Football Opinions

Latest opinions articles covering football.

Jun 27, 2026

The 48-team World Cup gave us Cape Verde, but it also gave the big sides a safety net

Cape Verde’s debut run and Uruguay’s exit are everything FIFA hoped the bigger World Cup would produce. The trouble is that letting 32 of 48 teams thr...

Jun 26, 2026

France top the betting, but Spain look the team to beat at this World Cup

France may lead the market, but Spain’s demolition of Saudi Arabia and the depth behind Lamine Yamal make them the side nobody should want to meet in...

Jun 25, 2026

Tuchel’s England are winning without convincing at the World Cup

England sit top of Group L and are unbeaten, but a flat goalless draw with Ghana dragged up the old questions Thomas Tuchel still has to answer before...

Jun 25, 2026

The Golden Boot race is wide open, and the World Cup’s format will decide it

Lionel Messi leads the World Cup Golden Boot race on five goals, but with Mbappe, Haaland and Vinicius all on four and a 48-team knockout draw to navi...

Jun 18, 2026

Messi and Diaz aside, South America’s World Cup openers raised more questions than answers

One round of group games in, only Argentina and Colombia have truly delivered for South America. Brazil and Uruguay were held, Ecuador and Paraguay be...

Jun 17, 2026

Mbappe and Haaland delivered, but the World Cup’s day of stars belonged to Messi

Three superstars scored on the same June afternoon, and the two cast as the future both delivered. At 38, Messi still walked off with the headline.

Jun 16, 2026

Everyone wants Ayyoub Bouaddi, but the World Cup is inflating his price

Arsenal, PSG and a string of giants are circling the Lille teenager, and Lille reportedly want 75 million euros. Here is why I would think twice befor...

Jun 15, 2026

The 48-team World Cup’s opening round belonged to the sides nobody expected

Germany’s 7-1 rout of Curacao was the nightmare the expansion’s critics predicted. The rest of the opening round told a more encouraging story.

Jun 13, 2026

The USA look the part, but their two co-hosts have work to do

Mexico, the United States and Canada have all opened their home World Cup. One of the three hosts looked a class above the other two.

Jun 12, 2026

Ivory Coast have the squad for a deep World Cup run, but their AFCON exit is a warning

One of the most gifted squads in Africa, a coach who has already won a major trophy, and a kind draw. So why does a deep run for the Elephants still f...

Jun 12, 2026

The summer window opens on Monday, and the World Cup will not slow it down

The Premier League transfer window opens on Monday in the middle of a World Cup, and from Salah’s exit to the scramble for English midfielders, the su...

Jun 11, 2026

Norway are the World Cup dark horse nobody will want to draw

After 28 years away, Norway have arrived at the World Cup with Haaland, Odegaard and a perfect qualifying run behind them. They are the dark horse the...

Jun 9, 2026

Can Argentina become the first side to retain the World Cup since 1962?

No team has retained the World Cup since Brazil in 1962, and three of the last four holders went out in the group stage. Lionel Messi’s Argentina arri...

Jun 9, 2026

Can a host nation win the 2026 World Cup?

The United States, Mexico and Canada all have home advantage, but history and the form book suggest a host lifting the trophy would be a major surpris...

Jun 6, 2026

The dark horses who could gatecrash the 2026 World Cup

With 48 teams and an extra knockout round, the 2026 World Cup is built for an outsider to make a run. Here are the dark horses worth backing, from Mor...

Jun 5, 2026

The World Cup warm-ups are sending the favourites a warning

France, Spain and the Netherlands all stumbled within 24 hours of each other against supposedly lesser opponents. In a 48-team tournament built for up...

Jun 2, 2026

At 41, Ronaldo is still the question Portugal cannot bring themselves to answer

Portugal are taking a 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo to a sixth World Cup, and not everyone thinks they should. The real test is whether Roberto Martin...

Jun 1, 2026

Spain lead the World Cup market, but Yamal’s hamstring keeps the door open

The favourites look clear on paper, yet with Lamine Yamal’s fitness in doubt and France, England and Argentina lurking, the 2026 World Cup feels like...

May 31, 2026

Liverpool’s Iraola call is ruthless, logical and nowhere near safe

Liverpool sacked Arne Slot a year after he won the title and turned to Andoni Iraola. The stylistic logic is sound, but swapping a proven champion for...

May 29, 2026

City hand Maresca the Guardiola inheritance, a job that is equal parts gift and trap

Manchester City have moved quickly to make former Guardiola assistant Enzo Maresca their next manager. Replacing a club great with one of his own stud...

May 28, 2026

From 15th to third: Michael Carrick has earned the Manchester United job, but the real test starts now

Michael Carrick has dragged Manchester United from 15th to third and a Champions League return, and won the job permanently. The hard part of the rebu...

May 24, 2026

The release clause died in January and Kane scored 36 more: Barcelona’s pursuit is now flattery, not a transfer

Harry Kane’s €65 million Bayern release clause expired at the end of January 2026, and Bayern want him to 2029. Barcelona can keep dreaming, but they...

May 23, 2026

Saturday in Budapest changes Arsenal’s summer ceiling, win or lose

Arsenal walk into the Puskas Arena chasing a first European Cup and, less publicly, a different bargaining position for the window. A win on Saturday...

May 19, 2026

Forest’s 120 million price tag has already chased Manchester United out of the Anderson race

Vitor Pereira’s number for Elliot Anderson is high enough that BBC and ESPN both say United will walk before they bid, leaving Manchester City alone i...