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Much like the World Cup matches themselves, I can break down the experience of watching this tournament from home into quarters.

Firstly, watching the evening kick-offs: easy. Secondly, contemplating watching the later kick-offs: tougher, because by your mid-30s staying up until 1am is a big deal.

Thirdly, the overnight matches: for now, a write-off, while the final quarter is the biggest chunk of the day, essentially a 9-to-5 that is waiting for the action to begin.

So while my colleagues swan around North America, occasionally doing some work, I decided to fill my time throughout Friday by listening to as many podcasts as possible, and after digesting eight takes following England’s win over Croatia, here’s how I would rate them – including the unearthed gem which tops the lot.

Stick to Football

Within seven seconds Gary Neville asks, “is there any green food that’s good?” and follows it up with, “have you ever heard of cress?”

I quickly gauged this is the opening schtick, a football-free opener to settle the listener in, and eventually once Ian Wright and Roy Keane joined Neville it was largely their ITV chat plus the chance to swear.

"A burger and coke cost me $400!"

Safe to say Wrighty is enjoying his Picante's! pic.twitter.com/STToEq3bhf

— The Overlap (@WeAreTheOverlap) June 19, 2026

At 88 minutes it was far too long, though, and while I would pay to watch Keane at a comedy night – “a burger and coke cost me $400!” he grumbled, having covered the bill the night before – it was ruined by spending 20 minutes on player ratings and 15 drawn-out minutes guessing past Golden Boot winners.

Cut this to 30-45 minutes and I’d listen again. Rating: 2/5

That Peter Crouch Podcast

Clearly non-football chat is the way to open these podcasts, but given I have no previous experience listening to Peter Crouch and pals I don’t care about them playing padel. I got bored really quickly. Rating: 1/5

Rio Ferdinand Presents

I struggle with Rio Ferdinand but wanted to give his podcast a chance, and after he said on the AirBnb-backed podcast that he is staying in a “sick villa” in Los Angeles, it picked up thanks to Joel Beya, the DR Congo footballer-turned-content creator who helped the conversation flow.

Ferdinand has an authority and vast experience I wish he would lean into more, as opposed to shouting “Ballon d’Or!” at matches. Thankfully there was less hyperbole here: he raised the valid debate of whether Manchester United should reevaluate their stance on Marcus Rashford, and overall this was far more palatable than I was expecting. It was also the right length: 26 minutes. Rating: 3/5

Marcus Rashford return to Manchester United could it be….
Just putting it out there
England goal… big summer ahead!
Let’s Gooooooo#FifaWorldCup | #Rashford pic.twitter.com/o5B3AQ4s0i

— Rio Ferdinand (@rioferdy5) June 18, 2026

Football Ramble

Calling Croatia “slugs” – a reference from The Office – within a minute had me on Football Ramble’s side, and it was quickly evident there was no agenda, no sense they are mining the show for social clips the way other podcasts do.

They make you feel you’re at the end of their table in the pub. Their Cristiano Ronaldo chat was sensible – Portugal had played the same day as England – when discussing his worth and whether he is better coming off the bench, while calling Anthony Barry “Tony Bazz” was a welcome quip given Thomas Tuchel’s assistant was mentioned in virtually every podcast. Rating: 4/5

Piers Morgan Uncensored

John Terry was mercifully subbed out with Sean Dyche taking his place, but this was essentially a shouting match with way too much interrupting – shocking, I know – as Piers Morgan and Simon Jordan went back and forth.

Dyche tried to mediate at times but shooting from three different studios made for a shoddy listen. Morgan calling a foul by Lionel Messi a “war crime” was the exaggeration I anticipated, but I stopped listening after Jordan told Morgan to stop being a “fanny”. When Terry returns, I will not. Rating: 1/5

"You would be singing Flower of Scotland?… Would you f*ck!"

"What do you care Piers you're not even BLOODY English!"

