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Brian Brobbey scores for the second game in a row as Netherlands defeat Tunisia 3-1 to top Group F, setting up a match against Morocco in the last 32 at the World Cup.

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Japan demonstrate their class on the ball with an easy-on-the-eye team goal to take the lead against Sweden in their World Cup Group F battle.

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BBC Sport and British YouTube collective the Sidemen will team up to produce a World Cup watchalong for Germany's group game against Ecuador on Thursday on YouTube and BBC iPlayer. Germany have already qualified for the knockout stages, and Ecuador could still secure their spot with a win. As well as being available on BBC Football's YouTube channel, the watchalong will also be on Sidemen's MoreSidemen YouTube channel. Four members of the Sidemen (Tobi Brown, Simon Minter, Ethan Payne and Josh Bradley) will host the pre-match build-up from 20:45 BST before providing their own commentary and analysis through the game. The watchalong and World Cup game will only be available to UK viewers. "Millions of fans now follow football through creators, streams and social platforms alongside traditional broadcasts. This is about bringing those worlds together," Alex Kay-Jelski, director of BBC Sport, said. "The Sidemen have built one of the biggest communities anywhere online and we're excited to work with them on something that has never been done before at a World Cup. "It's a chance to reach audiences in new ways while still delivering the live action that matters most." Ecuador v Germany is also live on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, with radio commentary available on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds. The other final group game in Group E, between Curacao and the Ivory Coast, will also kick off at 21:00. Best World Cup stadium? BBC Sport experts have their say What do Scotland need to make World Cup knockouts? How Pochettino has US believing they can be World Cup winners Everything you need to know about the World Cup

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Brazil's Vinicius Junior has a goal ruled out against Scotland for a foul in the build up after the referee is sent to watch it again by VAR.

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Switzerland seal their place in the first knockout round of the World Cup by beating co-hosts Canada to top Group B.

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Cristiano Ronaldo becomes the first player to score in six World Cups as his double helps Portugal thrash Uzbekistan.

