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The best saves from an England goalkeeper at this World Cup happen each time Joe Hart appears in BBC’s Salford studio.

Hart is saving BBC’s coverage, and while ITV may be winning the broadcasting battle, the Beeb could yet win the war thanks to his articulate insight.

The 39-year-old played in three major tournaments for England. He was handed his debut by Fabio Capello, was a mainstay of the Roy Hodgson era, and then lost the No 1 gloves under Gareth Southgate to current incumbent Jordan Pickford.

With 75 caps he knows what it means to wear the shirt, the weight it carries, and the pain that comes with it, given the dispiriting era in which he was England’s best goalkeeper.

And yet he does not give in to misery. Instead, while providing perspective from this often-overlooked position, Hart makes you think about the game differently, something every pundit should strive for.

Before England’s draw with Ghana, his segment on Pickford’s distribution against Croatia was comfortably the most enlightening part of the BBC’s build-up.

In less than three minutes Hart transformed the way I watched the 90 minutes that followed, tracking not only Pickford but how the movement in front of him was influencing his decisions. In a drab game, it was nice to have at least learned something.

At half-time, Hart even gave a reasoned response to the first-half hydration break not being called early. “I’m probably the person you don’t want to talk to Gabby, because I like clarity,” he told presenter Gabby Logan. “If it can’t be done until the 23rd minute, so be it, it takes away the conversation.”

Wait! We want hyperbole! We want anger! We want our pundits spitting feathers through our Ultra HD televisions! Except, many don’t, and though rare, rational views are only more vital in a world where hot takes get more airtime.

Hart also has the experience to boot. He may have been an unused substitute at the 2010 World Cup when Adidas’s Jabulani ball wreaked havoc on goalkeepers, but he would have been flummoxed by that bamboozling ball in training.

At the current World Cup, something similar is happening, with Adidas’ four-panelled Trionda ball leading to several goals where goalkeepers have got their hands to efforts but have been unable to keep them out. One Croatia goal against Pickford included.

“I’m seeing this goal way too many times for there to not be something up with that football,” Hart said, noting how the ball’s trajectory is catching goalkeepers off guard, their timing not quite right.

Hart knows, and evidently the BBC has clocked onto that too, with the former Manchester City goalkeeper dining at their top punditry table for England coverage alongside Wayne Rooney and Micah Richards.

Given his stature, Rooney is always going to be the go-to voice. The BBC is yet to release its 2025-26 pay list, but as their marquee signing after Gary Lineker freed up £1.35m in wages, it is safe to assume the ex-England captain is collecting a fair chunk of that money – hence the frequency in which they use him.

Hart is probably on considerably less than his former England teammate, but pound-for-pound no pundit is better on the BBC at this World Cup.

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He even brings the best out of Rooney, and while that may sound misguided footballspeak given this is a studio and not a pitch, Hart is the calming influence all goalkeepers need to be and makes his fellow pundits look more comfortable.

When Rooney took the lead on the first piece of video analysis after England’s draw with Ghana, Hart effortlessly weighed in. This was no shouting match, there was no finger-pointing, and mercifully there was no doom-mongering despite the result tempering expectations.

After all, Rooney and Hart have experienced the heat emanating from the media as players, so here they are setting the tone now they are pundits, making for a welcome post-match breakdown before louder noises surface elsewhere.

When possible the BBC should deploy Hart at any given opportunity.

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Don’t panic: that is the message emanating from Newcastle United sources after the turbulence of another week where the club’s best players have been linked with moves away.

Having already sold Anthony Gordon to Barcelona for nearly £70m, the club had long anticipated another one of their “big” players leaving in the close season.

Partly to satisfy financial fair play rules but also because the players themselves seem open to moving on, Newcastle have been working on the assumption that Gordon and at least one other player would go.

Sandro Tonali, who wants to explore options away from St James’ Park, always felt the most likely to go but this week has brought a flurry of damaging speculation surrounding talisman Bruno Guimaraes.

