There really is nothing like the World Cup. Even just qualifying generates a level of nationwide excitement that the club game simply cannot match, which is why we witnessed truly joyous scenes all across the globe during the November international break, as 14 more countries booked their seat at next summer's festival of football in North America.

It obviously came as no surprise to see the likes of France, Spain and Germany secure their spots at the finals, but Curacao's qualification was absolutely incredible, while Scotland, Norway and Austria are all bound for their first appearances at a World Cup since 1998. Of course, there are still six slots to be filled but it's fair to say that we now have a much better idea of who will be contention to lift the most famous trophy in sport at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19. 

So, who's looking like a potential victor and which countries still have a lot to work to do between now and the opening game in Mexico City on June 11? Below, GOAL assesses the prospects of the three co-hosts (United States, Mexico and Canada) and the other 39 teams to have confirmed their participation in the 2026 World Cup ahead of Friday's group-stage draw in Washington DC…

Getty Images Sport42New Zealand ⬇️

FIFA's decision to grant Oceania a guaranteed spot at the 2026 World Cup made New Zealand's qualification for the finals for the first time since 2010 a formality, as they have nothing remotely resembling worthy rivals in OFC. As defender Michael Boxall said after the All Whites progressed with a 3-0 win over New Caledonia, "We've gone through heartbreak in [previous campaigns] but once the tournament expanded, we expected this of ourselves."

The question now is whether they can make any kind of impact in North America next year. Much will obviously depend on their group-stage opponents, and a recent draw with Norway offered some grounds for optimism – but it's hard to be confident about the prospects of a team that has now slipped to 86th in the world rankings after a run of seven games without a win.

Indeed, they've still only won 11 games against non-OFC opposition in the past 15 years, and Nottingham Forest forward Chris Wood is the only truly top-class player in New Zealand's squad.

AdvertisementAFP41Qatar ⬇️

After underwhelming everyone on their World Cup debut as hosts in 2022, Qatar will be aiming to leave a much more positive impression on the tournament four years on. However, their qualification was shrouded in controversy, with the two-time Asian champions inexplicably allowed to play both of their fourth-round matches on home soil and, after holding Oman to a scoreless draw in Al Rayyan, they beat the United Arab Emirates 2-1 at the same venue to clinch top spot in their three-team group.

Former Real Madrid and Spain boss Julen Lopetegui oversaw the conclusion of Qatar's campaign after taking the manager's job in May, and did a good job shoring up a defence that conceded 24 times in 10 matches during the third round of qualification. In striker Almoez Ali, Lopetegui is also in possession of a prolific striker who scored more goals (12) than anyone else in the AFC section.

Still, getting out of their group in North America is likely to be a tall order for Qatar, who lost a friendly against Zimbabwe in Doha last month and are presently struggling on home soil in the Arab Cup.

AFP40Jordan ⬇️

Jordan made history on June 5 by qualifying for the World Cup for the first time, sparking wild scenes of celebration all across the country. A 3-0 win over Oman, which came courtesy of a hat-trick from Ali Olwan, left Al Nashama on the verge of clinching a spot at the finals, and a top-two finish in AFC Group B was ensured thanks to South Korea's 2-0 win over third-placed Iraq later in the day.

Obviously, not much will be expected of Jordan at the finals. The majority of Jamal Sellami's side ply their trade in their homeland, though star winger Mousa Tamari has spent the majority of his career in Europe, and left Montpellier for Rennes earlier this year.

Jordan, who are ranked 66th in the world, have also been steadily improving over the past few years and even upset South Korea on their way to a runners-up finish at the 2023 Asian Cup in Qatar, but recent friendly defeats to Bolivia, Albania and Tunisia underline that their World Cup campaign is likely to be a hard slog.

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AFP39Curacao 🆕

Curacao have improved enormously over the past 10 years, rising from 150th to 82nd in the world rankings, but their qualification for the finals is nonetheless astonishing. Indeed, it still looked unlikely during their decisive group game against a heavily-fancied Jamaica side, who hit the woodwork three times in last month's clash in Kingston and also had an injury-time penalty overturned by the Video Assistant Referee (VAR).

