Key events

Right, how about an Associated Press piece on the iconic Lionel Messi? Coming up shortly …

Don’t forget to email us with your World Cup musings.

The Sweden manager Graham Potter, meanwhile, said this of his side’s 5-1 drubbing by a very handy Netherlands side:

“In the end, it is what it is.”

Unarguable.

Tijjani Reijnders, of the Netherlands, offered a scintillating assessment of their handsome win against Sweden.

“We knew we had to win. It was a great victory,” said the Manchester City man.

“We have one goal: to win the World Cup. We did a good job today, and we have to keep going.”

I live for this stuff.

Tijjani Reijnders hits the deck. Photograph: David Ballering Ii/ADM Newswire/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock

Thank you Billy. Hello everyone. What sort of thing is happening here? Let’s take a look.

That’s it from me for now. Luke McLaughlin is here to steer you through the next couple of hours.

On the Japan supporters cleaning up in Monterrey last night – one woman has gone viral this week for saying men should do the same when they’re at home.

Fifa lauded Japanese fans on social media for their “impeccable manners” that saw them tidy up the stands after their draw with the Netherlands, with pictures of men in blue avidly picking up trash. Similar images have since proliferated online, but one X post went viral after claiming Japanese men aren’t all that they are cracked up to be.

“Japanese men spend among the least time on housework internationally,” read the post, which has been viewed more than 2m times. “Please do it at home,” the post said, with a satirical illustration showing a fan who proudly cleans up the stadium is, in fact, relaxing on a sofa at home, oblivious to the pile of laundry and his wife or mother doing the dishes.

Japanese men participate notoriously little in household chores, with women spending 5.5 times more time than men taking on “unpaid work” such as shopping, domestic chores and caregiving, the cabinet office says, citing 2021 OECD data. The gap is far greater than in Britain, France and the United States, where women spend 1.8 times, 1.7 times and 1.6 times – respectively – longer than men doing unpaid work.

While supporters describe the act of cleaning up the stadium as proof of Japan’s cultural altruism, others have also seen it as slightly performative. Opinions have been divided on the viral X post. “Wives struggling with husbands who don’t clean at all should have them wear Samurai Japan uniforms at home too,” one comment said. “This is too much of generalisation – not all Japanese men are like that,” another user wrote. AFP

World Cup TV: Whether it’s Gary Lineker on ITV or Alexi Lalas going tete-a-tete with Thierry Henry on Fox coverage, it’s been an eye-catching first 10 days on the box.

Group H: Spain have had almost a week to stew over their disappointing start against Cape Verde but are back in Atlanta today to take on Saudi Arabia. Lamine Yamal could be fit enough to start having only come on as a 71st-minute substitute in the opener.

Luis de la Fuente has asked for people not to compare the 18-year-old to the likes of Messi and Maradona … before comparing him to the likes of Salvador Dalí and Michelangelo:

The worst mistake we could make would be to compare him to anyone. He is the midst of a process. He has exceptional footballing maturity and lives it all with total naturalness. He has great serenity and strength. We have to let him follow his path but those players who have something different are ready for that. They’re geniuses, like Dalí [who] can paint a picture, or Michelangelo. They’re different. What is exceptional to us, isn’t to them.

That’ll keep his feet on the ground.

Podcast: The World Cup Daily crew have been discussing Saturday’s action from their base in Los Angeles. They’ve also been coming to terms with the early elimination of dark horses Turkey.

You can listen here or watch here.

Infantino's private jet could emit '300 to 500 tonnes of CO2' during World Cup

Gianni Infantino has been a busy man at this World Cup but his unquenchable thirst to pack in as many matches as possible is causing unrest among environmental groups who are questioning his indifference to the climate crisis. Mexico City, Guadalajara, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver, Seattle, Kansas City, Houston: the Fifa president has already powered up his private jet to appear in the stands 10 times in seven days.

His insatiable use of a Qatar Airways private jet is nothing new: in September 2024, the investigative outlet Josimar revealed that he had used the plane to clock up 600,000km (372,822 miles) over the previous three years.

But the expanded 2026 World Cup, staged for the first time with 48 teams across the United States, Canada, and Mexico – meaning a jump from 64 to 104 matches – has magnified the impact of Infantino’s flying habit.

“Just one hour in this plane emits roughly what an average human being emits in an entire year,” Greenly, a French company specialising in carbon footprint assessments, said this week.

If Infantino strings together two cities a day until the end of the last 16, then attends the last eight matches, Greenly estimates he will rack up “a defensible range of 300 to 500 tonnes of CO2 for his plane alone” over the course of the tournament. That is the equivalent, they say, of “the annual footprint of around 35 to 55 French people”.