Club sources dispute that there has been any sort of offer from Arsenal for the Brazil international, reaffirming their stance that there has been “no contact” from the Gunners for Guimaraes until now.

The i Paper has been told that Newcastle’s approach remains that they will “not entertain” offers for their key midfielder and the reports come against the backdrop of a player who is interested in signing a new contract at St James’ Park.

But that does not mean that there is nothing to worry about. Guimaraes’s intermediaries are clearly testing the water to see what kind of interest there would be in the 28-year-old, and interest from Premier League champions Arsenal – and the prospect of Champions League football – are likely to appeal.

Newcastle’s asking price would be far higher than the £55m talked about, which is why it is probably a non-starter. But after the Alexander Isak saga last year, you would be hard pressed to find anyone offering guarantees on their skipper.

Newcastle insist they are continuing to “work to a strategic plan” and will not be put off by “noise” around transfers. Sales – even if the optics around them don’t look good – are part of that, with the intention to break up a group that has grown stale and smashing an over-reliance on a small pool of match winners in favour of a younger, hungrier team.

That sounds good and, in theory, selling a 28-year-old with two years left on his deal for big money might be logical. But Guimaraes is a different story, a midfielder who has a unique connection with supporters and one they are rarely able to win without.

And Newcastle also have to convince that they are able to close big incoming deals for the right price – something they have rarely done in recent years.

More on Newcastle

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Sources insist they are working on multiple “exciting” deals but being gazumped by Liverpool over No 1 winger target Victor Munoz last week contributed to a downbeat narrative around the club. Throw in doubts about Tonali and Guimaraes alongside Eddie Howe’s underperformance last season and it is a club in desperate need of some good news.

There is a belief that the market is being slowed by the World Cup – even Elliot Anderson’s long-expected move to Manchester City has dragged on because of his international commitments – but that does not mean a deal couldn’t be done before mid-July. Newcastle, it is understood, are hopeful of having another new signing on board before 13 July, when they return for pre-season.

But what is the likelihood of those being linked with moves away staying at Newcastle?

Sandro Tonali

Chances of leaving? 8/10

Newcastle probably need two to go this summer, given that they have breached Uefa’s financial fair play rules and need access to finances to reshape their squad. Tonali – who has interest from Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham – is the man most likely to go.

There has been no fresh offer from Spurs, despite the club believing that personal terms would not be a problem for Tonali. There is optimism in north London about the deal but Newcastle want “at least” £100m, which is where the transfer has stalled.

The optics of losing Tonali to Spurs would not be good, given they are one of the clubs that Newcastle had hoped to overtake.

Bruno Guimaraes

Chances of leaving? 5/10

Guimaraes’s representatives seem to be assessing what kind of market there is for the 28-year-old and given his age, decent performances at the World Cup and contractual status there is an element of pragmatism about what is going on.

The optics of it, though, are awful. Newcastle need players in, not to lose a talisman like him. If they sell him and Tonali, it will feel like the project is falling apart.

Lewis Hall

Chances of leaving? 3/10

Newcastle were bemused by reports that he had fallen out with Howe, and The i Paper understands there has been no contact from Manchester United. The Magpies want to keep Hall and believe they can retain the England man.

Tino Livramento

Chances of leaving? 3/10

At one point Livramento was the most likely to go, with Arsenal and Manchester City keen. But his injury problems have dimmed the chances of him leaving this summer – and Newcastle would like to re-open contract talks, with Livramento out of contract in 2028.

Harvey Barnes

Chances of leaving? 2/10

Aston Villa are among the clubs keen on a player who returned to the England squad on the back of solid form last season. But Newcastle would want good money for him – and are ideally looking to add a forward, not sell one.

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England’s dour draw with Ghana will quickly be forgotten if they can produce the swashbuckling attacking football they displayed against Croatia in last week’s World Cup group opener.

There were enough worrying signs in that stalemate in Boston, however, to give Thomas Tuchel and his team cause to work overtime back at their training base in Kansas City, Missouri.

