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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Read MoreThe surreal possibility hanging over Iran’s perilous World Cup campaign
Iran captain Mehdi Taremi criticises Fifa over impact of USA war at World Cup 2026
World Cup 2026 - live updates
- Iran kick off their World Cup 2026 campaign against New Zealand this evening after litany of issues
- Iranian protesters have vowed to disrupt the match to show their anger at the brutal regime's war with the US
- Kieran Jackson: The surreal possibility hanging over Iran’s perilous World Cup campaign
- Mohamed Salah and Kevin De Bruyne to go head to head for final time as Egypt face Belgium
- Jordan Henderson defends England teammate Jude Bellingham, saying 'we all love him'
Marc Cucurella completes move from Chelsea to Real Madrid in £52m deal
13:13 , Luke BakerA 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.
Marc Cucurella completes move from Chelsea to Real Madrid in £52m deal
Eberechi Eze prepared to step up in penalty shootout despite missed chance in Champions League final
12:59 , Luke BakerEberechi 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
12:45 , Luke BakerIranian 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
12:31 , Luke BakerFor 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
12:15 , Luke BakerCroatia 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
11:57 , Luke BakerAn early contender for bizarrest story of the 2026 World Cup.
Let’s just hope Graham Potter’s ear will recover...
‘Someone bit me!’: Potter reacts to bizarre injury in Sweden celebrations
Fifa urged to remove World Cup VAR official over alleged white supremacist hand gesture
11:50 , Luke BakerFifa’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.
Fifa urged to remove World Cup VAR official over alleged white supremacist gesture
Levi's change Instagram profile pic after branding covered up at World Cup
11:38 , Luke BakerJeans 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.
Levi's have changed their Instagram profile picture 😆
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) June 14, 2026
The large stadium logo had a white cover over it during the World Cup match between Qatar and Switzerland due to Fifa branding regulations ❌
Other denim products are available. 😉 pic.twitter.com/k7cREEFMN7
Mexico fan loses job after making racist gesture at Korean influencer during World Cup match
11:24 , Luke BakerA 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.
Mexico fan loses job after making racist gesture during World Cup match
Copa Independent podcast: Germany, Brazil and a tornado at the England camp
11:11 , Luke BakerThe 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
Nico O'Reilly wants England to start 'all guns blazing'
11:00 , Luke BakerSpeaking of Nico O’Reilly, he wants England to start their World Cup campaign “all guns blazing” against Croatia.
Thomas Tuchel’s men are stepping up preparations for Wednesday’s Group L opener in Dallas having arrived at their Kansas City base following a warm-weather camp in Florida.
England are among the favourites for glory this summer and O’Reilly wants them to kick off their World Cup campaign with a statement win against 2018 World Cup semi-final foes Croatia on Wednesday.
“We’ve been acclimatising to the heat, a lot of training and then with the two games where everyone got some minutes,” the Manchester City player said.
“In a way (it’s been like a pre-season) but it’s been intense. Obviously, we need to get ready for the tournament, and it’s been good. I think we just need to go out there all guns blazing and show them what we’re made of.”
How will England line up against Croatia in their 2026 World Cup opener?
10:46 , Luke BakerIs Nico O’Reilly a certain starter for England? Lawrence Ostlere has predicted the team.
How will England line up against Croatia in their 2026 World Cup opener?
Is Kai Havertz the answer to Germany’s biggest World Cup question?
10:33 , Luke BakerThere are a raft of reasons why Germany have been so disappointing at recent World Cups, but sometimes the most obvious is the most telling. Germany haven’t had an elite striker since Miroslav Klose, and it has shown.
Arguably, they still don’t. Most football fans probably couldn’t name the player wearing Germany’s No 9 at this World Cup, someone with five caps and one international goal, Stuttgart’s attacking midfielder Jamie Leweling. The question is, can Germany go deep in the World Cup without one of the tournament’s leading strikers?
Lawrence Ostlere suggests that Kai Havertz might just be the solution to their ills:
Is Kai Havertz the answer to Germany’s biggest World Cup question?
Why did Yasin Ayari refuse to celebrate his goal in Sweden’s World Cup win over Tunisia?
10:20 , Luke BakerYasin Ayari played a key role in Sweden’s 5-1 rout of Tunisia in their opening game of the World Cup - but after scoring the first goal he chose not to celebrate.
The Brighton star latched onto the rebound after Viktor Gyokeres had an early attempt blocked and volleyed past Tunisia keeper Abdelmouhib Chamakh in the seventh minute at the Estadio Monterrey.
