Iran captain Mehdi Taremi has criticised Fifa for the impact that his nation’s war with the US has had on preparations for their first game World Cup 2026 against New Zealand tonight, having been forced to move their base to Mexico, visa issues plaguing members of their delegation and travelling fans being stripped of match tickets.
“I have felt the tension from the first moment we arrived at this World Cup,” said Taremi. “This kind of tension, it undermines that joy and it undermines the message of Fifa and our people, which is that football brings about peace. I feel like this World Cup could have provided a better atmosphere than it has.”
Iranian protesters have vowed to disrupt the match to show their displeasure at the brutal ruling regime, with plans to boo the anthem and turn their backs to display currently prohibited pre-revolutionary flags. If that happens, there is a chance the match could be halted, with Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei under specific instructions from the country’s government to stop play if pre-revolutionary flags are brandished or if negative chanting is audible.
Meanwhile, as England continue to build up to Wednesday’s game with Croatia, Jordan Henderson has leapt to the defence of teammate Jude Bellingham, claiming external criticism is way off the mark. “I know a lot gets written in the media and I really find it hard to read sometimes because I just know how big an influence he is on this team, how good a teammate he is off the field,” said Henderson. “And what he gives us is just something really special, he really gives us the X-factor in our team. We all know what he can do, and how much we all love him inside the camp, and I suppose that’s the main thing.”
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Marc Cucurella completes move from Chelsea to Real Madrid in £52m deal
A bit of a news away from the World Cup (although involving a player at the tournament).
Chelsea and Spain defender Marc Cucurella has completed a £52m move to Real Madrid, signing a contract at the Bernabeu until 2032.
Eberechi Eze prepared to step up in penalty shootout despite missed chance in Champions League final
Eberechi Eze says he would gladly take a penalty in a shootout during this World Cup, and just sees the miss in Arsenal’s Champions League final as “part of the journey” to improve.
“If called upon, for sure,” Eze said when asked about taking a penalty. “Why wouldn’t I take it? Football is full of everything and you have to try to accept everything as it is, to enjoy it as much as you can. Playing in a Champions League final is where I want to be, it’s what I want to do. We’ll go for it again next season and if there is a penalty to take then I’ll be there again. All the big players have missed big penalties, have experienced these types of moments.
“I’ve had messages from everyone to speak on those moments. For me, it’s not something I wish never happened. I’m grateful it happened. I’m going to grow from it, learn from it and move forward.”
Iranian protesters vow opening match to show anger at brutal regime’s war with US
Iranian protestors have vowed to put their national team through “hell” during this evening’s opening World Cup clash with New Zealand in Los Angeles.
Against the backdrop of the war with the US, protesters against the Iranian regime are planning demonstrations both inside and outside SoFi Stadium, including booing the national anthem and flouting Fifa’s prohibition of the pre-revolutionary Iranian flag in stadiums.
“We’re going to make it hell” one lady, who bought a ticket to the game along with many of her fellow activists,” told the Daily Mail. “There are buses scheduled to leave from San Diego, Orange County, and different cities in LA to come to the stadium… we’re going to have hell for them.
“We’re going to boo the anthem that is going to play. We’re going to turn our backs during the anthem so we will have our flags showing.
“I know Fifa banned it [the flag] but we will make a way to get it in. So we’re going to see this flag, not the terrorist regime’s flag.”
The surreal possibility hanging over Iran’s perilous World Cup campaign
For the first time in World Cup history, a host nation is at war with one of the participants, while Iran’s opening match against New Zealand this evening looks set to be the site of protests against the regime by Iranian emigrants and Iran’s head coach has been instructed by the government to stop the match if negative chanting against them is heard.
It could be quite the occasion…
Kieran Jackson has delved into the issues surrounding the most surreal and perilous World Cup campaign in history
The surreal possibility hanging over Iran’s perilous World Cup campaign
Harry Kane labelled ‘master of the game’ by Croatia star
Croatia defender Duje Caleta-Car described Harry Kane as a “master of the game” ahead of their World Cup clash on Wednesday.
Kane has enjoyed a brilliant season, scoring 66 goals in 56 games for Bayern Munich as they won a second successive Bundesliga title and lifted the German Cup.
Croatia beat England in the 2018 World Cup semi-finals but the Three Lions got revenge at the start of their Euro 2020 campaign, when Kane left a lasting impression on Zlatko Dalic’s side.
“Kane impressed me in our match against England at the European Championship, even though he didn’t score,” admitted Caleta-Car.
“His movement and positioning – you can clearly see he’s a master of the game and knows exactly what he’s doing.”
Sweden boss Graham Potter says someone may have bitten his ear during celebrations
An early contender for bizarrest story of the 2026 World Cup.
Let’s just hope Graham Potter’s ear will recover…
Fifa urged to remove World Cup VAR official over alleged white supremacist hand gesture
Fifa’s discrimination monitor at the World Cup has called for the removal of a video review official after he appeared to make a hand gesture resembling a white supremacist sign.
Shaun Evans, an Australian official, was seen making an “OK” symbol with his right hand in front of his right leg when the official broadcast of Germany’s opening game against Curaçao on Sunday cut pre-game to show the team of video review analysts.
Though the game was played in Houston, video officials work in Dallas at the World Cup broadcast centre. The gesture, with thumb and forefinger touched in a circle and other fingers outstretched, was designated a hate symbol by the New York-based Anti-Defamation League in 2019.
Levi’s change Instagram profile pic after branding covered up at World Cup
Jeans manufacturer Levi’s have changed their Instagram profile picture in a light-hearted response to Fifa covering up their stadium branding at the World Cup.
Levi’s Stadium in San Francisco is hosting matches throughout the tournament but Fifa remove branding when referring to stadiums, so it has been renamed San Francisco Bay Area Stadium.
The governing body even went so far as to put a white cover over the big logo at the venue, with the company jokingly responding in kind on Instagram.
Mexico fan loses job after making racist gesture at Korean influencer during World Cup match
A Mexican man caught making an offensive gesture during a World Cup match between South Korea and Czech Republic has lost his job after being accused of racism.
A Korean Youtuber was filming a video during the match in the city of Guadalajara on Friday when the man seated behind her, later identified as Ulises Fernando Bernal Miramontes, looked directly into the camera and pulled the corners of both his eyes in a gesture widely regarded as racist and insulting towards people of Asian descent.
The Youtuber Yoon Su Jin, who also goes by the name Ino Cat, later posted the video on her Instagram. “You travelled across the world for the World Cup,” she wrote, “and experienced racism.”
The video was liked by 511,000 people by last count and commented upon 66,000 times.
Copa Independent podcast: Germany, Brazil and a tornado at the England camp
The team out in the US are recording the Copa Independent podcast throughout the World Cup and the latest episode sees them dissect Germany’s big win, Brazil’s laboured draw and report on the tornado near the England base in Kansas City
