FIFA World Cup 2026
2026
Spain extend De la Fuente's contract to 2032
The Royal Spanish Football Federation [RFEF] has extended coach Luis de la Fuente's contract until 2032 after he led Spain to World Cup success this summer.
espn
'Constant bombardment' - Fans shown 65,000 junk food ads at World Cup
New data shows fans were shown more than 28 hours of adverts for unhealthy food and drinks during World Cup matches this summer.
bbc
Red Roses' 39-game winning streak ended in thrilling Canada draw
Canada took their first step towards avenging their Rugby World Cup final defeat to England by ending the Red Roses' 39-Test winning streak in a gripping 26-26 draw in Exeter.
sky_sports
UEFA, Concacaf tell FIFA to make $10M payments to all members
FIFA's member federations should each get an extra $10 million (£7.4m) from its swelling cash reserves after a successful World Cup, the soccer body's vice presidents from Europe and North America said in a letter Friday.
espn
Trent Alexander-Arnold recalled by England but with a warning from Thomas Tuchel
<ul><li><p>Real Madrid player must help improve defensive solidity</p></li><li><p>Scott, Hall, Lewis-Skelly and Calvert-Lewin selected</p></li></ul><p>Thomas Tuchel has told Trent Alexander-Arnold he must bring defensive solidity to the England squad after giving him a surprise recall for the upcoming Nations League matches.</p><p>The head coach has selected the Real Madrid right-back only once before – for the games against Andorra and Senegal in June last year. Tuchel made headlines when he did so by urging Alexander-Arnold to focus on the defensive side of his game or risk a slip that could undermine the team’s World Cup campaign.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/sep/18/trent-alexander-arnold-returns-england-squad-cole-palmer-rio-ngumoha-alex-scott-thomas-tuchel">Continue reading...</a>
guardian
Senegal job an 'absolute dream' for new boss Vieira
Former France international Patrick Vieira, a World Cup winner in 1998, says taking charge of Senegal, the nation of his birth, is an "honour".
bbc
Case not proven: Trent Alexander-Arnold’s England recall is based on patchy evidence
<p>Thomas Tuchel promises to play the full-back in his natural right-sided position but we have not seen enough of him this term to gauge his form</p><p>Thomas Tuchel said Trent Alexander Arnold had enjoyed a good start to the season, which came as news to those in England who have not been watching him at Real Madrid. It also, in truth, came as news to those in Spain who have. If the England manager did not see enough in Alexander-Arnold to include him in the World Cup in the summer he has not really had the chance to see enough to change that decision as autumn begins. Two unremarkable league starts provide insufficient evidence with which to make a case for the full-back’s recall, or indeed his exclusion, but he is in the squad.</p><p>Alexander-Arnold’s most high-profile match this season has been <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/sep/08/real-madrid-inter-champions-league-match-report">against Inter at the Santiago Bernabéu</a>. That night, he started from the middle of midfield. At the pre-match press conference, José Mourinho had refused to answer a direct and apparently well-informed question about employing the right-back in midfield, given the absence through injury or suspension of Eduardo Camavinga, Arda Guler, Bernardo Silva, Aurélien Tchouaméni and Thiago Pitarch, as well as his determined conclusion that Jude Bellingham is better used further up.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/sep/18/trent-alexander-arnold-england-recall-patchy-evidence">Continue reading...</a>
guardian
Tuchel should listen to ‘the 0.1%’ and learn from England’s World Cup mistakes | Jacob Steinberg
<p>Head coach is keen to focus on positives but Nations League squad hints at desire for greater tactical options</p><p>Thomas Tuchel should be listening to the 0.1%. As Tuchel unveiled his first England squad since the World Cup, he said 99.9% of supporters he bumped into did not talk about his substitutions during the Argentina game. According to him, the conversation is far more positive. Memories are shared of the knockout wins over Mexico and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It seems those who want to take the England head coach to task over the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jul/15/england-argentina-world-cup-semi-final-match-report">retreat in the semi-final</a> in Atlanta are in the minority.</p><p>This is, of course, hard to quantify. Is it really 99.9%? We can take Tuchel at face value, but relying on anecdotal evidence goes two ways. A lot of fans are not ready to move on yet. The national mood is far more downbeat than Tuchel imagines and he is kidding himself if he thinks people have forgiven the way England folded after going 1-0 up against Argentina early in the second half.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/sep/18/thomas-tuchel-england-squad-world-cup-mistakes-nations-league">Continue reading...</a>
guardian
Sullivan, USMNT's gifted next generation kick-start road to 2030 World Cup
There is no Christian Pulisic on this U.S. men's national team, but the potential of Cavan Sullivan & Co. is more than enough to steal headlines.
espn
Sorensen to join Republic of Ireland coaching staff
Former Everton manager Brian Sorensen is set to join the Republic of Ireland squad for their Women's World Cup play-off qualifiers this year.
bbc
Will England boss Tuchel 'embrace the chaos'?