Simon Jordan says if he was Scotland's manager he WOULD sing the national anthem

https://t.co/Y4f8RPjAmE@piersmorgan | @Sjopinion10 pic.twitter.com/wyAadR6p8X

— Sports Uncensored (@SportsUncensrd) June 19, 2026

The England Pod

I stumbled upon The England Pod on Spotify and am glad I did. “A show for England football fans, by England fans,” is the sell, and I’ve bought in.

Ali Maxwell, George Elek and David Walker are engaging – no surprise with Maxwell and Elek presenting the Not The Top 20 Pod – and their voicenotes from followers was a fun addition. Maybe by this point of the day I was bored of the same football takes, so explaining why Oasis’ “Don’t Look Back in Anger” is more suitable than “Wonderwall” as England’s anthem of the summer was a welcome debate. Rating: 4.5/5

Fozcast – The Ben Foster Podcast

Another podcast where I am clearly not the target audience. Very pally, lots of “Tommy Tuchel”, with Ben Foster the overly dominant voice.

Foster loves sushi, I’ve learned, while he was speculative on Trent Alexander-Arnold’s absence. As for his expertise, he was useful for the two goals Jordan Pickford conceded, but this was a podcast I needed to start listening to five years ago to feel any affinity for now. Rating: 2/5

Read more

Michael Hincks: ITV’s World Cup coverage eclipses BBC in every way – except one

Kevin Garside: ITV’s Lee Dixon is sucking the joy out of the World Cup

The Rest is Football

Last but not least. Gary Lineker made a cheeky ITV appearance on Saturday – a year after his BBC exit – with The Rest is Football filming out in New York City, and referenced this in Sunday’s episode.

The post-England episode meanwhile was a calm listen (a good thing), and after the first episode divided, this was undoubtedly Lineker back to his BBC presenting best, the quarterback throwing it out to the five voices with him: Micah Richards, Alan Shearer, Harry Maguire, Patrick Vieira and Joe Cole.

Vieira was the necessary continental input, while Lineker in this essentially Match of the Day role was able to involve an initially quiet Maguire, by far the closest any podcast has to a current England player. This was no shouting match unlike Morgan’s podcast. There was less banter than Neville’s. If I’m coming back for an authoritative – and thankfully, 45-minute – listen, it’s this one. Rating: 4/5

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Newcastle United will seek £100m to sell star midfielder Sandro Tonali after dismissing “out of hand” an opening offer from Tottenham Hotspur that fell “at least” £20m short of their valuation.

Newcastle have had a challenging start to what they hope will be a transformative summer, and after missing out on Victor Munoz – who joined Liverpool despite agreeing a deal with the player, his agent and Osasuna last week – they have to handle the Tonali situation skilfully.

The i Paper understands that – although he has not formally asked for a move – Tonali is seeking a fresh challenge and has interest from Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham.

Spurs’ approach, which was made on Thursday, represents the first club-to-club communication for the Italy midfielder.

Some at Newcastle are sceptical about the Spurs approach but Tonali appears ready to entertain it. He is yet to agree personal terms with Tottenham and their approach may prompt City to step up their own interest in the player.

Losing Tonali to Spurs ‘a major red flag’

From Newcastle the message is clear – there’s no decision for them to make because no club has come close to a valuation that is benchmarked against the amount that Nottingham Forest expect to receive for England international Elliot Anderson this summer.

Newcastle put Tonali in a similar bracket and, with issues around hitting Uefa’s squad cost ratio rules, they need to extract maximum value for any player they sell.

The optics of another major player leaving, just a few weeks after Anthony Gordon joined Barcelona in a deal worth around £85m, are certainly not good for Newcastle, who always acknowledged there would be some pain this summer.

Losing him to City or Arsenal would be one thing, but Spurs are one of the clubs that Newcastle hoped to pick off in their battle to be the “best of the rest” under majority owners PIF.

They have finished above them two years in succession and while Tottenham have bigger revenue streams – and a London location which many players seem to favour – it would be a major red flag for a project that supporters are increasingly beginning to doubt.

