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Christian Pulisic returned from injury, and Sebastian Berhalter starred, but a heavily rotated USMNT side conceded in stoppage time as Turkiye ended their perfect World Cup start.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Germany were full of attacking intent but badly lacking in defensive quality in a poor final World Cup group stage fixture, falling to a dogged Ecuador, 2-1. Julian Nagelsmann's side got an early goal from Leroy Sane, but conceded twice, and never had a coherent response. They still top the group, but go into the knockouts on a dreary note.

The 2026 World Cup is underway as those still in contention fight it out for the universally coveted trophy. While the collective prize is the main objective for all competitors, some are already making their claim as the best player of the entire tournament. Lionel Messi is the current top candidate with all five of Argentina's goals, but Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise are breathing down his neck.

A spot in the knockout round is already secure, but, first, the U.S. must navigate a clash with a down-on-their-luck but motivated team.

Another summer, another Chelsea move for a high-potential, young star. This one, though, might just be different. The Blues have sprung into life to hijack Inter's move for Atalanta prospect Marco Palestra, who is now set to become the first signing of the Xabi Alonso era in a deal worth a cool €55 million (£47m/$62m).

June 25, 1982 was, according to The Times, "the day that sportsmanship died". What was expected to be a fiercely competitive fixture between West Germany and Austria became a 'non-aggression pact' between two teams who effectively stopped playing during the second half of their World Cup group game in Gijon to ensure that both progressed to the second round.

Excitement is growing as we move through the group stages at the 2026 World Cup and, throughout the showpiece tournament in North America, GOAL, in association with eToro, is tracking the value of some of the world's most sought-after talents. Will their price rise or plummet? Follow our unique player value tracker to find out...

England fans have seen Cole Palmer produce the goods for the national team before. Indeed, he almost saved an otherwise poor performance in the Euro 2024 final, scoring an equalising goal and providing a spark when the Three Lions looked dead in the water against Spain. They did, of course, still go on to lose that game, as they have done at countless tournaments over the years.

Kylian Mbappe versus Erling Haaland was billed as the next great footballing rivalry to follow Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo's two decades of dominance, but as the France and Norway superstars prepare to go head to head at the 2026 World Cup, it's fair to say that their individual tussle has yet to really take off in the way many people expected.

The 2026 World Cup is underway and so is the race for the prestigious Golden Boot - the award given to the tournament's top scorer. There's a long road ahead as 48 nations battle for the top prize, but which star will take home the illustrious award? Here are GOAL's predicted candidates for the prize as we keep track of the tournament's most prolific stars

Mexico witnessed the arrival of a new star in Gilberto Mora and celebrated the career of a legend in Guillermo Ochoa as they secured a 3-0 win over Czechia. For the first time, El Tri finished a World Cup group stage with nine points, and Javier “Vasco” Aguirre now has his team in the best possible shape heading into the knockout rounds.

With first place secured and the U.S. exercising caution over yellow cards and injuries, Mauricio Pochettino is expected to rotate. Here is who GOAL thinks should start.

Vinicius Junior's brace pushed Scotland to the brink of a World Cup exit as Brazil ruthlessly capitalised on their errors in Miami on Wednesday. While the Selecao wrapped up top spot in Group C, the 3-0 defeat means the Scots are unlikely to be one of the best third-placed finishers in their bid to reach the last 32.

The American winger has been training with his teammates this week after watching the last game-and-a-half from the sidelines with a calf injury.

Canada are headed to the knockouts, but a costly loss to Switzerland closed their home World Cup run as Promise David impressed and Alphonso Davies worries grew.

From surfing musings to a wall of handwritten quotes, Mauricio Pochettino explains the belief powering the USMNT's World Cup dream: Why not us?

Austin Franklin and Kevin Akoto were selected to watch every single World Cup match from a glass cube in New York City. It's not as easy as you might think.