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When was the last innovation in football that you actually liked? That didn’t make the experience for the match-going supporter worse and was done implicitly to favour the generation of revenue or the richest clubs? VAR, 12 substitutes, hydration breaks with the four quarters, pricing out of supporters, VAR again; all dismal.

That is why Ref Cam is so good: it is almost unique, an innovation applied to football that has no obvious negative spin. It offers something new without the heavy stench of corporate bullshit. Even other camera angles (I’m talking about watching penalties from behind the taker) don’t feel right. This one does.

The original intention, as well as offering a literal fresh angle, was to help referees and VARs by demonstrating when an official had not been given clear sight of an incident. Pierluigi Collina, chairman of the Fifa Referees Committee, pushed for an expansion to the original Club World Cup trial because officials enjoyed its benefits.

More importantly for us, it offers a first-person perspective of elite football for the first time and thus brings us closer to players than we ever have before. This is how we all experienced football for the first time, with the ball at our feet.

For those of us who have long, unsuccessful amateur careers, we can watch a player at a World Cup, turn to our significant other and say one of two things: “I would have done better than that” or “I once scored a goal exactly like that” and then proceed to describe something that they have just watched themselves. These are important properties.

Those of a 1990s childhood persuasion with access to the original Playstation may remember an indie game called Libero Grande, perhaps the first version of football hipsterism as you shunned Fifa ‘98 and International Superstar Soccer. In the game you played not with a team, but as a single player. Ref Cam makes me think of Libero Grande and for that I thank it deeply.

It’s also the best advertisement for the fitness levels of elite referees that I’ve ever seen. On Sunday evening, Ivory Coast beat Ecuador with a goal in second-half stoppage time. The goal was scored by Amad Diallo after a fast counter attack; Diallo was a substitute, fresh after being on the pitch for 25 minutes.

It was 31 degrees in Philadelphia. When the replay of the goal flashed up via Ref Cam, it showed referee Francois Letexier giving us a perfect angle having kept up with Diallo, a 23-year-old winger. This isn’t normal.

The replays of goals, missed chances or penalty area scrambles are obviously great, but Ref Cam’s real majesty lies in its amplification of the weirder, perfunctory moments that have always remained hidden. The player whining about the lack of free kick. The shared joke and smile. The handshakes before kick off. The dehumanisation of referees is one of the biggest issues facing football culture; this moves the needle.

What we’re really talking about here – and you’ll have to excuse the flowery phrase – is organic interaction. The reason Ref Cam is so brilliant is that everybody involved has forgotten that the camera is there because it is so far down their priority list as to be a non-entity. We are flies on the wall, witnesses to moments both entirely inconsequential and historically significant (and everything in between).

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• Daniel Storey: England have something no other team can rival at this World Cup

And that extends to the footage itself. It’s clunky and it jerks because it is based upon movement. There’s none of the silky smoothness that people who run football and create products for its supporters think we want. We don’t want it; we want real.

Perhaps that will change with time and ubiquity. Maybe we’ll get a player winking at the referee’s right ear as a goal celebration. But until then, cherish it. It is almost impossible for modern sport to create something that feels natural rather than forced, real rather than manufactured and manicured. All aboard Ref Cam for the Golden Ball at this World Cup.

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My Sporting Life is The i Paper’s look behind the curtain at what drives sports stars to greatness. This week we speak to Sir Geoff Hurst, 60 years after his historic hat-trick helped secure England’s only World Cup.

I was happiest playing football, especially during my time with West Ham

Winning the FA Cup in 1964, the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1965 with a 2–0 victory over Bayern Munich, and of course the 1966 World Cup against West Germany; those three years were truly magical.

The lowest point in my career came when I left West Ham to join Stoke City

I didn’t want to go. West Ham was my home, the place where I felt I truly belonged. But the decision was made by the club, not me. Ron Greenwood accepted the £80,000 offer, and just like that, everything changed. Although I came to enjoy my time at Stoke, leaving West Ham was incredibly difficult.

