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World Cup 2026: countdown to opener, NYC renames street after Thierry Henry, Infantino tells fans to ‘chill’ – live | World Cup 2026

Published

2 months ago

June 11, 2026

info@oxinfo.co.uk

Key events

Ivory Coast home-based fans have been denied visas to the United States, the president of the national supporters’ committee, report AFP.

The Ivory Coast supporters group, said Julien Kouadio Adonis, president of the National Committee of Elephants Supporters (CNSE), which operates under the country’s Ministry of Sport, organises trips for the country’s small number of travelling fans to follow the team abroad.

“The supporters have cancelled the trip because the US government does not want to see supporters from certain countries, including Ivory Coast, on its soil. The United States has been clear with us, saying they do not want to see our supporters,” said Kouadio. “This situation hurts us deeply because it prevents us from fulfilling our sacred duty, which is to support our team.”

O’Neill confirmed as Celtic manager

From the club’s official website: “Celtic Football Club is delighted to announce the appointment of Martin O’Neill as Football Manager on a one-year contract with a one-year option.”

O’Neill said: “It is once again a great privilege for me to continue as Celtic manager. Last season will live long in all our memories and to be part of that success has in a big way whetted the appetite to work again for more days like those and bring our supporters those moments.

“I thank our fans for their ongoing support, it means everything to us. I look forward to being back at Celtic Park next season when we will come together and we will strive again to bring our fans the success which that support deserves.”

Celtic’s principal shareholder, Dermot Desmond, commented: “Time and time again Martin has shown his qualities and what he can bring to Celtic.”

Barney Ronay shares a World Cup memory.

How We Watched the World Cup: Smelling Maradona – video

Charles Antaki joins in the Bracketology fun: “That’s an intriguing final from Kári Tulinius’s bracketing predictions – I’ve tried to work out how France and Cote D’Ivoire get there, and it does look plausible, at least. Cote D’Ivoire have to top their group, then beat the USA, Sweden and the Netherlands, and then somebody (Belgium?) to get to the final. France come second in their group, beat Ecuador in the first knockout stage, Brazil in the quarters, and Spain in the semis. A tough path for France, but not impossible, and a lot more entertaining than many other combinations. England do get knocked out by Spain along the way, sadly.”

Some facts and figures on World Cup tourism via Reuters.

The costs, visa hurdles and the logistics of attending matches across 16 host cities in three countries have proved a deterrent. US travellers, in a country where soccer is less popular than in Europe, are not filling the gap.
It is “overall a disappointment. There’s no other word that I can say,” said Vijay Dandapani, CEO of the Hotel Association of New York City. The association has cut its forecast for hotel room revenue tied to the World Cup by 60% to roughly $60 million, he said.
Flight bookings from Europe into most host cities for June and July are down 3.8% on average year-over-year, according to Cirium, even after Europeans had already pulled back from travel to the U.S. last year. Bookings from Europe into New York, host of the July 19 final, have plunged 15.8%, Cirium said.
FIFA had projected 1.2 million fans would descend on the city, but Dandapani said the New York hotel association is only expecting half a million.
Even if ticket prices halve closer to key matches, last-minute demand may remain muted, as overseas fans still face the cost and complexity of booking travel and securing visas on short notice, said Dana Lattouf, CEO of Tickitto, a UK ticket distributor.
Vacation rentals, which allow groups to split costs, are a rare bright spot. Airbnb told investors in May that the World Cup was on track to be its largest event ever, while data from short-term rental analytics firm AirDNA shows bookings are tracking higher in cities like Boston and Los Angeles, with hosts raising prices to capture last-minute demand.
Booked average daily rates for rentals across host cities were $218, while travelers looking now would pay about $335 as of June 8, AirDNA said.

Ben Fisher has the latest on Wolves.

Edwards had been instrumental in planning for next season and even featured in the video announcing Raúl Jiménez’s return to the club on Tuesday evening. He was also a major factor in the signing of former England defender Kieran Trippier.

