06/06/2026

SPORTS SATURDAY | JUNE 6, 2026

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2026 WORLD CUP

Ranking the favourites France look unstoppable, England dare to dream and Brazil wobble W ITH the start of the 2026 World Cup in North America less than a week away, here’s the leading contenders at 2018 World Cup in the semifi nals and the 2022 quarters, England now hope German Thomas Tuchel can deliver a first title since 1966. England cruised through qualifying and have formidable depth but there

the first-ever 48-team finals (world ranking in brackets): 1 France : Les Bleus have won the World Cup twice and lost two finals on penalties in the last seven editions. This will be their last tournament before long-serving coach Didier Deschamps steps down. “It’s a strange feeling,” admitted Deschamps, in charge since 2012. France beat Brazil 2-1 in March and then defeated Colombia 3-1 with an entirely different starting line-up, with those games both played in the US. Unbeaten in nine matches since last June, France have a fearsome attack featuring reign ing Ballon d’Or Ousmane Dembele, Kylian Mbappe, Michael Olise and Rayan Cherki. They will take some stopping. 2 Spain : The European champions have not lost since winning Euro 2024. Luis de la Fuente’s team are a perfectly oiled machine in which the standout player is teenage superstar Lamine Yamal. But the 18-year-old Barcelona winger is currently out with a hamstring injury, and reports suggest he might miss their first two group games. His Barcelona teammate Fermin Lopez is set to miss out entirely with a foot fracture. Arsenal’s Mikel Merino, scorer of eight goals for Spain in 10 games in 2025, has not played since January due to injury. But La Roja still boast fearsome quality – think 2024 Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, or Pedri. 3 Argentina : Lionel Scaloni’s Argentina are dream ing of retaining the title they won in 2022. That tournament marked Lionel Messi’s crowning glory, and it is hard to see how he can hit the same heights again given he turns 39 next month. Nevertheless, Messi is very much at home in the US now and has 12 goals in 13 MLS games for Inter Miami this year. Argentina also won the 2024 Copa America in the USA and comfortably topped South American qualifying. Beyond Messi they boast a wealth of attacking talent, including Lautaro Martinez, Julian Alvarez, and Nico Paz, the Tenerife-born attacking midfielder with Como. 4 England : After several near misses under Gareth Southgate, with agonising defeats in the finals of the last two Euros and exits from the

are some doubts. They drew with Uruguay and lost to Japan in March friendlies, while big names like Jude Bellingham and Cole Palmer have not had straightforward campaigns. However, they will hope Harry Kane continues the remarkable form he has shown with Bayern Munich, for whom he has 58 goals this season. 5 Portugal : Portugal, who have never gone beyond the semifinals, are serious candi dates – provided they are not held back by the possibly over bearing presence of Cristiano Ronaldo. At 41, this will be his sixth World Cup, but the quality of their midfield – Vitinha, Joao Neves, Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes – could be the key. Uefa Nations League winners last year, Portugal stumbled a lit tle in qualifying, losing in Ireland as Ronaldo was sent off. Ronaldo did not play in their last game, a 2-0 friendly win over the USA in Atlanta. 6 Brazil : Brazil’s progress under new coach Carlo Ancelotti will be fascinating to watch. That the Selecao felt it necessary to turn to an Italian says much about Brazil’s ongoing foot balling identity crisis, and their current lack of depth has been exposed by Ancelotti’s decision to name Neymar in his squad. Now 34 and playing for Santos, Neymar has not been capped since 2023, and Vinicius Junior is Brazil’s attacking leader now. Since winning their fifth title in 2002, Brazil have only reached the semifinals once, when they were humiliated 7-1 by Germany as hosts in 2014. They finished fifth in South American qualifying, losing six of 18 games. “The World Cup won’t be won by a perfect team – because a perfect team doesn’t exist,” insists Ancelotti. “It will be won by the most resilient team.” 10 Germany : Julian Nagelsmann’s side sit behind the Netherlands, Morocco and Belgium in the rankings and it seems a stretch to suggest Germany could win a first World Cup since 2014. They suffered group-stage exits in 2018 and 2022, and lost in the Euro 2024 quarterfinals as hosts. However, the class of Joshua Kimmich, Florian Wirtz and Kai Havertz ensure Germany should be taken seriously.