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Comments It is fast becoming a Golden Boot race for the ages. Lionel Messi leads the way with five goals from two games. Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland are second in the standings with four goals each. This is only the second time in World Cup history where three players have scored four or more times after two matches - and the first since since 1954. It was another extraordinary few hours of goalscoring from some of the best forwards football has seen. Messi was up first - breaking the World Cup goals record with a double for Argentina against Austria. Mbappe responded in kind with two goals in France's weather-delayed victory against Iraq on his 100th international appearance. And it was Haaland's turn soon after, scoring twice as Norway beat Senegal to qualify for the last 32. Not a bad start to his own World Cup career. Anything one can do, the others can do better. It has that feel about it at the moment - and this is before England's Harry Kane has the chance to add to his opening-day double against Ghana on Tuesday. There is a growing sense we are seeing something special as the world's best set records tumbling on the sport's biggest stage. French football expert Julien Laurens told BBC Sport: "With the big stars, they want the ball all the time. "I guess part of it is that they're not just chasing the Golden Boot, a handful of them are chasing the all-time record too." This tournament started with Germany's Miroslav Klose top of the all-time World Cup goalscoring charts with 16 goals. Two games in and 38-year-old Messi now leads the way with 18 goals from 28 World Cup games, having scored all five of Argentina's goals so far at this edition. The Frenchman has pulled level with Klose, scoring 16 goals in as many matches, and will have his sights set on becoming the first striker to win multiple Golden Boots - as will Kane - and eclipsing Messi's total. Laurens said: "We thought it could be the Kylian Mbappe show again because of the incredible record he is chasing, now owned by Lionel Messi." And how long before we are talking about Manchester City's scoring phenomenon Haaland with the record in his sights? It won't be by the end of this tournament - but if he keeps up his current rate he will be in the mix in the future. The 25-year-old is just the sixth player to score multiple goals in each of his first two World Cup appearances - and has a remarkable tally of 59 goals in 52 Norway appearances. Former Scotland striker Ally McCoist told ITV: "In terms of natural footballing ability, Messi is out in front, with Kylian Mbappe probably in second. But in front of goal Haaland is as good as it gets. "It is impossible to compare these players. Harry Kane is a better all-round footballer than Haaland as well. "But in terms of putting the ball in the back of the net, Haaland is probably the best out there. When it comes to finishing, he takes some beating." Ex-England midfielder Karen Carney added on ITV: "It was a superstar day. Messi stole the show, but what performances from Mbappe and Haaland as well. Let's hope Harry Kane can get in on the act on Tuesday." Two-goal Haaland fires Norway into last 32 with win over Senegal Mbappe double as France beat Iraq after two-hour delay Record-breaking Messi scores twice as Argentina progress 'They're so inevitable'Records have been falling from day one for the game's most feared forwards. Messi now leading the all-time World Cup list has taken a lot of the headlines, and rightly so. But he isn't the only one who has been setting records this tournament. Mbappe now tops France's goalscoring charts, Haaland is Norway's leading World Cup scorer - after just two games - while Kane has equalled Gary Lineker's World Cup record for England. And all of them will have their sights set on France's Just Fontaine's 1958 record of 13 goals scored in one tournament. 958. Only three players - Fontaine, Gerd Muller for Germany in 1970 and Hungary's Sandor Kocsis in 1954 - have ever hit double figures at a single World Cup. It would not be a surprise if that select list has grown by the end of this tournament. The new 48-team format certainly looks to have increased the potential for goals. With more lower-ranked teams, the world's best attackers have prospered. The World Cup winners will also have to play one extra round than ever before - again increasing the chances of scoring goals. Former France defender Gael Clichy told BBC Sport: "Kylian Mbappe is part of the generation which [has] that fearless factor. "I remember when I started you had to give respect to the older generation when you came in, and you were not trying to do a nutmeg to the old men. "This generation, they have respect, but differently. Don't talk about age, talk about performance." So, back to the small matter of the race for the Golden Boot. "It's not something I'm thinking about right now," said Mbappe. "Leo always scores. He always has and always will. "If I start watching him, I'll feel like I have to do even more, so no, I don't watch what he's doing. I'm only thinking about helping my team - by helping the team, I score goals and get closer to that kind of level." Norway boss Stale Solbakken has, perhaps unsurprisingly, pushed Haaland's cause. "He is the best striker - he is not playing for France or Argentina, he scores for Norway. He's scored four goals now, two braces on the biggest stage," he said. "It's easier to win the Golden Boot when you play for France and Argentina, but we'll try to give Erling more games, and more help also in the next games. So he's on fire and I'm very happy for him that he can score on the biggest stage." USA striker Folarin Balogun has made a decent enough start to the tournament himself, with two goals in his first two games. But he probably summed it up the best, when he joked: "I think it's annoying. Seeing players like Messi, Mbappe, Haaland - they're so inevitable. I think they're scoring a goal a game, sometimes more. "For me, it's just about trying to get to that level - to be inevitable as well." What information do we collect from this quiz?Related topicsFootballFIFA World Cup 2026ArgentinaFranceNorwayEngland Men's Football TeamMessi becomes World Cup all-time leading scorer - how has he stayed at the top? A defender's view on how to stop the World Cup's best strikers Why Kane is different at this World Cup - Shearer Everything you need to know about the World Cup

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The flags of Saudi Arabia and Iraq have not been laid on the ground during World Cup pre-match ceremonies because they include religious wording. Giant flags of each nation are displayed on the pitch before every match. Most are laid on the ground as the teams enter the pitch and are then rolled up and taken away by volunteers. There have been exceptions, though. Some flags have been carried above the ground and the common denominator is that these games have either featured Saudi Arabia or Iraq. Their flags are treated with stricter care and the reason lies in religious script. Saudi Arabia's flag carries the Shahada - the Islamic declaration of faith ("There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is His messenger") - written above a sword. Iraq's flag carries the Takbir, the Arabic phrase "Allahu Akbar", meaning "God is greatest", a phrase Muslims use in daily prayer, at moments of celebration, and in the Islamic call to prayer. It is shorter than the wording on Saudi Arabia's flag, but it is the same principle - sacred religious wording rendered permanently into the national flag. Because both flags contain words used in Islamic prayer and worship, treating them like ordinary cloth - laying them on the ground, sitting on them, using them as towels, or balling them up - is considered disrespectful in Islamic tradition. It is not the same as objecting to a flag being burned or trampled as a national insult - it is specifically about protecting the sanctity of the words themselves. Letting religious text touch the ground or get dirty is seen as an insult to the faith, not just the country. For Saudi Arabia, this goes further. The Saudi flag must never touch the ground or water, and is not lowered to half-mast, because doing so would be seen as lowering the Shahada itself. For fans, players and broadcasters covering both nations, it is a reminder that these flags carry a dual meaning - national and religious - and are treated accordingly. Play BBC Sport's new World Cup predictor game Everything you need to know about the World Cup