France have already hit top gear, the Netherlands can’t stop scoring while Lionel Messi continues to defy Father Time. England cannot afford for the Ghana clash to be anything other than an aberration. Otherwise, another early exit on the world stage could be upon us.

Saturday’s Panama clash is a chance to reset and iron out the most pertinent deficiencies.

Offer Kane some support from wide

One facet to Harry Kane’s game that is often forgotten – the other-worldly goal return grabs all the attention – is what an astounding playmaker he is.

Kane will often drop deep for Bayern Munich and spray the most aesthetically pleasing long-range pass into Michael Olise to get another attack rolling. His gravity-defying passing radar, however, needs runners.

What England failed to do against Ghana, where they excelled when putting Croatia to the sword, was to give Kane an outlet on either flank. Noni Madueke seems to have run out of ideas, while Anthony Gordon will have worried his new Catalonian employers after his displays in the US so far.

With Bukayo Saka and Marcus Rashford described as “desperate” to start, a renewed energy on the wing, from one player reborn in Barcelona and another one of the few truly world-class players in the England setup, Kane will start to feel in a similar safe place where he was able to take his game to even greater heights this term.

Decide if Bellingham is a true No 10, or give someone who is a chance

Jude Bellingham is an enigma wrapped in a mystery. He is capable of being England’s Roy of the Rovers and Roy Cropper in equal measure.

Nobody else in the squad possesses the X-Factor Bellingham does. It is on Tuchel to get him into positions for him to produce those jaw-dropping moments from No 10. If he is not willing to get Bellingham running off Kane, England are overloaded with alternatives.

Morgan Rogers offers a different kind of option, one adept at pulling wider and cutting inside. Eberechi Eze can also pull an arrowing strike out of nowhere, if given the opportunity.

Bellingham has more dynamism and intelligent positioning. If Tuchel isn’t willing to allow the Real Madrid star to play to such strengths, Rogers or Eze could offer the threat of the unknown. At this stage of the competition, heroes can come in all shapes and sizes.

The John Stones conundrum

Tuchel chairs the John Stones Appreciation Society. Given the veteran defender, who is currently without a club, has 11 Premier League starts across the past two season, no other manager would start such an out-of-practice centre-back on the biggest stage of all.

Tuchel feels Stones carries the ball out from the back like no other and offers tournament knowhow the rest of his backline do not possess. His lack of game time for Manchester City, as injuries ravaged the last few years, has not deterred the German from turning to his favourite English libero.

It was decided pre-tournament that it was Stones who Tuchel would build his defence around, but England looked porous in the extreme in that thrilling Croatia success, with the 32-year-old often caught cold. It turns out the Croatia vulnerability was not just down to Stones, with Marc Guehi and Ezra Konsa troubled more than we were expecting them to be against Ghana.

When the knockout stages get underway, the goals often dry up with so much at stake, putting emphasis on shoring up the backline as much as possible. Stones is England’s best defender. When he is fully fit and firing on all cylinders.

His final appearance for City left much to be desired, while his England return this summer has not resulted in regaining the peak performance he enjoyed at his club. The question Tuchel must answer is whether he risks Stones in the latter stages of a tournament.

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In the days after the Brexit referendum the jokes wrote themselves. An undignified second exit from Europe inside five days. Mock-ups of Roy Hodgson and David Cameron queuing outside a job centre. Pictures of Wayne Rooney steering the “Vote Leave” campaign bus.

It was June 2016 and England had crashed out of the European Championship in the last 16 – their biggest humiliation since being knocked out of the 1950 World Cup by the USA. Iceland, with a population of 330,000 and a manager who still practiced dentistry part-time, overcame a toothless English attack despite being ranked 34th in the world.

Panama, this weekend’s opponents, have a similar gulf to overturn – 42^nd in the world, playing in just their second ever World Cup. They suffered a 6-1 defeat in their first in 2018 – to England, courtesy of a Harry Kane hat-trick.

