The Pulse of Football

Jun

2026

Preview: Netherlands and Morocco set for heavyweight clash in the Round of 32

One of the most enticing ties as the World Cup knockouts begin sees Netherlands face Morocco in Monterrey, with attacking talent on show for both sides making for a watchable and unpredictable encounter.

By Karl Matchett

Given how open the other side of the bracket looks, Morocco could perhaps be forgiven for wondering what might have been, after finishing second only on goal difference behind Brazil in the groups.

Saibari and an underrated attack

Obviously stats from the group stage don’t present a level playing field, given the huge variance between strengths and weaknesses in each quartet. All the same, the numbers look compelling when added to Morocco’s overall approach: they have one of the most dynamic sides going forward and look well-balanced without the ball.

In fact, Morocco ranked top ten among the 48 nations for expected goals, xG difference, accurate passes and big chances created (10). Key to much of their good work was Ismael Saibari, who’s move to Bayern Munich should go through this week. He netted three times from ten shots and is the team’s outlet in the channels, one of the chief creators and the first line of defence. Shutting him down will be the responsibility of the many, not the single defender, if Netherlands want to blunt the Africans’ attack.

Can workrate make up for Dutch lacking star quality?

In years gone by it would be Netherlands who were the star attraction for attacking talent, but this group is a little more functional. Brian Brobbey epitomises that, having made a good impact since coming into the XI with his movement, brute force and self-belief – but few would have him at a top table of Europe’s strikers on goal return and technical ability alone.

There will be much expectation on the midfield triumvirate to provide off-the-ball workrate as much as a cutting edge for the Oranje to go much further, with a key mix of running power and quick-footed ability on show between Ryan Gravenberch and Tijjani Reijnders in particular. They must thrive for their attacking teammates to produce the goods.

Recent form

It was a draw and two wins for the Dutch in the groups, with the thumping of Sweden a highlight. Morocco drew with Brazil then beat two lightweights – not scoring more goals was the only concern they might hold.

Team news

No reported injuries for either team in the buildup, though Cody Gakpo suffered a devastating personal loss at the weekend. He is expected to feature.

Key player

There will be a lot of eyes on youngster Ayyoub Bouaddi’s showing, which means Ryan Gravenberch needs to step up and show both sides of his game – ball-winning and creativity going forward alike. So far he has been fairly poor on the former, but better with the latter. Gravenberch has two assists but his ball-carrying has been hit and miss, completing two of five dribbles – under 50 touches per game shows he must get involved more.

Prediction

This should be a tremendous tussle which could really go either way – but Morocco will have designs on replicating their last World Cup run and could edge it: Netherlands 2-3 Morocco.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Jun

2026

Preview: Unbeaten Brazil and Japan meet in the Round of 32

Brazil have reached the quarter-finals in each of the past eight World Cups, while Japan are targeting a third consecutive appearance in the Round of 16.

By Filip Mishov

The five-time world champions looking to avoid the Samurai’s sword in Houston

Brazil have gradually improved along the way during the World Cup Group Stage, and following the 1-1 draw with Morocco in Group C’s opening match, Vinícius Júnior & co. quickly recovered to record dominant wins against Haiti and Scotland. Subsequently, the five-time world champions are entering the Round of 32 as one of the favourites to lift the trophy, with only Canada boasting a higher xG (8.9) than their 7.3.

Japan displayed quality and character to stay unbeaten and finish only behind the Netherlands in Group F, leaving Sweden to face the might of France in the Round of 32.

The Samurai Blue are not far off Brazil’s efficient attack (7 scored), but Hiroki Ito & co. will have to solidify their defence further if they are to replicate the success of reaching the last 16 in the 2018 and 2022 finals. History is on Brazil’s side as well, with the Seleção comfortably defeating Japan in the 2006 World Cup Group Stage in Dortmund.

Key players

After coming off the bench in the opening match, Matheus Cunha made the no. 9 position his own in the starting lineup, with the flamboyant forward scoring a brace against Haiti and then finding the back of the net against Scotland too. The 27-year-old added dynamism and flair to Brazil’s attacking trident alongside, Vinícius Júnior and Rayan, and was awarded as the Player of the Match against Haiti, earning a FotMob rating of 8.9 and averaging a rating of 8.7 in the last couple of starts.

