Presumably it is more likely to make news if Japan’s fans don’t tidy up after themselves today in Houston. They, and their counterparts from Brazil, are already arriving at the stadium.

The latest Soccer with Jonathan Wilson has just dropped, describing the World Cup’s two competing realities. He says all of the critiques of this tournament have proven valid and warranted, even as the action on the pitch has delighted us. Sign up for the newsletter here, or read the online extract here.

A lot of the non-World Cup news is revolving around Chelsea today. PA reports Australian striker Sam Kerr is joining Gotham FC in the National Women’s Soccer League after spending the past six-plus seasons in West London. Gotham announced signing Kerr on Monday to a deal that will keep her with the team through 2030.

Graham Ruthven has his guide to what to watch, where and when. My personal plan is to watch Brazil v Japan in a pub in the West End, go and see a very unexpected gig from returning 90s electronic act Globo with my friend Robin Vincent as the support act, then try and get home and watch Germany v Paraguay on a slightly delayed stream and power through to Netherlands v Morocco. However, none of my stated plans to watch anything live much beyond midnight have amounted to anything yet, much to my partner’s amusement.

As an England fan, let’s not mention the cricket, eh?

Some things are more important than football, and among the hundreds killed in the devastating earthquake in Venezuela are family members of two professional footballers. Lucas Trejo, an Argentinian footballer signed to Club Sport Marítimo of La Guaira searched through rubble for his wife, Yanina, and their children, Aaron and Ainhoa, for three days before their bodies were recovered by rescue workers. Another local player, Héctor Bello, lost his wife, Andrea, who died shielding their infant daughter when their home collapsed. The child, Alana, was later found by rescuers, local media reported. There is a fuller report here.

Good afternoon/morning/evening – it isn’t exactly the sharp end of the tournament yet, but today does feel a bit sharper, at least. Brazil, Japan, Germany, Morocco and the Netherlands will presumably all have fancied themselves having a deep run, but at least two of them are going home tonight. Meanwhile my colleague Helena Horton reports that England’s group-stage matches in the World Cup have been a boon for UK pubs, which have poured 5.5m more pints of draught beer and cider than usual. I may have been responsible for one or two of those myself.

Time is up for me on this blog. I will hand over now to Martin Belam for the next couple of hours. Enjoy Brazil v Japan!

Wimbledon’s ban on showing World Cup matches will even extend to the players’ lounge, the All-England Club’s chief executive Sally Bolton has confirmed.

This is the first Wimbledon to coincide with a men’s World Cup since 2018, when England reached the semi-finals, and Bolton confirmed its strict no-football policy will be in full effect again.

That means none of its big screens will show the knockout stages of the tournament, and those England fans wanting to watch Wednesday’s last-32 match against the Democratic Republic of the Congo at 5pm BST will have to do so surreptitiously on their phones.

“We’re not going to be showing the football on any of the big screens around the ground,” said Bolton. “But clearly, if people have got their phones, then we’re not going to prevent people from watching the football.”

However a stricter policy will apply in more prestigious areas of Centre Court, with Bolton adding: “We do discourage people from using their phones in the Royal Box.”

Cody Gakpo is available to face Morocco later despite he and his partner announcing last week that they had suffered the loss of their unborn son.

Gakpo and partner Noa van der Bij were expecting a second child together, with the baby due in October. Van der Bij posted a picture on social media of the pair holding hands over a blanket and knitted hat.

“With broken hearts, we share the devastating news that our baby boy passed away during pregnancy,” she wrote on Saturday. “Thank you for your love and support. Elijah Raphael Gakpo. Forever loved. Forever our son.”

In a further post, Van der Bij added: “We went to church to light a candle. Afterward, we walked to the church playground with our son Samuel. There was only one other child there. His name was Elijah. There could not have been a more beautiful sign from God. He reminded us that our little boy is never far away.”

Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman “gave [Gakpo] the freedom to leave the hotel and be with the family in the first few days”. Koeman added: “He has assessed that himself and done it in his own way. I think that shows maturity, how he and the family have dealt with this. So he’s ready to play and it doesn’t weigh on his performance. He does this in his own way with the family, and that is very strong and beautiful.”