The truth about Kane rumours

In Reykjavik, I speak to Kari Arnason, the centre-back who was key to engineering one of the biggest upsets in major tournament history.

“With Premier League players who were established and that level of expectation on them, it almost felt like it was a disadvantage to England that they had so much pressure,” he tells The i Paper.

“Perhaps there was a little bit of complacency as well – I think there was definitely a complacency issue for them going into it. But at the same time, we gave them a hell of a game. And I don’t think they expected that.

“I think they just thought they would have the ball the whole time and could control the narrative. But we weren’t going to let that happen.”

After just four minutes, England took the lead through a Rooney penalty. Their undoing came via a long throw that would not look out of place in the Premier League of 2026. Arnason nodded it to Ragnar Sigurdsson for the equaliser before Kolbeinn Sigthorsson’s shot crept through Joe Hart’s hands.

“There was a rumour that Kane wasn’t willing to swap shirts [at full-time] – that’s a load of bollocks,” says Arnason. “They were nothing but graceful in defeat, no bad blood. They just weren’t happy with losing, so that’s completely understandable. It was just us over the moon and running towards our fans, and them being absolutely distraught.”

‘It wasn’t rocket science’

The question is how another small nation like Panama can replicate those heroics. To secure top spot in Group L, England have to beat them and better Ghana’s result against Croatia – meaning Thomas Tuchel’s side could still finish as runners-up if they cannot score more against Panama than Ghana do against Croatia.

It is part psychological. Iceland’s joint management team of Lars Lagerback and Heimir Hallgrimsson made a point of telling their players that England “were to be got at – they weren’t as good as they thought themselves and what people made them out to be”.

Ghana certainly felt so, denied a late penalty for a foul on Prince Kwabena Adu, head coach Carlos Querioz claiming the VAR had “gone for a coffee”.

And part of it is tactical. For an underdog, Arnason insists “the tactical part is massive. If you get it right, you give the lesser teams a great advantage. If you get it wrong, the lesser team has no chance”.

“Especially as a unit, we were a lot better than people gave us credit for. So we weren’t afraid going into it. We were very strong on set pieces, both for and against. We almost never conceded goals through set pieces, but we scored a lot through corners and long throws and free kicks.

“From one cross I had Wayne Rooney marking me so it was quite a mismatch in that regard, it was just a no-brainer. It’s not rocket since, I’m 6’3” and he’s not 6’3”. He’s a fantastic footballer but it was a mismatch when it comes to aerial duels – throwing it long to me and I would flick it as far as I could and my centre-back partner [Ragnar Sigurdsson] was on the back stick just waiting for Kyle Walker to take his eyes off him and then was free for the tap-in.”

Of Panama’s World Cup squad, 24 of 26 play outside the Liga Panamena de Futbol (LPF) – for Iceland in 2016 it was the entire squad. Iceland had no professional clubs, whereas Panama’s LPF – the top flight – is entirely professional.

Panama are priced at 14-1 and that feels generous. It is an unlikely chance at glory – but one which would make World Cup history if they can pull it off.

Read more

• Pete Hall: My England XI to face Panama – with no Rice, Bellingham or Pickford
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KANSAS CITY — If England do tumble out of this World Cup earlier than any of us would like, the Netherlands could be the natural temporary switch. Ronald Koeman, once of Everton and Southampton, has picked no fewer than 20 current or former Premier League players in his squad. Nine of the XI who brushed past Tunisia in the Kansas City storms currently call England home.

But it’s one of the exceptions who catches the eye most. Denzel Dumfries has done many excellent things in Serie A and the Champions League in recent seasons, not least playing in two finals. He has also become a specialist tournament player: fabulous in Euro 2020, a goal and two assists at the last World Cup and flying again in 2026.