Lack of Europe costing Newcastle

Club sources dispute there is a lack of ambition and it is understood work is being carried out on multiple deals. Monaco’s Lamine Camara, for example, is one of the alternatives lined up if Tonali leaves but there has been difficulty in getting ambitious deals over the line recently.

They had worked for weeks on Munoz, securing an agreement from the player, his family and agent, and elbowing out Aston Villa. He had also assured them that he wanted to move to Newcastle over Liverpool – only for the Reds to gazump them at the last.

It is understood that the club are looking at what lessons can be learned from the collapse of the deal for a player who was allowed to meet Premier League representatives at Spain’s World Cup camp in Atlanta.

As for Tonali, it is not impossible that he stays but it’s difficult to see how he remains at St James’ Park given the noise around him now.

Read more

Mark Douglas: Why Newcastle’s Munoz deal really collapsed – and their next two targets

Analysis: I got England’s £120m ‘gem’ wrong – so did Newcastle and Joey Barton

Sources admitted at the start of the summer that a couple of big sales were likely to unlock their spending power in an important close season, but there had been hopes that they would have been offset by at least one outfield incoming deal.

There will be understandable – and correct – disappointment at Tonali looking to move on so soon after Newcastle backed him during his year-long ban for gambling offences. But a lack of European football is proving costly, with other players understood to be open to moves.

In that context Newcastle need to flex their recruitment muscles quickly to reassert their ambition.

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Netherlands 5-1 Sweden (Brobbey 5′, 17′, Gakpo 47′, 54′, Summerville 89′ | Elanga 59′)

NRG STADIUM – At the last World Cup, Wout Weghorst was the unlikely Dutch hero: a tall, physical, focal point centre-forward who scored twice in a game and catapulted himself into a position of prominence. Roll it back and play it again in the US.

Against Sweden in Houston, Brian Brobbey was a force of nature. He scored the fourth quickest brace in World Cup history. He won headers to create chances and held off defenders to bring the onrushing orange shirts into the move. He wrestled and rustled and hustled and bustled. And he made it all look beautiful.

This seemed unlikely a fortnight ago. Then, Memphis Depay was the centre-forward option because he was the record goalscorer and international managers lust after familiarity. When Ronald Koeman left Depay on the bench against Japan, it was in favour of Donyell Malen as a striker with Crysencio Summerville on the wing.

Had the Dutch won that game, the plan may have stayed the same. But in Houston, the record goalscorer came on for the final 20 minutes to rest the legs of the new contender. On three sides of the NRG Stadium, orange shirts rose to their feet to applaud and cheer. Brobbey turned in a circle as he jogged off, taking it all in.

Brian Brobbey showing why he was picked to start for the Netherlands pic.twitter.com/MSUMT89o4d

— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 20, 2026

If the last two weeks have been weird for Brobbey, this all felt like an impossibility two years ago. Brobbey was an Ajax striker going through a terrible goalscoring drought. On Dutch TV, the typically acerbic Marco van Basten was asked to assess Brobbey’s strengths.

“You have all kinds of different types of strikers,” Van Basten said. “You have big, small, fast strikers. But there are basic principles. He doesn’t master the basic things. He just argues with everything and everyone.”

On Saturday in Houston, there were three starting central strikers who call the Premier League home. One of them was signed by Arsenal for £55m and won the title. The other cost £125m and joined the side that had just won it. Viktor Gyokeres missed chances. Alexander Isak created them but made a terrible mistake in the buildup to a Dutch goal.

Brobbey put them both in the shade: the movement, the strength, the timing of the runs, the work and the finishing. It was a complete centre-forward performance and he merits keeping his place throughout this tournament. On this evidence, the Netherlands can still go far.

Brobbey did not cost £55m or £125m. He did not join a recent or future Premier League title winner. When Sunderland approached Ajax last summer as a newly promoted club, they negotiated an up-front fee of £17m and viewed him as competition for places rather than a statement signing.

