The Game

If England don't win it who will?
France, Spain, Portugal are all among the favourites, but only one European team has ever won in the Americas...can they change that?
Lionel Messi will be at his sixth World Cup, can he lead Argentina to defend their crown?
Brazil have gone twenty four years without a World Cup, can ageing talisman Neymar and the experience of manager Carlo Ancelotti guide them to the final?
Who are the dark horses - Senegal, Japan, Norway, Ecuador...
And lastly what of the rest, the first timers, the romantics choice and the rank outsiders.

Tom Allnutt, James Gheerbrant and Paul Hirst join Tom Clarke to asses the best of the rest.

We're here with our daily update show from Friday 12th June and we'll have a USA and the hosts special next week.
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All the latest from a busy domestic scene. Silva leaves Fulham...is he Benfica bound? Crystal Palace look set to appoint the former Lens coach Iraola to Liverpool, Ederson to Man Utd and Nottingham Forest are asking for £120m for Elliot Anderson...is that value for money?
After the break an update from the England camp in Miami - who is training, who looks good, who looks knackered and has Anthony Gordon nicked Marcus Rashford's girlfriend?
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World Cup 2026 is nearly here! Can England win it?
Has Tuchel picked the right squad, what is England's base camp like and what will be England's biggest challenge?
With inside knowledge from within the England camp our team cover it all - from which players will be most affected by the heat and who can cover at number six to secret England tactics and who starts at number ten.

Join Times Sports Editor Tom Clarke, and the Times Sport team who will be with England throughout the tournament: Matt Lawton, Jonathan Northcroft and Hamzah Khalique-Loonat as they discuss England's starting IX, how far they'll go and the choices facing Thomas Tuchel.

We'll be here every single day throughout the tournament with your essential World Cup daily briefing - please do join us.
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Arsenal fell agonisingly short, was there anything they could have done differently or did they just come up against a generational team in PSG?
What if anything could Mikel Arteta have changed, or was focusing on defensive organisation always going to be their best route to success?
Who do Arsenal need to sign to get better?

In the second half Slot out and potentially Iraola in at Liverpool. Why was Slot sacked and is Iraola what Liverpool need? If the spaniard does come in will there be signings and if so who will be sanctioning the signings...Richard Hughes or the new manager?

Tom Clarke is joined by Gregor Robertson, Tony Cascarino and Alyson Rudd
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This is a one off special from our colleagues in Scotland who join former player and national team manager Craig Levein.
They look at what reaching a World Cup means to Scotland, and how the team might fare.
Scotland correspondent Michael Grant is joined by Mark Palmer and former Scotland international Craig Levein

In the run up to World Cup 2026 we will be releasing a series of specials.
Join us next week for our regular shows plus a special England preview with Jonny Northcroft, Martin Samuel and Hamzah Khalique-Loonat
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