Dumfries might not have been in this team at all, had Jurrien Timber recovered from injury in time. As it is, Koeman has given Dumfries the entire right flank. The Dutch play a natural central defender at left-back – Micky van de Ven or Nathan Ake – and they all shuffle over to cover for Dumfries.

To say that he gets forward is underselling it. In the first 50 minutes against Tunisia, Dumfries had three shots and created a goal. He had no defensive contributions, but so what? The two Dutch central defenders had the most touches, but next came Dumfries. He is the outlet and the fire starter.

It works and it makes this team piping hot fun. The Netherlands are the joint highest-scoring team at this World Cup, level with a Germany side who scored seven of their 10 against Curacao. They have also conceded in every game. Perhaps that makes them the best embodiment of the group stage as a whole.

Dumfries is now 30, one of the senior professionals in Koeman’s squad. Only two players have more caps. Memphis Depay is increasingly a fringe figure given the Brian Brobbey renaissance. Virgil van Dijk is the captain and has 20 more caps, but he is also four years Dumfries’ senior.

The most fascinating aspect of Dumfries’ career? That he has never come to England.

After leaving PSV Eindhoven for Inter, there Dumfries remained until this summer. It is now Real Madrid – and new manager Jose Mourinho – who are reportedly likely to sign him this summer.

Dumfries would be perfect in the Premier League. He is fast, he is physical, he has an excellent final ball, he is capable of playing in a back four, as a wing-back or – as here – as an entire right flank on his own that allows a wide forward to roam infield.

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It isn’t for the want of trying. Last September, when on international duty, Dumfries was asked about transfer speculation and talk of a move to England. His response was… not subtle:

“The Premier League is a fantastic league, but right now I play in Serie A. But if the opportunity were to present itself, I’d jump at it. I’m happy at Inter, but I think I could do well in the Premier League as well.”

A move has been rumoured repeatedly over the last half decade. In 2021, Dumfries came close to a move to Everton but Rafael Benitez reportedly disagreed with Marcel Brands and the deal never happened. A year later, Chelsea were in talks but again pursued other targets.

As recently as April, Manchester United were credited with serious interest. Liverpool were mentioned in passing last year, when Arne Slot was replacing Trent Alexander-Arnold. They signed Jeremie Frimpong instead; Dumfries got into this squad ahead of Frimpong.

We all have those mystical, mythical players, linked with our clubs so often that we aren’t quite sure whether they actually exist: Leandro Damiao, Nicolas Gaitan, Yoann Gourcuff. But I’m calling it now. For his attributes, wanton desire to move here and number of linked clubs, Denzel Dumfries is the most Premier League player who never was.

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So far, Ineos are really sticking to their promise that from now on, Manchester United will be sensible in the transfer market. So much so that their expectant fanbase are starting to get a little restless.

A midfield rebuild is in the works, one that is long overdue. Brazilian midfielder Ederson has already been secured from Atalanta, a move that will be completed after the World Cup.

United have otherwise been frustrated in their pursuit of other top targets and remain no closer to bringing in that marquee name in midfield to give them a chance of challenging for the title next season.

The i Paper understands that despite stepping up talks with West Ham for Mateus Fernandes, United could walk away from the deal as they believe the asking price is too high, leaving Tottenham free to secure the in-demand Portuguese starlet’s signature.

An alternative midfield target

As a result, they have turned their attentions to Bournemouth livewire Alex Scott. No contact has been made as yet, but talks are ongoing with Scott’s representatives.

It is understood that Bournemouth have no desire to sell at this stage, so would also need to be tempted by an inflated offer – just what Ineos are trying to keep United away from.

Sources insisted United believe a fee under £80m – the amount West Ham are demanding for Fernandes – could still be agreed with Bournemouth for the talented 22-year-old.

United had hoped to secure as many as three midfielders this summer, with Fernandes brought in before splurging on a marquee name. The price tag for a midfielder relegated twice in two seasons may force a change of tact.

The Man City problem

Elliot Anderson was their dream target, but not at the British record fee Manchester City have just agreed with Nottingham Forest. Several sources indicated City could in fact bring in Anderson and Sandro Tonali this summer, given midfield is where they are desperately short.