“I think it was time for a new challenge in my football career,” Brobbey said. “Sunderland was the club who showed the most interest in me.” Brutally honest: sometimes footballers just want to be loved.

Forget starting a first World Cup match – Brobbey didn’t even make his first Sunderland start until December. He had scored four league goals in the previous Eredivisie season and then failed to hit the ground running in England. A career was drifting, no doubt.

Over the course of the following six months, something changed in Brobbey. It helped that Sunderland serviced him impeccably, either asking him to win direct balls in the air or down the channels or making him the final element of a counter-attacking move. In doing so, they reignited a career.

Read more

• Daniel Storey: The one World Cup innovation I actually like
• Sir Geoff Hurst: The one thing I would change if I could do it all again

Ordinarily, elite overperformance at a major tournament might earn a player a transfer. Sunderland would insist that Brobbey already made that move – they were simply 12 months ahead of the power curve. Just another way in which their recruitment last summer was magnificent.

Still, it was fascinating how a career can shift over the course of an hour. A Chelsea supporter I know got chatty in WhatsApp about thinking he could lead the line as a Liam Delap replacement. In a Tottenham Hotspur Reddit channel, users were discussing how effective he would be at bringing the wingers into play.

For now, let’s just let a man enjoy himself and a nation fall in love with another unlikely World Cup icon. Brobbey’s is an extraordinary redemption arc, from struggling to relevance at club level to leading his country in the space of two years. There is no secret, simply hard work, improvement and an ambitious football club who created a perfect environment.

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Plenty was made of the BBC’s big World Cup decision ahead of the tournament, with the broadcaster opting against a base in North America.

There was no expense spared from ITV, meanwhile, but a week into the tournament how are the broadcasting rivals faring?

Beyond the studios, here’s how their pundits, commentary teams and overall coverage compares…

Studios

How could they? Well, for understandable financial reasons given they run on taxpayer’s money, for one. Damned if they both did and didn’t, the BBC chose the comforts of Salford and a green screen behind them.

Call me a nerd, but it’s fun to guess the city by the skyline if you were previously unsure where the match is being held, although the obvious downside of recording from the UK is the overnight games afecting their team’s sleep scores – which rightly garners little sympathy.

Their coverage does though feel removed from the action, all while ITV boast the mighty Manhattan for their backdrop, meaning the team are able to sample this World Cup first-hand – a factor that helps provide colour and only more so as the tournament goes on.

For escapism, despite the low hum of traffic, it’s 1-0 to ITV. But we’ll get to the kitchen shortly…

Pundits

This is a quick second for ITV. The big-hitters of Gary Neville, Roy Keane and Ian Wright are a level above the BBC, who are leaning heavily on Wayne Rooney.

"It's magic – it's magic, football, sometimes"

Gary, Roy and Wrighty reflect on how the top guys performing has an impact on young fans watching their first World Cup pic.twitter.com/fQMKHkTJje

— ITV Football (@itvfootball) June 18, 2026

ITV’s support cast are also streets ahead. Ange Postecoglou’s breadth of expertise and Emma Hayes’ tactical eye are early proof BBC have not utilised Thomas Frank enough.

As for the wildcard picks, Olivier Giroud is not cut out for punditry – yet – and has struggled on the BBC, often saved by the excellent Gabby Logan in France’s opener against Senegal – proof the broadcaster have at least got their presenter picks spot on.

Juan Mata and Duncan Ferguson meanwhile have been valuable additions to the ITV’s line-up, making it a squad with depth.

Commentary

It’s a goal back for the BBC. Others may not agree but Alan Shearer appears far more comfortable up in the gantry than he is in the studio, his personality better suited to colour commentary in the moment than analysis around a match.

He has a good rapport with Guy Mowbray and that is more than can be said for ITV’s Sam Matterface and Lee Dixon. Try as they might – and it feels like someone told Dixon to show more emotion, as he said he was almost tearing up watching Cape Verde draw with Spain – this is not a palatable partnership and is enough to inspire you into finding alternative commentary.