My proudest moment was winning the World Cup on home soil at Wembley Stadium

Nothing comes close. The atmosphere, the occasion, and the pride of lifting the trophy in front of our own fans made it truly unforgettable. It was the pinnacle of my career and a moment I will cherish forever.

If I could do it all over again, the one thing I would change is leaving West Ham

It was my home, and I would have loved to have seen out my days there. Back then, players had little control over their destiny or future, very different from the game today.

I have no regrets in my career, except, perhaps, leaving West Ham

Every experience, both good and bad, has shaped who I am today. I always look back not with disappointment, but with a desire to learn and reflect. Those moments have helped me grow, both as a player and as a person, and continue to guide me in becoming better every day.

The best player I ever saw was, without doubt, Bobby Moore

He wasn’t the fastest or the fittest, but his ability to read the game and anticipate where the opposition would move gave him an extra yard that made him almost unstoppable. He was also a genuinely lovely person off the pitch, and to me, he remains the greatest English defender of all time.

The best player I ever faced was, without doubt, Pelé. While we’ve since seen greats like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Diego Maradona, Pelé was ahead of his time. His relentless speed, skill, and professionalism made him a constant threat and someone every opponent feared. Quite simply, he was world-class.

I never had any superstitions; I believed that good preparation and practice were all I needed

However, in the dressing room, there were some interesting routines. From wearing the same “lucky” pants to strict rituals about putting on socks and boots, some players genuinely believed it affected their performance. Sadly, I can’t name names… even though he’s no longer with us!

Fitness levels today are far superior, and the backroom staff and analytics available now are something we never had, or at least didn’t focus on as much.

However, the expectations of a forward have changed for the worse. In my career, I scored 249 league goals in 499 games; that’s nearly a goal every other match over 15 years. With the exception of Harry Kane, very few modern players come close to that level of consistency.

I wouldn’t have changed a thing

I was lucky to play in an era of great players – both teammates and opponents – who showed remarkable skill on the pitch and real personality off it. I’m also proud of the success I achieved for both club and country, and I loved every second of it.

Sir Geoff Hurst has partnered with Solomon Global, a UK bullion supplier helping people protect and preserve long-term wealth with physical gold and silver, supported by transparent pricing, secure payment, and insured delivery.

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Newcastle United are considering moves for Lille forward Matias Fernandez-Pardo and highly-rated Real Betis winger Abde Ezzalzouli after suffering the bitter blow of missing out on Victor Munoz.

They will pivot from Munoz against the backdrop of deep scepticism from supporters that they are capable of pulling off the sort of deals that will reignite the PIF project. Insiders push back against that – pointing out that they beat Chelsea, Real Madrid and Tottenham to sign goalkeeper Ewen Jaouen – but in mid-June they find themselves in a position they did not want to be, scrambling for momentum in a crucial summer.

It’s been stressed that they are working on alternative deals, although nothing is believed to be imminent. There had been real confidence that a move for Spain winger Munoz could be wrapped up before the weekend, but he is now going to Liverpool in a depressing repeat of the Hugo Ekitike saga last year.

There’s no point in denying it – Newcastle sources are frustrated at how the Munoz deal has played out and it represents a blow. There’s an acceptance the optics are bad and that the challenge now is to not let the transfer window spiral in the way it did last summer.

A deeper pool of targets than they had then should help. They are capable of moving onto targets that don’t represent the sort of drop off that last year’s Plan Bs did. Panic was the problem last year.

For all the talk of better data and processes, the fact of the matter is they have now missed out on one of their priority targets.

What really happened with Munoz

The collapse of the Munoz deal feels all the more significant because it comes off the back of 18 months of transfer frustration, allowing a narrative to build around the club that they struggle to close these big deals.

This one is all the more frustrating because Newcastle were at such an advanced stage with Munoz. The deal was so close that a US medical had already been scheduled and the terms of the transfer had been thrashed out.

The i Paper can reveal that Newcastle had a fee of €38m (£32m) accepted by Osasuna, which would be paid in two instalments. A settlement with Real Madrid, who have a sell-on clause, had also been reached. Wages, agent fee and payment terms had all been rubber stamped.