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After beating Haiti in their opening game, Scotland face a step up in class against Morocco, who are unquestionably a rising force in world football. The Atlas Lions became the first African and first Arab nation to reach a World Cup semi-final in 2022 and have built on that momentum. They are ranked sixth in the world and showed that is no anomaly with an impressive display versus Brazil on Saturday, earning a deserved 1-1 draw against the five-time world champions. BBC Sport takes a look at five key players Scotland need to watch out for. Club: Lille Age: 18 Position: Midfielder Caps: 4 Goals: 0 The teenage playmaker only won his first cap shortly before this tournament but announced himself on the world stage with a midfield masterclass against Brazil. He combined effective defensive work and elegant ball-carrying with metronomic distribution, completing 60 of 66 passes and running rings around Casemiro, who was taken off at half-time. But the performance came as no surprise to head coach Mohamed Ouahbi, who said afterwards: "We knew perfectly well what kind of player he was, that's why we had so many meetings to get him to choose Morocco". Bouaddi was born in France to Moroccan parents and was playing for Les Bleus' under-21 side only three months ago. He switched allegiance last month. Though only 18, Bouaddi has already made 96 senior appearances for Lille. The 6ft 1in player is a prodigy in every sense. He took the equivalent of his A-levels a year ahead of his peers and is combining football with a degree in mathematics, reasoning that keeping his mind alert helps him "understand the game quicker". Club: PSV Eindhoven Age: 25 Position: Attacking midfielder/Forward Caps: 31 Goals: 10 Morocco had success against Brazil by deploying Saibari as a false nine – a ploy which paid off as he put his side ahead with an intelligent run into space and a nonchalant chip over Alisson. Whether or not he plays the same role against the Scots, Saibari is a major threat and arrived at this tournament as Eredivisie player of the year after a career-best 19 goals in all competitions in 2025-26. Though born in Spain, he moved to Belgium at an early age, spending time in the youth academies of several Belgian clubs before making his PSV debut in 2020. The 25-year-old was involved in a bizarre incident in January's Africa Cup of Nations final, when he and several Moroccan ball boys tried to prevent Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy from retrieving a towel to dry his rain-soaked gloves. He later apologised to Mendy and was given a one-match ban, with another game suspended. Club: Al Hilal Age: 35 Position: Goalkeeper Caps: 91 Clean sheets: 52 Bounou made several important saves to preserve a point for his side against Brazil, in the process becoming his country's oldest player to feature at a Wo3rld Cup. Known as 'Bono', he played a key role in Morocco's run to the semi-finals in 2022, saving two penalties in the last-16 shootout win against Spain. He was awarded the prestigious Order of the Throne by King Mohammed VI for his heroics in Qatar. Bounou was born in Montreal but grew up in Casablanca and made his name during 11 seasons of club football in Spain. A two-time Europa League winner with Sevilla, the former Girona and Zaragoza goalkeeper joined Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia in 2023-24. Diaz's perfectly weighted through ball for Saibari's opener on Saturday was arguably the pass of the tournament, bisecting Brazil's backline in a moment of individual brilliance. The 5ft 7in player made headlines around the world when he missed a casually-taken 'Panenka' penalty in the Africa Cup of Nations final against Senegal in January - although he had scored five goals in the first five games of the continental tournament. He was born in Malaga to a Spanish mother, while his father was born in Melilla - a Spanish city on the North African coast - into a Moroccan family. Diaz joined Manchester City as a 16-year-old in 2015 and made 16 appearances - earning a Premier League winner's medal in 2017-18 - before joining Real Madrid seven years ago. Club: Manchester United Age : 28 Position: Defence Caps: 45 Goals: 2 The Manchester United full-back has played in six different positions for club and country over the past two years, including an attacking midfield role, although he is most likely to start at left-back for the Teranga Lions. Mazraoui was a key member of the Morocco side that reached the World Cup semi-finals in 2022. After he was substituted in the last-four defeat to France, it emerged he had been suffering from inflamed heart tissue after contracting Covid-19 during the tournament. This article is the latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team. Everything you need to know about the World Cup

