Tuchel reveals a curious regret from England’s 2026 World Cup campaign
Thomas Tuchel regrets not keeping a piece of the Estadio Azteca pitch after England’s dramatic 3-2 win over Mexico in the round of 16. England went on to reach the semi-finals, where they lost 2-1 to Argentina.
The German manager admitted he wishes he had taken home some of the grass from the legendary Azteca stadium after the dramatic last-16 victory over Mexico at this summer’s World Cup.
England’s run ended in the semi-finals with a 2-1 defeat to Argentina, and Tuchel and his team faced criticism for their performance in that game. The manager admitted the exit “was painful”, but he still rates the team’s overall tournament highly.
Tuchel described the win over Mexico as one of the most memorable moments of the tournament. England took the lead through two Jude Bellingham goals, and Harry Kane added a penalty, before the Mexicans fought back. Despite being reduced to ten men, the Three Lions held on to progress.
Challenge Zone
0 games available
From Category
Morocco insists on hosting the 2030 World Cup final: “Africa has the right to be host”
Moroccan Football Federation president Fouzi Lekjaa has again expressed his wish for Morocco to host the 2030 World Cup final, which the country is co-organising with Spain and Portugal. He argues that Africa has the right to stage a World Cup final for the second time in history.
Back three, rotations, counter-pressing, low blocks and more: the trends in FIFA’s technical report on the 2026 World Cup
FIFA has published a 500-page technical report on the 2026 World Cup, identifying 11 key tactical and technical trends. Its main conclusion is that there is no single “winning formula”, with the variety of playing styles being the defining feature of the tournament.
Barcelona name squad for Galatasaray trip, still with key absentees
Hansi Flick has named a 22-man squad for Barcelona’s Champions League trip to Galatasaray in Istanbul on Tuesday. Raphinha, Frenkie de Jong, Andreas Christensen and Roony Bardghji are still out injured, but Eric García returns after serving his suspension.
Nine out of nine for Barcelona, but the easy part is over and the hard part begins
Barcelona made it nine wins from nine in all competitions this season with a comfortable 3-0 home win over Getafe in La Liga. Anthony Gordon, Gabriel Jesus and Jules Koundé scored, but Hansi Flick’s side now face a tough run that includes Galatasaray, Betis, PSG and El Clásico.
Referee’s report reveals more about Vinícius’ red card, Brazilian unlikely to play in El Clásico
The referee’s report from Real Madrid’s 1-0 win over Villarreal says Vinícius Júnior was sent off for pulling an opponent’s hair and then approached the official aggressively, shouting in protest. The incident could bring a ban of more than one game, which would rule him out of the Clásico against Barcelona on 25 October.
Was Gravenberch’s red card in the Liverpool – Manchester City derby a refereeing mistake?
Ryan Gravenberch’s 62nd-minute dismissal was the turning point in Manchester City’s 3-0 win at Anfield, and most pundits disagreed with referee Chris Kavanagh’s decision. Former players were especially critical of the first yellow card, while some felt the Dutchman was naive in picking up the second.