Gakpo’s teammates have also rallied around the Liverpool forward. “Being there for Cody is the most important thing,” Virgil van Dijk told a press conference on Sunday. “It’s terrible. At such a moment it becomes clear again that football is a side issue.”

Our new quiz is live!

Opta have fired up their supercomputer for some timely knockout stage predictions – I’m not sure exactly of the metrics but they have calculated each of the teams’ probability of reaching each knockout round, as well as the eventual winners. It’s interesting that Argentina are now second favourites behind France, while England have been given a 9.7% chance of glory and Switzerland are more fancied than Morocco!

It should be noted that this was done before Canada’s win over South Africa, so the co-hosts’ chances will be marginally higher now that they have reached the last 16.

If you missed it, we also have Real Madrid superstar Rodrygo as a guest columnist during this World Cup, with the 25-year-old ruled out of the Brazil squad through injury. Rodrygo’s latest column is on Carlo Ancelotti – ‘the Mister’ and father figure under whom he thrived at Madrid.

Japan v Brazil is such an interesting match for so many reasons. The latter has the largest Japanese diaspora in the world, with an estimated 2-2.7 million people of Japanese descent (Nikkei) in the South American country. The J-League in Japan is flooded with Brazilian talent, the two countries are inexplicably linked, despite being culturally so different.

On the pitch, Japan are hugely exciting – arguably their strongest ever squad (even without the injured Kaoru Mitoma), while nobody quite knows what the limits are for this Brazil side under Carlo Ancelotti. It feels reasonable to say that Brazil could go out here, and also feasible to say that they could go all the way and add a sixth star on that yellow shirt.

Jonathan Wilson previewed Japan v Brazil and Netherlands v Morocco in his column, which went live on Sunday.

Hello everyone! Cor those images of Scotland players arriving back into Glasgow airport sure are sobering, like a sorry band of brothers arriving back from a lads holiday.

Scotland’s players may not have succeeded on the pitch, but their supporters were absolutely magnificent all through the tournament. Yes, there was revelry but the Scots were also a credit to themselves, particularly in Boston where they made such an impression that the American city and Glasgow are to be officially twinned. According to Boston mayor Michelle Wu, the arrangement will “create new opportunities for meaningful cooperation and mutual growth”.

We’ll check back in nine months to see if the meaningful cooperation and mutual growth has come to fruition in Boston. The party continued down in Miami, but the Scottish fans are also now on their way back after an unforgettable tournament.

Thank you for joining me. Michael Butler is here for the next big stint. Enjoy!

Lucas Herrington, who at 18 became the youngest Australian to start a men’s World Cup match when the defender played against Paraguay, has already been linked with a move to Barcelona. Such is his trajectory, his next transfer is expected to fetch a price close to – or more than – the Australian record set by Harry Souttar, who was bought by Leicester for £15m (approximately A$26m) in 2023.

Scotland players have landed back in the country following a bruising defeat at the World Cup in America.

Anthony Ralston, Scott McKenna and Nathan Patterson were among those who arrived at Glasgow Airport on Monday morning.

Jack Hendry and Findlay Curtis were also on the plane from the US, along with Scottish Football Association (SFA) chief executive Iain Maxwell and Scotland assistant coach Steven Naismith.

It is expected that other players will make their way back separately. PA Media

In very pleasing news, the loud whirring noise my laptop was making during the heatwave has disappeared.

A bit more from Steve Clarke on his departure.

It is interesting to see the names knocking about as his potential replacement. David Moyes and Alex Neil are two Scots being linked, while Ange Postecoglou is another in the orbit.

England are playing at 5pm BST on Wednesday. I supposedly have to attend a meeting with my daughter’s new teacher. I suspect quite a few parents will miss that one.

How are you planning to cope with the earlier kick off time? Slink off from work? Work from home? Generally lie?

You cannot say it has not been a vibrant World Cup.

Rangers have announced the arrival of former Everton defender Ben Godfrey on a season-long loan from Atalanta.

The 28-year-old – capped twice by England in 2021 – becomes the Ibrox club’s third signing of the summer after Scotland internationals Lawrence Shankland and Ross McCrorie joined from Hearts and Bristol City respectively.