However, despite also being shorn of the services of coach Dick Advocaat, who missed the game for personal reasons, Curacao held firm to claim the point they needed to become the smallest nation – both in terms of size and population – to ever qualify for the World Cup. So, while The Blue Wave is unlikely to make a big impact in North America with a low-profile group of players (Manchester United academy product Tahith Chong will be the most familiar face to Premier League followers), it doesn't really matter. Curacao have already made history.

Fernando Tatis Jr. just made one of the best defensive plays you’ll ever see. The San Diego Padres All-Star right fielder showed why he won a Platinum Glove in 2023.

In the top of the fourth inning of the Padres' matchup with the New York Mets Monday night, Mark Vientos stepped to the plate to face Dylan Cease with a runner on first. On an 0-2 count, New York's designated hitter blasted a 96 mph fastball to deep right center field. It looked like a sure home run. Then Tatis sprang into action.

The 26-year-old drifted back toward the wall, then timed his jump perfectly and leaped while reaching far over the fence, and somehow hauled the ball in backhanded while twisting his body. It was such an improbable catch that Padres play-by-play man Don Orsillo said, "That ball is gone" before quickly realizing what had just happened.

Video is below.

And another look:

Here's a still that makes it look even cooler:

That is a stunning catch and might be the best play of Tatis's career.

Tatis dropped the ball as he attempted to fire it back in, and the umpires ruled the drop came on the transfer, so the out counted. The catch was huge as it kept the game tied at 1-1. The stats on the play are incredible, as Vientos hit the ball 380 feet and it went 103.3 mph off the bat.

Another incredible defensive play by Tatis, who continues to prove he might be the best defensive outfielder in baseball.

The Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays conducted a trade of pitchers in between their doubleheader on Tuesday.

The Blue Jays got right-handed reliever Seranthony Dominguez from the Orioles, while Baltimore got right-handed pitching prospect Juaron Watts-Brown from Toronto, Sportsnet's Shi Davidi reported first. It was a quick journey for Dominguez to switch from the home locker room to the visitor's locker room.

Baltimore Banner's Danielle Allentuck documented the short wlak Dominguez took Tuesday afternoon to switch teams.

This trade comes after the two teams' first matchup of the day, in which the Orioles dominated and won 16-4. Blue Jays relievers gave up 12 of the 16 runs the Orioles scored, so this is definitely an area on their roster Toronto wanted to improve on.

Dominguez last pitched on Sunday in the Orioles' 5-1 win over the Rockies. He pitched one inning and gave up one hit and threw one strikeout in the ninth inning to help seal the win. In 43 game appearances and 41.2 innings pitched so far this season, Dominguez has posted a 3.24 ERA and 1.34 WHIP. He's thrown 54 strikeouts and has given up 32 hits and 15 earned runs.

علق فيرجيل فان دايك قائد ليفربول على استبعاد محمد صلاح من تشكيل الفريق للمباراة الثانية على التوالي خلال التعادل أمام سندرلاند بهدف لمثله في الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز.

وكان محمد صلاح قد جلس بديلاً خلال فوز ليفربول على وست هام يوم الأحد الماضي، ويعتقد فان دايك أن ما حدث يثبت بأنه لا يوجد أي لاعب يملك رصيد لا محدود.

وتعد هذه هي المرة الأولى في مسيرة محمد صلاح أن يجلس بديلًا ولا يبدأ بشكل أساسي مع ليفربول في الدوري الإنجليزي، وقد سجل اللاعب أربعة أهداف فقط هذا الموسم.

اقرا أيضًا.. مدرب سندرلاند: كنا مستعدين لمواجهة محمد صلاح.. ولم نشعر بخيبة أمل

وسئل فان دايك حول إذا كان جلوس محمد صلاح يعد رسالة لغرفة الملابس وقال في تصريحات نشرتها “ميرور” البريطانية: “لطالما كان هذا هو الحال، ليس الأمر وكأنك تملك رصيد لا محدود، بل على الجميع أن يقدموا أداءً جيد”.