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Even factoring in the three minutes for the hydration break, the added time has been surprisingly low - sometimes only five or six minutes going up on the board. In Qatar, matches were lasting on average more than 100 minutes. But at this tournament - ignoring the time for hydration breaks - matches are clocking up 96 minutes. "The goal we want to achieve is to increase the tempo of the match," Collina said ahead of the finals. Collina introduced a number of measures, such as putting five-second countdowns on goal-kicks and throw-ins. Tactics were introduced to try to limit how teams would break up games, by placing a 10-second clock on substitutions and forcing players who require treatment to stay off the field for one minute. The changes have, so far, been well received in the United States, Mexico and Canada. But do the stats show that Collina's masterplan is actually working? Collina's philosophy was pretty simple. If you stop players taking too long over the mundane tasks, that time could be given back to the game without adding it on at the end. "The objective is to eliminate, as much as possible, the disruption of the tempo of the match," Collina explained. This was never supposed to be about awarding loads of corners, or being strict on substitutions. The aim was to change behaviour or, as Collina put it, "players will respect the limit". Only one goal-kick has been changed to a corner, when DR Congo took too long during their 1-1 draw with Portugal on Wednesday. There have been no cases of a substitute not being allowed to enter the pitch because the substituted player has taken too long to leave the field. So you have to forget about the old way of doing things, like adding 30 seconds for each sub. Now players leave the field within 10 seconds. For that reason, you might see substitutions take place in stoppage time and no more additional time added. It at least feels like there have been fewer stoppages for injuries, while referees have been quick to tell some players they must go off even if they don't have the physio on. The threat of playing with 10 men for at least a minute appears to be working as a deterrent. The video assistant referee checking corners does not seem to have impacted games, though Fifa has many more video match officials and enhanced technology which would not be available to the domestic leagues. With goalkeeper tactical time-outs banned too, games appear to have a had a better flow to them. VAR, timewasting and subs - World Cup law changes explained Previously, the target was to get to 60 minutes, but that has proved very difficult to achieve. Even in Qatar, with all that added time, Fifa could only get up to 58:03 of actual football. First off, the automatic six minutes applied for hydration breaks has been removed. This is effectively not part of a regular match time. The average length of matches at this World Cup is 96:08 - just over six minutes additional across both halves. In Qatar, it was 102 minutes 43 seconds for the first round of games - more than double the stoppage time. Yet in Russia it was 96 minutes 54 seconds, only slightly higher that this summer's edition. All three tournaments had four on-field VAR reviews. So, games are shorter at this World Cup than at either of the previous two. But is this strategy backed up by the average ball-in-play time? In Russia, it was 54 minutes 50 seconds. With so much stoppage time, it should be no surprise that went up to 58 minutes eight seconds in Qatar There has been a small reduction to 57 minutes 22 seconds at this World Cup. Does that mean it has not quite worked. The best way to truly judge it might be to look at the relative ball-in-play time. What percentage of the length of a match is football being played? That is where we see this World Cup is the most effective - 59.38% of the match time has seen the ball in play. Qatar, with the games being so long, was below this at 56.86% and Russia at 56.25%. It is early days for Collina's masterplan, but so far it appears to be working. Whether the same impact can last 380 Premier League matches might be more of a challenge. Play BBC Sport's new World Cup predictor game Everything you need to know about the World Cup