After the World Cup, England boss Thomas Tuchel wanted greater control. Two months on, he is keen to "embrace the chaos" after naming his squad for the upcoming Nations League fixtures.
bbc
Tuchel: 99.9 per cent of fans I meet don't ask me about Argentina subs
Thomas Tuchel says “99.9 per cent” of England fans do not talk about substitutions or tactical decisions when reflecting on their World Cup experience.
sky_sports
Tuchel recalls Palmer and Alexander-Arnold for England
Thomas Tuchel recalls Trent Alexander-Arnold and Cole Palmer to his first England squad since the 2026 World Cup.
bbc
Trent, Palmer recalled to England squad after WC
Trent Alexander-Arnold is back in the England fold as one of several players included who missed out on the World Cup in Thomas Tuchel's latest squad ahead of their four Nations League matches.
espn
The USMNT's first post-World Cup squad is missing its biggest summer stars
Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun were the USMNT's biggest stars at the World Cup, so why aren't they part of Mauricio Pochettino's latest squad?
espn
Tuchel considers England recall for Cole Palmer in Nations League squad
<ul><li><p>Chelsea forward back in form after World Cup snub</p></li><li><p>Alex Scott and Morgan Gibbs-White also in contention</p></li></ul><p>Thomas Tuchel is considering an England recall for Cole Palmer and could include Alex Scott in his squad for the Nations League.</p><p>Tuchel’s first selection since the World Cup will be confirmed on Friday morning and the head coach has been weighing up claims from a host of players who failed to earn a place in his plans last summer. Palmer was one of those to miss out after struggling for form and fitness but the Chelsea attacker has started the season with <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/sep/09/chelsea-leeds-carabao-cup-third-round-match-report">four goals and two assists</a>, raising optimism around his hopes of inclusion.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/sep/17/thomas-tuchel-england-cole-palmer-nations-league-alex-scott-morgan-gibbs-white">Continue reading...</a>
guardian
FA chair Hewitt demands Infantino release records of failed World Cup plan
<ul><li><p>Letter sent before Fifa council meeting on 15 October</p></li><li><p>Infantino under pressure before presidential election</p></li></ul><p>The Football Association’s chair, Debbie Hewitt, has written to Gianni Infantino, demanding that Fifa releases all documents relating to his abandoned World Cup sell-off plan and the decision to lift the USA striker Folarin Balogun’s suspension during last summer’s tournament.</p><p>The Guardian <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/aug/02/gianni-infantino-could-face-leadership-challenge-as-fifa-council-members-rebel">revealed last month</a> that Hewitt and other members of the Fifa council were lobbying for an independent review of the proposed Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) sell-off and the Balogun controversy. Their requests have been formalised in a letter sent to the Fifa president and his deputy, Mattias Grafström.</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/sep/17/fa-chair-hewitt-demands-infantino-releases-records-of-failed-world-cup-plan">Continue reading...</a>
guardian
Two years and one World Cup down, Mauricio Pochettino is still assessing