Beautiful game gets new laws THE International Football Association Board (IFAB) has made changes to the laws of the game which will be applied from the 2026-27 season onwards as well as at the World Cup, which kicks off next weel in the United States, Mexico and Canada. “The IFAB approved a set of landmark signal. Exceptions: player injuries, concerns related to safety and security. Off-field treatment An outfield player must leave the field of play for one minute after the restart if medical staff entered the pitch to treat them. Exceptions: goal keeper injuries, collisions between a goalkeeper

changes to the Laws of the Game and the Fifa World Cup 2026 will be the first major tourna ment to use them,” Fifa’s Chief Refereeing Officer Pierluigi Collina told reporters. “These amendments aim to tackle discrimina tion, cut time-wasting, enhance match tempo and improve both the player and fan experi ence.” Players covering their mouths A player who covers their mouth with their hand, arm or shirt in confrontational situations will receive a red card. The new rule comes into effect after Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni was accused of making discriminatory slurs to Vinicius Jr with his mouth covered. Prestianni was given a six-game suspension by Uefa, with his ban extended worldwide. However, players who cover their mouths while having friendly conversations with club teammates on opposing teams, for example, will not be punished. Players leaving field of play Players who leave the field of play to protest about a referee’s decision will be shown a red card. The rule will also apply to any team official who incites players to leave the field of play in protest. Teams which cause a match to be abandoned will now forfeit the match. The new rule comes into effect after Senegal stormed off the field in protest at a penalty awarded against them in the Africa Cup of Nations final, before they returned to beat hosts Morocco 1-0 after extra-time. Throw-in and goal-kick countdowns Referees will start a visual five-second count down with a raised hand. If the ball is not in play at the end of the countdown, a throw-in is awarded to the opponents. If a goal-kick is not taken at the end of the countdown, a corner kick is awarded to the opponents. Substitution protocol Players have 10 seconds to leave the field when the substitution board has been shown. Players must leave the field at the nearest point on the boundary line. If the player being substi tuted does not leave the field of play within 10 seconds, the substitute may enter only at the first stoppage after one minute has elapsed follow ing the restart and the referee gives them the

and outfield player, collisions between team mates that need attention, severe injury (such as head injuries and concussions), or when the injured player is set to take a penalty. VAR protocol “We started (using) VAR in Fifa competitions in 2017, at the Confederations Cup before the World Cup in Russia in 2018,” Collina said. “So, we (think it is) the time to reconsider the protocol which was written when there was very limited experience.” VAR may now intervene for the following incidents: 0 Red card issued from a clearly incorrect yel low card. 0 Mistaken identity: a player is shown a yellow or red card for an offence committed by another player. 0 Incorrectly awarded corner kicks: VAR can intervene if the decision can be corrected immediately without delaying the restart. 0 VAR can now intervene when a foul is commit ted before play restarts (for example: when an attacker fouls a defender before the ball is in play from a set-piece). 0 VAR will recommend an on-field review, fol lowing which, if the referee determines that an offence occurred before the ball was in play, the appropriate disciplinary action will be taken and the corner kick or free kick will be retaken,“ IFAB said. Hydration breaks There will be a three-minute hydration break in each half in every match. The break will be taken around the halfway mark of each half (22nd minute). Referees have been given a bit of flexibility with the timing of the break. For exam ple, if a player is injured and requires treatment in the 20th minute, the referee can signal the hydration break. Goalkeeper injuries If a goalkeeper is receiving treatment on the pitch, players from both teams will not be allowed to leave the field of play and have a “timeout” with their respective coaches. REUTERS

AFP