Daichi Kamada is Japan’s midfield orchestrator, pulling the strings alongside Ao Tanaka and the Crystal Palace midfielder is deservedly one of the highest-rated (7.75) players in the squad and the joint top scorer (2 goals) with Ayase Ueda. The tireless Samurai scored in back-to-back matches in the group stage and his performance against Casemiro and Bruno Guimarães will be crucial to Japan’s hopes of causing an upset in Houston.

Team news

Raphinha remains on the sidelines but the Brazilian is targeting the Round of 16 for a possible return if his teammates are successful here. Carlo Ancelotti has the rest of his squad fit and ready to go.

Similarly to Raphinha, Takefusa Kubo is still recovering from an injury sustained in the opening match and although the playmaker is back in first-team training, coach Hajime Moriyasu has ruled him out of this match.

Prediction

Brazil are improving with each passing match, and Carlo Ancelotti’s squad possesses all the necessary ingredients to add a record-breaking sixth golden star on the shirt, but I do not expect Japan to be pushovers.

The Samurai Blue are well organized and hard to break down, similar to Morocco, but I believe that Brazil have more than enough to come out on top in the end.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Jun

2026

Who will win the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot?

As many as 15 different players scored three or more goals during the group stage.

By Jamie Spencer

The World Cup Golden Boot, handed out every four years to the top scorer at the tournament, is one of the biggest individual honours the sport has to offer.

No one has ever won the Golden Boot twice, never mind retain it from one World Cup to the next – which is what Kylian Mbappé is trying to do this summer. The Frenchman scored successive braces in group stage wins over Senegal and Iraq, half the tally so far that secured him the trophy in 2022.

France teammate Ousmane Dembélé raced onto four goals during a final group win against Norway. The 2025 Ballon d’Or winner scored a hat-trick in that game, adding to the one he got against Iraq a few days earlier. Remarkably, he‘d never found the net in 11 previous World Cup appearances before this summer, while Dembélé’s four goals at this tournament alone account for 36% of his entire goal output in a France shirt stretching back to his senior debut in 2016.

Next up, France face a Sweden team that shipped seven goals during the group stage and was ripped apart by a clinical Netherlands. There is significant potential for both French players to add goals.

*The race for the Golden Boot, as it stands*

Norway came into this World Cup – their first in 28 years – identified as a dark horse. A large part of that faith is the presence of Erling Haaland, who hasn’t disappointed with four goals in the two games he’s featured in so far.

Vinícius Júnior has put a challenging club season with Real Madrid behind him to also score four times in the group stage. Rather like Dembélé, Vini Jr. doesn’t have a brilliant record at international level – only nine goals in 49 appearances prior to the World Cup – but has stepped up massively this summer. No Brazilian player has won the Golden Boot since Ronaldo in 2002.

The only player to outscore Mbappé, Dembélé, Haaland and Vinícius at the end of the group stage is Lionel Messi, whose six goals in three games – combined with Argentina’s rather kind path through the knockout bracket – now makes him the clear favourite at this stage.

Messi arguably underperformed at his first four World Cups (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018), but has been supercharged over the last two since his 35^th birthday. After another goal off the bench against Jordan to conclude the group stage, it’s 13 in his last 10 World Cup appearances since the start of the 2022 finals alone, compared to six in his first 19 games. He’s never won the Golden Boot before and, now at the age of 39, would be the oldest player to get his hands on it.

The Chasing Pack

Matheus Cunha could be one to keep an eye on. He had only scored once for Brazil before this World Cup but is taking full advantage of the Seleção’s lack of a clear No. 9 starter, after coming into the team when Igor Thiago was dropped following the Morocco draw. Cunha scored twice straight off the bat and took his tally to three by the end of the group stage. Momentum is on his side.

Brian Brobbey is in a similar position for the Netherlands, a bench player to begin with but scoring three in the second two group matches. The Oranje No. 9 shirt is now his to lose and the Sunderland man will be a goal threat for as long as the Dutch stay in the tournament.

Still waiting for a first start of the World Cup but bizarrely still in this conversation is Deniz Undav of Germany. The 29-year-old Stuttgart frontman is a late bloomer and counts Jürgen Klopp and Thomas Müller among his supporters. It’s three goals so far in only 86 minutes on the pitch. He either comes into the starting XI soon or maintains this highly effective super sub role.