Godfrey told Rangers’ website: “I am buzzing, I am really happy to be here. I know the size of the club so it is a massive honour to be wearing the shirt this season, and I can’t wait to get started.

“I am looking forward to meeting the boys and hopefully helping this club achieve what it deserves, which is silverware and exciting times.” PA Media

Krishnamoorthy emails: “Isn’t it so tragic to potentially have a Germany France face off in the last 16? That is a quarter final billing at the least.”

Sort of … but I’ve not been impressed with Germany.

It was confirmed yesterday that Manuel Ugarte suffered knee ligament damage in Uruguay’s loss to Spain. A tough blow for the Manchester United midfielder, who would probably have been sold this summer but will instead need to rehabilitate and get back fit, which could take a long time.

In fairness, as top fives go, it’s not a bad little group.

Spanish midfielder Juan Mata has ⁠agreed to become ⁠a shareholder ​in Melbourne Victory in a deal that will extend beyond his playing career, the Australian club said on ⁠Monday, with the World Cup winner also set to take up an off-field role once he retires.

The 38-year-old, who ⁠has played for Valencia, Chelsea and Manchester United and was part of ​the Spain squad that won ‌the 2010 World Cup, ‌joined Victory in September last year from rivals Western Sydney Wanderers.

Mata made ‌25 appearances for the club, scoring five goals and providing 13 assists in the 2025-26 season for the Melbourne club. He also claimed the Johnny Warren medal as the A-League men’s best player.

Victory finished fourth in the recently concluded season, amassing 40 points. Mata is also ‌a part owner of U.S. Major League Soccer expansion side San Diego FC and has invested in the Formula One ​team Alpine Racing.

Mata is still considering whether to continue playing next season but, once he retires, he will chair a newly formed football committee at Victory to support their operations, the club added.

“Australian football has a future I ⁠genuinely believe in,” Mata said. “From the moment I arrived at ​Melbourne Victory, I’ve ​felt the passion of this ​club and the potential of the A-Leagues, and I want ​to be part ‌of building what ​comes next – ​not just for a season, but for the long term.” Reuters

If one has to put money on who will make the difference for Brazil later, you have to imagine the odds on it being Vinicius Jr are pretty short. He looks pretty fired up for this World Cup, eager to prove he can be the main man on a global stage.

I’ve never been a fan of the polo shirt but once again I am seen to be in the wrong.

The president of Saudi Arabia’s Football Federation has announced his resignation after the Green Falcons were knocked out of the World Cup in the first round.

Saudi Arabia finished bottom of Group H with two points, after two draws against Uruguay (1-1) and Cape Verde (0-0), and a heavy 4-0 defeat to Spain.

“The failure of the national team to qualify for the next round of the World Cup is a result that falls short of all our ambitions, and I bear full responsibility for it. I offer my apologies to everyone who hoped to see our team in a better position,” Yasser al-Misehal wrote on X late Sunday.

“A sense of responsibility requires giving the opportunity to open a new chapter, and I have decided not to continue until the end of my current term,” he added.

At the head of the federation for seven years, Misehal played a central role in Saudi Arabia’s successful bid to host the 2034 World Cup, a cornerstone of its strategy to diversify an economy heavily dependent on oil. AFP

But who will replace Clarke? Ewan Murray has some advice.

The position vacated by Clarke is no longer a job for a Scot. Instead it is a fortunate opportunity to allow a world outside Glasgow to assess and improve a national football model that is failing badly. Scotland must look towards coaches who have made great strides at similarly sized nations. Fixing sights on managers in other countries is not because the SFA need to be bold or different; it is an essential move at this point in time.

Thanks Luke. Hello one and all! Why not start the day with 3000 words from a sleep deprived man? Plus it should take a while to get to the end, so I have time to make a coffee.

It’s been a hell of a ride, but it’s time for me to go. Will Unwin is here to guide you through the next bit. Ciao.

The first line of our Netherlands team guide is: “Has Ronald Koeman ever started a major tournament with more headaches?” – which was entirely fair given all the pre-tournament injuries.

