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The USMNT had one chance to show the country - and the world - what soccer in America is and could become. They made the most of it.

Mohamed Salah will be making up for lost time and missed chances this summer. The 33-year-old is back on the World Cup stage with Egypt for the first time since the 2018 edition - a tournament that descended into a debacle for the Pharaohs. The soon-to-be former Liverpool talisman will be determined that past mistakes aren't repeated as he looks to make history with his country.

Scotland waited 28 years for this. Haiti waited five decades. In a match between two sides desperate to make their World Cup return count, John McGinn provided the moment that mattered, turning a lucky bounce into the lone goal as the Tartan Army escaped Boston Stadium with a 1-0 win, Scotland’s first victory at the tournament since Italia ’90.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Vinicius Jr scored a wonderful goal to give life to an otherwise languid Brazil performance as the Selecao settled for a 1-1 draw with Morocco to open their World Cup campaign. Brazil started slowly and conceded first, but a moment of magic from their main man restored parity before the break. Both sides, it seems, will take the point with more manageable opposition to come.

Folarin Balogun’s USMNT story began with fanfare, Instagram sleuthing, and an Orlando recruiting dinner. Against Paraguay, it came full circle as the striker delivered a dream World Cup debut.

The USMNT were immensely impressive in their World Cup opener, and hopes are high after an emphatic victory to start the tournament

After 'thirty years of hurt' for the England national team, football was meant to come 'home' in 1996. And yet 30 years on, the Three Lions still haven't won a major trophy since the 1966 World Cup. Might the most infamous title drought in international football be about to come to an end, though? England qualified for this summer's World Cup by winning all of their matches and without conceding a single goal, meaning there's a legitimate sense of optimism surrounding Thomas Tuchel's team.

Four nations will debut at the World Cup this summer, with Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan all set to grace the grandest stage in international football for the first time. It's 16 years since a newcomer made it into the knockout stages of the tournament, when Slovakia stunned holders Italy to eliminate them in South Africa. So do any of this year's debutants have the potential to replicate such heroics?

During Liverpool's historically poor run of results last autumn, Florian Wirtz's form became the subject of much debate. Gary Lineker was among those that felt that the No.10 might benefit from being taken out of Arne Slot’s starting line-up, and thus the spotlight. "Don’t think he isn’t suffering at the moment with this," the former England international said on 'The Rest is Football' podcast.

Christian Pulisic dazzled, Folarin Balogun delivered and the USMNT made a World Cup statement. GOAL breaks down the winners and losers vs Paraguay.

It was a near-perfect World Cup opener for Mauricio Pochettino's side as they swept away their opponents in a way that will be remembered for a long, long time.

Canada finally have their first men’s World Cup point, but after Cyle Larin’s late rescue act against Bosnia and Herzegovina, GOAL picks winners and losers from a tense opener.

Cyle Larin came off the bench to spare Jonathan David's blushes by earning Canada a 1-1 draw with Bosnia and Herzegovina in their 2026 World Cup opener on Friday. The Canucks were the better side for the majority of the match but looked set to slump to a seventh consecutive finals defeat after Lovo Jukic headed in a near-post flick from Sead Kolasinac midway through the first half.

Explore the top game-day foods from 2026 World Cup Groups D, E and F, plus NYC restaurants to watch matches and sample global flavors.

Vinicius Jr promised that he would do it "10x" if he had to. Those were his words after he did not win the 2024 Ballon d'Or despite a stellar individual season. In fairness, the Brazilian had a fair claim to the trophy - Rodri may have deserved it, but few would have complained if Vinicius got his hands on the Golden Ball.

In a GOAL exclusive, USWNT legend Alex Morgan backs the U.S. men to make noise at the World Cup and shares her advice for handling the pressure.

It's here. The 2026 summer transfer window has arrived and it promises to be an extremely eventful one in the women's game, with stars like Alexia Putellas, Sam Kerr and Georgia Stanway all set to be on the move in the coming weeks and months. There are plenty of deals that have been rumoured and reported for some time, with only the official announcements seemingly left to be done, but there will be some shocks along the way too, as always.