Canada’s Jonathan David leads the way in goals among the three co-hosts. The Juventus striker scored a hat-trick in his team’s Group B win over Qatar, but has otherwise been underwhelming and will struggle to keep up with the big hitters.

Morocco’s Ismael Saibari, Senegal’s Ismaïla Sarr, Switzerland’s Johan Manzambi and DR Congo’s Yoane Wissa all have three goals from the group stage but may not get the same opportunities as the likes of Messi, Mbappé and Dembélé to add many more to their respective tallies. Elijah Just had scored three times in Group G for New Zealand but cannot add to that total after their elimination.

Big Guns Yet to Explode

England captain Harry Kane also has three goals to his name but is yet to show the kind of form that led to him scoring an astonishing 61 times for Bayern Munich during the 2025/26 club season. The 32-year-old is more than capable of getting on a run and will certainly fancy his chances after a drab performance against Ghana was followed by a better end to the win over Panama. A quick hat-trick could easily propel him firmly into Golden Boot contention and England face DR Congo next.

“I’m back! I’m back!” was how Cristiano Ronaldo responded to a brace in Portugal’s win over Uzbekistan, which had followed a woeful showing against DR Congo. He didn’t get on the scoresheet against Colombia and, trailing Messi by four goals and with Portugal facing a much tougher knockout route, the World Cup Golden Boot looks like one major accolade will fully elude him.

(Cover image courtasy of adidas Football, further images from IMAGO)

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Jun

2026

Preview: Germany face off with Paraguay in Round of 32

After what might be described as a slow burn during the groups, Germany are one of the first of the fancied nations to hit the knockouts – they now need to show what they’re capable of against Paraguay.

By Karl Matchett

Final tune-up and questions of Wirtz

Germany have had a fairly steady start to the tournament despite that last-game hiccup against Ecuador. But while creativity has been on show at times, they haven’t looked the full package – hit on the counter-attack an awful lot, and outfought for long stretches against Ivory Coast. Julian Nagelsmann hasn’t appeared too concerned as yet, confident his side will improve as the competition goes on, but there’s only so long you can ease your way in – and the knockout stage has a habit of punishing slack habits.

One of the more surprising repeat criticisms has gone the way of Florian Wirtz; while he certainly hasn’t dominated matches non-stop, he has been a key part of Germany’s fluid attack and created the joint-highest (8) shooting chances in the squad. Only three players have more assists at the World Cup than his two from three games, and he ranks ahead of 98% of other attacking midfielders and wingers at the tournament for touches. His involvement isn’t in question, only his decisive impact.

There’s no doubt he needs a key showing in a big game to be considered one of the overall stars, but in terms of Germany’s performers? Nagelsmann will feel there are others who need to show more if his side are to get much further than the last 16, with a potential meeting with France next in line.

Overachievement or set for a surprise?

As for Paraguay, it could be argued they’ve ticked the “job done” box by getting out of the groups. Sure, they reached the quarter-finals back in 2010 – but then failed to qualify for three successive World Cups since, so a win over Türkiye was a long-overdue return to prominence. It’s hard to argue, though, that they’ve put together much to suggest they could cause a knockout shock here.

They were trounced by the US and held by Australia – even in their win it was a hit-and-run affair, losing by 32 shots to 7, 78% possession to 22, 2.2xG to 0.3…but scoring the actual goal which mattered.

Recent form

Germany beat Finland and the US before the tournament, then racked up a 7-1 win over Curaçao to kick things off. Since then it has been two turnaround results: winning from behind late against Ivory Coast, and the reverse to lose to Ecuador. Paraguay won, lost and drew in the groups and lost to Morocco pre-tournament.

Team news

Nico Schlotterbeck is out of the World Cup with injury.

Omar Alderete is a serious doubt for Paraguay and Diego Gómez is suspended but Miguel Almirón is back from his ban.

Key player

Jamal Musiala hasn’t hit top gear yet but with a much-changed Paraguayan core, his off-ball movement will be key here. He’s completed 9 dribbles and won 25 duels so far, plus had 21 touches in the box – all top 5% for attacking midfielders at the tournament.

Prediction

Germany to push on and secure a convincing win – and raise the stakes for the last 16: Germany 3-1 Paraguay.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Jun

2026

Preview: Argentina’s World Cup title defence continues against Jordan

Argentina have momentum to maintain in their final group match against a Jordan side who have already been eliminated from the competition.