Nine clubs were in for Munoz including Aston Villa, who believed that the Unai Emery factor would be decisive when they first made an approach. But they were also told by the player’s representatives that Newcastle was his preference.

Liverpool’s interest bubbled in the background throughout but the Magpies had been given verbal reassurances from the player, his family and his agent that they wanted to come to St James’ Park.

But in the space of a few hours on Wednesday that changed. Liverpool are paying more – they have triggered the release clause, although Newcastle sources believe that is “irrelevant” given they had a deal agreed at less – but ultimately it comes down to the player changing his mind.

There’s deep frustration at Newcastle, who will review their processes, but only actually completing one of these big deals will answer the growing band of critics.

So what next?

Newcastle have already made enquiries about Fernandez-Pardo but – and stop me if you’ve heard this one before – they face competition. Aston Villa are also in the market for a left-sided forward, which is an issue.

Nothing is understood to be imminent, the World Cup is making incoming business challenging across the Premier League, and there’s a feeling that judgement needs to be passed on Newcastle’s business in September and not mid-June. Talk of Sandro Tonali going to Spurs has been played down.

He may leave but only on Newcastle’s terms, and likely with a replacement advanced. A price of close to £100million is being sought.

Read more

• England: I got England’s £120m ‘gem’ wrong – so did Newcastle and Joey Barton
• Transfers: James Trafford to Newcastle is back on – here’s what needs to happen next

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DALLAS — Let’s call it early – England’s anthem of the summer is going to be “Wonderwall”.

It is part of the Football Association’s playlist out here in the United States, one of a handful of tracks picked to be played before and after all of England’s games.

With Thomas Tuchel keen to talk up his side “connecting” with supporters at home and in the stadium during the World Cup campaign, this stuff matters.

What a moment!

Jude Bellingham singing along to Wonderwall as the England fans serenade the team pic.twitter.com/A1oPoiZ9BH

— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 17, 2026

And it was the Oasis throwback that seemed to capture the imagination most after England’s rollercoaster Group L opener, the gargantuan big screen at the AT&T Stadium panning to Jude Bellingham singing along to it after his man of the match performance.

No one in this England squad provokes more debate than Bellingham. But maybe, he is going to be the one that saves us.

How else to interpret the importance of a player who embodies the sort of confidence that Tuchel wants this England team to play with?

Bellingham was brilliant in Dallas, scoring and driving a second-half performance as good as any England World Cup curtain-raiser in history.

But it is what he represents – a weapons-grade belief in his ability to deliver in the big moments – that is just as important to a group that is attempting to win a World Cup on foreign soil, something no England team has ever done before.

That will require belief, something that Tuchel felt they lacked in an imperfect first half against Croatia.

His No 2 Anthony Barry let the cat out of the bag when he told ITV at half-time that England had been too “fearful” to put their plan into practice.

But neither of them were talking about Bellingham, a player who consistently puts himself in the firing line by taking risks where others might play it safe.

The best teams might win World Cups, but there will come a moment when England are under the pump and require a moment of individual brilliance to swing momentum back in their favour.

History would suggest it is Bellingham who will deliver it, just as he did in Dallas with his brilliant, barnstorming goal that teed up England’s dominant second half display.

It seems like a fever dream now that, for much of the autumn and even the south Florida build-up to this World Cup, his place in the team was the subject of intense debate.

Incredibly, some would not have brought him to the States at all for the crime of not particularly like being substituted.

He might have resisted the temptation to indulge Bellingham in press conferences but that was never, ever on Tuchel’s radar.

He is big on the collective, with players lining up to talk about an England “brotherhood” out here in America.

But when push comes to shove, Tuchel’s actions have betrayed his true feelings on Bellingham, a special talent whose skillset would be accommodated in every other World Cup squad out here.

First he recalled Jordan Henderson to the squad, which brought one of Bellingham’s closest friends and allies back into the England fray.