Together with the technical director Matt Jackson, Edwards was planning for further signings and recently attended a fans’ forum in which he outlined the need for a cultural reset following relegation.

Kari Tulinius gets in touch: “ I spent way too much time overthinking my way through the tournament with the Guardian’s Bracketology tool, and surprised myself by forecasting a final between France and Côte d’Ivoire. I do think the latter are being underestimated, but I’ll be flabbergasted if they make the final. But that’s where I ended up after predicting the results. I will say, one thing that surprised me about the exercise is how little needs to happen for the two sides of the bracket to be wildly unbalanced. It does look set up for a surprise finalist, even if it’s probably not going to be the Elephants.”

Kari knows his stuff, so his point on an imbalanced draw is worth considering.

On the Guardian app, in the Puzzles section, there’s a new game to play: On the ball: world stage. Today’s entry is gettable.

Still struggling with that Wolves news. Consider these quotes from, er, Tuesday, when Mexico striker re-signed. They’re from, yes, Rob Edwards.

“I was at the club when he was here before so was able to watch him and see what he did for this football club. Raul was a big part of our greatest times for a number of years. I know what he means to the football club and to the supporters, but this is not just an emotional signing. This is a signing because we really believe that he’s the right man to be able to help us achieve our aims, so we’re delighted to have him in.”

So, what happened?

Adrian Chiles

Let’s start with Adrian Chiles, sharing a World Cup experience from 2006.

Come the final, the proper Italy fans were to be seen packed into a small section behind one goal, the proper French behind the other. In those cheap seats, they clapped; elsewhere, the sponsors’ guests clacked their lanyards together.

Good morning, good afternoon, good evening? It’s almost time.

Right, here’s John Brewin to take your World Cup fever up a notch or two. Enjoy.

And yes watching this video was largely how I spent my morning, thank you. (That and listening to Waka Waka).

Our Bracketology tool is worth a go if you want to plot your country’s path to glory. My England-centric head predicts a Three Lions win (obviously) but my less biased version has Portugal or France winning the lot. So there you go.

Tuchel says England on ‘right way’ as Bellingham call looms

Thomas Tuchel was delighted with England’s performance in their final pre-World Cup friendly against Costa Rica last night, the Three Lions scoring three goals in a display that has boosted confidence before their tournament opener versus Croatia.

With Jude Bellingham shining in the No 10 role behind Harry Kane, the Real Madrid man has probably done enough to start over Morgan Rogers in that first game. Tuchel kept his cards close to his chest, however, answering “maybe” when asked that exact question afterwards.

“But we will always keep our cards in our hand,” he said. “We will not give any decisions away because my thoughts at the moment are not for Croatia, they’re for here today.

“It was a very strong line-up but it was a very strong bench as well.”

On the performance, he told ITV: “Tonight makes my mind very calm as we’re absolutely on the right way. The guys who came were super influential. The guys who came out were pushing from behind on the bench – exactly what we wanted.”

Thomas Tuchel saw a confident display from his England troops in their final pre-World Cup friendly. Photograph: Bradley Collyer/PA

Jonathan Wilson is in Mexico City right now trying to gauge the mood of a nation who themselves are wrestling with the notion of being tournament hosts. Amid street protests and a general pessimism around the football team, it’s not all rosy in the Mexican garden.

They, of course, host South Africa tonight in the World Cup opener, where hopefully the actual football takes centre stage.

I enjoyed this line from Jonathan’s piece:

At the airport a Fifa sign obstructs the view of the arrivals lane for those with foreign passports, which might seem an apt metaphor if immigration procedures, here at least, weren’t absurdly straightforward.

Thanks Tom, looks like a very short stint for me, but nice to bask in the buzz of the first day of a World Cup. For all the off-field shenanigans, it still feels exciting to me.