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The durable core of Croatia's side continues to defy the ageing process. Their third place at the 2022 World Cup followed on from being runners-up four years earlier. Six players remain from the 2018 tournament, in which they beat England in the semi-finals, with the majority of the regular midfielders and forwards now well into their 30s. Ranked 11th in the world, Croatia will once more provide a stern test for England in Wednesday's Group L opener. BBC Sport takes a look at five key players England need to watch out for. Club: Tottenham Hotspur Age: 19 Position: Defender Caps: 5 Goals: 1 The 6ft 4in teenager greatly enhanced his reputation on loan in Germany in 2025-26 as promoted Hamburg finished 13th. Vuskovic was shortlisted for both the Bundesliga player of the season and rookie of the season awards, as voted for by fans, clubs and selected media. He could be the main beneficiary if Croatia play with a three-man defence - his four starts for his country prior to the World Cup all came in the middle of a back three and he scored in the March friendly win over Colombia. Head coach Zlatko Dalic said in April that Vuskovic "will be one of the pillars of our national team for the next 10 years". Gvardiol only returned on 13 May after a four-month absence caused by a fractured shinbone in his right leg during a Premier League draw against Chelsea. He started all 14 of Croatia's games across the past three major tournaments, with their opening Euro 2020 defeat by England marking his first start for the national side. It made him Croatia's youngest ever player in a major tournament, aged 19. Gvardiol was hailed as "the best centre-back in the world" by Croatia's head coach Zlatko Dalic during the 2022 World Cup. He played every minute for Croatia in Qatar and gave them the lead with a diving header in the third-place play-off victory over Morocco. He will likely play in central defence if Croatia opt for a back three or else at left-back in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Club: AC Milan Age: 40 Position: Midfielder Caps: 198 Goals: 29 Croatia's captain and talisman has recovered from a fractured cheekbone on 26 April to stay on course for his 200th cap this summer. Modric, the 2018 Ballon d'Or winner, is yet to decide on his future following AC Milan's failure to qualify for the Champions League. He was heavily relied on to dictate the team's tempo in 2025-26 and played his most league minutes (2,788) in a season since 2010-11 with Spurs. A glorious 13 years at Real Madrid began ignominiously when he was voted 'worst signing of 2012' in a poll by Madrid-based sports daily Marca. But Modric more than proved his worth - claiming 28 trophies, including six Champions Leagues and four La Liga titles at Real. Club: Inter Milan Age: 22 Position: Midfielder Caps: 17 Goals: 1 An emerging force, Sucic has won the domestic double in his first season in Italy and become a regular in central midfield for Croatia. He made six starts in World Cup qualifying - five in a box-to-box role and one in an advanced position at home to the Faroe Islands when Croatia switched to a 3-4-2-1 system. Renowned former Croatia international Robert Prosinecki said of him last summer: "Inter has found a player who can cover every midfield role, and I'm sure Sucic will become a pillar of the new era." He was born in Bosnia to Croatian parents and spent his childhood on the family farm there in a small village, helping to milk the cows in the mornings. Cousin Luka Sucic, who plays for Real Sociedad, is also part of Croatia's World Cup squad. Club: Hoffenheim Age: 34 Position: Forward Caps: 116 Goals: 36 The evergreen attacker is the third-highest goalscorer in Croatia's history, two behind Ivan Perisic and nine off Davor Suker's record prior to the World Cup. He scored six goals in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, aided by finally playing regularly in his preferred position behind the striker after years of spearheading the attack or playing out wide. Leicester City's one-time £9.7m record signing started all seven of Croatia's World Cup games in 2022, scoring twice in a group win against Canada. Kramaric scored 15 goals for Hoffenheim in 2025-26. He has spent a decade at the German club and is their all-time top scorer with 158 goals. Ask Me Anything is a service dedicated to answering your questions. We want to reward your time by telling you things you do not know and reminding you of things you do. The team will find out everything you need to know and be able to call upon a network of contacts including our experts and pundits. We will be answering your questions from the heart of the BBC Sport newsroom, and going behind the scenes at some of the world's biggest sporting events. Our coverage will span the BBC Sport website, app, social media and YouTube accounts, plus BBC TV and radio.

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ShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleGeorge Carden,in Gatwick AirportandJoshua Askew,South EastEngland fans heading to the World Cup have said they cannot wait to watch the football. Waiting for a flight at Gatwick Airport to the US, Andrew and Kelly and their 10-year-old son Christian told the BBC they thought the Three Lions would do "really well". "I hope they bring it home," said Christian. The family, from Stockport, will spend a week in Las Vegas and then watch the England-Ghana game in Boston on 23 June. "It's going to be a once-in-a-lifetime trip, especially as I am bringing my son with me," said Andrew. "It does not matter how much the cost is as long as we enjoy it." Emeline, from Corby, said she was "over the moon" to be heading to the World Cup with her family. Matches are being played in the US, Mexico and Canada. "It's been on my bucket list for the last 30 years to watch an England game," she said. "I am very happy we get to enjoy this as a family," added her husband Norbert. Also speaking to BBC Radio Sussex at Gatwick Airport, the trio said they would be watching England's match against Croatia in Dallas on Wednesday. "I think England have a really strong squad this year," said Emeline. "But I have been saying that for years." "It has been 60 years of hurting," she added. However, Emeline's daughter Savannah said she was most excited about the food. "America has so many things I have wanted to try since I was little," she said. "I have been dying to go to Target since I was eight." George Dolce, a US citizen who studies in the UK, said he had just returned from watching a match in his home country. "It was amazing," he told BBC Radio Sussex. "The crowd was electric. "It was like nothing I have ever seen."