Henderson’s presence here is as much about chemistry as ability – Roy Keane once memorably asked whether he was there to “play card tricks” and keep the players entertained – but Bellingham appears a happier, more relaxed presence with him back in the group.

Then Tuchel created a system that relies on deep-lying runners and risks, which is essentially Bellingham’s game.

It means he sometimes draw attention for mistakes – and he was absolutely culpable in the messy build-up to Martin Baturina’s goal – but he always comes back for more.

It is a while since England had a player capable of shaping a World Cup in the way that Kylian Mbappe did in 2018 or Lionel Messi did in 2022.

But Bellingham is in that category for England, especially now that him and Tuchel are singing from the same hymn sheet.

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It certainly seemed that way during the full-time singalong in Dallas.

When the guitar licks of “Wonderwall” subsided, the next track on the playlist was the Beatles’ “Hey Jude”.

It felt pitch perfect, just like England’s protagonist.

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Ordinarily, it would not be much of a story. A kid has a game of highs and lows in front of millions all over the globe.

The sticky part for Luka Vuskovic is that he and his entourage have made plenty of noise to get him into the media spotlight over the last fortnight.

The 19-year-old contracted to Tottenham Hotspur has been heavily linked with a mega-money move away before even representing them in a competitive game.

Vuskovic was linked with the likes of Barcelona and Bayern Munich during his loan at Hamburg last season, though Spurs have maintained they would rather keep such an asset.

More recently, he has been the subject of two bids from Brighton & Hove Albion, who are selling Jan Paul van Hecke to Spurs for £52m – and the wonderkid is said to be keen on becoming the Seagulls’ next budding prospect to sell for major profit. He is resistant to another loan and seemingly not fancying his chances under Roberto De Zerbi.

Brighton’s highest offer so far has come in at £35m, but Tottenham are believed to be holding out for a fee in the region of £60m. If Vuskovic is to live with the ruthless intensity and fast pace of the Premier League, then Brighton’s bids don’t actually seem too derisory now.

In Croatia’s eventual 4-2 defeat to England in their World Cup opener, their youngsters shone through. The man who scored their first equaliser, Martin Baturina of Como, is 23. He was assisted by Petar Sucic, Inter’s 22-year-old attacking midfielder.

That move actually started with a contribution from centre-back Vuskovic. A mighty and meaty 6’4”, he took his initiative to step free of Croatia’s back three, from which he started slap bang in the middle, to crunch into Jude Bellingham just inside England’s own half and win back possession, with the ball flying past Jordan Pickford a few passes and one shot later.

Despite an opening 45 minutes which saw four goals fly in, that was the only time Vuskovic was forced to do some actual defending. England’s main threat was from set plays, with Noni Madueke winning a penalty off the wily Luka Modric following a corner, and then Harry Kane heading home a wicked delivery from Declan Rice.

Coming into the break, Vuskovic must have assumed the step up to the World Cup stage was a doddle. He had snatched the soul of a Real Madrid “Galactico” and, at the very least, didn’t look out of place defending Kane in open play. This would have followed the rapid trajectory of his career so far, after all. So far, so good.

But whatever Thomas Tuchel said to his Three Lions at the interval felt like a personal attack on Vuskovic, whose entire performance was turned inside-out within 90 seconds of the restart.

England worked the ball round the back nicely before Elliot Anderson whipped a pass into the channel, allowing Bellingham to run at the stretched Croatia backline. Central midfielder Mario Pasalic had to cover for the vacant Josko Gvardiol at left centre-back, but didn’t have the legs to keep up.

That left Vuskovic as the last defender ahead of Bellingham. And he didn’t want any of that smoke. The teenager shuffled inside to cut out the passing lane to Madueke instead, leaving England’s buccaneering No 10 the space he needed to gallop into the box and finish.

A wrong decision? Sure. That happens. Vuskovic is not even 20 yet, mistakes are part of his life. What was more alarming was how off the pace he looked.

