South African football news

For a manager who was dismissed by West Ham in September after failing at Chelsea before that, few would have expected Graham Potter to be steering a nation to a winning start in the World Cup this summer.

• WES
• CHE

Will you get today's World Cup player in as few attempts as possible?

Watch highlights as Sweden get their World Cup campaign off to an emphatic start, scoring five goals in a win over Group F opponents Tunisia.

• TUN
• SWE

Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Yan Diomande all shine as World Cup provides perfect scouting mission for new Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola, says Phil McNulty.

• LIV

When they picture a messiah, few perhaps imagine a mild-mannered 51-year-old with a greying beard who used to play at left-back for York City. Certainly Chelsea and West Ham fans don’t. But the degree to which Graham Potter is loved in Sweden has to be seen to be believed. He was a down-on-his-luck manager seeking a…

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• CHE
• TUN
• SWE

Yasin Ayari scores a stunner for Sweden against Tunisia but refuses to celebrate. The Brighton midfielder could have represented the opposition as his father is Tunisian.

• BRI
• TUN
• SWE

The midfielder on providing the balance to allow attacking stars to shine and wanting a fitting World Cup sign-off for Deschamps France will look a little different this summer. “Naturally, it seems a bit more attacking than usual,” Adrien Rabiot says. “I think it is good because we have the players for it.” Lucas H…

• FRA

Australian has had to contend with war, 50C heat and playoffs to steer country to a first World Cup in 40 years Twenty-eight months, 21 games, four rounds, a 117th-minute penalty and a playoff. A coach stuck in Dubai where he watches war start over the water, bombs shaking everything. A team trapped in Baghdad first…

• IRA

England's Jordan Henderson says he finds it "hard to read" what is written about Jude Bellingham but believes the midfielder can be the team's "X-factor" at the World Cup.

• ENG
• JOR

Midfielder expects Madrid man to have major impact Henderson: ‘He’s a huge player for us in this tournament’ Jordan Henderson says Jude Bellingham is loved by his teammates and will be England’s X-factor at the World Cup. Bellingham, who is vying with Morgan Rogers to start at No 10 against Croatia on Wednesday, has…

• CRO
• ENG
• JOR

Manchester United winger Amad Diallo scored a superb 90th-minute winner as Ivory Coast beat Ecuador in Philadelphia.

• MUN
• IVO
• ECU

Ghalenoi hopes disruption does not impact his team World Cup newsletter | Daily podcast | Download the app The Iran striker Mehdi Taremi has said the controversy and disruption surrounding their involvement at the World Cup undermines Fifa’s message of peace and conceded he felt the tension before arriving in Los An…

• IRA

Watch how Ivory Coast's Amad Diallo wins their Group E match against Ecuador in the 90th minute at the 2026 World Cup.

• IVO
• ECU

The substitute Amad Diallo struck in the 90th minute to give Côte d’Ivoire a 1-0 win over Ecuador in their ⁠Group E opener. Diallo’s first-time strike of Wilfried Singo’s cross gave the Ivorians their first World Cup victory over South American opposition and ⁠halted Ecuador’s unbeaten run ​at 19 matches. Continue r…

• ECU

⚽️ Kick-off time: 8pm local/3am BST/10pm EDT/12pm AEST ⚽️ Player guide | Bracketology | Golden Boot | Mail Jonathan This evening’s match is taking place at the impressive Estadio BBVA, known for the duration of the World Cup as Monterrey Stadium. The 53,000 capacity arena is nicknamed the Steel Giant, and was opened…

• TUN
• SWE

The World Cup continued to produce the unexpected in Arlington. On a throbbingly hot afternoon in the low flat plains outside Dallas the Netherlands and Japan played out an episodically thrilling opening Group F game, Daichi Kamada scoring an 88th-minute equaliser to make it 2-2 just as the Dutch looked like taking…

• NET
• JAP

Watch as Japan's Daichi Kamada brings his side level to the Netherlands in their Group F fixture in the 2026 World Cup.

• NET
• JAP

Crysencio Summerville's "sizzler" of a goal helps Netherlands retake the lead against Japan in their Group F fixture at the 2026 World Cup.

• NET
• JAP

Arsenal and Liverpool are keen on Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi, Manchester City target a move for Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite, plus more.

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• LIV
• ARS
• EVE

Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin has been criticised for reportedly claiming the World Cup expansion for the 2026 finals has led to 'uninteresting' games.

• NET
• JAP

⚽️ World Cup kick-off time: 7pm ET/12am BST/9am AEST ⚽️ Player guide | Bracketology | Golden Boot | Contact Beau 2 min It’s 90 degrees Fahrenheit. If you prefer Celsius … good for you. Caicedo sends an ambitious effort well wide, almost as if to send a warning rather than to put something directly on frame. Continue…

• ECU