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Marko Stamenic was eight years old when he sat down alongside his father to watch New Zealand's most recent World Cup appearance. Sixteen years on, the All Whites are back at football's biggest tournament and Stamenic, now an elegant, powerful midfielder, will be at the heart of their team. Stamenic, of Swansea City, is set to join the small band of Kiwi footballers who have played at a World Cup when New Zealand kick off their Group B campaign against Iran in Los Angeles in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Tragically, his dad will not be there to see it happen. Nikola Stamenic, a key influence on his son's footballing career, died suddenly last October. In an emotional tribute at the time, Stamenic described his father as being "the best man I will ever know". A little over seven months on, the 24-year-old says he is always thinking of his father – and that there are "goose bumps every time". "I don't really think he's not with us, in a way," Stamenic says. "I'm always thinking of him when I step on the field, whether that's for the national team or for Swansea. "He had a huge, huge part in my life and all of our lives in my family and there is a huge hole in all of our hearts now. "But I know he's watching from above and I hope we're making him proud." New Zealand's Group G meeting with Iran is their first World Cup tournament game since 2010. Last time round, they went home after the group stage despite not being beaten in South Africa, where they drew with Slovakia, Italy and Paraguay. Stamenic recalls waking up early in the morning to watch those games with his dad. "I remember telling him 'I want to do that, I want to play at the World Cup for New Zealand'," he says. "I'm over the moon that the chance has come." Stamenic is one of the key players in a New Zealand side beaten 1-0 by England in their final pre-tournament warm-up game. That was a more encouraging result than the 4-0 friendly loss to Haiti three days earlier. New Zealand, who are making just a third World Cup appearance, are one of the tournament's rank outsiders but Stamenic says there is belief they can get out of a group which also features Egypt and Belgium. "I don't think a New Zealand team has ever won a game in the World Cup so that's definitely a target for us," he says. "I think with the new format, possibly a win could get you through the group. "I'm quite optimistic wherever I'm playing, whether it's Swansea or my national team, and I do believe we have the quality to do that." Stamenic heads into the World Cup on the back of an encouraging first season at Swansea, who he joined from Nottingham Forest last summer. He made 38 appearances for the Championship side, scoring three goals, and is likely to have a significant part to play as Vitor Matos' team target a play-off push in 2026-27. Stamenic made a positive impression in Wales despite having to deal with the loss of his mentor, after which he missed four Swansea games while on compassionate leave. "My dad always used to tell me that no matter the problems going on outside the pitch, once you step on that pitch you forget about it all," Stamenic says. "I've had amazing support from all the staff, all the players in Swansea as well as my national team, to help me through this part of my life. "I'm just grateful for all the help I've received." He won the Danish title in 2022-23, then the Serbian top flight with Red Star Belgrade the following year and the Greek Super League while playing for Olympiacos in 2024-25. An 11th-place finish with Swansea meant an end to Stamenic's sequence of league successes - yet he claims he has not yet given up hope of continuing his run of landing silverware this summer. "I've still got the World Cup to come, so maybe we can win that," he says with a smile. Latest Swansea City news, analysis and fan views