وأضاف: “لقد كان صلاح يفعل ذلك، لكن المدرب اتخذ هذا القرار في المباراتين الأخيرتين، جميعنا نريد الأفضل للنادي، أنا متأكد تماماً أنه سيبقى جزءاً كبيراً مما نسعى لتحقيقه، لأنه لاعب رائع وقد أثبت ذلك باستمرار”.

وأشاد فان دايك بزميله فلوريان فيرتز الذي سجل هدف التعادل أمام سندرلاند: “هناك سبب وجيه جداً وراء انضمامه لنادي مثلنا، هو لاعب استثنائي وعالمي المستوى ويمكن أن يصبح أفضل لكن قد يستغرق بعض الوقت، عليه أن يحافظ على عزيمته، ولا يتفاخر عندما يكون أداؤه جيدًا أو سيئًا جداً أو يهتم بالأرقام”.

Paul Skenes's day on the mound for the Pittsburgh Pirates was frustratingly familiar on Sunday.

Skenes was dominant, striking out 10 Seattle Mariners while scattering five hits across five innings before getting a surprising early hook, and watched the Pirates' bats once again fail to get across a single run. Pittsburgh fell 1–0 for the second consecutive game and were swept by the Mariners without scoring a run. Skenes was unable to improve on his 4–7 record, but the rest of his numbers continue to dazzle: He has a 1.94 ERA with 125 strikeouts and just 30 walks in 116 innings, for an impressive WHIP of 0.92.

Luckily for Skenes, the rest of baseball recognizes his dominance, even if the Pirates are more often than not unable to convert it into wins. Ahead of Sunday's game, manager Don Kelly announced to Skene and the rest of the Pirates that the young pitcher has been named to his second All-Star Game in as many years in the Big Leagues.

Pittsburgh captured a pretty special clubhouse moment for Skenes, who has a chance to start the game for the National League once again after doing so as a rookie in '24.

Skenes is the sole Pirates representative on this year's National League All-Star team, which also features arms like Chris Sale, Zack Wheeler, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and "Legend Pick" Clayton Kershaw.

Pittsburgh is 38–53 after the sweep at the hands of the Mariners, and find themselves in the basement of the NL Central, but Skenes remains a must-watch star every time he hits the mound.

MatériaMais Notícias

O Internacional conquistou a vitória sobre o Nova Iguaçu por 2 a 0, nesta quarta-feira (13), pela segunda fase da Copa do Brasil. Enner Valencia foi o autor dos dois gols da equipe de Eduardo Coudet.

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Com o triunfo, o Colorado aguarda o sorteio da próxima fase para conhecer seu adversário no torneio. Os próximos confrontos serão disputados em jogos de ida e volta.

➡️ Siga o Lance! no WhatsApp e acompanhe em tempo real as principais notícias do esporte

⚽ COMO FOI A PARTIDA?

Na etapa inicial, o Internacional teve controle da partida e mereceu a vitória parcial. O Colorado saiu na frente do Nova Iguaçu com Valencia aproveitando um rebote do goleiro Fabrício após cabeçada de Wanderson para abrir o placar. A equipe do Rio de Janeiro teve uma boa oportunidade com Yago, mas esteve mais perto de sofrer o segundo gol na reta final com Maicon impedindo uma finalização de Alan Patrick em cima da linha da meta.

No segundo tempo, as duas equipes entraram em uma intensidade menor, e o Nova Iguaçu ficou com um jogador a menos com a expulsão de Igor Fraga. Logo na sequência, o Internacional ampliou o marcador com Valencia recebendo passe de Bustos em posição irregular e finalizando para marcar o gol. Como essa fase da Copa do Brasil não tem VAR, a jogada foi validada.

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✅ O QUE VEM POR AÍ?

No domingo (17), o Nova Iguaçu encara o Vasco pelo jogo de volta da semifinal do Campeonato Carioca em busca de uma vaga na decisão do estadual. Por outro lado, o Inter enfrenta o Juventude, pelo jogo de ida da semifinal do Gauchão.