Right, time for a tactical substitution. I’m traipsing off now, and a match-ready Dominic Booth is coming on. Laters.

Merch news now, and fans of World Cup teams kitted out by Nike face the highest costs if they want to buy a replica shirt before the tournament kicks off this week amid a “striking” overall increase in prices.

Alongside the official match versions, which are retailing for as much as €160, manufacturers typically make “stadium”, or replica, versions aimed at supporters.

Zoe Wood’s full story:

There’s such a bewildering range of group games this year, at such a bewildering range of times, that many will have to rationalise what to watch. Happily, Opta Analyst’s Ali Tweedle has compiled a list of 10 to prioritise.

Morocco lose Aguerd and Ezzalzouli to injury.

News from Group C: Morocco will have to do without Nayef Aguerd and Abde Ezzalzouli in their squad, forced out through injury. The Saudi Arabia-based defender Marwane Saadane and striker Amine Sbai have been added as replacements, the Moroccan federation and Fifa confirmed.

Aguerd has not played since the start of March because of a groin injury, which required surgery. His recovery stalled in April when it was discovered that he had a fracture of his pubic bone. The Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahabi decided on Thursday that he would not be ready for this month’s tournament. The 24-year-old Ezzalzouli was hurt in a freak incident in the weekend’s friendly against Norway in Harrison, New Jersey.

BTL chat is thus far dominated by Gianni Infantino’s ritual pre-tournament torching of his own dignity. SonOfThe Desert offers this:

“Infantino is just absolutely wretched, isn’t he? An absolute nothing of a man, sucking up to tyrants because he thinks it makes him look strong.

”But you know what’s really annoying me? All those heads of national associations who could have unified around a candidate – anyone – to oppose Infantino and try and rescue Fifa from humiliation. Couldn’t be bothered though, could they? Might’ve had to do some actual work that way.

It’s about following the money. Infantino wins because he showers money on those whose votes he needs, so any rival needs to make them a better offer, somehow, but football in every region in the world is bereft of far-sighted unselfish leadership.

New York has temporarily renamed streets after Pelé and Thierry Henry, to the delight no doubt of its postal workers and delivery riders. AFP has more:

New York has honored two footballing greats by temporarily renaming streets after Thierry Henry and Pelé ahead of the World Cup kickoff …

Crowds gathered at West 50th Street and 6th Avenue in downtown Manhattan to mark the unveiling of “Thierry Henry Way” by city officials, according to FOX Sports.

The former Arsenal and Barcelona star, who was a member of the France squad that won the 1998 World Cup, made an appearance via video call.

The 48-year-old raised his profile in the United States after spending five seasons with New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer until 2014.

The city also renamed the intersection of Shea Road and Meridian Road, in the Queens borough, after Brazilian legend Pelé.

The street names will stay in place until 1 November.

Thierry Henry Way was unveiled next to Radio City Hall in New York City. Photograph: Guerin Charles/ABACA/Shutterstock

Today in World Cup History: Appropriately, from a Mexican tournament – 40(!) years ago today, a Gary Lineker hat-trick in Bobby Robson’s hour of need and one of my favourite ever England goals.

Wolves target Peixoto after sacking Edwards

Wolves have their sights on the Gil Vicente manager, César Peixoto, after sacking Rob Edwards. Here’s the story:

There were more protests in Mexico City last night, these over the fate of the country’s “disappeared”, as AFP reports:

Hundreds of protesters returned to an area near Mexico City’s Azteca Stadium on Wednesday night, hours before the opening ceremony of the World Cup was due to take place.

Most of the protesters were family members or relatives of “disappeared people” alleged to have been killed or kidnapped by Mexican authorities or criminal gangs.

Police set up a one-mile (1.6km) security perimeter ahead of fans arriving on Thursday and said that they would allow peaceful protests, but only ticket holders would be able to access the stadium …

Mexico president Claudia Sheinbaum “only cares about her soccer,” said protester Maria de Jesus Soria Aguayo, who has been searching for her son after he vanished in Veracruz state a decade ago.