Read more

Michael Hincks: What the hell were ITV thinking by making Emma Hayes stand in the kitchen?

Kevin Garside: ITV’s Lee Dixon is sucking the joy out of the World Cup

Watchability

Adverts are the obvious hitch to ITV’s coverage. I could have watched Cape Verde’s celebrations after the Spain draw for far longer, but obligations took them away from the footage when this was a case of adapting and realising the moment.

That said, the ITV cannily recognised the controversial drinks breaks as a chance for input from the studio team, only to score a shambolic own goal when placing Hayes in a kitchen with a chalkboard. The BBC have cottoned on to this break as a chance for extra analysis, but it felt clunkier particularly in France’s win over Senegal.

The verdict

The crunch comes when both channels have the same match, the World Cup final.

Who am I picking if handed the remote? ITV. I would pick five of their pundits – Neville, Wright, Keane, Postecoglou, Hayes – over any of the BBC’s, and were they to improve on commentary this would not even be a close debate.

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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).

Read more

• England: Inside ‘bullied’ Marcus Rashford’s World Cup revival after escaping Man Utd hell
• 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.

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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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England 4-2 Croatia (Kane 12′ pen, 42′, Bellingham 47′, Rashford 85′ | Baturina 36′, Musa 45+4′)

Many of us had England down as a multitude of things pre-tournament. Resolute? Underachievers? Thomas Tuchel’s left-field squad to prove their undoing?

Very few had them as tournament entertainers. Croatia’s “olden generation” just did not see it coming.

There were plenty of questions raised from a thrilling opening victory, not least how porous England were at times in Dallas. Especially post-hydration break.

In a tournament of plentiful shocks so far, blowing the 11th best team in the world away like this to put themselves on course to top their group is a start even less could have imagined.

In a lightning start, Harry Kane’s World Cup looked like it had got off to the most demoralising of starts as, after England were awarded a penalty just nine minutes in, a stuttered run-up failed to fool Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic from 12 yards. Encroachment from Manchester City’s Josko Gvardiol gave Kane a second chance, and he made no mistake.

Loud boos rung around the stadium as the increasingly unpopular hydration break – very much not needed in the cooled stadium – stemmed England’s flow. The Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders were always going to get their moment in these parts.

A superb Martin Baturina strike pegged England back, but England’s talisman just cannot be curtailed. His header late in the first half takes him level with Gary Lineker for World Cup goals. He won’t be on equal terms for long.

A leaky rearguard was again breached all too easily, however, as Petar Musa levelled on the cusp of the interval. Kane aside, England offered up more questions than answers for Thomas Tuchel in their opening 45 minutes of action.

The second half was one-way traffic until, once again, the break in play, this time for a hearty rendition of The Killers’ Mr Brightside, stopped England in their tracks.

Jude Bellingham’s superb run and finish just after restart, aided by a Croatia backline that parted like the Red Sea, edged England back in front, but Tuchel’s entertainers were not done there, wasting a host of gilt-edged chances to put the game out of reach.

Nico O’Reilly wasted the best of them, glancing a header from point-blank range wide, while Livakovic produced a sensational three successive stops to keep a rampant England at bay.

England again retreated into their shell a little, inviting pressure from Croatia onto them. Jordan Pickford never quite looked comfortable under such stress.

Marcus Rashford’s calmest head in the house was needed to seal a superb start to the tournament that takes England into dangerous territory – raised expectations.

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No other nation has looked this willing to attack and thrill in equal measure. The age-old World Cup adage is that the best defences win major tournaments. No manager has ever won the showpiece event who was not a native of the country they were representing either.

Perhaps it may be time for a change. England can now go into two very winnable games against Ghana and Panama and fill their boots even more.

Shoring things up at the back might be needed later on, but let’s not look at the negatives. That was fun. Words not always uttered when talking about watching England.

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England take on familiar faces in the group stages of this World Cup, both in terms of nations and players.

