Sublime Slovakia end Italy’s reign
Slovakia 3-2 Italy South Africa 2010 | Group Stage Ellis Park Stadium, Johannesburg Attendance: 53,412 Slovakia goals: Robert Vittek (25 & 73), Kamil Kopunek (89) Italy goals: Antonio Di Natale (81), Fabio Quagliarella (90+2) Teams Slovakia Coach: Vladimir Weiss Starting XI (4-2-3-1): Jan Mucha; Peter Pekarik, Martin Skrtel, Radoslav Zabavnik, Jan Durica; Zdeno Strba, Juraj […]
Australia at the FIFA World Cup: Team profile and history
After a 32-year absence following their 1974 debut, Australia finally returned to the FIFA World Cup™ at Germany 2006. Since then it’s been an unbroken run of qualification for the nation, with the Socceroos set to feature at a sixth straight edition of the global finals in North America. Having twice progressed to the Round […]
Tancredi: Canada can cause damage at Women’s World Cup
Melissa Tancredi etched her name into the history books during her FIFA Women’s World Cup™ debut when she scored after just 33 seconds against Australia in the group stage at China 2007. The Canadian striker’s dazzling half-volley from just outside the area remains the fastest goal by a Women’s World Cup debutant and the second-fastest goal in the history of the […]
African and Asian continental collisions
Asia (AFC) and Africa (CAF) are the only two continents outside of Europe and South America to have produced FIFA World Cup semi-finalists in the 21st century. Korea Republic reached the final four at the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan, while Morocco achieved the same feat at the recent FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™. Aside […]
Arnold: Iraq will shock the world
He may not have known it at the time but the genesis of Graham Arnold’s latest coaching venture began more than two decades ago in the birthplace of Zeus. Given the lightning-bolt bearing deity’s connections to ancient sport, it was fitting that the seed was planted at the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad. It was […]
Bielsa primed for third bite at World Cup cherry
A long and illustrious list of coaches are poised to feature at the FIFA World Cup 2026™ for the second time or more when the action gets under way in North America this June. For starters, the two tacticians who took their places in the dugout for the Qatar 2022 final, Lionel Scaloni and Didier Deschamps, are set […]
Five Algeria players ready to shine in 2026
Algeria fans still cherish the memories of the 2014 FIFA World Cup™, when the nation delivered one of their most commanding global displays and came within a whisker of defeating eventual champions Germany in the Round of 16 – a match forever etched as a defining moment in Algerian football. That tournament represented the zenith […]
26 Superstars: Erling Haaland
He resembles Thor and assumes the Lotus position like Shiva. Erling Braut Haaland is a god in his own right – one of goals – and his statistics are mythological. The Norwegian, indeed, ripples nets and rips up records relentlessly. Still only 25, he is on course to become the leading marksman in football history. […]
Ruud: Norway’s World Cup return inspires me
Norwegian sports is on an incredible high, with the country topping the medals table at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, Magnus Carlsen winning multiple global chess championships and the men’s national football team qualifiying for the FIFA World Cup™ in dominant fashion. Norway’s return to a major championship for the first time since […]
Fujino: I want to lead Japan’s attack
A little over two years ago, Aoba Fujino’s dream of seeing Sydney came to a shuddering halt. Next month, the 22-year-old will head to Australia with a burning desire to write the wrongs from the previous edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup™, and ensure that Japan qualify for the subsequent edition, to be hosted […]