By cashing in on Savinho and several other unwanted fringe players, City could position themselves into a powerful financial position, where they can afford an outlay of over £200m on two central midfield options.

That could mean two more United targets are gone from the market. Premier League experience is a key prerequisite for the club’s hierarchy, but the options are set to dwindle.

Three outgoings

Selling Marcus Rashford, Radek Vitek and Manuel Ugarte would enable the club to loosen the purse strings somewhat.

Rashford is currently a target for Tottenham but, as it stands, the England forward does not want to move to another Premier League club. United are looking to recoup £40m, but several sources insisted a fee closer to £25m is the best they can hope for. Barcelona are monitoring the situation and ready with another loan offer.

Senior officials had hoped to have at least two midfielders in by now, so they could focus on strengthening three other key areas – full-back, left-wing and reserve goalkeeper.

Five more targets

United are looking at a host of understudy goalkeepers, such as Leeds stopper Karl Darlow and Wolves’ Sam Johnstone, who represent good value for money.

Crysencio Summerville and Everton’s Iliman Ndiaye are two wing options being explored, at the right price, while Alejandro Balde from Barcelona is an option at left-back.

It is in midfield where the club surely will be forced to act sooner rather than later. Fernandes is understood to be keen on the Spurs move, and with champions Arsenal also targeting Scott, United need to act fast or face missing out on another top target and further frustrating the fanbase.

Read more

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• Transfers: Tottenham’s £250m summer plans – and what next for Tonali deal

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SEATTLE – You may have seen social impact messaging at World Cup stadiums on your television screens. These were launched in May and are present at every stadium across a range of issues: peace, uniting the world, racism, education and being active. All are clearly appropriate. This is the biggest televisual event – what better time to send a message?

“Unite for inclusion” was missing from the May launch on social media, a collaboration between Fifa and Gianni Infantino. Its presence remains on Fifa’s website, together with the muti-coloured striped heart. It shows that Fifa are “committed to protecting and promoting all human rights and fighting all forms of discrimination, at all levels”.

During the Women’s World Cup in Australia in 2023, the “Unite for Inclusion” logo was present on big screens before each match and the messaging was visible throughout the tournament, where I travelled. In the USA, Mexico and Canada, it is deliberately nowhere.

There is one exception, an inclusivity island. This weekend, Seattle hosts its annual Pride Weekend and has designated Friday’s World Cup fixture in the city as a Pride match. It will be colourful, it will be aspirational, it will be proud and it will be brilliant.

“Seattle and Washington State have a long history of welcoming people from different backgrounds, cultures, identities, and experiences, and Pride Weekend is an important part of that story,” Hedda McLendon, the senior vice-president of legacy for Seattle FWC26, tells me.

“Our goal has never been to create something separate from the community. Instead, we’ve worked alongside LGBTQ+ leaders, artists, businesses, and organisations to elevate the Pride celebrations that already exist and help connect visitors to them. We want people who come here for the World Cup to experience the authenticity, creativity, and inclusiveness that define our region.”

Unsurprisingly, the initiative has been welcomed by the community, particularly in a tournament where visibility of inclusion messaging has been dropped. Eric Wahl is the brother of the late football journalist Grant Wahl. He serves on the Seattle Pride+ Match Impact Council.

“Pride month is critically important to me, particularly as someone who grew up gay in Kansas,” Wahl says. “Being able to see the welcome and acceptance for queer people elsewhere can act as a powerful motivator for queer people in states and towns in which that same welcome and acceptance isn’t in evidence.”

The match isn’t universally popular, given the two nations who play in Seattle on Friday. Egypt’s Football Association sent a letter to Fifa in which they “categorically reject any activities promoting LGBTQ+ during the match,” because they could “provoke cultural and religious sensitivities among fans”.