Tudo sobre

Copa do BrasilInternacionalNova Iguaçu

Sunderland still have some time to wait until they face off against arch rivals Newcastle United back in the Premier League.

The middle of December sees Regis Le Bris’ Black Cats clash against Eddie Howe’s Magpies in what promises to be a hotly contested Tyne-Wear Derby, with the last fierce meeting between the two enemies in the top-flight coming all the way back in 2016 in a 1-1 draw at St James’ Park.

The two sides did butt heads in the FA Cup back in 2024, as an Alexander Isak-led Toon comfortably swept aside their Championship hosts 3-0 on the day, but the Wearside outfit is a completely different beast now with Le Bris at the helm, as opposed to their once bruised nature as second-tier regulars.

While there will be a lack of niceties exchanged at the Stadium of Light in December, Sunderland will know that there are some strong performers already in their camp who will be ready for any intense battles ahead, with the likes of Noah Sadiki not fazed whatsoever by the intensity of the top-flight so far.

Sadiki's early promise at Sunderland

With new signings such as Robin Roefs, Nordi Mukiele, and Omar Alderete receiving a lot of the early praise this season, and rightly so, Sadiki has arguably slipped under the radar as another mightily impressive summer pick-up.

Indeed, the former Royale Union Saint-Gilloise battler might just be 20 years of age, but he looks cut out for the grind of the English top-flight already, having been an ever-present part of Le Bris’ starting lineups across Sunderland’s seven Premier League clashes so far.

He has made one of those starting central spots his own with his energy and quality clear for all to see, with his running statistics on the opening day against West Ham United seeing him cover a ridiculous 11.5km across the 90 minutes.

With an assured 85% pass accuracy also averaged per Premier League game so far, it could be argued that Sadiki is actually Sunderland’s own unique take on Newcastle warrior Bruno Guimaraes, with the 20-year-old just needing to add goals and assists to his Black Cats repertoire to be on the road to rivalling his South American counterpart.

At the moment, he has zero goals or assists next to his name.

This could come soon, though, with Sadiki actually helping himself to four goal contributions last season during his swansong Belgian Pro League season.

But, with six ground duels won effortlessly at the City Ground before his side’s 2-0 slip-up at Manchester United, it might well be that Sadiki excels more as a tireless anchor for the Sunderland cause, as opposed to marauding forward on occasion and hammering home sweet efforts, like Guimaraes.

Instead, one of Sadiki’s equally lively teammates could have more of a compelling argument to hand on why he’s Sunderland’s very own version of the Magpies captain, having been in and around the intense environment of the top-flight for far longer than the promising number 27.

Why Sunderland's "genius" is their own Guimaraes

When Guimaraes arrived on Tyneside in January 2022, Sunderland’s main rivals were used to middle-of-the-road finishes in the Premier League. Now, with the Brazilian as a key cog in Howe’s machine, Champions League football is regularly served up.

Of course, Sunderland won’t be expecting to be in Europe’s elite competition anytime soon, but it’s abundantly clear from how the Black Cats have started this season that Granit Xhaka is already a transformative presence – much like Guimaraes once was at St James’ Park – who can help the Wearside outfit to a high-up finish right after promotion.

Much like the number 39 chips in time after time with crucial goals and assists, the former Arsenal warrior has more than played his role in Sunderland collecting early wins in their immediate bid to beat the drop, with the last three goals Le Bris’ men have scored in the tough division coming about from Xhaka popping up with an assist.

This, clearly, sets him apart from Sadiki, who can spray a lovely pass here or there, but hasn’t quite grasped the same level of incision as the Basel-born midfielder.

But, much like his Toon foe, Xhaka is also definitely well-versed in what it takes to be a physical presence when needed, having even been branded a “monster” by Arsenal-based writer Connor Humm when still at the Emirates, off the back of the 33-year-old winning 130 duels during his final top-flight campaign in North London.

