier Deschamps \u2013 it feels almost impossible to get such talented attackers playing more stodgily \u2013 but Olise might just have unlocked things. Against Senegal, he moved infield, with Demb\u00e9l\u00e9 restored to the wing, and what\u2019s exciting about that is it needn\u2019t be that way in every game \u2013 different opponents require different solutions, and the potential for brilliant attackers to interchange at any point offers a fluidity and flexibility few will be able to handle.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Michael Olise was incredible in the second half against Senegal \u2013 now that you don\u2019t ask, that game was, for mine, the highest-level we\u2019ve seen so far, though I also really enjoyed Germany v C\u00f4te d\u2019Ivoire. And it\u2019s actually hard to know whether France hit a groove, or Olise just made it look that way.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n What level do we think Mbapp\u00e9 can reach? In terms of output, he\u2019s already up there with the best, and he\u2019s scored a hat-trick in a final too \u2013 it certainly wasn\u2019t his fault France lost on penalties. But to cement himself among the highest echelon of legends, he does need to lift the trophy again, and he may never have a better chance than this time around. By the next World Cup<\/a>, he\u2019ll be 31 \u2013 still good, but this is the tournament of his peak.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a005.41 EDT<\/p>\n double quotation markMbapp\u00e9 said he had already rewatched the Senegal game twice, once by himself and once with staff. He praised the performance of Demb\u00e9l\u00e9, whose international form has been the subject of much scrutiny by French journalists, to the extent that, when later confronted with the same topic, Deschamps insisted the media were \u201cvery much on his back\u201d.<\/p>\n \u2018In the first half he was the best attacker, he made the play fluid,\u2019 Mbapp\u00e9 said \u2018In the second half Michael Olise and I were decisive [in the opening goal] but Ousmane also contributed. If you see Michael\u2019s pass, Ousmane creates the space. It doesn\u2019t count in the stats, but it matters. He is the Ballon d\u2019Or and everyone is on board.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n However, Iqbal and pals have a problem; well, they have several. Here\u2019s one:<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n I saw a fair bit of Iqbal when he was playing age-group football at Manchester United. He\u2019s really comfortable in possession and has a good eye for a pass; I\u2019m looking forward to seeing how he does against France \u2026 12 hours and nine minutes from now.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Iqbal bids to make Iraq proud against France On the pristine training pitches of the University of Pennsylvania, where Iraq are training before of their Group C match with France, the laconic Mancunian drawl stands out. \u201cThey have big players, big personalities, big talents,\u201d says Zidane Iqbal of his opponents. \u201cThey\u2019re an amazing team, but it\u2019s just another game. We\u2019re preparing for it like we\u2019ve always done.\u201d<\/p>\n Iqbal, product of the Manchester United academy and focus of no little hype as a teenager, now plays his football in the Netherlands for Utrecht. He is also part of the Iraqi diaspora from which the Australian coach, Graham Arnold, has built a side that has reached its first World Cup<\/a> since Mexico 86.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been 40 years since Iraq was last at the World Cup and the country has been through so much. It\u2019s an honour to represent them,\u201d says the 22-year-old. \u201cWe get messages from the people in Iraq and I\u2019ve seen a lot of stuff on Instagram. We just want to make those people proud.\u201d<\/p>\n Zidane Iqbal of Iraq. Photograph: Robert Cianflone\/FIFA\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Iqbal speaks with the calm confidence of a lost Gallagher brother, and said Iraq have already brushed off their 4-1 defeat to Norway in Boston last week. \u201cWe made a few mistakes, but that can happen to anyone,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019ve learned from it. It decided the game but, inshallah, tomorrow [Monday] no mistakes. We\u2019ll bounce back and give 100% tomorrow. Always.\u201d<\/p>\n Iqbal made his debut for the Lions of Mesopotamia in 2022 and now has 26 caps. He says the bond inside the squad is strong, despite their diverse backgrounds. \u201cSome of us have been together for two World Cup campaigns,\u201d he said. \u201cWe know each other pretty well. We\u2019re also know how to keep ourselves entertained at these long camps; lots of Uno, Fifa and Werewolf.\u201d<\/p>\n Usually starting on the bench, Iqbal played the last 30 minutes against Norway, and said the first 30 seconds of that spell were memorable. \u201cReaching the World Cup has been a dream and when I first went on the pitch I felt it, but then it went away because you\u2019re just focussed on the game,\u201d he said. \u201cAfterwards I was able to sit down with my family and appreciate it, I had done something I\u2019d been dreaming of since a child. I think that experience has just given us all a taste for more. We need to work hard get ready for [the France] game but we\u2019re all excited.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a>THE PROFILE OF IRAN’S GOALIE<\/a>Share<\/a><\/p>\n I could get lost in this for days.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Anything else going on in the world?<\/p>\n No, thought not.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n You gate amazing marine life off the cost of Mauritania, I\u2019m told. I daresay that, after Cape Verde\u2019s exploits at the World Cup<\/a>, more tourists will be visiting to find out.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n It\u2019s about the football but also, it\u2019s not about the football at all. I can\u2019t even begin to detail everything that football has taught me; currently, I\u2019m learning about Cape Verde.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Alexander Abnos has some thoughts on the man of yesterday, Alireza Beiranvand of Iran.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n The latest World Cup<\/a> Daily is poised to caress your cochleas.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n So what of Uruguay? I\u2019m afraid even the wizardry of Marcelo Bielsa can\u2019t create talent, and when you\u2019ve lost the likes of Diego Godin, Luis Su\u00e1rez and Edinson Cavani, it\u2019s not easy to find anything remotely as good.