To which my response would be: don’t turn up then and forfeit the match. Before and during the World Cup in Qatar, when rainbow flags were being taken off supporters and Wales fans had rainbow bucket hats confiscated, we were told that we had to respect the culture of the host nation, even when it victimised the LGBTQ+ community. So…respect the host city and their Pride Weekend.

“Seattle has shown the courage and clarity that Fifa has too often lacked,” says veteran human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell. “The city and its organisers deserve great credit for making LGBT+ inclusion visible around the 26 June match, despite objections from the participating teams, Egypt and Iran.  They have sent an important message that LGBT+ fans are welcome, and that rainbow flags should not be treated as provocative, disruptive or dangerous.”

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It is undeniable that inclusivity messaging would be appropriate at this World Cup. Almost a quarter of the competing nations at the tournament severely enforce anti-LGBTQ+ laws or restrictions. There are no openly gay footballers at this tournament. There has been a significant rise in anti-trans discrimination in the US, to the extent that England’s official LGBTQ+ supporters group, Three Lions Pride, announced it would not travel for the tournament.

“Global soccer has long needed to directly confront racism, discrimination, and homophobia to protect players, fans, and children,” says Minky Worden, director of global initiatives at Human Rights Watch. “Any cancellation of Fifa’s well-established campaigns to eradicate hateful actions in sport is an inexplicable and inexcusable step backward.”

If Fifa believe that their other social impact initiatives and slogans make a difference (which they clearly do, given that they are using them at this World Cup), logic dictates that inclusivity and anti-discrimination messaging on hate based around gender and sexuality would also make a difference.

But presumably at least Fifa are embracing the Pride match organised by Seattle, right? They might have dropped their own messaging but they wouldn’t distance themselves from inclusivity work? Well, about that…

“I must clarify that there will be no ‘Pride Match’ at the World Cup,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino told Swiss magazine Die Weltwoche in January. “There will be a FIFA World Cup match in Seattle and, on the same day, events organised by external organisations will be taking place in the city. But that has nothing to do with the match itself.”

The question, then, is why?

“After Qatar 2022, I noticed Fifa rolling out new inclusivity initiatives, but they have almost all been focused on race; I haven’t seen anything highlighting the LGBTQAI+ community,” says Wahl.

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“I think some of this absence is a reflection of the current regime in the United States and the degree to which large organisations like US Soccer and Fifa, just don’t want to risk poking the hornets’ nest by more openly staking out their anti-bigotry stances lest they experience any of the wrath that the US’s current leader is already known for in his pro-bigotry administration.”

I can’t disagree with a word of that assessment. In Qatar, it felt like the inclusivity messaging was reduced to please the hosts. It came back for the Women’s World Cup. To lose it again for the next men’s World Cup can only be a tactical retreat to appease the regime in charge of the major host country.

There is another layer to this: the message it sends to players. Tatchell has forged a campaign to demand answers from Fifa whether the 11 countries competing in this tournament where homosexuality is criminalised would select an openly gay player. If not, how does that tally with their own anti-discrimination rules? He has had no direct response to that question.

“Fifa is retreating from the very principles it claims to uphold,” Tatchell says. “They have clear rules prohibiting discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation. But it is allowing eleven countries that criminalise homosexuality to compete in the World Cup without requiring them to confirm that they would select a gay footballer if his performance on the pitch merited inclusion.

“They shifted responsibility back to the national associations, saying player selection is a matter for them. That is a flagrant abdication of responsibility. These associations are bound by FIFA’s own statutes when they enter the World Cup. FIFA cannot claim to champion inclusion while refusing to check whether gay footballers are being excluded from the biggest tournament in the world.”

This is all inarguable on every level. Fifa, and football, has to be better than this. If this is truly a game for all, that message means the most when it is most at risk of being ignored. It might only be a small climbdown on paper. In reality, it lets down a vast community. Let’s celebrate Seattle, their Pride and all it stands for. But it is disgraceful that Seattle is a mere island in an ocean of inaction.

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