By Ian King

FIFA’s bizarre switch from goal difference to head-to-head renders this game a dead rubber

Through to the second round of the competition with a game to spare and with Lionel Messi firing on all cylinders, Argentina have started the 2026 World Cup exactly as they would have expected, and with a favourable draw, they’re already expected to go deep in this summer’s tournament.

Their final group match carries little jeopardy. Having already beaten Austria and Algeria, FIFA’s new system of separating teams who are level on points by the head-to-head scores means that Argentina have already won the group, while the same but inverse means that Jordan are already out with a game to spare.

Jordan have a terrible record against South American opposition

These two teams have never played each other before. Jordan have only ever played six matches against South American opponents before, and their record isn’t especially stellar, with one draw and five defeats, and that single draw came in a play-off for a place at the 2014 finals in which they’d already lost the first leg 5-0 to Uruguay.

With one eye on the knockout stages, Argentina are likely to rotate their team

All eyes will be on Lionel Messi for Argentina, but their defence deserves praise as well. They’ve now kept five consecutive clean sheets in all matches, and their run of eight consecutive wins has seen them concede just once, in a friendly against Mauritania at the end of March.

It’s time, then, to give a little recognition to the other old man of their squad, Nicolás Otamendi of Benfica, who has put in two appearances for them from the bench at the ripe old age of 38. With 134 appearances for his country, this is surely his last World Cup, and there’s every chance that he’ll start this match to give either Lisandro Martínez or Cristian Romero a bit of breathing space ahead of the knock-outs.

Jordan have failed to win any of their last seven matches, but their performances at this year’s finals have been respectable, with a 3-1 defeat to Austria and a 2-1 loss to Algeria. Their captain, Mousa Taamari, leads Jordan into the World Cup as their most accomplished player. He became the first Jordanian to play in Ligue 1 when he signed for Montpellier in 2023, and had earlier success with APOEL in Cyprus, where he won a league title. He currently plays for Stade Rennais and scored for them in a 3-1 win against PSG in February.

With little at stake in this match, we can also expect Jordan to make changes

There’s been much talk of fatigue as a result of the conditions and the pressure of the ever-tightening calendar in global football, so we might expect Lionel Scaloni to make changes for this match.

Cristian Romero is one player likely to be rotated onto the bench. He limped off with a knee injury after 57 minutes of their win against Austria, and while the player himself has already moved to assure the public that his injury isn’t serious, we might expect him to sit this one out, with Nicolas Otamendi replacing him. Chasing the Golden Boot, Lionel Messi will be expected to start.

Jordan have nothing to play for beyond pride, so the question regarding their team is whether head coach Jamal Sellami will rotate to give his fringe players some World Cup experience, or whether he’ll stick with his strongest available starting XI in the hope of taking a memorable result from this match. They have no injuries or suspensions, going into this match.

The need to keep momentum should result in a comfortable Argentina win

FIFA have achieved something remarkable by switching from goal difference to head-to-head, by making both of the final games in Group J absurd, and in completely different ways.

The Algeria vs Austria game is the kicker here, one in which both teams will likely qualify with a draw and in which both teams may benefit more by losing it and finishing third than by winning it. But this is little better. There wouldn’t have been much to play for under any circumstances, but it’s a complete dead rubber because of Argentina’s two wins. Good work, all involved.

Still, there’s a game here to be won and Argentina can give their fringe players a taste of that World Cup fever while resting players who could likely do with a breather as a result of the global game’s relentless schedule. With Jordan already having been eliminated, both sides could release the handbrake and play out a game for pure enjoyment.

But none of this lends credence to the possibility of Jordan taking anything from it. Argentina are in outstanding form, they have the top goalscorer in the history of the tournament in dazzling form, and they have a vested interest in keeping their winning run going. I’m going for a 3-0 Argentina win on this occasion, setting them up nicely for a run at going deep again in the knockout stage of the competition.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Jun

2026

Preview: England prepare for group stage finale vs. Panama

England have one foot in the next round of the World Cup, and Thomas Tuchel’s team can finish the job off against Panama.

By Ian King

England’s drab performance against Ghana means that they still have work to do in their final group match

England’s goalless draw against Ghana undid much of the confidence that had started to grow after their swashbuckling 4-2 win over Croatia in their opening match. There’s little jeopardy for them, going into their final match against Panama, but with it still possible that they could end the evening in third place in the group, there’s still something to play for in New Jersey.