Fifa defends the president’s travel by stressing that its executives choose between commercial and private flights “based on what is most efficient and cost-effective” and that in all cases the organisation covers travel costs.

David Gogishvili, a geographer at the University of Lausanne, told AFP that Fifa had created a “sustainability paradox” – “by reusing existing but geographically dispersed NFL stadiums across a continent, Fifa has created a model that is structurally dependent on high-emission air travel,” he said.

Given that the 2026 tournament has attracted celebrities and wealthy spectators, the use of private jets at a World Cup is not just limited to Fifa leadership, further increasing the event’s overall footprint.

The 2022 World Cup drew 1,846 private jets to Qatar, the British journal Nature noted. That is more than the Super Bowl, the Cannes Film Festival, the World Economic Forum in Davos and Cop28 combined. AFP

Dutch royals swap orange for blue to follow Curaçao too

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands began Saturday by cheering the Dutch past Sweden in Houston. The monarchs ended the day by watching Curaçao make some history against Ecuador in Kansas City.

The small island nation of Curacao is a constituent country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and that makes King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima the heads of state. So, after a quick flight north, the royal couple dutifully swapped out the bright orange scarves they wore to their earlier match with bright blue ones.

Curaçao, the smallest World Cup team in population and size, made their tournament debut last Sunday in a 7-1 loss to Germany. But they bounced back from that defeat for a 0-0 draw with La Tri and earn its first-ever point in the tournament.

“It is an extra special World Cup because we have both the Netherlands and Curaçao,” Willem-Alexander told RTL-TV. “So we have twice as many teams to cheer for. A great opportunity to cheer on both the Blues and the Oranges. All in all, it will be a special World Cup for me with two teams, and I naturally hope they go extremely far.”

The king and queen in Houston. Photograph: Annegret Hilse/Reuters

King Willem-Alexander with Eloy Room in the Curaçao dressing room. Photograph: Alex Pantling/FIFA/Getty Images

After the Netherlands moved one step closer to the knockouts, Curaçao are still alive too after Eloy Room made 15 saves — one off the World Cup record — to earn a draw with Ecuador.

“It’s amazing,” the Curaçao midfielder Tahith Chong said of celebrating with the royal family in the dressing room. “I knew before the game that they were coming to the game. To have them at such a game that we pick up our first point ever in history is amazing.”

“Seeing how the king, his wife and daughter fit in our group is something that evokes a lot of respect,” said the 78-year-old Curaçao coach, Dick Advocaat, who was born and raised in the Netherlands. “They smile, they dance, nothing is too much for them, and you can see them radiating with joy. It was wonderful to see the royal family in this way.” AP

Today's fixtures

We’ve got Groups G + H in action on World Cup Sunday.

• Spain v Saudi Arabia, Atlanta (noon local time, 5pm BST, 2am AEST)

• Belgium v Iran, Los Angeles (noon local, 8pm BST, 5am AEST)

• Uruguay v Cape Verde, Miami (6pm local, 11pm BST, 8am AEST)

• New Zealand v Egypt, Vancouver (6pm local, 2am BST, 11am AEST, 1pm NZST)

A convenient kick-off time for fans of the All Whites – well, maybe not if you’re at work or school. Let us know how you’re getting on with the match schedule in your country.

“Not sure when you compiled the Sans-Stars list, but there’s no space and you’ve left Room!” writes Chris on email. “Not as good as the Lebowski/Room/Rug one last night, admittedly. But at least it’s an ethos.”

Yes, it may not surprise you that we didn’t write that in the wee hours of this morning in the UK. Poor Vozinha – yesterday’s man, now.

It’s not a World Cup without Japan fans/players cleaning up after themselves …

Japanese fans celebrated their team’s 4-0 victory over Tunisia in the 1,000th ⁠match in World Cup history by staying behind at Monterrey’s stadium to collect rubbish from the stands. The ⁠practice, known in ⁠Japan as ​gomi hiroi, reflects an emphasis on taking responsibility for shared spaces.

Ken Okawa, 30, said he was happy to bring ⁠this tradition to his very first World Cup match as he stooped down to collect discarded cups and other rubbish from the ⁠floor around his seat. “We are guests in Mexico,” he said. “I have been treated ​wonderfully, so this is my way ‌of showing my appreciation.”