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This is as quick as Vuskovic should ever look in his entire life. Yet here he was moving with the same slow speed you have when trying to flee the monsters in your nightmares. Someone unfamiliar with the two would have guessed Bellingham was several years Vuskovic’s younger given the stark difference in athleticism.

England’s bombardment, again largely through their dead-ball prowess, dominated the rest of Vuskovic’s time on the pitch before he was hooked after 66 minutes.

This sudden drop in market value doesn’t benefit any party involved here. Spurs still hold all the cards with the player on a long contract – and Brighton would now need to pay over the odds to get their hands on someone who is ultimately still a project.

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If you drew a Venn diagram of Emma Hayes’ critics and the fragile folk who cry “snowflake” about others, then congrats on drawing a circle.

The ex-Chelsea and current USA women’s coach is upsetting all the right people at this World Cup during her ITV punditry duties, reprising a role for which she first drew plaudits at Euro 2020.

It’s safe to say though not everyone is a fan. Earlier in the tournament, one of ITV’s videos on X, a mere snippet of Hayes’ analysis so far, prompted a flurry of negative replies. Two mentions of “kitchen”, one asking for “two sugars”, another yelling abuse through their keyboard that is not fit for publication. Seven profiles had either the England flag or Union Jack emoji in their handles or bios.

Meanwhile a Facebook post from a well-known outlet led to one hurling direct sexist abuse at Hayes, another began “not been sexist” – always a solid start, and that’s being you imbecile – before proceeding to say “if it was baking or gardening then I am all for free speech”.

Then, with Hayes analysing England’s match with Croatia during the drinks breaks on Wednesday night, an X post from Joey Barton’s podcast read, depressingly to no one’s surprise, “Give it a rest Emma love”.

Are you starting to get a picture of the people Hayes is rattling?

"There was something inside those players that wasn't going to let them yield today"

Ange Postecoglou reflects on that historic performance from Cape Verde! pic.twitter.com/8lbmlyzauc

— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 15, 2026

For all the insight, the dozens of minutes spent before and after matches, the segments during half-time and now even the drinks breaks, one line from Hayes drew anger more than most, when she called Cape Verde’s draw with Spain a “victory for immigration”.

Keep politics out of football! That was the response from a tidal wave of Hayes’ haters, who could not see what immigration had to do with players born in the USA, Republic of Ireland, France, Netherlands and Portugal having a say in Cape Verde’s monumental point against the reigning European champions.

More than half of Cape Verde’s squad were born overseas. Six in Rotterdam alone. Utilising this diaspora – including a LinkedIn message to Dublin-born Roberto “Pico” Lopes, initially ignored because it was in Portuguese – is the only reason this tiny archipelago nation have reached their first World Cup.

Hayes was not even mentioning immigration impulsively. This was no agenda despite what some people would like to think, because what was probably missed by those criticising her was the fact she wasn’t the first to bring it up.

“Being able to repay the efforts of our grandparents and parents, who emigrated to give us a better future, sometimes even working two jobs at the same time, is the least we can do,” Cape Verde forward Dailon Livramento told The Guardian upon their qualification last year.

“We’re a product of immigration and our identity has to reflect that,” Cape Verde head coach Pedro Leitao Brito then said in ITV’s build-up to Monday’s match. “We have so many cultures at the same time. Our players are spread across every continent.”

Captain Ryan Mendes added: “We’ve now got this young generation of quality players from the diaspora whether that’s in the Netherlands, Portugal, France alongside those of us who were born in Cape Verde.”

FFS lads, leave it out, will you? I’m trying to watch the bloody football.

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Then came her input against England. The optics were unhelpful, with the chalkboard not only tinpot, as if someone ran to the nearest shop when realising drinks breaks equals more studio time, but also rife for AI alterations – as some did when changing her tactical notes to shopping lists.

And while Roy Keane, Ian Wright and Gary Neville sat on chairs, the ITV also positioned Hayes in a corner of their New York studio, which admittedly resembled a kitchen, and that only fed the trolls for an easy pile-on. It felt naive from ITV, hung Hayes out to dry, and surely is changed going forward at this World Cup. The i Paper has asked ITV for comment.