Guimaraes vs Xhaka (PL – 25/26)
Stat – per 90 mins*	Guimaraes	Xhaka
Games played	7	7
Goals	2	0
Assists	0	3
Touches*	59.7	72.9
Accurate passes*	35.7 (83%)	46.4 (84%)
Big chances created	0	4
Ball recoveries*	5.8	5.1
Total duels won*	6.7	6.4
Stats by Sofascore

This side of his well-varied game has been on full display donning Sunderland red and white, too, with Xhaka not a million miles off Guimaraes’ “world-class” nature, as he was once glowingly labelled by scout Jacek Kulig for never letting his standards slip on Tyneside.

On Wearside, Xhaka has also been a rock early into this competitive season, with 6.4 duels won on average, putting him on the same lofty pedestal as his counterpart, who was once touted to leave Howe and Co. behind for a staggering £100m.

Considering Sunderland landed their midfield veteran for just £17m, this is extremely impressive to see.

With 17 goals also coming his way in the Premier League when situated at Arsenal, it could be that Xhaka elevates his game even more in the weeks to come and becomes the constant Sunderland needs to push up the division, much like Guimaraes has been their every step of the way for Howe’s men as they turned into a Champions League-level outfit.

With Xhaka now wearing the armband with pride, it will be fascinating to see where both Sunderland and Newcastle are in the league standings come their showdown on the 13th of December, with the Black Cats very much fancying their chances of Tyne-Wear glory if their “genius” – as he was recently labelled by Sky Sports’ Don Goodman – puts in another game-changing display.

Sunderland "powerhouse" is in danger of becoming a modern-day Altidore

This Sunderland attacker is in danger of turning into a modern-day Jozy Altidore.

By
Kelan Sarson

Oct 7, 2025

Tottenham’s brief unbeaten streak under Thomas Frank came to an abrupt end at home to Aston Villa last Sunday, with pundit Gary Lineker expressing concern over one star in a key role.

Tottenham's lack of creativity a concern for Thomas Frank

Spurs made an excellent start to proceedings against Villa when midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, who recently signed a brand-new contract, opened the scoring with five minutes on the clock, feeding off midfield partner Joao Palhinha’s knock back to hand Spurs the lead.

However, that was as good as it got for Frank’s side.

Tottenham failed to convince going forward throughout the match, ultimately paying the price against a well-organized Villa side, with summer signing Xavi Simons criticised as Spurs lacked creative spark.

From the offset, the Lilywhites found it difficult to create clear-cut chances. Tottenham’s forwards, particularly on the counter-attack when one of Palhinha or Bentancur won the ball back off Villa, lacked that cutting edge to craft anything of note.

Joao Palhinha

7.8

Boubacar Kamara

7.5

Emiliano Buendia

7.5

Rodrigo Bentancur

7.4

Morgan Rogers

7.1

via WhoScored

Ultimately, Frank’s midfield failed to provide the necessary service to Spurs’ front line, leaving them starved of quality opportunities.

While the north Londoners battled to a 2-1 win away to Leeds before the international break, there were major signs beforehand that Tottenham quite simply need to improve in the attacking areas.

They were very fortunate to nick last-gasp draws against Wolves and Bodo/Glimt before they travelled to Elland Road, but Spurs’ luck ran out against Villa, who stole all three points in N17 thanks to a wonder goal from Emiliano Buendia.

Particularly after Tottenham’s loss to Villa, their lack of impetus in the final third is beginning to become a real worry, if it wasn’t already.

Concerns surround Richarlison’s ability to lead the line, while Dominic Solanke’s bad luck with an ankle injury, which required minor surgery, has limited the England international to just 49 minutes of action this season.

With Simons still getting up to speed, Frank is dearly missing the attacking quality of Dejan Kulusevski and James Maddison. He’ll be hoping to have the former back as soon as possible, with Kulusevski unable to take part since picking up a knee injury against Crystal Palace last season.

Tottenham face a tough trip to AS Monaco in the Champions League next, and Frank will have a key decision to make about who starts up front, if Solanke isn’t fit enough to make his long-awaited return.

Gary Lineker says Mathys Tel can't do basic thing right in Tottenham striker role

If Solanke proves unable to start against Monaco, Spurs could turn to Mathys Tel as his number nine once again.

