World Cup Best XIs: Mbappé Makes 1st Team, Which Breakout Stars Make …

From hat tricks to even more hat tricks, the superstars we’ve come to expect every day brilliance delivered in the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage, and then some.But this tournament is also where new stars are born, and that was especially true in the first-ever group stage with 48 teams all competing for a spot in the knockout stage.To commemorate a historic — and a just outright fun — group stage, here are my First and Second All-Group Stage starting lineups: JUMP TO: First-Team Group Stage XI | Second-Team Group Stage XI GOALKEEPER Three games, three clean sheets — Spain marched out of its Group without conceding a single goal, and the star keeper barely had to break a sweat doing it. DEFENDERS Led Japan's back line for the full 90 minutes against the Netherlands and Tunisia and doubled as the build-up engine, leading the Samurai Blue in line-breaking passes on the way to the knockouts. He anchored the defense of Germany's nine-goal flying start before an ankle injury ended his tournament—a half of group stage dominance too good to leave out. The calm, ball-playing head at the heart of the defense that won Switzerland's group as he helped stymie Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina following a steady opening draw with Qatar. The right-back and Atlas Lions captain scored a goal and helped set one up in the 4-2 comeback over Haiti in a pivotal performance, and coming down the flank all tournament as Morocco banked seven points. MIDFIELDERS The midfield maestro pulled the strings for Group C winners Brazil and saved his best for last, laying on two assists in the 3-0 win of Scotland. Senegal's brightest spark with three goals, including the tap-in that sealed the day in a must-win 5-0 performance over Iraq. England's most creative player—ten chances created in the Three Lions' first two games—the metronome of Group L winners England before earning a breather against Panama. FORWARDS With back-to-back braces against Senegal and Iraq — four goals so far — the Real Madrid man spearheaded France's perfect nine-point sweep of its group. Messi scored every single one of Argentina's goals in the opening two matches—a hat-trick against Algeria and a brace against Austria. Oh, and he became the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history. The PSG star reminded everyone he's the reigning Ballon d'Or winner with a stunning video game-esque first-half hat-trick against Norway, one of the fastest in World Cup history, totaling four goals in the group. GOALKEEPER The 40-year-old Instagram sensation stole the show with a Man-of-the-Match wall in the goalless stand against Spain, keeping Cape Verde's debut fairytale alive across three draws and into the last 32. DEFENDERS The breakout fullback of the group stage — his towering header sealed a 2-0 win over Australia, the first World Cup goal by a U.S. defender in over a decade, as the Americans topped Group D. Steady at center-back and a threat from set pieces, heading home in the win over Tunisia as the Dutch cruised to the top of Group F. Nineteen years old and completely unbothered — the kid anchored a Spain back line that didn't concede a single goal across the entire group stage. A right-back who scored like a winger, netting in back-to-back wins over Uzbekistan and DR Congo as Colombia stormed through the Group K unbeaten. MIDFIELDERS The 20-year-old announced himself with a super-sub brace against Bosnia and Herzegovina, then a goal and an assist on his first start to beat Canada — three goals and Switzerland's top scorer, all from a kid who began the tournament on the bench. Scored in all three games — opener against Brazil, winner against Scotland, and an equalizer against Haiti — becoming the first player on an African squad to find the net in every group match. One of the tournament's top ball winners, he ran the show in Ecuador's stunning 2-1 upset of Germany, stealing the ball to tee up the equalizer before delivering the pass for the winner that sent his country through. FORWARDS Scored in every game — four goals, including a brace against Scotland — the relentless engine that carried Brazil to the top of Group C. The towering striker arrived on the World Cup stage with back-to-back braces against Iraq and Senegal — four goals — before being wrapped in cotton wool for the France game. The super sub had five goal involvements (three goals, two assists) off the bench, repeatedly rescued Germany when the starters couldn't. sportnewz.click

Before a ball was kicked, the nicknames for this match were rampant. A biscotto was one – an Italian classic implying something that has to be baked twice; one cooperating with the other. Or maybe you preferred the “Disgrace of Kansas City”, recalling the “Disgrace of Gijón”, a callback to the 1982 World Cup where West Germany settled for a 1-0 win over Austria in a result that qualified both teams for the knockout round while eliminating Algeria.