Croatia are England’s first opponents, with revenge on the mind eight years after the Three Lions lost 2-1 in the 2018 World Cup semi-final.

Ghana then boast one of the Premier League’s biggest threats, while Panama will have Harry Kane dreaming of another hat-trick.

But will it be smooth sailing into the round of 32 for Thomas Tuchel and England? Here is the lowdown on their Group L opponents… Yes, there’s a Group L.

Croatia

Fifa ranking: 11

Quick fact: Luka Modric is one of eight players at this World Cup aged 40 or over.

When do England play Croatia? 17 June, 9pm UK time.

You will probably hear pundits muse over whether Croatia’s powers are fading. Finalists at the 2018 World Cup, third four years later, it was their abrupt Euro 2024 group-stage exit which signalled this aging squad are in need of a facelift.

Luka Modric, on 198 caps, is now 40 but remains an integral member of this team, while strikers Ivan Perisic and Andrej Kramaric are 37 and 34 respectively.

Croatia will be leaning on experience heavily, therefore, with Kramaric (six) and Perisic (four) leading the way for goals in their World Cup qualifiers.

And what of the next generation? Expect 19-year-old Luka Vuskovic to start, the Tottenham Hotspur centre-back who has recently been linked with Brighton & Hove Albion, while Manchester City’s 24-year-old Josko Gvardiol is set to have the task of sticking to Kane like glue.

They’ll be confident of beating England again, but recent friendly defeats to Belgium (2-0) and Brazil (3-1) prove they are not impenetrable.

Ghana

Fifa ranking: 73

Quick fact: Ghana sacked coach Otto Addo just 72 days before the World Cup.

When do England play Ghana? 23 June, 9pm.

Winless in six games, including a 1-1 friendly draw with Wales earlier this month, Ghana were out of form heading into the World Cup – sparking a managerial change.

Enter Carlos Queiroz, Sir Alex Ferguson’s former Manchester United assistant who has travelled the world and then some, managing (deep breath) Portugal, Iran, Colombia, Egypt, Iran again, Qatar and then Oman since 2008.

Queiroz will lean heavily on Manchester City’s Antoine Semenyo, the winger who has emerged as one of the Premier League’s best players, while striker Inaki Williams could prove a handful.

Ghana are though without winger Mohammed Kudus due to injury, likewise Mohammed Salisu and Alexander Djiku, meaning they arrive in North America under strength.

Thomas Partey has travelled, however, and despite the former Arsenal midfielder being denied entry into Canada for Ghana’s opener against Panama – the 32-year-old faces a trial next year after pleading not guilty to seven charges of rape and one count of sexual assault – he is set to face England in Boston.

Panama

Fifa ranking: 34

Quick fact: Panama playmaker Cesar Yanis is the smallest player at this World Cup. At 5ft 3ins he is 16 inches shorter than England’s 6ft 7ins Dan Burn.

When do England play Panama? 27 June, 10pm.

If this fixture sounds familiar, that’ll be because it’s a repeat of 2018, when England ran out 6-1 winners in the group stages in Russia – Kane scoring a hat-trick on that occasion.

Eight years later, Panama are back for their second World Cup, are chasing a first-ever point, and have one of the oldest squads, the average age ticking over 30 along with Colombia and Iran.

Their best player? Arguably right-back Michael Amir Murillo of Besiktas, while their biggest threat is Ismael Diaz, the winger currently playing for Leon in Mexico, the country where midfielder Adalberto Carrasquilla also plays.

Carrasquilla ranks as one of the nation’s greatest ever players, becoming the first Panamanian to win Concacaf’ men’s player of the year award back in 2024.

No strangers to the heat with a squad who play club football predominantly in the Americas, their best chance of a shock against England will be hoping their opponents wilt at the New York New Jersey Stadium.

Panama beat USA last year and in 2024, but even a point against England would rank as their greatest result. They lost 6-2 to Brazil in a May friendly.

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