Tel was handed the nod by Frank against both Leeds and Villa, opening the scoring at Elland Road, but was largely isolated and ineffective against Unai Emery’s side at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Once tipped to eventually bag 40 goals a season by Julian Nagelsmann, the Frenchman may have some way to go before realising that prediction, and Lineker has revealed one key flaw in his game.

Speaking on the Rest is Football podcast this week (via GiveMeSport), Lineker says that Tel can’t do a basic thing right in the Tottenham striker role — namely that he lacks the natural runs in behind to beat the offside trap.

Ange Postecoglou played a key role in convincing the 20-year-old to join Spurs from Bayern Munich last January, on an initial loan which ex-chair Daniel Levy re-negotiated and secured permanently for £30 million.

While the Lilywhites worked hard to sign Tel, he’s racked up just six goal contributions (four goals, two assists) in 28 appearances thus far.

However, it is vital to remember that the ex-Rennes sensation is still very young, and Tottenham will be banking on Tel eventually reaching his full potential after flashes of true brilliance at Bayern.

انطلقت مباريات الجولة السادسة عشر لبطولة الدوري الإنجليزي الممتاز “البريميرليج”، مساء السبت، وخاض فريق ليفربول مواجهة، وكذلك تشيلسي.

والتقى ليفربول وبرايتون على ملعب “آنفيلد”، فيما واجه تشيلسي خصمه إيفرتون، على ملعب “ستامفورد بريدج”.

وحقق ليفربول الفوز على برايتون بهدفين دون مقابل، سجلهما هوجو إيكتيكي، وتغلب تشيلسي على إيفرتون بهدفين نظيفين، كما تغلب آرسنال على خصمه ولفرهامبتون بهدفين مقابل هدف.

وشهدت هذه الجولة من الدوري الإنجليزي، فوز مانشستر سيتي على كريستال بالاس بثلاثية نظيفة، وتغلب أستون فيلا على وست هام بثلاثية لهدفين، مساء الأحد، كما يلتقي مانشستر يونايتد مع بورنموث يوم الإثنين. جدول ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي

1. آرسنال، 36 نقطة.

2. مانشستر سيتي، 34 نقطة.

3. أستون فيلا، 33 نقطة.

4. تشيلسي، 28 نقطة.

5. كريستال بالاس، 26 نقطة.

6. ليفربول، 26 نقطة.

7، سندرلاند، 26 نقطة.

8. مانشستر يونايتد، 25 نقطة.

9، إيفرتون، 24 نقطة.

10، برايتون، 23 نقطة.

11، توتنهام، 22 نقطة.

12، نيوكاسل، 22 نقطة.

13، فولهام، 20 نقطة.

14، برينتفورد، 20 نقطة.

15. بورنموث، 20 نقطة.

16، نوتينجهام، 18 نقطة.

17، ليدز، 16 نقطة.

18، وست هام، 13 نقطة.

19، بيرنلي، 10 نقاط.

20، ولفرهامبتون، نقطتان.

ويمكنك متابعة ترتيب الدوري الإنجليزي محدث لحظة بلحظة من خلال الرابط.

Apparently 162 games wasn't enough for Rafael Devers this year.

Heading into the final day of Major League Baseball's regular season, the former Red Sox star has already played in 162 games on the season. Boston dealt him to the Giants in mid-June, ending his eight-year tenure with the team. San Francisco and Devers's season hasn't went to plan since the trade as the Giants' season will come to a close Sunday after their game with the Rockies as they try to finish the year an even .500.

Devers hasn't missed a game in a Red Sox or Giants uniform this season. Boston's schedule was one game ahead of San Francisco's when the trade went down, which means he will play in his 163rd game of the year Sunday. He becomes the first MLB player to play in 163 games in a year since 2008, according to NBC Sports Bay Area's Alex Pavlovic.

Justin Morneau played in 163 games for the Twins in '08 due to a tiebreaker against the White Sox to decide the AL Central. When the MLB expanded its postseason in '22, tiebreaker games were removed to resolve ties at the regular season, which made the feat all the more rare.

The big trade paved the way for Devers to play in 163 this year, but it could be a long time before we see anyone accomplish the task again.