R32 games so far: Canada v South Africa: 92nd minute winner Brazil v Japan: 95th minute winner Paraguay v Germany: First ever German PK loss, after missing two potentially icing PKs Morocco v Netherlands: 91st minute tying goal Are you not entertained?

The open field, last ditch defensive tackles by defenders in their own box in this game have been incredible

I feel like this game is gonna turn for Morocco in the second half. The first half played on their terms, weather way worse for the Dutch, and I think frustration will eventually boil over for someone in the Netherlands

It's 90 degrees and 65% humidity in Monterrey. RIP Netherlands in the second half.

Bundesliga Quota got em

While we're fixing the game, Tactical fouls should be red cards.

Musiala lucky that tackle didn't land worse.

They should institute a lot of the things of this World Cup in the top club leagues Times counts on throws & GK kicks Quick VAR on diving on yellows Quick VAR on mistaken corners Ban meat wall tactics on corners Probably even the cover the mouth thing

Honestly that's how corners should be reffed around the world.

Germany has been setting picks on corner kicks all tournament & (and in the friendlies leading up to the tournament). This is the first time they've been called out for it.

Bonus soccer! Excellent news for the MLS minutes tracker

Turkiye was ridiculed in their loss to Paraguay for settling for long shots and not getting great chances from their 78% possession. They took 32 shots, 5 big chances and 2.2xG, with 50 touches in the opponent box. Germany's first half: 79% possession 5 shots 0 big chances 0.14xG 14 touches in box

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Almiron to Galarza to Enciso! Germany has 296 passes to Paraguay's 80 But they've created 0.09xG and no big chances to Paraguay's 0.25xG with 2 big chances. Perfectly in Paraguay's plan.

Three MLS starters for Paraguay against Germany: Almiron, Cubas and Galarza!

I took a leg on a flight from Dhaka to Dubai once. It was 70% people who have not been on a plane before, nor spoke English & multiple people whipped out cigs. My mom had to help the flight attendants to communicate everything in Bengali. That's the World Cup. Over-communicating is a good thing!

And here I am bummed he didn't officially sign before the World Cup, so I can count him as the 16th ever MLS World Cup goalscorer.

That is outrageous by Vini. Outrageous!! Incredible save by Zion!

It'd be a mistake to conflate if an MLS team is doing appropriate marketing by looking only at advertising buys. A lot of MLS teams are going really big with the World Cup. The Sounders are the ones running the Pier 62 viewing parties in Seattle. The Quakes run the massive ones in San Jose. 1/

MLS defending leaves a lot to be desired. Turnover in the middle of the field and then nobody steps to the ball, allowing the opponent to carry the length of the field and get an unobstructed shot off on the top of the 18. Oh did I say MLS? I meant the Brazil national team.

The term Haramball implies the existence of Halalball.

2026 top club in World Cup minutes (M): Bayern Munich, 3,468 Top non-Big 5: Al-Hilal (#6), 2,103 Top MLS: Minnesota (#64), 677 '22 top club: Man City, 4,624 Non-Big 5: Ajax (#11), 2,275 MLS: LAFC (#69), 507 '18 top club: Barcelona, 4,824 Non-Big 5: CSKA Moscow (#10), 2,144 MLS: RBNY (#79), 450

Absolute banger club names from around the world: The Strongest (La Paz, Bolivia) Always Ready (El Alto, Bolivia) Cape Coast Mysterious Ebusua Dwarves (Cape Coast,Ghana) SV Robinhood (Paramaribo, Suriname) FC Santa Claus (Rovaniemi, Finland) ASC Jeanne D'Arc (Dakar, Senegal)

@fbref.com has the data, but here's MLS minutes in past World Cups divided by total games played in the tournament (more apples to apples) and rank: 2026 group stage: 70.1 min/game (#7) 2022: 49.4 min (#10) 2018: 36.0 (#12) 2014: 68.4 (#9) 2010: 14.5 (#23) 2006: 20.5 (#20) 2002: 35.2 (#15)

And while I have your attention, please give to Tutul's fundraiser for Boys & Girls Clubs, providing access to low-to-no cost soccer for kids across the country. It'd mean a lot to him, to me & to those kids! bgcagifts.donorsupport.co/page/FUNWERB...

From 2022 to 2026: Tracking the Growth of MLS – minutes, goals & games – on the World's Biggest Stage. MLS players are playing more, scoring more & doing it for better teams. A guest post by the great @tutul.bsky.social tacticsfreezone.ghost.io/from-2022-to...

I've got a (free) newsletter chambered up and ready to go. Do we want some Sunday night reading or save it for tomorrow morning?

Stephen Eustaquio is the 15th MLS player ever to score in the World Cup.

Styles make fights. @futi.live

Alphonso Davies lookin like James Maddison for Spurs at the end of the season both obviously unfit and the best player on the team when in possession

Jeez, Mbokazi certainly looks like a $10m CB

Been very impressed by Sithole, rebounded from a horror game against Mexico and was excellent against Korea. He's been very good in this game as well: 7 tackles 7 recoveries 8/11 duels 4/8 long balls 2 passes into final third

This is what I'd do (assuming Davies is healthy). I also think the Saliba & Bombito subs were wastes (assuming Bombito was able to keep going)

MBOKAZI, holy moly!!!