The ‌practice is instilled from a very young age in Japan, where schoolchildren are ‌taught to clean up their own classrooms. Miku Takeya, 41, said that the habit of tidying up after herself has become second nature. “It’s a natural part of our culture,” she said. “We do this to ensure that everything we use is left clean so that the next person can use it comfortably.”

Always a classy touch. Photograph: David Ramos/Getty Images

Images of ‌Japanese fans cleaning up in stadiums after matches during this year’s World Cup have gone viral. Ahead of Saturday’s match, ​the Nuevo León governor, Samuel García, said he had arranged for 20,000 bin bags to be distributed in the stadium during the match, as well as at Fanfest and other tourist sites, following requests from Japanese fans, according to local media.

While this ⁠practice has captured global attention, many Japanese fans say it is ​nothing out of the ​ordinary for them. “It’s common sense ​in Japan,” said Ichiro Oyo, 27. Still, Ryo Matsuoka, 32, said he ​was proud to ‌bring this part ​of Japanese culture ​to the world stage. “I think it is a matter of great pride that this is being showcased in a stadium like this, where people from all over the world are watching,” he said. Reuters

World Cup team of the tournament so far: John Brewin, Marcus Christenson and I have compiled some of the best performers of the opening 10 days … with one rule – no superstars.

Move over Messi, Mbappé and Haaland – this is about Laryea, Just and Quiñones:

Vozinha, Bouaddi and Quiñones. Composite: Guardian Design; Getty Images; AP

Group F: It was Premier League power in the Netherlands v Sweden match. Well, almost – Crysencio Summerville of Championship West Ham the only goalscorer not to currently ply his trade in England’s top flight. There were doubles for Sunderland’s Brian Brobbey and Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo, while Newcastle’s Anthony Elanga got Sweden’s consolation in a 5-1 defeat.

“The scoreline’s a little ‌harsh on us, but sometimes ‌that happens in football, especially with the quality of the opponent we face,” said Sweden’s Graham Potter.

“We got off to not ‌a good start, which then puts you behind in the game and then affects the mood. After the first break, we thought we did really well. We adjusted things a little bit, which made it better for us.”

One photo: Four goals. Photograph: Omar Vega/Getty Images

You’d expect Ronald Koeman’s Dutch side to top the group from here, with Sweden maybe looking for a draw in their final game against Japan that should see them through as a best third-place team.

“We needed this,” Koeman said. “When you start a tournament, you want to start ‌well. It gives you peace of mind. There was also a bit more pressure on us to win. Otherwise, everything would come down to the final group match, and you don’t want that.”

Tony Mason was one of those up at the crack of dawn in the UK this morning: “After last night’s and this morning’s shenanigans things are starting to get a tiny bit clearer. I’m predicting a blockbuster round of 32 match between Brazil and Japan. Curaçao may have done a huge favour to teams finishing 3^rd as both them and Ecuador will now struggle to get more than 2 points. This Sunday morning I’ve watched a full football match, the highlights of another, been for a run and had breakfast and it still isn’t 9 o’clock.”

We are all slackers in comparison.

Group F: Here in the UK anybody up with the lark was able to watch Japan sweep aside Tunisia in Monterrey. Crystal Palace fans would not have been surprised to see goalscorer Daichi Kamada play so well in an advanced position, filling in for the injured Takefusa Kubo in the Japan attack.

“Daichi has mostly been deployed as a defensive midfielder recently, but considering our current team situation, we had him shift to the shadow striker position today,” said Japan’s head coach, Hajime Moriyasu. “The ⁠idea was to bring out his strengths and ​have him ​control the team’s offence ​and defence from that advanced position.”

Tunisia, meanwhile, have joined Turkey in booking their flights home. Herve Renard replaced the sacked Sabri Lamouchi in the dugout and, well, didn’t make much of a difference. Last up for them: the Dutch.

“The score is heavy but it reflects the difference between the two teams tonight,” said Renard. “Even if we ‌are eliminated we still have a third game to play. ​We are in a World Cup, and we must remain focused. It is important to get ⁠ready to fight for this third ​game ​against the Netherlands.”

Elsewhere in Group E Germany sealed progression from a World Cup group stage for the first time since they won the damn thing in 2014, coming from behind after Côte d’Ivoire had a half-time lead.

“We showed great character today,” said Deniz Undav, channelling his inner Brendan Rodgers. The Stuttgart striker came off the bench to score twice and netted a late winner, making it nine goals in 11 international caps.

Undav’s role is a curious one under Julian Nagelsmann. The coach has previously criticised the striker for his performances in a Germany shirt, even if he scored goals. Undav has also not been particularly happy to just be an impact sub.