But what unfolded here was something else altogether. A new classic of the genre. Call it the “Missouri Compromise”. On a steamy night in the American midwest, Algeria and Austria battled gamely, showing heart and desire for most of the match en route to a back-and-forth 3-3 draw that qualified both teams for the knockout round. It came at the expense of Iran, whose brief jubilation at Riyad Mahrez’s goal in the third minute of added time was abruptly ended by a Sasa Kalajdzic header with practically the last action of the match.

The United States men's national team now knows its path to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and it's not going to be easy — far from it. Although the U.S. won Group D by winning two group-stage matches for the first time since 1930, it is expected to play just one team ranked lower than it in the FIFA Men’s World Rankings through the knockout stage due to some surprises on the final days of group play. Additionally, the United States is already a long-shot to win the World Cup even after its strong start to the tournament with +3500 odds, the ninth-best odds in the tournament. Still, the Americans' performance in the group stage has dared their fans — and themselves — to dream. Here's everything you need to know about the United States' path to the 2026 FIFA World Cup final: This simulation of the United States’ path to the World Cup final assumes two things: This creates the hardest — and maybe most realistic — path for the U.S. to make the final. Date: July 1Location: San Francisco Bay Area Stadium Date: July 6Location: Seattle Stadium Date: July 10Location: Los Angeles Stadium Date: July 15Location: Dallas Stadium Date: July 19Location: New York New Jersey Stadium

