1st Group A

Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente said Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams are available but unable to play a full 90 minutes during their opening World Cup match against Cape Verde on Monday. Yamal, 18, and Williams, 23, missed the end of their respective domestic seasons after both suffering hamstring injuries. The expectation was that Yamal would miss the group-stage opener and would face a race to be fit for their second match against Saudi Arabia. More from @LeonImber and @polballus ⬇️ 🔗

This Group F match-up had been circled as one of the games of the group stages since the draw, with Netherlands’ fifth-place world ranking perhaps overselling their quality, and Japan’s 18th-place likely underselling theirs. There have been justified fears that a 48 team World Cup would dilute the excitement of the group stage, and that may still be the case — but it is comforting to know, even under this new format, that games like this can still emerge early on. 📝 @jwhitey98 🔗

"Top of the group! ... No matter what happens in the rest of the World Cup, we will never forget this moment..." Super John McGinn has a lot Scots happy tonight 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

What does @philipplahm think about the USMNT ahead of their World Cup opener against Paraguay? I like Mauricio Pochettino and although his time in charge has had bad moments, this feels like a team that represents his tactical values and personality. The U.S. are fighters and possess extremely strong, dynamic runners. The home advantage definitely helps, with the American fans radiating a special kind of enthusiasm. This squad seems really together, too. But I think they lack standout players. Christian Pulisic, Chris Richards and Weston McKennie have international experience and are all talented, but neither Milan nor Juventus are really top-tier sides at the moment, and that always feels important to me. There’s a lot of pressure on a very small group. That being said, the warm-up performances against Senegal and Germany were encouraging — there’s something there. I was impressed by their attacking ideas, especially on the counter, and I think they are capable of winning their group. 🔗

"They got no shot of doing anything at the World Cup... They're the weakest team in the group." @MikeGrella10 has a response for @Adamo_dn and doubles down on his Australia "layup" comments 🤣

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 "I've got a horrible feeling that they'll get out the group!" 😂 "I always believed in you guys!" Simon Jordan backs Scotland to go deep into the World Cup! #fifaworldcup

England midfielder Jude Bellingham has stressed the importance of needing to "feel loved" ahead of the World Cup. The midfielder previously admitted the group were "not quite connected" during the Euro 2024 but says there is a different feel around the camp now.

FT' | FINAL SCORE 🏆 South Korea 🇰🇷 earn an opening win vs. Czechia 🇨🇿 as former #VWFC star Hwang In-beom helps orchestrate a 2-1 turnaround 😎 CanMNT 🇨🇦 fans, keep an eye on this group – if Canada finish 2nd, they'll play the runners-up here in the Round of 32 👀

Watch the Group A/B Preview ⬇️

Day 4 in Ghana: five new teams formed at Atomic Community Park The BiancoBlu spent the day at Atomic Community Park, where five new teams were formed ahead of the second SCM Championship. As in previous years, each team will be named after a town around Lake Como. Working in groups, the Primavera and Under-17 players organised and led tailored training sessions, sharing their knowledge and skills on the pitch with the young participants. At the end of the activities, it was time for matches, with the Lariani taking on the roles of coaches, referees and players. In the evening, the group attended a dinner hosted by the Italian Ambassador to Ghana, Laura Ranalli, alongside representatives from local institutions and the sporting community.

Day 3 in Ghana: Visiting the Academy and a local school
 The BiancoBlu visited the Sport Creates Memories Academy in Bawjiasi, just outside Accra. After spending the morning with the local community, the day continued with a visit to a local school before returning to Accra, accompanied by three guest volunteers from the Scholas project, who will join the group for the next few days in Ghana. Children from the local community, as well as players involved in the SCM leagues, were also able to play and train thanks to the support of Adidas Italy.

🌎 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗟𝗗 𝗖𝗨𝗣 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲 📅 The World Cup schedule from a Barça perspective: these are all our players' matches in the group stage