“I could have him in the starting lineup,” Nagelsmann said yesterday. “I think that every player would love to be in the starting lineup, but I think he’s very happy as it is right now.”

Comments won’t be on until a little bit later – sorry about that – but in the meantime don’t forget you can email us to share your thoughts.

“I think I need a statue in Curaçao now,” said Eloy Room after keeping Ecuador at bay and earning his country’s first World Cup point – his clean sheet particularly significant after that 7-1 hammering by Germany in the first game. The Miami FC goalkeeper was just one off Tim Howard’s record of 16 saves (for USA v Belgium in 2014) in a World Cup match.

“A little ⁠bit annoyed that I don’t have the record from Tim Howard, but I think he was sweating in front of the TV because I was close,” Room said.

It’s going to be an insane memory. You don’t think about it ​when you do it but of course it’s going to be something you look back to. For me as a goalkeeper, this is almost a perfect game. It’s unbelievable. And I cannot do it alone. I did it with the team and my defenders and the midfielders, strikers. We did it as a ⁠team.

The draw means Curaçao can still (and probably will) progress from Group E if they beat Côte d’Ivoire in their final fixture.

Results and reports

Here’s what happened on Saturday at the World Cup …

• Netherlands 5-1 Sweden

• Germany 2-1 Côte d’Ivoire

• Ecuador 0-0 Curaçao

• Tunisia 0-4 Japan

Sweden followed up their 5-1 opening win over Tunisia with a thumping by the same scoreline by the Netherlands, with Sunderland’s Brian Brobbey on the scoresheet twice in Houston. Nick Ames was there:

Deniz Undav kept up his remarkable scoring record for Germany with both off the bench, including a late winner, against an impressive Côte d’Ivoire in Toronto. Leander Schaerlackens was there:

Curaçao earned their first point at a World Cup by holding Ecuador, with a heroic Eloy Room making a a ridiculous 15 saves in Kansas City. Ed Aarons was there:

And Herve Renard’s first game in charge of Tunisia was just as poor as Sabri Lamouchi’s final match, with Japan racking up the goals in Monterrey. Jonathan Wilson was there:

Iran's Ghalenoei bemoans lack of support from other 47 managers

Iran’s head coach, Amir Ghalenoei, expressed his disappointment at the lack of support from the other 47 managers at the World Cup amid further chaos on the eve of their crunch match against Belgium.

Iran arrived in Los Angeles from their base in Tijuana, Mexico, soon after midday on Saturday, less than 24 hours before their second Group G game. Iran had requested to arrive in LA two days before the match but were not permitted to do so and have voiced their frustrations to Fifa’s president, Gianni Infantino, about feeling the “most oppressed” team at the tournament. Belgium, meanwhile, arrived on Friday to prepare for the match.

“I haven’t heard anything from other coaches and I’m sure they’re busy with preparing their own teams and we never expect them to show any reaction,” Ghalenoei said. “But if I had seen another team being treated the way we’ve been treated, I would have [done it].

“I have not seen any reactions from anyone but it seems like the honourable coach of Belgium [Rudi Garcia] has said we are here for football, not politics, and I’m saying exactly the same thing. Our grievances are to do with the way [Fifa] have behaved towards us.”

Iran players during training on Saturday. Photograph: Matthew Childs/Reuters

Ghalenoei detailed how Iran waited in limbo on Friday evening after being given encouragement by Fifa that Iran may be able to travel earlier to LA than initially permitted. Ghalenoei said the team were ready to leave their base in Tijuana but the evening passed without Fifa giving them the green light.

“They [Fifa] phoned me and said: ‘Are you ready if we get you a flight at 6pm?’ I welcomed that but we sat and waited and waited,” Ghalenoei said. “We waited until 7pm, nothing happened. ‘OK, sorry, we weren’t able to do that.’ That’s going to affect us mentally, especially me as a head coach … I know Fifa is trying its best, I thank them for that but it doesn’t mean they have succeeded.”

Ghalenoei confirmed they have been granted permission to fly to Seattle two days before their final Group G match against Egypt on Friday, but questioned why they have been prevented from doing so for their other matches in the US. “Why didn’t they let us come earlier for the first two games as well?” the 62-year-old said. “They’ve allowed us to make our own decisions with regards to planning the travel but unfortunately for the first two games others made these decisions for us.”

Preamble

Tunisia are out, after a thumping defeat against Japan in Group F. Curaçao are still in there fighting, after a heroic 0-0 draw against Ecuador in Group E … Germany and the Netherlands, meanwhile, appear to be moving ominously through the gears. Let’s talk about the World Cup.