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Former England manager Gareth Southgate says he turned down work as a pundit at the World Cup because he did not think it would be "helpful" to the side's chances. Southgate resigned from his position after England were defeated by Spain in the Euro 2024 final. The 55-year-old led England for 102 games over eight years, guiding them to the finals of two European Championships and the 2018 World Cup semi-final. "It's obviously a very different tournament for me this one, I've been at the last seven World Cups as a player, as a broadcaster, a scout and then as the manager," Southgate said in a post on Instagram, external. "So 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 and I don't want anything to be misconstrued or thrown at them at press conferences, so best for me to keep out of the way." England's World Cup campaign begins on Wednesday (21:00 BST) when they take on Croatia in Arlington, Texas. They then have matches against Ghana on Tuesday, 23 June (21:00 BST) and Panama on Saturday, 27 June (22:00 BST). Sir Alf Ramsey, 1966 World Cup winner, is the only other manager to have guided England's men's team to a major tournament final. BBC Sport pundits choose England World Cup XIs - who would you pick? He said he believes England are "ready to win" a World Cup. "Good luck to all the boys," Southgate said. "I know all the big knockout nights that we've had mean they are going to be full of confidence going into this tournament. They have overcome so many hurdles to winning - penalty shootouts, semi-finals, got so close - and they are ready to win. "Hope everybody has a great month - and I'll be staying out of the way." Earlier this week, England midfielder Jude Bellingham said "expectation" played a part in the Three Lions' group not connecting "as well as it could" and that players "needed to feel loved" this summer. Of their Euro 2024 campaign, Bellingham said: "We had done well in 2018 and done well in Qatar [for the 2022 World Cup], and when it came to that tournament we were seen as one of two or three teams that should win it. "We were not playing particularly well so even when we were winning you didn't get the feeling you were as happy as you should be." In a new BBC documentary, Southgate addresses the crisis he feels boys and young men are facing, and explores what is shaping the attitudes and outlook of this generation. Everything you need to know about the World Cup

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220 Comments "We care way more about the Knicks than the World Cup right now." New York is witnessing a moment of sports history - and it has nothing to do with football. On Saturday night the New York Knicks clinched their first NBA championship in 53 years with a 4-1 series win over the San Antonio Spurs, and the long-awaited victory sent fans into a frenzy. Fewer than 10 miles away, Brazil faced Morocco in the sixth game of the football World Cup, but it was at Madison Square Garden where scenes were electric. Thousands of fans gathered - around the home of the Knicks that is often referred to as 'the mecca of basketball' - for an outdoor watch party, despite the game being played in Texas. Nearby bars were overflowing with anxious New Yorkers who hung on every shot and call during the incredibly close game five in the best-of-seven series. It is an interesting position for a city in the middle of co-hosting the World Cup. "People live and shed tears here for basketball," Knicks fan Raymond Yu told the BBC. "We care way more about the Knicks than the World Cup right now." While Americans were never considered the biggest football fans in the world, New York in particular - with its diverse communities - always had a stronger tie to the game. But the Knicks' win has overshadowed the World Cup for now. At the Molly Wee Pub, when a win seemed likely a young college student remarked to his friends: "Oh my god, I'm going to see the Knicks win the Finals. I can't believe it." Once it was official, he and everyone else in the bar rushed into the streets screaming at the top of their lungs and embracing complete strangers. The celebrations swelled and lasted well into the early hours of the morning, with people climbing light poles and setting off fireworks, while police on foot and even horseback tried to make sure the chaos was controlled. Among them was Matthew Sorbonne, who told BBC Sport what the win meant to him. "I watched them since I was a kid. This means everything to me. For 25 straight years they've been garbage. Finally we have a win," he said. Knicks end 53-year wait for NBA Championship New York's mayor Zohran Mamdani very quickly announced that a ticker tape parade down the canyon of heroes would be held on Thursday for the Knicks. City Hall and municipal buildings across the city will also be illuminated in blue and orange on that day to celebrate the victory. Mamdani said: "New Yorkers have cheered for our team from packed living rooms in the Bronx to watch parties in Brooklyn, from bars in Queens to Staten Island to Manhattan, and Madison Square Garden itself. Now it's time for our city to celebrate together. Bing bong." That, along with the Knicks players' return from San Antonio, will preoccupy this city with basketball for a few more days. Even those wearing football jerseys on the streets of Manhattan admitted the World Cup could never match this excitement in the US. Wearing a Lionel Messi jersey, Jeff, who did not give his surname, said that, while he liked the Argentina legend, the Knicks were more important at the moment than the World Cup. "Messi has a championship. I want the Knicks to get one," he said. New Yorkers have also been waiting longer for a Knicks win than the opportunity to host another World Cup, which was last hosted by the US in 1994. But with the city riding on good vibes from the Knicks, that could easily spill into upcoming World Cup matches. In fact, the end of the series means avoiding a nightmare scenario where game six of the NBA Finals would have clashed with the France-Senegal game in the city on Tuesday. One fan said he would try to watch some World Cup matches, given he has enjoyed seeing fans from other countries in New York showing their pride and seeing their love of the sport. Those international fans probably did not realise they would also get to experience New York's true passion.