But having enjoyed a dream start to his World Cup debut, the 22-year-old did not celebrate, instead raising his hands in apology to the opposition fans.
Find out why:
Why did Sweden’s World Cup goalscorer refuse to celebrate against Tunisia?
Gareth Southgate turned down TV work to ‘keep out of the way’
10:11 , Luke BakerFormer England manager Gareth Southgate has revealed he turned down offers for World Cup television work, opting instead to “keep out of the way” to avoid distracting the national team.
This summer's 48-team competition in North America marks the first World Cup since 1994 that Southgate will not be directly involved, following his successful tenure which saw England reach a World Cup semi-final and quarter-final, alongside back-to-back European Championship finals before his departure after Euro 2024.
Explaining his decision in an Instagram video, Southgate highlighted his extensive history with the tournament. “This is obviously a very different tournament for me this one, I have been at the last seven World Cups as a player, as a broadcaster, as a scout and then as a manager,” he said.
“This time I took a conscious decision not to do the TV. I didn’t think it would be helpful for me to be talking about the team.”
He further elaborated on his desire to prevent any potential misinterpretations. "I don’t want anything to be misconstrued or thrown at them in press conferences. So, best for me to keep out of the way.”
How Spain have developed ‘tiki-taka 2.0’ in pursuit of World Cup glory
09:59 , Luke BakerLamine Yamal’s potential absence from Spain’s opener would be a blow – but, as Chris Wilson writes, there are plenty of interchangeable pieces within the European champions’ squad.
How Spain have developed ‘tiki-taka 2.0’ in pursuit of World Cup glory
Lamine Yamal faces fitness race for Spain opener
09:50 , Luke BakerLamine Yamal is touch-and-go to be fit for Spain’s World Cup opener against Cape Verde this evening.
The 18-year-old superstar has been out since late April due to a left hamstring injury but is now back in full squad training.
Boss Luis de la Fuente has suggested he is ready to play some minutes but may be cautious with the teenager, who lit up the Euros as a 16-year-old two years ago.
“The good news is that Lamine is in perfect condition,” De la Fuente said in a pre-match press conference on Sunday. “He's arrived at this point in the state in which we wanted him to be. He’s fine, just like Nico [Williams] and Victor [Munoz]. They're all available, although some won't play the entire game.
“The doctors say Lamine can play tomorrow without any issues. Not to play 90 minutes, but to play some minutes, yes... The process [with Williams] is similar. They've been working together a lot of days, a lot of hours, and with the relationship they have, they've been happy. They could play, if we think the game demands it.”
Tornado hits Kansas City hours after England arrive at World Cup base with players told to shelter
09:42 , Luke BakerIt seems like everyone was alright – but it was a pretty hairy welcome to Kansas City for England over the weekend
Tornado hits Kansas City hours after England arrive at World Cup base
Germany hit seven but Curacao’s moment justifies new format
09:30 , Luke BakerKai Havertz scored a brace as Germany opened their World Cup campaign with a dominant 7-1 victory over debutants Curacao in Houston.
Felix Nmecha opened the scoring just six minutes in, but Germany were slightly stunned when Livano Comenencia levelled for minnows Curacao, making their maiden appearance at a World Cup, suggesting that the expanded new format is worthwhile when nations can produce moments that inspire generations.
However, a Nico Schlotterbeck header and Havertz penalty soon restored Germany’s advantage at half-time. A comfortable display saw further goals in the second half from Jamal Musiala, Nathaniel Brown, Deniz Undav and Havertz as Germany wrapped up three points in their first Group E game.
Curacao’s historic moment vindicates Fifa’s bloated 48-nation World Cup
Japanese fans leave their mark off the pitch at World Cup
09:21 , Luke BakerJapanese fans had plenty to celebrate after their 2-2 draw with the Netherlands at the Dallas Stadium in Texas but once again they will make headlines for an incredible gesture after the full-time whistle of the World Cup 2026 clash.
As usual in sporting events of this size, the stands of the stadium became littered with rubbish, such as food trays and empty drinks cups, but Japan’s supporters remained behind and cleaned up before departing the stadium.
Experts in Japanese culture cite a proverb: "tatsu tori ato wo nigosazu" which, when translated into English, means "stand up, take care of it, without leaving any traces behind" as one reason why Japan supporters tidy up after themselves.