The fact Hayes must be used to this by now does not make it any less demoralising to witness the 100th time as it was the first, and the reason she is such a magnet for abuse is obvious.

The reality is that it hurts her opponents, not only realising this woman knows more than them about football, but because she has achieved more – Barton included – than they could have dreamt of in the game they adore.

So often the root cause of trolling, jealousy rarely looks uglier than when a sad man hides behind his phone.

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Bukayo Saka, the best attacking player for the Premier League champions. Morgan Rogers, an elite No 10 who some believed should start over Jude Bellingham. Marcus Rashford, somehow the forgotten man of England’s attack over the last two years who is the second highest goalscorer in this squad. 

Those were the three players introduced by Thomas Tuchel after 72 minutes. Within 15 minutes, two had combined majestically to kill the contest and fire up England’s World Cup campaign. It’s go time – and it might just be piping hot fun.

Tuchel has always implied that he does not wish to throw the baby out with the bathwater kept warm by his predecessor. Gareth Southgate was big on the notion of “starters and finishers”. So is the new guy.

It’s one of those management speak phrases that provides a coach with an easy escape from perilous press conference questioning. Nobody is dropped to the bench because there is no hierarchy. I love them all equally. We’re all just starters and finishers, man.

It’s also entirely appropriate. The conditions of this World Cup are unique: the heat, the travel, the workload on players in the domestic season that never seems to relent. The best starting XI may well win this World Cup, but I reckon the deepest squad has the better chance.

England don’t have the deepest squad in every position. It would take chest-beating patriotism to suggest so. The full-back areas are light, particularly after Tino Livramento’s withdrawal. Central midfield has other options than Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson, but I’m not sure any of them quite do what those two manage in combination. Harry Kane is as irreplaceable as crown jewels.

But I haven’t seen any team in this World Cup so far have as devastating impact in the final third through their use of substitutes than England. Saka carried the ball like a man determined to prove that his fitness should not cause a national wobble. Rashford took his goal impeccably well, faking a shot to sit a defender down and open up the angle.

Anthony Gordon was anonymous and Noni Madueke bright and mercifully intent upon taking on his man rather than stopping. But Tuchel is adamant that however the starting wingers perform, they have attributes that will tire the minds and legs of full-backs and create time and space for those who replace them. In Dallas, that confidence was vindicated.

In the case of Saka, amazing how a frown can be turned upside down. The bad news, Bukayo, is that you might not be able to play for 90 or 120 minutes in this tournament – boo, hiss, we’re done for. The good news: I don’t think there is another England player in my lifetime who could potentially make me giggle more when given 20 minutes against a tired left-back.

What’s most fascinating – and bodes so well for England – is how this can become so self-fulfilling when it starts positively. The two starting wingers can put everything in physically knowing the next cabs off the rank will perform. Bellingham can do his superman act because Rogers is there to step in when required. A competition for places grows but so does a sense of shared ownership. First comes one wave, then another.

The environment feels different too. England were more defensively uncertain in the first half in Dallas than at any point during Gareth Southgate’s eight years of major tournament management; there is a balance to be identified and exploited. Jordan Pickford seemed unsettled with the new look. Simple straight balls threatened both central defenders.

Read more

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Nor is this criticism, merely observation. But I don’t think it’s controversial to conclude that we wouldn’t have seen a Southgate team with four players surging forward on a counter attack after 85 minutes with a one-goal lead. And if this is England’s strength, it must be exploited.

The future is now. The manager has changed. The mood will shift with it, lurching either to glory or German fraudulence; that is how life works now. England appointed the all-or-nothing manager and the next five weeks will be the whole of his truth. It’s going to take some getting used to.

But if one knock-on effect of this brave new world is two replacement wingers and a No 10 hurtling forward on a sweeping counter attack to render any late nerves redundant, I think we’re all on board. The reason that some of your favourite attacking players were left out of England’s squad is because we have an embarrassment of riches. So let’s cash them all in.

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