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a004.23 EDT<\/p>\n Email! \u201cCape Verde is the Cameroon of 2026,\u201d reckons Krishnamoorthy V. \u201cAnd Vozhina is the new Roger Milla. Keep the fairy tales coming. Isn\u2019t it what the world cup finally is all about. They dilute the toxic Giannis and the Donalds.\u201d<\/p>\n Yup, I\u2019m having a couple of weeks off the World Cup<\/a> from next Monday for Wimbledon and was just musing, while stroking my chin of course, that what the early stages of those tournaments share in common is being about lesser lights and surprise bangers.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n And what a joy Kevin Pina\u2019s goal was \u2013 in execution but also in celebration, their first at the World Cup<\/a>.<\/p>\n Allow Instagram content?<\/p>\n This article includes content provided by Instagram. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. To view this content, click ‘Allow and continue’.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n What I love about Cabo Verde is the discipline, structure and composure of their defending. They shut out Spain with difficulty but also with comfort, the confidence in what they were doing palpable. And they also know how to counter, the question now whether they can change gears and force the issue against Saudi.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n What a World Cup<\/a> Cape Verde are having. A draw with Saudi, in their final group match, might be enough to get them into the last 32; a win certainly will.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Beiranvand, by the way, holds the world record for the longest throw in a competitive match<\/a> \u2013 61.0026m \u2013 and for the longest drop-kick<\/a>, 78.014m. Not bad for someone who was once sleeping rough.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n But let\u2019s return to Iran for a moment. Their goalie, Alireza Beiranvand \u2013 or \u201cThe Wall of Persia\u201d as he\u2019s known \u2013 had to run away from home to become a footballer, his old fella less than enchanted by the ruse and cutting up his gloves. I wonder how he feels now his boy has been player of the match at a World Cup<\/a>.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Egypt, meantime, have taken control of things, coming form behind to beat New Zealand.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Group G is pretty tight. Belgium, who ought to be favourites, are between teams, the old stagers not what they were and younger players not as good \u2013 perhaps yet but possibly ever. They\u2019ll hope to beat New Zealand in their final match and really should, but their attack doesn\u2019t look poised to click.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n I do wonder if they\u2019ve enough goals in them when it comes down to the biggest matches, but they may only need one to win them. And though it\u2019s true that if you stop Lamine, you\u2019re a long way towards stopping Spain, that\u2019s easier said than done and, if Olmo stays in the team, though he\u2019s not a possession player in the same way that Fabian Ruiz is, he\u2019s a very serious goal-threat.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n France, I think, have the most routes to winning games \u2013 their battery of attackers might be the most ridiculous we\u2019ve ever seen \u2013 but Spain remain the hardest to beat, their control of possession and space meaning opponents need to make a lot out of a little. Their defence is far from impregnable but, though it\u2019s not as hard to get at as when a midfield of xabi Alonso, Sergio Busquets, Xavi and Andr\u00e8s Iniesta were in front, Rodri, Pedri and Dani Olmo isn\u2019t bad.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Spain are an entirely different proposition with Lamine Yamal, aren\u2019t they? Apologies if that sounds unacceptably basic, it is, but sometimes, basic is what we need. He gives them width, edge, pace, invention \u2013 and his teammates the confidence they have him so anything is possible.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a003.08 EDT<\/p>\n double quotation markBut hatred of the US as a single entity is also a confusing idea, albeit one that fits a certain monotheistic world view, where there can only be devils and angels. It involves demonising as a single failed entity a hugely diverse and varied nation with elements of every kind of people and every kind of culture, the great human experiment, with all its freedoms and flaws; and doing so based on the actions and pronouncements of a few governing Maga Republicans.<\/p>\n If America has become this single thing in so many people\u2019s minds, it is perhaps because this is the way we experience things now. Everything is flattened, foreshortened, turned into sound and noise. Never underestimate the effect of the hive mind, that constant third space we carry around with us. This World Cup is the first global event to take place so deep inside that online space, experienced in peeled-eyeball detail through a screen as a set of images and shouted ideas<\/p>\n This is how our flow of information works now, and indeed how Donald Trump took power, flooding the zone, shouting the simplest message above the noise. The US may feel like an expression of violence simply in its daily existence, an endless amplification of human talent, greed, desire, cruelty, where nobody is ever really in charge, they\u2019re just out there riding it like a runaway bronco. But the US is also not Trump. Seventy\u2011seven million people voted for him, 272 million did not. A nation of 350 million people with more than 100 significant immigrant cultural groups cannot be one thing.<\/p>\n The US is the world in a very large and varied grain of sand, endlessly rich in all its beauty, energy, flaws and vices. To hate this is a baffling idea. If you don\u2019t like America, what do you like? This is what humans are.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n OK, so before we begin stepping our way through yesterday \u2013 depending, of course on where we live \u2013 let\u2019s begin by throwing things forward with Barnay Ronay\u2019s latest missive.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Preamble<\/p>\n Howdy pardners! So Cape Verde are in with a serious chance of the second phase, likewise Iran \u2013 wins over Saudi and New Zealand respectively will seal it, but a draw might be enough \u2026 but nor are the latter two out of things.<\/p>\n Meantime, Spain are up and sprinting, Uruguay aren\u2019t what they were, and we\u2019ve another set of fixtures but a few hours away, tantalising us with their imminence. So we\u2019ll look forward to Argentina v Austria, France v Iraq, Norway v Senegal and Jordan v Algeria.<\/p>\n Welcome to World Cup 2026<\/a> \u2013 day 12!<\/p>\n![\"Paul](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/1782124091_552_Paul_Macinnes.png\")
Paul MacInnes<\/p>\n