“It’s disappearance after disappearance and (Sheinbaum) hasn’t done anything,” she told AFP.

The demonstrators chanted slogans and there were no direct confrontations with police.

A group of people placed colorful cempasuchil flowers – used in offerings to the dead – in the shape of a cross on the pavement.

Tom Garry

WSL: City sign Charles. Manchester City have agreed a £500,000 deal to sign the England full-back Niamh Charles from Chelsea, the Guardian understands, with the transfer expected to be completed soon.

The 26-year-old, who has 34 senior international caps for the Lionesses and scored a penalty during 2025’s European Championship final victory over Spain, has been with Chelsea since 2020 and has one year remaining on the three-year contract she signed in 2024.

Her arrival in Manchester comes amid the Spain left-back Leila Ouahabi’s exit from the club at the end of this month when her contract expires, and with Chelsea having signed the former Arsenal left-back, Katie McCabe.

Declan Rice got a ticking-off from his mum over his sunburn, the midfielder revealed after England’s win over Costa Rica last night.

“I think everyone has seen those photos, I was bright red in that photo shoot. My mum was killing me! Honestly, the first day we came, it was just getting used to that heat,” Rice said. “Coming from England where it’s hot-cold, all different types of weather, coming here and it’s always 30 degrees – it really does hit you in the face. After that week off, the first session was as bit cobweb-y but the next two days after that felt really good and tonight, playing 60, was all I was ever going to play but I was in a really good space, I could probably have played longer so I’[m really happy.”

He’s feeling in decent shape in general though, despite the most intense and gruelling of seasons at Arsenal. “I feel good as gold. Feel really fit, feel really strong. Had a couple of niggles throughout the season which I managed really well with the physios and the manager so I’ve come here in a really good place. I feel really confident. I think winning that Premier League for me, I have come here with a sense of confidence and a spring in my step. Now I have got over that line with Arsenal it has given me that confidence that we can come here and achieve big things as well. I’m really in a good place at the moment.

Rice made a point of praising the squad’s depth. “The boys that come off the bench is frightening. The link-up play, the passing, the chances they created, Rashy, Ebs [Eze], Bee [Saka], Morgan, Ollie, the attacking options, Kobbie, all players who want to take the ball forward and create chances and at the tournament whoever the manager starts, and whoever is on the bench, he has got the key message to us that everyone has got (the chance to make) an impact and you see that off the bench.”

Right, a huge chunk of overnight reading for you, if you’re getting up in Europe.

Jonathan Wilson in Mexico City sets the scene for the tournament and takes the temperature in the Mexican capital.

Jonathan Liew is on form, as ever, skewering Gianni Infantino’s cowardice.

Fifa has already articulated its worldview most eloquently. Indeed in continuing to parrot the phrase “football unites the world” like a malfunctioning pull-string doll, Infantino is tacitly expressing his opinion that there are people he simply does not consider part of the world, perhaps does not even consider human at all. And so to the jailed dissidents of Russia and the nameless migrant workers of Qatar we can add the imagined enemies of the Trump White House: whether Senegalese football supporters or reporters asking questions or a referee from Somalia embarking on the greatest honour of his professional life

Pablo Iglesias Maurer is similarly on point, after enduring Gianni’s press conference so we didn’t have to:

Our latest team guides spotlight Ghana and Panama:

And Sid Lowe talks to Mauricio Pochettino, who’s bullish about the USA’s chances:

Domestic news: Wolves have sacked Rob Edwards, Sky Sports is reporting, the manager paying the price for failing to stop the club’s slide to relegation from the Premier League. More to follow

Preamble

Greetings everyone. It’s here! The biggest, possibly most controversial and strangest World Cup yet. After months and years of chatter and hype, fear and loathing, we’ll actually have some football to get stuck into from this afternoon/evening. It’s coming up to 1am in Mexico City as the co-hosts enjoy their last sleep before it all starts. And where better to start than the Azteca Stadium, one of the most storied venues in the world, lit up by Pelé and Diego Maradona among others back in the day?