Japanese fans deliver incredible gesture after World Cup clash with Netherlands
Sweden’s deadly duo Isak and Gyokeres both off the mark in win over Tunisia
09:11 , Luke BakerOne of the big challenges for successive Sweden managers has been how to get the best out of Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres on the same pitch, at the same time. Graham Potter’s solution against Tunisia was to play a 3-5-2 formation in which his star strikers were paired together, and it paid off with a 5-1 win in which both players got on the scoresheet – as Brighton’s Yasin Ayari scored two belters from range against his mother’s country.
The forward pair were helped by some poor Tunisian defending and goalkeeping, and there remain some question marks over their link-up play. At one point during the second half, Gyokeres should have played Isak through on goal but the Arsenal striker dallied and when he eventually passed, Isak was offside. Gyokeres’s goal might technically have been an Isak assist, but Isak was trying to score himself and the ball only ran to his strike partner when he lost control under pressure.
So perhaps there is still something to work on to develop a thriving partnership in which they are as happy to pass to one another as to take on the shot. But for Potter and Sweden, just seeing their star duo play together is a huge boost after Isak’s season of injuries. Group F rivals Netherlands and Japan will be wary of the threat Sweden pose.
Jordan Henderson defends England teammate Jude Bellingham: 'We all love him'
08:58 , Luke BakerAs 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 of the Real Madrid midfielder is way off the mark.
It has been suggested that one of the reasons Thomas Tuchel wanted veteran Henderson in his World Cup squad was his good relationship with Bellingham, who has developed a reputation externally as something of a tricky character.
“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 Jude 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.
“I do think a lot of the media and the stuff that gets written isn’t all true to be honest, or a lot of it is actually untrue. But 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.”
The unwanted Premier League reality exposed by Mohamed Salah and Kevin De Bruyne’s World Cup showdown
08:54 , Luke BakerFor two ageing greats who contested an epic rivalry over years, the World Cup could provide a last duel. Not Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi – or not definitely, anyway, given the number of results required to ensure that Portugal actually do meet Argentina in the Kansas City quarter-final – but Kevin De Bruyne and Mohamed Salah.
They have met in the Community Shield, the Champions League and the Carabao Cup but theirs is primarily a Premier League battle. Now for the north-west of the United States not the north-west of England. They meet in Seattle as captains of Belgium and Egypt and arguably the Premier League’s two best players of the last decade.
There are cases for Harry Kane and Virgil van Dijk, one for Erling Haaland that is based on a much briefer stay in the division, but De Bruyne and Salah allied creativity with class, assists with goals, medals with magnificence, individual exploits with collective achievement.
Richard Jolly analyses a final showdown between two Premier League greats:
The unwanted Premier League reality exposed by Belgium v Egypt at World Cup
Iran captain Mehdi Taremi criticises Fifa over impact of USA war at World Cup
08:50 , Luke BakerIran captain Mehdi Taremi has criticised Fifa, with his team is having a challenging World Cup experience amid the multifold disruptions created by their nation's war with the US.
The Iranians arrived in the Los Angeles area on Sunday from their training base in Tijuana, Mexico, ahead of their clash with New Zealand this evening, while visa issues have plagued members of their delegation and travelling fans have been 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.”
Uruguay blame Fifa after flight chaos hurts plans for World Cup opener
08:38 , Luke BakerUruguay’s national team have blamed Fifa after a chaotic start to their World Cup campaign following the delay to their travel from their Mexico base to Miami for their first match.
Marcelo Bielsa’s side have travelled to Cancun for final preparations before getting their World Cup underway against Saudi Arabia on Monday but the squad were left waiting as their prepared plane didn’t have clearance to fly to the US. The problem facing the team was reportedly due to issues with paperwork for the aircraft which meant it had not been approved to take the route from Cancun to Miami.
The Uruguayan FA maintained Fifa was responsible, while adding in a statement: “Due to problems beyond the control of the AUF, the departure from Mexico has been delayed. The squad is resting at the hotel. The new departure time set by FIFA is 4.15pm.”
A Fifa statement read: “Due to an airline permitting error in Mexico, the Uruguay national team’s departure from Cancun to Miami was delayed. The airline has apologised for the inconvenience caused.”
World Cup 2026 - live updates
08:36 , Luke BakerWelcome to The Independent’s live coverage of the 2026 World Cup.
The tournament rolls on after a goalfest on Sunday, with Uruguay’s travel chaos and Iran’s litany of issues dominating the news