<p>The US manager’s first squad of the 2030 World Cup cycle leans heavily on youth, injecting intrigue into the four-game window. </p><ul><li><p><a href="https://ablink.editorial.theguardian.com/ss/c/u001.HesXJ57d0x1owJZ-aZPL3dMFWr92HeUFQk2v_wBSJ_UtgE-pwHb4UgXNOWZZo0YVxxwURJTh4pagIEz-e5iiLLvWgGrJSjzS9eI4znaXqZIXBgACYC9P6aENz7Gtjz6FYNtrghwgn_YkWqJGN-Jm5uVB9WMu-wXrWe4EEaF2A1E-B7DoAjPsOaCiSFSXbGaJxmFPyVr_IbwHDcmTsoKWQ999upBVDt1vJAsQIb848tqj9CRyZTxP10Rhuno3GNxKNRfy_AAQosOuA2q0kGKJ8V_9uRkwHLSswNifab7mcfIPIlpP-NY93pmMXQBp8NkVac_E2qY7Slmnwg5jvEqR5uG9t0Iz8yYr1_UQjMRW0TK5rMSQBRsWDFtuEJQAaVxDiYlZ7L11-K6qfHuS3Q0QHgjzbygwWMktUdBq3cXMmuyS1Igs4pd3Qupuvn4jjYxAXlwT6_cGouq76c4yEiJ5NAwnCoFWjHOYDX9uLj-jRFnBVRaVc-5vmKN3OwlYJbtRhq9booFygKnqNvPRrnrLcwIxA47CEq8P6hoqLsNM0gIzsq-fn53jjpAuXPO3XQtARzoqaoE-IEZwKeF0tMf3Va7Sxd3esJfg2mCBuhoG0UEkHoWfnsZu_o456DaomTLnN3MtbBNpeCHpsGEM1cM9M_eaJWeIF0aNjp8pAI1cN3KW7HxiY75z_yQGTfJ13O7NfcDZvddycdadOaLQDaLu6NKPJKbcmGgr8tVIq5IwrimpyW2Q0LepN8MGsbHovdqWrxYP55i_FbvCjU_DHBnEMWvtv6Xo90hrFvfEhIhGD2l2vWyQnKto0a5bfLT7hovPXp7QGfAIPWP1cF9-krZ0IxeO9cTo_eDJHIcXTwQyEOGNMy2Mu3-s075Hsno0uO7t4jofHejufS-FwyiCb_r1ReSVWJumbkrkEwSyHaiNtPTgxiL8VUK1uYNQLo_NkM2RT6DdnNvaAyd7wnbWGA9nXtImA0VVpilIj4g_l1V9pQT6O1IPtZoSNZ8QZ0YE-5YVzEQeIHG0XpQav9uScwZ6P0Z6X8NdryryfLOjH9b_q923Cbk6COVizdAge0ihnerM7swdwq8npbAw9lzTYuz-45hMO2y6bV2axyk-Byef0o1oDj4j2waX7rhw42hsz6tzhNeeLroBU9jlnRB8MR-iZj-zlmTJLennfGWxDxR0nH7BMa24khOAjsLiVg3YjFOTb1yUJbjiL0WV24ivrISwp778H2Y7XBp95lHEMonUdxYVTEYNxJeccMWm2nBvkIvSdMGqm8gEfydoHoFALZZe61bBYMDb91hzL5IyP7n5ZZVnVlki-6R2Rg5VFMNKU3MxUiZ9ZOHXcs9FT00P9_LBh6QoPVB7ouqjttwzsqNaqUHT4HGps0usXPllmjE9Si4g4D-p9ZXdB9Y6oa1pxadIqKlyfaiWUWUdrfkKDQ-68Pwvly1aaCjq_6McBnot5xSjIFk-682oskykJUAyK3VlSF18CtjaXYaOYOiGnELuDuhkRQOx_87pzJkI-YQ9MbEPdkhEVqSYk64LyNEQhoxd_EoEon-ck7pNHz0Y3xmMSJ5NoNQg3szHOu7AI4dXyqKkWv1zzrFyATzRyC0T3ajXcpk3sgpHl7tgQI13WWVaKGs/4tx/kIzWwiElQ4OHxZxFm15J1A/h13/h001.7DDQVkDd4aXmAV7-CltIb38UKgd5Wnyj4MjBvlXgzzg"><strong>Sign up for our free newsletter here</strong></a></p></li></ul><p>In the moments after the USMNT’s 4-1 crash-out in the last-16 at this summer’s World Cup, Mauricio Pochettino took the podium for what many assumed would be his last press conference as the US head coach. I had a question for him: “Would you consider your tenure here a success?” His answer was full of the usual platitudes, but one thing did stand out. He said, more or less, that he and his staff had finally gotten a good idea of the player pool.</p><p>It struck me as bizarre at the time. By almost every account, Pochettino had been brought in to win the game that he’d just lost. Given just two and a half years to get it done, his job had never really been to evaluate the player pool; it had been to maximize results with the tools at hand, something he did with varying levels of success. And now, in the shadow of arguably the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jul/07/usmnt-world-cup-belgium">most disappointing result in US men’s history</a>, we were finding out that it had been a fact-finding mission? And there were suggestions that he was leaving?</p> <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/sep/17/mauricio-pochettino-calls-the-kids">Continue reading...</a>
guardian
The big questions for Tuchel's first England squad since World Cup
Before Thomas Tuchel names his first squad since the World Cup on Friday, BBC Sport looks at the big questions facing the England boss.
bbc
Will Palmer, Foden and Trent be recalled to England squad?
Cole Palmer's outstanding form this season has put him in a strong position for an England recall, with the Chelsea man the most likely to be included from all the big names left out of the World Cup squad.
sky_sports