Mexico, too, is a proper football country, though there’s no point pretending there haven’t been problems. The capital has been convulsed by strikes and demonstrations, and protesters may make their presence felt today. We’ll be across every element of the big kick-off as we count down to the opening ceremony and Mexico v South Africa. The show starts at 11.30am local time (6.30pm BST, 1.30pm ET) and will be headlined by Shakira, because it’s always headlined by Shakira, and Burna Boy.

There’s plenty to get stuck in to before then, mind, not least the latest from the England camp, which will be a chipper place this morning after yesterday’s smooth 3-0 cruise against Costa Rica. Everything went pretty much to plan, aside from the brutal thunderstorm that delayed the kick-off. Jude Bellingham gelled nicely with Harry Kane, Anthony Gordon excelled and Ollie Watkins came off the bench to good effect. What could possibly go wrong?

Oh, and Gianni Infantino said some self-justifying stuff about how we should all “chill” and not worry our pretty little heads about the multiple injustices piling up around his tournament. Let the fun begin.

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UK News

Driver killed in Bedford train crash named

Published

2 months ago

June 21, 2026

info@oxinfo.co.uk

The family of Shaun Burton, say they are “devastated” by the loss.

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UK News

Spain v Saudi Arabia: World Cup 2026 – live | World Cup 2026

Published

2 months ago

June 21, 2026

info@oxinfo.co.uk

Key events

In the opening half an hour against Cape Verde, Mikel Oyarzabal, the centre-forward, did not get a single touch.

Oyarzabal profile

Kyle Green gets in touch: “Your highlighting of Lalas and his absurdity is something that has prevented me from wanting to watch the coverage on Fox. While every channel has its pros and cons I just can’t.

“I’m 45 and probably the youngest of anyone who remembers him as a player instead of an opinionated insert insult here. As for the match this could be more competitive than it looks on paper Spain need a win the pressure is on them. Saudi Arabia could hold out for a draw and see what happens in their last match. “

News from the England camp, and it seems to be good news on Declan Rice.

“I’m ready and fit, raring to go. I was feeling a little bit of neural pain in my hamstring, which I was managing from after Christmas with Arsenal for a very long time. Obviously, not a lot of people would have known that. It was all behind-the-scenes stuff but it was a smart decision.

“In the end, that last 20 minutes is probably where you pick up the most, and it’s where you play a 70-minute match. But that last 20 is where you really feel your body going for it. And I think it was a smart decision because the last few days I felt really, really good.”

Alex Reid has penned today’s weekend special Football Daily.

Portugal v Uzbekistan on Tuesday enticingly pits the incredibly nice, incredibly 41-year-old-superstar-tolerant Roberto Martínez against Fabio Cannavaro, who’s won a Ballon d’Or as a player and the Chinese Super League as a coach. While the fixture following that game really does see the dream of Thomas Tuchel – in his first international job with England – taking on Queiroz, who is in charge of his ninth national side with Ghana.

The expected formations are 4-2-3-1 for Spain, and 5-3-2 for the Saudi Arabians.

The Saudi team features two Donis changes: Ali Lajami, a defender, and Nasser Al Dawsari, a midfielder, are preferred to Mohammed Abu Al Shamat and Mohamed Kanno. You may recall Salem Al Dawsari, the Saudi captain, as the man who scored the winner against Argentina.

An entertaining read, even for those of us who have just seen the clips.

In a conversation where his co-panelist is casually reminiscing about his days playing alongside Messi or exchanging shirts with Ronaldo Nazário at the World Cup, what exactly is Lalas going to talk about – coming on as a second-half substitute for Earnie Stewart in a friendly against Scotland in 1998? Helping the Kansas City Wizards finish last in the 1999 MLS Western Conference? Did Lalas enjoy an elite playing career? No. But does he do the background reading that could compensate for his relative lack of standing in a conversation with titans like Henry and Zlatan? Also no. But is he charming or funny or charismatic or otherwise magnetic on screen? Eh, no.

For the record, I once interviewed Alexi Lalas on the challenge of playing against Romario in the 1994 World Cup. He had this to say:

“He could kill you in so many different ways. If you remember from that World Cup, he scored so many types of goals. That ranged from solo adventures to an outside-of-the-right-foot half-volley off a corner kick. Romario was both the most difficult to play against and the best that I have faced.

“Roberto Baggio was doing his thing, but in terms of consistency and living up to the hype, he [Romario] was the best. As with all stars, there was a moment when the fans sit up in their seats, and that was a feeling I got with Romario. When it got close to him and the potential for his involvement in a play was there, everybody sat up in their seat. They knew that something spectacular would be happening.”

Saturday’s match reports here.

The Saudi Arabia coach, and Blackburn legend, Georgios Donis, spoke about the challenges facing his team: “Spain is not the same ⁠team when Yamal or Williams are on the bench.

“While they still have plenty of possession, they lack the individual one-on-one penetration when these two are ⁠missing. I’m not saying it’s a problem for Spain, but when those players are missing, they play in a different way. We saw this very clearly against ‌Cape Verde.

“We are playing against one of the best teams in the world, and it’s very important that when you play against these kinds of teams, you ‌should enjoy the experience and respect the opponent, but not too much.

“It is very hard for any team playing against Spain to have any time in possession. So what we must do is to be more in control of our movement and compact, and when the ball goes through the lines, be able to defend dynamically.

“It’s nice to see miracles in football, and we’ve seen favourites losing against underdogs. Of course, it’s great for Saudi football to have a great memory of the result against Argentina, but we aren’t drawing anything from that.

“I think we’ll feel more pressure in that [Cape Verde] game than we will against Spain.”

The Spain coach, Luis De La Fuente had this to say in his Saturday press conference: “This generation of footballers is highly competitive and really fired up… It’s going to be a completely different story,” he said at his pre-match press conference on Saturday. There is no drama or crisis. The bottom line is simply that we need to win tomorrow.”

Four changes for Spain: Lamine Yamal, Pedro Porro, Dani Olmo and Alex Baena also come into the side with Marcos Llorente, Fabian Ruiz, Ferran Torres and Gavi dropping out.

The teams – Lamine Yamal starts

Spain: Simon, Porro, Cubarsi, Laporte, Cucurella, Gonzalez, Rodri, Yamal, Olmo, Baena, Oyarzabal. Subs: Raya, Joan Garcia, Pubill, Grimaldo, Eric Garcia, Llorente, Merino, Torres, Fabian, Gavi, Pino, Williams, Zubimendi, Munoz, Iglesias.

Saudi Arabia: Al Owais, Abdulhamid, Tambakti, Lajami, Al Amri, Al Harbi, Nasser Al Dawsari, Al Khaibari, Al Juwayr, Al Buraikan, Salem Al Dawsari. Subs: Al Aqidi, Al Kassar, Majrashi, Yahya, Al Shehri, Al Boushal, Kadesh, Al Johani, Al Ghannam, Al Hajji, Al Hamdan, Mandash, Kanno, Thakri, Abu Al Shamat.

Referee: Raphael Claus (Brazil)

Perhaps one of the Saudi -players can write themselves into this high-grade selection?

Perhaps it can be their goalkeeper.

Al-Aqidi profile

Madrid screening of Spain v Saudi Arabia cancelled due to heat

The public screening of Spain’s World Cup match against Saudi Arabia in Madrid on Sunday has been cancelled because of extreme heat forecast for the Spanish capital, officials said.

The match, due to kick off at 6pm local time on Sunday, had been scheduled to be shown on a giant screen installed by the Spanish football federation (RFEF) at a fan zone in Plaza de Colón in central Madrid.

Madrid city council and the federation decided to cancel the screening after national weather agency AEMET issued an orange heat warning – the second-highest level – for the Madrid region, with temperatures forecast to reach 40C.

“The decision has been taken with the aim of protecting the health of attendees, event staff and support services involved in the event,” Madrid city hall said in a statement, apologising for any inconvenience.

Officials urged supporters to watch the match indoors in air-conditioned spaces and avoid prolonged exposure to the heat.

Large parts of Spain are experiencing unusually high temperatures for June as a mass of hot air from North Africa moves across the Iberian Peninsula.

A total of 13 of Spain’s 17 regions are on orange alert for heat on Sunday, while the northern Basque Country bordering France is on red alert, the highest level.

Authorities advised residents and visitors to take precautions during the heatwave, including drinking water regularly, staying in cool environments, limiting outdoor physical activity during the hottest hours of the day and taking extra care of vulnerable people. AFP

Can Saudi Arabia repeat the magic of 2022?

Argentina arrived in Qatar on a 36-game unbeaten run. When Lionel Messi opened the scoring from the penalty spot after 10 minutes, a comfortable afternoon seemed in the offing. Saleh al-Shehri and Salem al-Dawsari had other ideas, Argentina had three goals disallowed for offside in the space of 13 minutes and the greatest comeback in Saudi Arabia football history was made. Argentina went on to lift the trophy, while defeats to Poland and Mexico meant the Saudis did not reach the knock-out stage.

Unai Simon over David Raya is a controversial choice for De la Fuentes. The Arsenal keeper could lay claim to being Europe’s best this season.

“Those at the Champions League final had a few more days, so I got there on the Wednesday night,” Raya says. “I arrived a bit before Fabián [Ruiz]. I was saying hello to some of the others in reception when he arrived. I went to say congratulations; that was almost the first thing I did. I couldn’t really talk [to him] after the final; I just didn’t have it in me. The next day we talked about the game properly. Just two mates chatting … I was happy for him that he could lift the trophy for a second time.”

A high pressure game for the European champions, as Sid Lowe reports.

“If we had scored one, the game would have changed,” Martín Zubimendi said. Immediately after the game, De la Fuente had offered a simple analysis: when the ball doesn’t want to go in it doesn’t want to go in, he insisted. Spain had racked up 27 shots, after all. Ferran Torres had hit the bar and seen another clear opportunity saved. Vozinha, the 40-year-old goalkeeper who stopped that, saved six more and was named the man of the match. “There’s nothing to reproach the team for,” Rodri said. “We generated chances but couldn’t put it away; the good thing is they created almost nothing.”

We wait to see what role Lamine Yamal will play today. His coach would surely like to be able to use him.

The worst mistake we could make would be to compare him to anyone. He is the midst of a process. He has exceptional footballing maturity and lives it all with total naturalness. He has great serenity and strength. We have to let him follow his path but those players who have something different are ready for that. They’re geniuses, like Dalí [who] can paint a picture, or Michelangelo. They’re different. What is exceptional to us, isn’t to them. In those extremes, they feel comfortable. Why? Because they are different. What we think is exceptional, they consider normal.

Lamine Yamal profile

Preamble

Spain’s campaign did not get off to a flying start, and Luis de la Fuentes may wake up in the night to visions of Cape Verde’s Vozinha. He will have Georgia on his mind ever since Monday. Saudi Arabia are no pushovers and gave Uruguay a scare in their opening match. Memories of downing Argentina four years ago still abound, and so Spain might beware. They can ill afford to go into the final game with Uruguay at a disadvantage. All eyes on Lamine Yamal, whose fitness situation remains opaque, though Spain need their other forwards to come to the party.

Kick-off 5pm UK, 1pm ET, 2am AEST. Join me.

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