As World Cup odds reach the knockout stage, the top teams are drawing plenty of support in championship futures. France, Argentina, Spain and England are well-backed, as are Portugal and Brazil. But since this 48-team tournament began on June 11, the most popular team in World Cup futures bets is the United States. And though the loss to Türkiye was disappointing, the Stars & Stripes bandwagon continues to grow. "The USA is by far our worst result in the book," Caesars Sports head of soccer trading Mark Bickerdike said Saturday. "The combination of pre-tournament patriotic money and continued backing after their early performances has created a sizable liability." With the knockout stage opening Sunday, Bickerdike helps dive into World Cup futures odds for the remaining 32 teams, starting with the USA. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. Minor Setback Through two matches, the U.S. was one of the biggest climbers in 2026 World Cup futures. Pre-tourney, Caesars Sports had the USA at +5000, behind a dozen or so teams. The impressive 4-1 rout of Paraguay led Caesars to adjust the U.S. to +4000. And the 2-0 blanking of Australia pushed the American side to +2800, inside the top 10. Thursday night, the USA suffered its first setback, losing to Türkiye 3-2 on a goal in the waning seconds of second-half injury time. That gave Caesars’ risk room just a bit of pause, as the U.S. slipped from +2800 to +3000. "While the loss to Türkiye had no impact on the group standings, it did slightly dent confidence in the market," Bickerdike said. "The fact that they lost the game means they will be going into the Bosnia and Herzegovina fixture with slightly less momentum. "The result also raised some minor questions around the USA’s depth. That’s been enough to see a small drift in their outright price." Money From The Masses But the public betting masses have no such questions, piling on the U.S., which is now No. 9 on Caesars’ World Cup odds board. "Over the past two weeks, the USA has comfortably been our most popular selection in the ‘Tournament Winner’ market. That was expected to a degree, as a host nation," Bickerdike said. "But their strong start triggered a significant increase in both wagers and overall money. "Even after the Türkiye result, we haven’t seen any meaningful pullback in support." The U.S. lifting the trophy is still an improbable outcome. If it somehow happens, though, U.S. bookmakers will take a massive bath, while the masses revel in a huge betting victory. "If the U.S. goes deep into the tournament, that exposure will only continue to grow," Bickerdike said. "And if they were to lift the trophy, I'd fully expect it to be the biggest loss we’ve ever seen on a soccer tournament." Oddsmaker Optimism As Bickerdike alluded to, the Americans face Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32, at 8 p.m. ET Wednesday on FOX. On the three-way moneyline, the USA is a sizable -265 favorite, with Bosnia +700 and Draw +360, as of late Saturday night. And yes, to remind, there can be a draw through 90 minutes plus injury time. The match then goes to overtime. So treat this as a public service announcement: If you bet USA on the three-way moneyline, and the match is tied after 90 minutes plus injury time, then you lose that bet, even if the USA wins in overtime or on penalty kicks. There’s also a 'To Advance' market, which accounts for the possibility of overtime/penalty kicks. But the USA is an even bigger favorite in that market, at -625 to Bosnia’s +390. All those odds suggest that the U.S. advances. Bickerdike, a Brit who knows his soccer, expects that to be the case. "There will be two contrasting styles of play on show, with the high-tempo and aggressive style of a Mauricio Pochettino team coming up against the compact and direct style of Bosnia and Herzegovina," he said. "I think this is a good matchup for the USA, and they have a real reason to be optimistic about reaching the Round of 16. "From that point on, the real tests are likely to begin, with the USA likely to face Belgium and then Spain." Belgium is No. 11 in Caesars’ World Cup futures, at +4000, and opens the knockout stage against Senegal, also in a Wednesday match. Spain, as noted above, is among the best teams in the world, currently the +800 fourth choice to lift the trophy. The only teams ahead of Spain are +350 favorite France, defending champion Argentina (+400) and England (+750). Spain opens the knockout stage against Austria on Thursday. Take Me To Your Leaders Speaking of the top teams, before the Group Stage opened on June 11, France and Spain were co-favorites at Caesars, both +450 to lift the trophy. However, Spain opened play with a shocking 0-0 draw against surprising Cape Verde. Since that point, France has been the solo favorite, and as noted above, Spain is now the fourth choice in World Cup odds, followed by Portugal and Brazil, both at +1200. "As you’d expect, France, Spain, Argentina, England and Portugal are well-backed and sit among our most popular teams in the market," Bickerdike said. "Portugal, in particular, has seen a strong surge in both bets and handle since the tournament began. "Among that group, Portugal is currently the outcome we’d be most keen to avoid, from a liability perspective." Don’t sleep on always-popular Brazil, either. After a 1-1 opening draw vs. Morocco, Viní Jr. & Co. rolled over Haiti and Scotland by identical 3-0 scores. There’s also a surging Netherlands squad getting bettors’ attention. The Dutch opened with a 2-2 draw vs. Japan, then swamped Sweden 5-1 and topped Tunisia 3-1. The Netherlands began the World Cup at +2000 in championship futures, and can still be had at+1600. "After the USA, the Netherlands represent our second-largest liability. They’ve shortened into +1600 following impressive early results," Bickerdike said. "Although they have looked good in the group stage, they face a potentially difficult route to the final, which does not work in their favor." The Netherlands faces a capable Morocco squad in the Round of 32. If the Dutch clear that hurdle, they’d face a potentially lesser test in the Round of 16, against either Canada or South Africa. But in the quarterfinals, France or Germany could be waiting, and possibly Spain in the semis. Viva Mexico? Mexico rolled through Group A, maxing out with three wins for nine points. El Tri dispatched South Africa 2-0 in the opener, then hung on for a 1-0 win against a solid South Korea squad. Mexico capped the group stage with a 3-0 victory over Czechia, netting all three goals in the second half. It is now +5000 in World Cup futures odds. "Mexico has also been a very popular selection, particularly with regional bettors and as another host nation," Bickerdike said. "They’re currently our third-largest liability in the outright market. "That said, their route looks difficult, starting with a tough Round of 32 matchup against Ecuador and potentially becoming even more challenging from there. That’s reflected in their current odds." Although Ecuador is a distant +17500 (175/1) to win the tournament, the gap between Ecuador and Mexico is small heading into Tuesday’s match. Mexico is a +113 favorite on the three-way moneyline, with Ecuador +260 and Draw +205. If Mexico advances, then England could well be waiting in the Round of 16, and Brazil and Argentina could stand in the Mexicans’ way as well.

Fernando Muslera cumplió 40 años el 16 de junio, en pleno Mundial. No es el mejor sitio en el que cumplir 40 años, la verdad, cuando medio país te está cagando por viejo. Recuerdo en casa, cuando era niño, una bronca porque descubrieron que pedía cosas sin permiso a Círculo de Lectores; iba ganando yo la discusión cuando sonó el timbre: era el puñetero repartidor con Bad de Michael Jackson y Las brujas de Roald Dahl. Claramente no era el momento. A veces estos pequeños detalles desnivelan los debates. A Muslera le llamó también el repartidor y la discusión creció porque Bielsa, originalísimo, había decidido tiempo atrás devolverle la titularidad. Nada que objetar. 40 años es una edad escandalosa para un extremo, pero no para un portero.

Seguir leyendo