Canada needs much much more Buchanan in ball progression and David in receiving the ball in advanced positions. Tani has 12 progressive receptions, David has 4. Eustaqio & Millar have 4 passes into the penalty area, Buchanan has 0.

That's a pen, for sure

Couldn't get more open of a header on a set piece, six yards out than what Cornelius just got for Canada. Tapped tamely to the South Africa keeper, Williams.

Ali Ahmed gets that cross off. Miller over Ahmed is a real head scratcher

Milestones reached in 2026 FIFA World Cup (Men's): 1st Game: 🇨🇻, 🇺🇿, 🇯🇴, 🇨🇼. 1st Goal: 🇨🇻, 🇺🇿, 🇯🇴, 🇨🇼, 🇨🇩 1st Point: 🇨🇻, 🇨🇼, 🇨🇩, 🇨🇦, 🇶🇦 1st win: 🇨🇩, 🇨🇦, 🇪🇬 1st knockouts: 🇨🇻, 🇨🇩, 🇨🇦, 🇧🇦, 🇿🇦, 🇨🇮 1st R16: Either 🇨🇦 or 🇿🇦 today!

Every World Cup goal scorer representing MLS ever Messi - 6 goals ('26 MIA) Donovan - 5 goals ('02 SJ, '10 LAG) Dempsey - 3 goals ('06 NE, '14 SEA) McBride - 3 goals ('98 & '02 CLB) Cahill - 2 goals ('14 RBNY) Mathis - 1 goal ('02 NY/NJ) Vela - 1 goal ('18 LAFC) 1/2

Genuinely groups of three would've been better. Don't be in last or you're out. Every game matters. Finishing second means you face a first place team. As always, Leagues Cup had it right.

R32 Qualification needs today: 🇭🇷 - Don't lose to 🇬🇭 🇦🇹 - Don't lose to 🇩🇿 🇩🇿 - Don't lose to 🇦🇹 🇨🇩 - Must win v 🇺🇿 🇮🇷 - Someone wins between 🇦🇹v🇩🇿, OR 🇨🇩 doesn't win, OR 🇭🇷 loses 🇰🇷 - Two of the following: 🇦🇹 win, 🇨🇩 doesn't win, 🇭🇷 loses 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 - 🇦🇹 wins by 2, AND 🇨🇩 doesn't win, AND 🇭🇷 loses 🇺🇿 - Beat 🇨🇩 by 7

You know in retrospect, there was a lot of (valid) outrage about having groups of three, Leagues Cup-style ... but that might've been the better solution. Easier to follow (don't be last), and get to the knockouts quicker (two group games vs three).

South Korea's odds now down to 21% as Senegal is now basically through on goal difference. They're really going to be rooting for Spain & Egypt dominance in the next games. Need both to win to have a chance.

Guide to the 6 games today: 🇫🇷v🇳🇴: Haaland v Mbappe for group win. 🇸🇳v🇮🇶: Senegal must beat Iraq by 2+ to survive. 🇨🇻v🇸🇦: Can Cape Verde make knockouts with a tie? SA must win. 🇺🇾v🇪🇸: Uruguay must tie Spain to survive. Win avoids ARG 🇪🇬v🇮🇷: Iran must tie to survive. 🇧🇪v🇳🇿: Belgium must tie, NZ must win.

Korea need three of the following things to happen in the remaining matches: Uruguay to lose to Spain Egypt to beat Iran DR Congo to not win Croatia to lose to Ghana Senegal to not win by 2 Algeria to lose or Austria to lose by 2 Seems almost exactly 50/50

Guide to the 6 games today: 🇫🇷v🇳🇴: Haaland v Mbappe for group win. 🇸🇳v🇮🇶: Senegal must beat Iraq by 2+ to survive. 🇨🇻v🇸🇦: Can Cape Verde make knockouts with a tie? SA must win. 🇺🇾v🇪🇸: Uruguay must tie Spain to survive. Win avoids ARG 🇪🇬v🇮🇷: Iran must tie to survive. 🇧🇪v🇳🇿: Belgium must tie, NZ must win.

Update after 6/26 Into the knockouts? Yes (19): 🇺🇸🇲🇽🇩🇪🇫🇷🇦🇷🇳🇴🇨🇴🇨🇦🇲🇦🇨🇭🇧🇷🇧🇦🇯🇵🇳🇱🇦🇺🇸🇪🇪🇨🇨🇮🇿🇦 Basically yes (95%+): 6 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇪🇸🇵🇹🇪🇬🇬🇭🇵🇾 Very likely (80-95%): 3 🇧🇪🇭🇷🇦🇹 Nervous (40-80%): 6 🇨🇻🇩🇿🇸🇳🇨🇩🇮🇷🇰🇷 Yikes (10-40%): 2 🇺🇾🇸🇦 Basically no (<10%): 4 🇳🇿🇮🇶🇺🇿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 No (8): 🇹🇷🇯🇴🇭🇹🇹🇳🇵🇦🇶🇦🇨🇼🇨🇿 Scotland basically out barring miracle South Korea down to 48%

The last goal is exactly the type of goal that Bosnia will want to exploit. Suck in the CBs on a looping ball and expose the back post. All in all, this is fine and genuinely I'd argue the field tilt this match (50/50, with a 90% rotated squad against a team that wants the ball) is impressive