At least, with being in Group L, they’ll go into their fixture knowing roughly what they need to do should they end up finding themselves in that position, unlike Scotland, who were left sweating over results elsewhere following their 3-0 defeat by Brazil on Wednesday. Defeat coupled with a Croatia win against Ghana could yet leave England finishing third in their group.

Having lost 1-0 to both Ghana and Croatia, Panama are already eliminated from this year’s competition with a game to spare, but they still have their professional pride – and the possibility of a first-ever World Cup finals win, and what would be a huge surprise – to play for, although they start this match as massive underdogs.

Panama will want to put the previous occasion they played England in the back of their minds

This is only the second time that Panama have qualified for the World Cup finals, and it’s the second time in a row that they’ve been placed in the same group as England. This came in 2018, in the second group match for both teams in Nizhny Novgorod, with England winning 6-1. Panama have now played five games in the World Cup over the 2018 and 2026 finals, and they’ve lost all five.

Harry Kane may have a point to prove following a lacklustre performance against Ghana

With two goals in England’s opening 4-2 win against Croatia, Harry Kane started the World Cup very much in the manner of a player who scored an astonishing 61 goals in 51 appearances for Bayern Munich throughout 2025/26, in all competitions. But his performance against Ghana did not match the expectations on his shoulders, and he will want to get back on track against relatively modest opponents.

The highest-rated player in the Panama team in their first two matches has been Amir Murillo, who’s been playing at right-back, even though he can play a variety of different positions. Murillo has got a bit of pedigree about him. He currently plays his club football in Türkiye with Beşiktaş, but he’s also played for Marseille, Anderlecht and RBNY. This will be his 96th appearance for the Panama national team.

England have a couple of niggles which will likely result in a bit of team rotation

There will almost certainly be changes from the England team that drew with Panama. Declan Rice hasn’t been at 100% fitness for a while, and could be rested for this match, while Reece James complained about his hamstring after the match and could also miss out. Kobbie Mainoo could be drafted in to replace Rice, with Djed Spence switching sides to fill the gap left by James’ absence and Nico O’Reilly playing at left-back.

Panama have had injury issues since before the start of the tournament. Adalberto Carrasquilla has missed both of their games so far and is unlikely to appear in this match, while captain and record appearance-holder Anibal Godoy missed their opening match and made a brief cameo from the bench for a couple of minutes against Croatia, but it’s questionable, whether he’ll be brought back into the starting eleven for this match.

England may find Panama to be a very different proposition to what they were in 2018

England’s first two matches of this tournament have shown the two faces of Thomas Tuchel’s team; excellent for spells against Croatia, but still capable of being woefully stodgy, as they were against Ghana. They have momentum to rebuild following their disappointing second performance; the alternative is that the vacuum created by its surprise disappearance will be filled with familiar neuroses which could ultimately damage their hopes of progressing far in the tournament.

And the evidence of 2026 so far has been that Panama could be a far tougher nut to crack than they were in 2018. They have lost both of their matches, but both of these defeats were only by a 1-0 margin and it took Ghana until the 95th-minute before they broke the deadlock against them in their opening fixture. And while it’s true to say that they only have pride to play for, it’s equally true to mention that England really struggled against Ghana with exactly the sort of low block that Panama have employed in both of their matches so far.

But catastrophism is what the English do best and the truth remains that, on paper, England have a massively superior team to Panama, even if they rest a handful of players for this match. They should have plenty enough to get through this match, even with their mild injury concerns, so I’m going to go for a 2-0 win for England, and for all hell to break loose should they fail to win this one.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Jun

2026

Preview: Spain and Uruguay out to wrap up progression to the Round of 32

Spain and Uruguay go head-to-head as both sides look to book their place in the knockout rounds of the World Cup.

By Matt Smith

There’s a chance they both advance, as they currently sit in the top two as it stands.

This is the first meeting between the two sides since 2013, when Spain secured a 2-1 victory in the Confederations Cup. Their last meeting in the World Cup came back in 1990, when a 0-0 draw was played out in Italy.

Team news

Uruguay will be out without both Ronald Araújo and Giorgian de Arrascaeta for their game against Spain this weekend. Despite that, there should be no fresh injury concerns for the South American side.

Spain are likely to be without new Liverpool signing Víctor Muñoz heading into this game, but Spain were boosted by the return of Lamine Yamal to the starting XI last time out. There should be no fresh injury concerns for Spain after everyone came through unscathed against Saudi Arabia.

Who’s going to have the ball?

Spain are certainly known for their possession-based style of play, looking to dominate the ball and break down the opposition slowly. Spain have had the joint-most possession in the tournament so far, and interestingly, opponents, Uruguay, are in third.

It will be interesting to see which side stamps its authority on the game and looks to dominate possession. It certainly wouldn’t be a surprise if Uruguay altered their style for this one. Despite dominating both games in the group stage so far, Uruguay have struggled, failing to beat both Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde.

Spain could pass Uruguay to death

Spain have also had mixed results in the tournament so far, but there is no doubt they are sticking to and implementing their style of play. Luis de la Fuente‘s side have had the joint most possession at the tournament, whilst also completing the most passes per game comfortably.

It would be silly for Uruguay not to alter how they play in order to try to get a result here. Failing to beat Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde has been a major disappointment, and they know they’re going to struggle to go toe-to-toe with Spain when it comes to possession and passing.

45 minutes of Yamal is enough

Saudi Arabia would have been disappointed to see Lamine Yamal start last time out and delighted when he was taken off at half-time. Spain are clearly managing his minutes at the moment, but 45 minutes were enough for him to make a significant impact.

No player managed more shots than Yamal, despite him coming off at half-time. He also created a chance, scored a goal and had five touches inside the opposition box. De La Fuente will likely want to give him more minutes ahead of the knockouts, and he’s going to be the danger man for Uruguay to keep an eye on.

Prediction

Spain need a victory to ensure they finish in first place, and considering they’ve not conceded a goal yet, we think they will secure the win. We’re going for a 2-0 Spain win.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Jun

2026

Would a strong World Cup showing finally see Mikel Oyarzabal get the credit he deserves?

The stars are shining bright at the 2026 World Cup. Lionel Messi, Vinícius Júnior, Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappé are leading the way at the top of the scoring charts while the likes of Harry Kane and Cristiano Ronaldo have all made the spotlight their own during the tournament. Mikel Oyarzabal won’t be mentioned in such esteem, but he should.

By Graham Ruthven

Oyarzabal scored twice in Spain’s dominant 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia, and also registered an assist for good measure. The 29-year-old isn’t widely considered one of the best forwards in world football, but he could be the perfect focal point to lead Spain to another World Cup triumph this summer.

The double-scoring performance against Saudi Arabia came on the back of a display against Cape Verde that saw Oyarzabal make history for the wrong reasons. The Real Sociedad player became the first player in any World Cup since 1966 not to touch the ball in the opening 30 minutes of a match, leading some to suggest he should be replaced in the lineup.

As it turned out, this was a symptom of the issues Spain experienced against Cape Verde rather than a cause. With Lamine Yamal available again for the follow-up game against Saudi Arabia, there was more space for Oyarzabal to exploit in the final third and the goals flowed.

*Oyarzabel’s player traits compared against similar strikers in top five leagues*

“I’m convinced he can make history in Spanish football,” Spain manager Luis de la Fuente said when asked about the quality of Oyarzabal following the 4-0 dismantling of Saudi Arabia and whether his role in the team is undervalued. “His statistics are impressive. We value him very highly.”

Even during times of dominance, Spain haven’t always had an elite-level centre forward. Álvaro Morata led the line for de la Fuente’s side at Euro 2024 and faced criticism for some of his wasteful performances. Spain didn’t even use an orthodox striker when they won Euro 2012, using Andres Iniesta and David Silva as a fluid front two instead.

De la Fuente has some other centre forward options in his 2026 World Cup squad. Borja Iglesias is an orthodox attacking focal point who has yet to play a single minute at this summer’s tournament, but could be a ‘break glass in case of emergency’ option should Spain require a blunter penalty box threat at some point.

Ferran Torres is another good option. While the Barcelona forward operated on the right wing in the goalless draw against Cape Verde, he played the majority of his minutes at club level this season through the middle, even dislodging Robert Lewandowski from Hansi Flick’s favoured lineup in the second half of the campaign.

Oyarzabal, however, is the best fit for what Spain need. He is an extremely intelligent manipulator of space, often vacating the central area to create space for the wide players and runners from midfield to burst into. Oyarzabal’s presence helps to get the best out of Spain’s forward line as a whole.

Against Saudi Arabia, though, Oyarzabal also showed his own penalty box instincts, reacting quickest to two crosses to find the back of the net. After failing to make an impact in Spain’s opening World Cup fixture, he proved why he deserves to be their starting number nine for the rest of the tournament.

The Real Sociedad forward might have scored more than two goals against Saudi Arabia had he played the full match. De la Fuente withdrew Oyarzabal at half time amid concerns over the 29-year-old’s fitness, raising concerns that he could miss Spain’s final group game against Uruguay on Friday.

“I’m fine, though a bit sore,” said Oyarzabal when asked about his condition and general fitness levels, playing down fears that he could be sidelined for any period of time at the tournament. “But everyone has a niggle or two when they’re in a tournament like this. I’m calm, I’m fine.”

Another performance like the one Oyarzabal turned in against Saudi Arabia could intensify the growing speculation about his club future. He has pledgled his alligence to Real Sociedad but Barcelona are reportedly interested in the 29-year-old as they search for a new forward following the departure of Lewandowski. Oyarzabal already has an understanding with several Barca players for Spain.

This could be the biggest summer of Oyarzabal’s career. Until now, he has been under-appreciated as one of the most adaptable forwards in the game. He has flown under the radar as one of LaLiga’s most productive penalty box operators, scoring 33 league goals for La Real over the last three seasons.

*Oyarzabal’s club stats from the last three seasons*

World Cup glory would surely change perceptions of Oyarzabal and could lead to the sort of big-money move that probably should have materialised years ago. Yamal, Pedri and Rodri might be seen as the superstars of this current Spain team, but this summer could elevate Oyarzabal to that level in the eyes of most.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Jun

2026

Preview: Norway and France meet to decide Group I

It’s a little early for two of the World Cup’s Golden Boot frontrunners to be going at each other, but Norway and France have had their fun – now to see who scores most to take Group I top spot.

By Karl Matchett

Naturally, France will be the favourites here. They have the history, the expectation, the Champions League winners and the most feared attacking line. Norway, though, have Erling Haaland.

Will he really have more chances?

Winning the World Cup itself might prove forever beyond a nation like Norway, but the Golden Boot is very definitely within the reach of a giant Nordic striker who has better than a goal a game strike rate on the international stage. Haaland, 59 strikes to his name in 52 caps, is very much seizing his chance to leave an indelible mark at a major finals. He – like opponent Kylian Mbappé and Brazil’s Vinícius Júnior – has four goals in two games, one behind only Lionel Messi (obviously). And already pundits and experts are touting his potential to be one of the World Cup’s greatest-ever scorers, given time.

But Haaland will know that may not be realistic. After all, Messi has just broken that record and he’s at his sixth finals. Norway are playing their first in 28 years – there’s just no telling how often he’ll be back, let alone his form and fitness at the time. Certainly Haaland will hope to return, but he won’t be taking that for granted and even with Norway through to the last 32, he’ll want to max out every opportunity he gets on the pitch to add to his own legend and keep Norway plotting a path through North America.

Allez les rotations

We’ve all seen managers make sweeping alterations in the third group game, to keep some players fresh and have others feel involved. It would be a bit of a risk for Didier Deschamps’ coaching staff to do that here though, given France and Norway are tied on six points and with the (presumed) benefits finishing first can bring. Still, France have a stacked squad and the boss did switch up his whole left flank between games one and two. Ibrahima Konaté, N’Golo Kanté and Jean-Philippe Mateta are among those yet to feature, and even a draw will see France finish first.

The side note is Deschamps himself will be absent, following a family bereavement. Guy Stephan will be in charge.

Recent form

Two wins from two apiece at the World Cup, with Senegal and Iraq both vanquished. Norway have scored one more, but conceded two more, across the pair of fixtures played.

Team news

Full-back Julian Ryerson is the only major doubt, though Torbjørn Heggem had an issue in the last game.

William Saliba could be rested after noting he had a few niggles.

Key player

For all Haaland’s threat, Mbappé has the supply line. He’s two years older than the Norwegian but has 12 World Cup goals more. His four in this tournament have come from 12 shots, seven on target, an xG of 1.99 and through 17 touches in the box. The French captain is unstoppable at his best.

Prediction

A fearless approach from both but the greater firepower to win the game: Norway 1-2 France.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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Jun

2026

Ayase Ueda is spearheading Japan’s charge to the knock outs

Japan have qualified for seven consecutive World Cups, reaching the knockout stages on four occasions.

By Ross Kilvington

Each and every time, however, the Japanese have come unstuck at the very first time of asking. On home soil in 2002, Türkiye broke millions of hearts by winning 1-0.

Eight years later, a penalty shootout defeat to Paraguay prevented a first ever quarter-final appearance. Yet more heartbreak came in Russia in 2018, as the Blue Samurai somehow threw away a 2-0 lead to eventually suffer a 3-2 defeat to Belgium.

Another penalty shootout defeat followed in Qatar. Will this curse ever be lifted?

Across all four of those World Cup campaigns, Japan entered armed with an array of mercurial talent, including players such as Junichi Inamoto, Hidetoshi Nakata, Shunsuke Nakamura and Keisuke Honda to name but a few.

The one thing that Japan have truly lacked heading into a World Cup campaign, especially in more recent times, is a top-class centre-forward. Someone who has the qualities to change a game on their own. One who can perhaps even challenge for the Golden Boot, were it not for the start made by some of the global games’ biggest superstars in this tournament!

In Ayase Ueda, though, the Japanese may well have the final piece of the puzzle that allows the nation to break new ground over the coming weeks.

*Ueda’s player traits comparison against strikers in similar leagues*

The centre-forward Japan have been waiting for

Ueda has certainly been a late comer to the party. It wasn’t until 2022 that he made the move to European football. A year later, he found his way to the Eredivisie, joining Feyenoord in a deal worth around £7.5m.

Three years later, that fee has proven to be quite the bargain, especially considering Ueda has just enjoyed his most productive season to date for the Dutch side.

A tally of 26 goals across 40 matches throughout 2025/26 demonstrated exactly how good Ueda was in the final third at club level, yet it was a display against Brazil in a friendly match that suggested how key he could be for the national side.

Ueda scored the winner in what was a remarkable 3-2 comeback victory – their first over Brazil – before setting his sights on the ultimate prize.

“Winning the World Cup is my goal, just like it is for our team. I can’t promise it, but we’re all developing with that as the target, and I think we’re in a position where we can aim for it.” Said the 27-year-old after that match.

First of all, Japan have to exorcise the ghosts of previous campaigns by first making it past the first knockout round of the tournament.

After two matches in North America, it’s looking good.. The Blue Samurai fought back to seal a 2-2 draw with the Netherlands in game one, but it was the clash against Tunisia which saw the team truly express themselves.

Ueda was at the forefront of everything positive about the performance, scoring a brace to open up his World Cup account.

His first was a wonderful effort from just inside the penalty area that nestled into the far corner, giving Japan a two-goal advantage in the process.

Ueda’s second was a delicate header with less than ten minutes remaining, wrapping up a comfortable 4-0 victory for Japan.

Throughout the match, Ueda registered five total shots, managed seven touches in the opposition penalty area and won 75% of his aerial duels against the Eagles of Carthage.

*Ueda’s headline numbers at the World Cup*

It wasn’t just his goals that were impressive, becoming the first Japanese player to score a brace at the tournament, but his movement off the ball and link-up play too.

Hajime Moriyasu typically operates with a 3-4-2-1 system, using Ueda as his lone striker. As such, his ability to make perfectly timed runs into the penalty area, combined with intelligent movement to create space prove just how effective he in leading the line for Japan.

At the time of writing, Japan are set to face Sweden in their final Group F fixture, with one point enough to seal runner-up spot behind the Netherlands. A win, however, could see Japan topping the group, yet that would rely on goal difference if the Netherlands win against Tunisia.

A top-two finish seals a clash against either Morocco or another clash with Brazil in the last 32, but Japan shouldn’t be afraid of either of those nations.

Given Ueda’s fine display in the second group game, the striker will be full of confidence that he can add to his tally at the tournament. While Japan have faltered at the first sign of pressure in previous World Cups, it could be different in North America this summer.

Moriyasu has a settled and organised squad that is crammed full of talent ready to make the leap and create history for the Blue Samurai. Watch this space.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

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