To me, they look light on huge stars (Virgil van Dijk notwithstanding) but heavy on team spirit, a strong tactical plan, an accomplished manager – and excellent players, too. How many teams in the tournament would want Denzel Dumfries, Van Dijk or Micky Van de Ven in their team?

#TalkingPoints:

Agent_47

29 June 2026 9:32am

Got to fancy at least one shock today (if you'd even call Morocco beating Netherlands a shock). I know Japan absolutely can beat Brazil, just really struggle to see it happening on this stage, they've slightly disappointed for me so far. I think Netherlands were better than I expected in the groups, but Morocco look like a serious team, against Scotland they never really looked threatened. I think they're a threat in the tournament. Paraguay looked pretty toothless in the group stages, but Germany could easily have scars from that Ecuador game, so can't completely discount them. After yesterday's game was an incredibly tame start to the knockouts (South Korea there's blood on your hands), feels like a huge day.

Brazil 2-1 Japan
Germany 2-0 Paraguay
Netherlands 1-2 Morocco

Also once again showing how stupid the 3rd placed teams going through makes the tournament. The draw has become absurdly important, Netherlands win a very tough group and get Morocco in the next round as a result. Suppose the prize for whoever comes through that is an incredibly limited Canada team.

“No, please, stop with this nonsense,” snapped Julian Nagelsmann. Germany had just lost 2-1 to Ecuador in their final group game and the television interviewer was suggesting that with Germany already qualified, perhaps the Ecuadoreans had simply wanted it more. “They didn’t want it more,” Nagelsmann bristled. “I cannot tell any of my players that they didn’t give it their all. That’s far too simplistic.”

If that was the line, then fair enough. Albeit, a line Nagelsmann may have wanted to run past his players before they did their post-match media duties. “The difference today was that the opponent wanted to win more than us,” said Joshua Kimmich. “I had the feeling they wanted it more than us,” said the substitute Deniz Undav.

A minor disagreement, on the face of things. And yet also quietly emblematic of this Germany team at the moment, on and off the pitch: a team operating on multiple planes, a little lost in translation, a little lacking in message discipline. If they can get their constituent parts working in harmony, they can be a genuine threat. Until then, it remains hard to take them seriously.

Let’s turn our attention to Germany. Jonathan Liew content incoming.

Who could offer valuable insight into Carlo Ancelotti’s methods, before Brazil v Japan?

Rodrygo, that’s who:

“Morocco were welcomed enthusiastically in Mexico’s north-east and their head coach was quick to compare the hosts’ passion for football with the fervour that engulfs his own country.

“In fact, the hand of friendship between the nations reaches back four decades. Morocco drew with Poland and England in Monterrey during Mexico 1986, when they made history by reaching the knock-out stage.”

And in ‘Let’s get jazzed up about Netherlands v Morocco’ news …

Meanwhile, in ‘Let’s get jazzed up about Brazil v Japan’ news:

greencorn

29 June 2026 8:55am

something tells me the Japan Brazil game is going to be greatest game of the World Cup so far.
there is going to be tremendous carnivalesque fan-energy in the stadium that you could bottle and sell on Amazon for 5000 yen a 330ml unit. and some individual brilliance by a handful of Brazilian players are going to give us some goals that will look more like athletics where the ball is an acrobat. but i think Japan will tikka-takka weave the ball around their decluttered player-grid and equalize twice with pointed shots just inside and outside the box for this reason i’m going to get to the supermarket shortly to buy a bottle of Korean soju and a six-pack of Guinness

People love to hate commentators, in general, so it’s refreshing to see good work being recognised and praised:

Haigin88

29 June 2026 8:54am

Fantastic BBC Radio coverage last night, from Vicki Sparks and Dion Dublin. How to commentate on an important game that, actually, wasn't a very good match? Be as entertaining, as honest, as smart and as funny with your words over the lack of action on the pitch.

(And while we’re on the subject, for all the haterz: until you’ve actually picked up a mic and tried to commentate on a football match, or any other sport, you are hardly in a position to criticise.)

If you would like to email thoughts about any of this, please do so here.

Let’s begin with everyone’s favourite subject: His Majesty’s England football team.

Andrew Beasley takes a look at the data on the Jude Bellingham x Harry Kane collaboration for England: