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Fans of Qatar cheer during the 2026 World Cup qualifier against the United Arab Emirates. Photograph: Noushad Thekkayil/NurPhoto/Getty ImagesUnimpressive in qualification and with preparation disrupted, at least the squad will not be burdened with the pressure of hosting this timeThis article is part of the Guardian’s 2026 World Cup Experts’ Network, a cooperation between some of the best media organisations from the 48 countries who qualified. theguardian.com is running previews from three countries each day in the run-up to the tournament kicking off on 11 June.The 2022 hosts’ preparations for the tournament were disrupted as the US-Iran war caused the cancellation of valuable friendlies against Serbia and champions Argentina in March. The coach, Julen Lopetegui, had wanted as many minutes as possible with his players, having only been appointed in May 2025. Worryingly, they had won only one out of 11 games under the former Spain and Real Madrid manager before the World Cup warm-up games.Lopetegui did what he had to do though, making sure Qatar reached the World Cup finals, but it was a close call. The Maroons finished fourth out of six teams in the main qualifying group before – aided by home advantage and a favourable schedule – drawing 0-0 with Oman and beating UAE 2-1 to ensure qualification.The Spanish coach, the latest of several Iberian appointments (Félix Sánchez, Bruno Pinheiro, Carlos Queiroz, Tintín Márquez and Luis García) has tried out several different formations but is likely to go with a 4-2-3-1 when the tournament starts.The lessons from the last World Cup have been debated at length. Then, it was over pretty much before it had started as the hosts, perhaps burdened by a buildup that lasted 12 years, went 2-0 down within 31 minutes of their opening game to Ecuador, and it could have been even more.Expect a more solid set-up this time around; a focus on keeping things tight and looking to hit group opponents Canada, Switzerland and Bosnia and Herzegovina on the counter. There is work to be done as the team were all over the place defensively in qualifying, finishing the main round with a goal difference of minus seven after conceding 24 times in 10 games. Lopetegui has been trying to get to grips with that particular problem and we will soon see how successful he has been in that respect.Going forward there will be special attention to set pieces, where Qatar feel they can hurt their opponents. “We are aware of the magnitude of the responsibility placed upon us,” Lopetegui says. “We will spare no effort and will give everything we have to make the fans who stand behind us and support us happy and proud.”Julen Lopetegui has plenty of experience with Spain and Real Madrid before moving to England to lead Wolves and West Ham. His reputation is perhaps not quite what it was but Qatar offered something different. “Life owed me a World Cup,” he said upon qualifying. “We’ve been working for this moment for months and everything has turned out well. It’s a historic moment for the country, something that’s never been achieved before. The atmosphere has been extraordinary.” He will hope that this tournament goes better than when he travelled to Russia for the 2018 World Cup as Spain manager: as news of his deal to take over at Real Madrid after the tournament came out, he was promptly dismissed and replaced by Fernando Hierro.Akram Afif has been one of the stars of Asian football since the 2019 Asian Cup, when he recorded 10 assists as Qatar triumphed. Four years later, in the same tournament, he scored eight and made headlines around the world by scoring a hat-trick in the final, picking out a playing card from his socks every time he did so. He tried his luck in Europe in Belgium (KAS Eupen) and Spain (Villarreal and Sporting Gijón) but it did not quite work out. He has been back in Qatar since 2020. He has always had the talent but did not manage to show it at the 2022 World Cup, so this is his chance.Mohamed Al-Mannai. The Tunisian-born star adds a physical presence in midfield, where he can play pretty much anywhere, from a holding role to further up the pitch and, at 22, there seems to be much more to come. Made his debut for the famed Al-Sadd as a teenager before being loaned out to Al-Shamal. It was the right move and he contributed to the club having a successful season with five goals, earning the Under-23 Player of the Season award in the process. Lopetegui seems to be a fan too.Boualem Khoukhi will be 36 during the tournament so this is the last chance for the Algerian-born defender to make international headlines. Has played more than 100 times for his adopted national team and in a variety of positions, netting 21 goals at the time of writing. Most of his goals for the national team came as he was playing further forward – and he can still fill in wherever Lopetegui needs him. His confidence, reliability and experience has been valued by a succession of coaches at international level with many seeing him as the ultimate professional.With one of the smallest populations of any World Cup nation, Qatari fans are not going to travel in any significant numbers. Also, unlike some other Asian teams, there isn’t really any community to speak of in North America to get behind the Maroons. The Qatari folk song Shoomilah has become associated with the national team and became something of an unofficial anthem during the 2022 World Cup and is the most likely to be heard in San Francisco, Vancouver and Seattle.Qatar is a key US ally with strong diplomatic, economic and military ties, and there is an American airbase in the country. The country has tried to stay close to Trump and gave the president a $400m plane – dubbed Palace in the Sky – last year. But the war in Iran has been an issue with the US attacks leading to retaliation from Tehran on Qatar, which has damaged infrastructure and the country’s image.

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Luis Enrique rotated his squad in Ligue 1, whereas Mikel Arteta relied on his best XI in three domestic competitionsA look at the most basic numbers might have you believe that the Champions League finalists have had equally demanding campaigns. The final in Budapest on Saturday will be the 63rd game of the season for Arsenal and the 56th for Paris Saint-Germain. However, the French side also played seven matches at last summer’s Club World Cup, which means both teams have played 62 matches since the start of last June.Delve a little deeper, though, and there is more to those figures than meets the eye. While Arsenal were able to rest properly last summer, PSG were in the US, reaching the final of a competition played in sweltering heat, which started only 14 days after they had beaten Inter in the Champions League final.They had barely any time off to rest after it, either, because their season started exactly one month after the Club World Cup had ended, with the Super Cup against Tottenham. And their defence of the Ligue 1 title began just a few days later. The newly expanded Club World Cup set up the teams involved for a difficult season, where their players were forced to play catchup on their rivals when it came to rest and recuperation.There is no way of quantifying how much Chelsea’s players were affected by their run to the final, but it is no coincidence that they only won two of their first six league games of the season and went on to finish way down in 10th. Cole Palmer, for one, had such a disappointing campaign that he will not even be at this summer’s World Cup as a result.But, since the new season started, there is no comparison between the demands on PSG’s players and those on Arsenal’s. From the beginning of the 2025-26 campaign, Arsenal have played more matches than any other team in any of the top five European leagues, having gone deep in the League Cup and the FA Cup. And, crucially, their opportunities to rotate have, unlike PSG, been few and far between.For example, when PSG’s domestic season started against Nantes, their team contained just two of the players who had started the Champions League final a couple of months before. Nuno Mendes, Achraf Hakimi, Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doué and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia came off the bench to force a 1-0 win, but that level of reinforcement has not been necessary every week. Far from it, in fact.Luis Enrique has regularly rested his players from Ligue 1 games. So, even though PSG have played a lot of matches, their most important players have been rotated heavily and should go into this weekend’s final relatively fresh.Many of PSG’s best players have played very little domestic football this season. Ballon d’Or winner Dembélé started just 11 of their 34 Ligue 1 games; Neves, Mendes and Fabián Ruiz made 13 starts each; Kvaratskhelia 18, Doué and Hakimi 16, and Marquinhos 11. And it’s not like they come off the bench all that much, either. Not one of them has played even half their team’s minutes in Ligue 1 this season.Many of them have been saved for the Champions League, where Luis Enrique clearly feels they are needed more. Mendes and Marquinhos have played more minutes in the Champions League this season than in Ligue 1, despite PSG playing 18 fewer matches in that competition.PSG have had a few injury problems, but players have missed most matches due to rotation. For example, Kvaratskhelia has missed just three league games due to injury, Marquinhos two, Mendes eight, Neves nine and Dembélé 10. They have just been given time off at every opportunity.And the bulk of their squad is made up of young or peak-age players, who should be able to contend with a packed schedule. Resting Marquinhos regularly might be necessary but many of them have simply been kept fresh for this crucial part of the season.PSG’s superiority in Ligue 1 has allowed Luis Enrique to manage injuries and prevent fatigue by carefully curating his players’ workloads, simply through rest whenever they’ve needed it. PSG won Ligue 1 for a fifth season in a row this year. Everyone knows how hard Arsenal had to work to win the Premier League title.Some of that is due to the trauma of their past failures. Three successive second-place finishes meant Arsenal were desperate to win it this time around and were terrified of throwing their lead away to Manchester City again, and they made hard work of getting the points they needed as they stumbled over the finishing line. Beating relegated Burnley 1-0 at home in their penultimate game was made to look like a mountainous task, for example.But they also struggled in the final straight at least in part because of how strenuous the season was, and also because, whether rightly or wrongly, Mikel Arteta chose not to rotate as much.Despite spending big last summer and boosting the depth of his squad, there were certain players he simply would not rotate. David Raya played every minute in the Premier League this season until the title was won – so he missed the final game – and he has started 13 of 14 their Champions League games.Declan Rice and Martín Zubimendi were as good as undroppable in central midfield, with Rice missing just two Premier League games and Zubimendi none. At centre-back, Gabriel Magalhães and William Saliba only missed out on the few occasions they were unavailable. All five of those Arsenal players started at least 30 Premier League games this season, whereas no PSG player started more than 27 in Ligue 1.In all competitions, meanwhile, that group of Arsenal players have all played more than 4,000 minutes of football this season. The only PSG player to break the 4,000-minute mark is Warren Zaïre-Emery.Across both squads, 12 players have played at least 3,000 minutes of competitive football this season, and nine of them play for Arsenal. If Jurriën Timber is passed fit, all of them could start on Saturday.Barring injury, getting through just one more match will not be beyond any of these super-fit players, but the demands of the season could have an impact on which team can last the distance and keep up the intensity their managers demand for the full 90 – or 120 – minutes. PSG could have a decisive advantage.

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"We both just stood there - it was surreal. We used to be in the dressing room together and now we were just wanting this deer to stand up."For former England defender Abbie McManus - and ex-Leicester City striker Jess Sigsworth - the shift from elite footballers to firefighters has come with plenty of unexpected moments.None more so than, while working for Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue, helping to free a deer that had become trapped in railings.One minute they were sharing Women's Super League dressing rooms at Manchester United and Leicester City; the next, they were side by side in helmets and breathing apparatus."It was one of those moments where we just looked at each other and thought, how has this become our life?" McManus said.Growing up in the north of England, their paths crossed when they were at Manchester United, and their subsequent friendship helped to influence their next move."There were a couple of clubs that wanted us both," McManus said. "We said we'd move together. Leaving for Leicester was massive because Manchester is home."Having Jess there was like a comfort blanket. We lived together for a couple of years."Professional footballing careers do not always end on players' own terms, with both McManus (in 2023) and Sigsworth (in 2024) forced to retire because of serious injuries."I was medically retired," McManus explained. "I had a bad break in my leg. It was a bitter pill to swallow. I tried for 18 months to come back but the surgeon eventually said: 'You're done.'"Football's your whole life. You've done it since you were 16 years old and then suddenly the big wide world comes at you."Her injury also ruined another important occasion."I rang my mum from the stretcher and said: 'I've broken my leg.' I didn't understand why she sounded so stressed, but she'd organised a surprise 30th birthday for two days later. She was more livid about the party than my leg."It was a similar story for Sigsworth who, after recovering from one knee injury in 2017, suffered another at Leicester."I remember the sound," she said. "I knew I'd done it. As I got carried off, I pulled my hat over my eyes and thought: 'I'm not coming back from this.' I just couldn't mentally go through it again."How Toone is navigating grief through football"We just looked at each other one day and said: 'We're going to join the fire service,'" McManus explained. "And now we're sat here, which is surreal."For both, the similarities between football and firefighting helped them transition."The teamwork, the pressure, it's so similar," Sigsworth said. "We'd lose our minds sitting still in an office."The pride of representing a badge in football has been replaced at the fire service."It makes me laugh because Jess would score and kiss the badge - I've never had a job when you're not representing a badge," McManus said. "We've changed a football badge to the fire service badge."Having joined a few months earlier, she was also able to help Sigsworth navigate the recruitment process, something her friend valued."It's funny because she was always my captain," Sigsworth said. "Always helping people, always leading. She did the same for me getting into the fire service."They both agreed that elite sport had prepared them for emergency response work."We enjoy pressure," Sigsworth said. "In football, you're playing in front of crowds, under scrutiny, constantly wanting to prove yourself. That mentality never leaves you.""You must pass so many fitness tests to get into the fire service," explained McManus. "We do loads of PT and the togetherness you'd have as a football team you have here."It's cringy to say, but when you're at an exhausted part of a workout, that's when teamwork comes in. It's the same on a job if you're in a really hot fire, you've got to pull each other through. Nobody gets left behind - it's the same at football pre-season."You arrive, get your kit sorted, train together, eat together."If we lost a football match, we'd analyse it afterwards. It's the same here after difficult jobs. It's like one big family."Still, there are parts of a match day they miss."That moment before you walk out," Sigsworth said. "The music is blasting in the changing room, everyone is shouting. I think you miss that forever."They did put their boots back on recently, representing the fire service in a seven-a-side emergency services tournament in Spain. They won, although Sigsworth's brief stint in goal did not go to plan."We won't mention Jess getting lobbed," McManus laughed."I'm a centre-forward!" Sigsworth replied. "They stuck me in net. One girl just booted it from kick-off and I was daydreaming."Both have also witnessed the transformation of women's football at first hand."When I joined Manchester City I was paying £380 subs just to play," McManus said. "Now little girls walk around wearing Ella Toone shirts. That's the best thing ever because girls can finally see a path.""When we were younger, we didn't really have professional women footballers to look up to. Now little girls can genuinely aspire to that life," Sigsworth said.And after navigating retirement themselves, both players understand they can still have an identity – after football."Life doesn't stop after football," Sigsworth said. "We got so consumed by it that we think it's the only thing we'll ever love. But I love my job now. I love having an identity again.""If you're retiring from football, yes you'll miss it," she said. "But you can absolutely find something else to fall in love with again."

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Uncertainty has clouded the All Whites and Team Melli’s group stage opener to be held in Los Angeles on 15 JuneNew Zealand will play their first World Cup game in 16 years with much of the planet watching what is surely the biggest event of the group stage. But little attention will be on whether New Zealand can record their first World Cup win with Iran their opposition on 15 June. As well as all the headlines and anticipation, the global spotlight adds an extra layer to the challenge for New Zealand coach Darren Bazeley and his team.Ever since the US and Israel attacked Iran on 28 February, there has been uncertainty surrounding this World Cup fixture in Los Angeles.There were conflicting signals whether the Islamic Republic of Iran would allow the national football team to travel to the home of its attacker, and whether the US would welcome Team Melli. With kick-off now weeks away, it appears the game will go ahead as planned. Still, there is the possibility of protests by the large local Iranian population in “Tehrangeles”, many of whom fled the 1979 revolution, and acts of defiance by players. It’s more than a football story.New Zealand, who also face Egypt and Belgium in their group, are very much the supporting cast in this drama. It is an unusual situation for any team to be in but that has been the case for the past three months with Bazeley never quite sure who the opposition would be for New Zealand’s biggest game since 2010.“Right now we’re still continuing as though we’re playing Iran,” Bazeley said in March. “They’re the team that qualified and we got drawn against them. That’s still the fixture and until we get told otherwise, we’ll ‌continue ⁠with that preparation. Obviously, if things change, then we’ll deal with that.”Nothing has changed yet despite Iran’s request that the game be switched to a different country, leading to the prospect of New Zealand having to play in Mexico before heading to Vancouver for their final two group games. Fifa did not agree to that but have given the go ahead for Iran to switch their training camp from Arizona to the Mexican border city of Tijuana.So, as it stands, it is Iran in LA. If that question is almost answered, then it now remains to be seen what kind of mental and physical condition Iran is in. There has been no domestic league action since the war in Iran started. Team Melli played two games in March behind closed doors – a 2-1 loss to Nigeria and then a 5-0 victory over Costa Rica. The players sang the national anthem with varying degrees of enthusiasm. There is little doubt that they are under considerable pressure.Amid all this uncertainty, the All Whites (official nickname of the New Zealand team) have a game to prepare for but their World Cup opener may not be as difficult as some think, according to Jahanyar Mohebbi, former assistant at Persian Gulf Pro League team Foolad FC.“Coach Amir Ghalenoei and his [Iran] staff will not change a lot, there will not be surprises,” Mohebbi, now with Chinese champions Shanghai Port, told the Guardian. “Iran are not an easy nation to play against … Iranian players are absolutely physical, always play direct. New Zealand will face a team that will be set in a low block and will try to get behind you on the counterattack.”Mohebbi has seen how Uzbekistan, who have developed quite a rivalry with Iran on the pitch in recent years, have learned to deal with the threat. In the last six meetings, Team Melli have failed to defeat the central Asians. “Look at how Uzbekistan play against Iran and deal with the long balls and set pieces,” he said. “It will be similar.”There are other issues for Iran. Many of the players haven’t played a competitive game for months. “New Zealand have players in Europe at a high level and if they can put Iran under pressure, if there is intensity and pressing, the Iranian team can struggle,” said Mohebbi.And then there is the politics. Sardar Azmoun was left out of the squad after posting social media messages that did not go down well in Tehran. Other members of the team have reportedly been pushing for the inclusion of the former Roma and Bayer Leverkusen striker but as things stand, Azmoun remains on the outer. It all adds to the chaos. “There are a lot of things going on that are not under the control of the coaching staff,” said Mohebbi.New Zealand will share the pitch and some of the global spotlight in Los Angeles in what should be an unforgettable occasion no matter the final score.

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Tim Payne identified as least-known player by Argentinian influencerCampaign launched to make defender a ‘hero’ before tournamentNew Zealand defender Tim Payne has become an unlikely star after an influencer from Argentina called on his followers to unite and make the little-known 32-year-old a “hero” of the upcoming World Cup.El Scarso, a football influencer also known as Valen Scarsini, identified Payne as the least-known player at the World Cup in Canada, the United States and Mexico based on his small social media following.Payne had around 4,700 followers on Instagram earlier this week. After being singled out by El Scarso that number has risen at a rate of almost 1,000 per minute to more than a million by Friday.Payne’s following is now six times greater than New Zealand’s captain and best-known player, Nottingham Forest forward Chris Wood.“There are only a few days left before the World Cup starts and we are all waiting to cheer for our national team, but what if there was a player who united us all, a footballer we all support regardless of their nationality?” Scarsini said.“I searched through all the national teams playing in the World Cup for the least known one and after analysing them one by one I found him. In group G, in New Zealand, there is Tim Payne. He really is the least known. He doesn’t even have 5,000 followers.”Scarsini, who has more than 500,000 followers, implored his base to “start mentioning Tim Payne everywhere.”“We have to start making videos feeding the legend of Tim Payne. If you have the World Cup [sticker] album, upload a photo with his sticker. The goal is to see how many people know Tim Payne before the World Cup starts.”Now there is even a song supporting Payne, who recently made his 50th appearance for New Zealand after making his debut at 18.The chorus, in Spanish, says “I’ve got his back. I cheer him on. I’ve been rooting for him from the beginning. Tim Payne, from cradle to grave. You’re a crack. I cheer you on, every step.” It continues, “no Payne, no gain.”Payne, who plays his club football for Wellington Phoenix in the A-League Men, responded Friday to his new-found social media fandom.“Was wondering why my socials were blowing up and found your post, man,” he said. “Appreciate the love! Gracias, hermano.“I just want to say a massive thank you first to you Valen. It’s been a pretty crazy 48 hours to say the least. I just wanted to also express that I’m very grateful to be representing my country and I appreciate all the love from all around the world.”New Zealand are playing at the World Cup for the third time after qualifying in 1982 and 2010. They have yet to win a match. The national team, known as the All Whites, is in Group G with Belgium, Iran and Egypt.

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Lionel Messi will play in a sixth World Cup as he captains holders Argentina at the 2026 tournament.The 38-year-old forward, who led his country to a third World Cup triumph in Qatar with a penalty shootout victory over France four years ago, was named in Lionel Scaloni's 26-man squad on Thursday.With 26 appearances, Messi holds the current record for the most World Cup matches by any player - and will join Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo, 41, as the only male players to appear in a sixth edition of football's biggest event this summer.Aston Villa's Emiliano Martinez, who was named the goalkeeper of the tournament in 2022, has been selected, as have defenders Lisandro Martinez and Cristian Romero from Manchester United and Tottenham respectively.Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister and Chelsea midfielder Enzo Fernandez are also among the five British-based players in the squad for the finals, which will be held in the United States, Canada and Mexico.Argentina are in Group J and begin their campaign in Kansas City against Algeria (Wednesday, 17 June, 02:00 BST), before they play two games in Dallas, against Austria (Monday, 22 June, 18:00 BST) and Jordan (Sunday, 28 June, 02:00 BST).Messi had been substituted during Inter Miami's latest Major League Soccer match on Monday, but his club said he had not sustained an injury and was suffering from "muscle fatigue" in his left hamstring.He has made 198 appearances for Argentina and will reach the 200-mark if he plays in both of his country's friendly matches - against Honduras in Texas (Sunday, 7 June, 01:00 BST) and then against Iceland in Alabama (Tuesday, 9 June).Goalkeepers: Juan Musso (Atletico Madrid), Geronimo Rulli (Marseille), Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa).Defenders: Leonardo Balerdi (Marseille), Nicolas Tagliafico (Lyon), Gonzalo Montiel (River Plate), Lisandro Martinez (Manchester United), Cristian Romero (Tottenham), Nicolas Otamendi (Benfica), Facundo Medina (Marseille), Nahuel Molina (Atletico Madrid).Midfielders: Leandro Paredes (River Plate), Rodrigo de Paul (Inter Miami), Valentin Barco (Strasbourg), Giovani lo Celso (Real Betis), Ezequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen), Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool), Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea).Forwards: Julian Alvarez (Atletico Madrid), Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Nicolas Gonzalez (Atletico Madrid), Thiago Almada (Atletico Madrid), Giuliano Simeone (Atletico Madrid), Nico Paz (Como), Jose Manuel Lopez (Palmeiras), Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan).Everything you need to know about the World Cup

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Switzerland have never reached the semi-finals of the World Cup. Photograph: Laurent Gilliéron/EPAGranit Xhaka and his teammates enter with high expectations after a smooth route through qualifyingThis article is part of the Guardian’s 2026 World Cup Experts’ Network, a cooperation between some of the best media organisations from the 48 countries who qualified. theguardian.com is running previews from three countries each day in the run-up to the tournament kicking off on 11 June.This is the sixth time in a row Switzerland have qualified for the World Cup and they will fly out to the US west coast on Tuesday with high expectations, setting up base in San Diego. “We want to play the best World Cup seen from a Swiss team,” the coach, Murat Yakin, told Blick. “The feeling that we could have reached the final of the last Euros [they lost on penalties to England in the quarter-finals] gives us something to dream about.”Switzerland have never got past the quarter-finals at the World Cup, last reaching that stage on home soil in 1954. Since then, their adventures have typically ended in the last 16, as was the case in 2022 in Doha when they lost 6-1 to Portugal.However, there are many reasons why Swiss fans can approach the tournament with hope and anticipation. The team were very comfortable in qualifying, finishing top of their group ahead of Kosovo, Slovenia and Sweden, winning four games and drawing two.There is a good mix in the squad between the elder statesmen – such as Granit Xhaka, Manuel Akanji and Ricardo Rodriguez – and a younger generation represented by Dan Ndoye, Fabian Rieder and Johan Manzambi among others. Moreover, the Nati have so far avoided injuries with the Burnley striker Zeki Amdouni seemingly winning his battle to get back after an anterior cruciate ligament injury.Noah Okafor is back too, having been sidelined after a poor Euro 2024, where he responded badly to not playing before launching a public dig at Yakin when left out from subsequent squads. The Leeds forward has apologised to the coach and the rest of the squad and is in the form of his life. “We’ve both done the right thing. His development has been very positive; he could be a key player at the World Cup,” Yakin said.Yakin’s preferred system is a 4-2-3-1, though he has recently been flirting with 3-4-3 and Denis Zakaria at right wing-back. It was this formation that took them to the last eight at the Euros.Murat Yakin. His standing has never been higher and the defender Rodriguez is one of those impressed. “Murat is doing a really good job,” he said. “Over the years, he’s become even more open and communicative with us. He talks to us a lot, asks for our opinions from time to time and listens to us. He’s really brilliant at that.”Yakin’s appointment as Vladimir Petkovic’s successor, in August 2021, came as a surprise given he was in charge of second-tier FC Schaffhausen at the time and there have been sticky periods, such as the loss to Portugal and weak performances in the buildup to Euro 2024, when he was publicly criticised by Xhaka. After the positive tournament, however, he extended his contract to 2028.The captain, Granit Xhaka, remains the team’s most important player at the age of 33. He is the linchpin of Switzerland’s buildup play, dictating the tempo and ensuring a balance between defence and attack. This will probably be the last World Cup for Switzerland’s record appearance-maker, but he could well continue his international career after the tournament. He has followed up two outstanding years at Bayer Leverkusen with an equally impressive one for Sunderland, the Premier League newcomers who secured Europa League football on the last day of the season. Xhaka, as he says, is like a good red wine: the older, the better.Johan Manzambi. The Geneva-born midfielder’s impressive season at Freiburg has not gone unnoticed with Europe’s top clubs monitoring the all-rounder. Hardly a week goes by without a new rumour surfacing about where Switzerland’s biggest talent will play next. He could become the most expensive Swiss transfer after the World Cup, beating the €45m Arsenal paid Borussia Mönchengladbach for Xhaka in 2016. His versatility helps as he is able to play as a No 6, No 8, No 10 or even up front. For the national team he is not yet a regular starter, but is often brought on in a wide position. Yakin has said Manzambi can be a “secret weapon” in North America, adding: “His development is really impressive. When he was first called up to the national team last summer we realised straight away the incredible potential he has.”Remo Freuler. The Zurich native had to work hard to get to the top, having once been told he was not good enough for Grasshoppers, which led to a move to second-tier Winterthur. His move from Luzern to Serie A and Atalanta in 2016 took many by surprise, but he settled in Italy and became increasingly important for the national team as well. Having fought his way into the starting lineup after the 2018 World Cup he is now indispensable and perfectly complements the playmaker Xhaka in midfield. The 34-year-old excels through his running capacity, his strength in one-on-one situations and his footballing intelligence – and even scores the odd important goal from time to time.Swiss supporters usually turn out in droves for major tournaments and the fan marches at Euro 2024 in Germany are still fresh in memory. Then, more than 10,000 turned the cities red and white. That, sadly, will not happen this time. Only about 500 have tickets for the group games through the Swiss FA and about 2,000 for the knockout stages. As was the case four years ago in Qatar, the political situation is stopping some from making the trip and it is compounded by the high costs of flights, accommodation and travel. Their favourite song is “Schwiizer Nati, olé olé” and the fans have come up with a chant for striker Breel Embolo to the tune of The Lion Sleeps Tonight.Do not expect any player to comment on the US president or the political situation. The Swiss FA president, Peter Knäbel, said at the end of 2025: “We will ensure again this year that the team can and will focus 100% on the sport. If an issue directly affects our values as an association, we will – as we have done in the past – take a clear stand.” The US and Switzerland have been involved in tense trade discussions in recent months with Donald Trump hitting out in April. “Switzerland presents itself as a ‘small and brilliant’ country,” he told CNBC. “They’re brilliant because they pay us almost nothing. Now they pay a little bit. They should pay much more.”Written by Christian Finkbeiner for Blick

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Republic of Ireland midfielder Jamie McGrath says he expects the controversy surrounding the side's upcoming Israel fixtures to "heat up" after Thursday's friendly win over Qatar was disrupted. The Aviva Stadium game - which the Republic of Ireland won 1-0 thanks to Nathan Collins' early header - was twice briefly interrupted in the first half when home fans threw tennis balls featuring the Palestine flag on to the pitch.After the game, RTE reported that protesters were ejected from the ground, and McGrath expects more backlash before the Republic of Ireland face Israel in a neutral venue on 27 September and 4 October in Dublin in the Nations League.Earlier this week, Republic of Ireland stalwart Seamus Coleman said the situation "should have been dealt with above us"."I obviously listened to Seamus' interview and I think he was spot on," McGrath told BBC Sport NI."It's obviously a unique scenario. The people [protesters], we have to listen to them, they have the right to do what they do, as long as it's done in a peaceful way, that's all that matters."I'm sure it's going to heat up over the next few months. Like I said, we don't want to be put into a position. Hopefully the powers above us can work something out or use it for the greater good, I'm not sure what the process will be as it heats up."At the end of the day, we're footballers and we don't want to be caught in this, but sometimes we might have to."Republic of Ireland win disrupted by Israel fixture protestsPlayers won't be stopped from taking stand - Collins on Israel fixturesThe Football Association of Ireland (FAI) confirmed the games will go ahead, with chief executive David Courell saying the governing body had "no choice" and could face "serious consequences" if it pulled out of the games.Earlier this week, Collins said that if individual players felt strongly enough to boycott the games, "we are not going to stand against them", while manager Heimir Hallgrimsson said if protesters "want to destroy the game for us, so be it" after the Qatar game.Asked if there is confidence within the squad about a resolution, McGrath added: "To be honest, I've no idea."We obviously touched on it a few days, I'm sure as it heats up it might be taken out of our hands, I'm not sure."

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Defender will depart Anfield on a free transferFrance international linked with Paris Saint-GermainIbrahima Konaté looks set to leave Liverpool after failing to agree a contract extension.The 27-year-old’s representatives have been in extensive talks with the club about extending his five-year stay at Anfield but it now looks certain that the France international will leave for free.If Konaté walks away from Liverpool out of contract, it will be the second consecutive year – after Trent Alexander-Arnold ran down his deal before a £10m move to Real Madrid – that the club will have lost one of their first-choice defenders without receiving a significant fee.Konaté has had a disappointing season but losing an established centre-back will come as a blow for the sporting director Richard Hughes, with new defensive recruits Jérémy Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni both working their way back to fitness after significant injuries and transfer speculation swirling over the future of Joe Gomez.With Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson also leaving, Konaté’s departure would mean another mainstay of the Jürgen Klopp era departing. The Paris-born player is now likely to be courted by Paris Saint-Germain, although Chelsea have also been linked with a move.In April the defender hinted he would like to stay at Anfield when he opened up about the contract negotiations.He said: “My future? There are many things people have said but for a long time we have spoken with the club and we are close to an agreement. I think everyone wished for that for as long as possible but we are in a good way.“There is a big chance I’m here next season. This is what I always wanted. I’m waiting to sort the contract but when everything is sorted you will have to ask Richard [Hughes, ­Liverpool’s sporting director] what I said to him in September, November and he’s going to say something to make everyone quiet.”