Oliver Kay

The 2026 World Cup: so much to dislike/deplore, so much to look forward to — as was the case in Qatar and Russia. If you feel conflicted, you're not the only one. But unless the horribly bloated format kills it, the football will still be a joy to behold nytimes.com/athletic/73490…

🇨🇦 A campaign beset with issues from the outset 🇨🇦 A squad united by the loss of Ismael Kone to injury 🇨🇦 How the Alphonso Davies 'decoy' backfired 🇨🇦 Stephen Eustaquio: leader Jesse Marsch called his team "heroes" for inspiring a generation of children in a way previous Canada squads couldn't. @JoshuaKloke tells the story of the co-hosts' World Cup ⬇️ nytimes.com/athletic/74338…

South Africa international Jayden Adams has died at the age of 25, the South African Football Players Union (SAFPU) has said. SAFPU – which is recognised by FIFPRO, the global union for professional soccer players — said it was “devastated by the untimely passing” of the midfielder, who appeared in three of his nation’s matches at this summer’s World Cup. Sources confirmed the news to The Athletic. @LeonImber and @Simon_Hughes__

World Cup daily briefing: * Looking ahead to France-Spain * Does Portugal’s new coach *seriously* plan to stick with Cristiano Ronaldo? * Scapegoating of players such as Colombia’s Jáminton Campaz, who has faced death threats, and USA’s Christian Pulisic nytimes.com/athletic/74378…

The phrase Lamine Yamal uttered was “sin ningun miedo” — without any fear. It applies to the way he plays, but in this case he was talking about how he and his Spain team regard the prospect of Tuesday’s World Cup semi-final against France. Strong words, backed up by Spanish victories in their past two meetings: 2-1 in the European Championship semi-final in 2024 and 5-4 in a wild UEFA Nations League semi-final in June last year. But that was a different France two years ago. ✍️ @OliverKay 🔗 nyti.ms/4eXd8mp

The German newspaper Bild found and published what they say are the penalty notes for Brazil goalkeeper Alisson, written up in case their World Cup knockout tie against Norway on Sunday had gone the distance. Scrawled handwriting and shorthand goalkeeping terminology make it difficult to read in places, but The Athletic had a go at translating it. @ThomHarris_ explains what he learned about penalty-shootout planning at the highest level from the translation ⤵️ 🔗 nyti.ms/4gyevJq

Michael Edwards has stepped down as FSG's CEO of football. He leaves with one year remaining on his contract. Owners unlikely to recruit a replacement with FSG president Mike Gordon set to resume control of running football operations. nytimes.com/athletic/74362…

He walks. He watches you. He doesn't speak. He is two seconds ahead. His every move causes panic. He is the greatest player of all time. This is what it's like to play against Lionel Messi. 📝 @stujames75, @MarkCarey93, @charlotteharpur and @Dan_Sheldon_ 🔗 nyti.ms/4yfPHvZ

🇺🇸 From the inside read of the USMNT World Cup campaign... which really started when Mauricio Pochettino took over and found some culture shock: “The situation was worse than we really believed,” Pochettino said last month. Ahead of their first training camp in Austin, Texas, that October, he and his staff expected to meet players who “would be so desperate to help (and) come to the national team.” Instead, “we received a big punch,” he recalled. They felt they were the only ones excited for the World Cup to start. Christian Pulisic, the team’s star, left that camp early to return to AC Milan, a decision that was described as “load management” and roundly criticized by U.S. national team veterans, including Tim Howard and Alexi Lalas. Pochettino went along with that plan publicly, but it was symptomatic of dynamics that had to be fixed. He encountered players who had too much power, who dictated time off, and who sometimes used it for golf outings or meals with friends. Pochettino felt he had to strip away that power. The teardown was, at times, tumultuous. A March 2025 window, which culminated with losses to Panama and Canada, “was painful,” he’d later say. “But it was necessary … for the players to realize that (doing things) this way, it is impossible to arrive in a good condition for the World Cup.” A big read, with @PaulTenorio and @HenryBushnell nytimes.com/athletic/74291…

@aquilaaudax2620 Because, as many have said, the Balogun case has far wider repercussions than just him and USA. Because FIFA shifted the goalposts, leavening their entire disciplinary process under serious scrutiny. The fact that Trump is trying to take credit for it makes things even worse

@OliverKay Why are so many whiner still on about this? USA are out of world cup, any future ban can be discussed after world cup is finished!

Quansah red card was correct, as is two-game ban. All entirely uncontroversial ... if it wasn't for the fact that FIFA applied their rules differently in the Balogun and Ronaldo cases. They didn't rescind the Balogun red card after Trump's call to Infantino. They didn't say it was wrongful dismissal. They just delayed the ban. And from that point, everything seems contestable nytimes.com/athletic/74266…

There are just a handful of the early-evening games that I can’t remember watching — and I’m pretty sure it must have been due to something like swimming lessons or Cubs. And late kick-offs (eg the France v West Germany semi) where we recorded it and watched it again and again and again. Definitely wasn’t allowed to stay up and watch England in the second group stage 🛌

@OliverKay @TheAthleticFC 82 💚 can add Boniek, Czerniatinsky, Fischer, Battiston, Robson, Keegan, Armstrong, Genghini, Zoff, Donaghy, Schumacher, Platini, Prohaska and the timeless Tardelli celebration.

A World Cup rest day ☹️ so here we've got a load of @TheAthleticFC writers writing about our first World Cup memories. Mine includes references to Zico, Littbarski, Narey, Giresse, Conti, Falcão... and a Kuwaiti prince storming onto the pitch to protest nytimes.com/athletic/74257…

@bifana_bifana @TheAthleticFC N’Kono, Eder, Robson, Trésor, Rocheteau, Tigana, Madjer, Belloumi, Arconada, Dasayev, Kiss …

@MichaelSneddz Well the guy who scored in a hat-trick final was just returning from a two-year ban for his alleged involvement in a match-fixing scandal ... (Paolo Rossi denies any wrongdoing etc)

@OliverKay At least no corruption like Messi

The World Cup has been Cristiano Ronaldo’s kryptonite. Six WCs, 11 goals (one in KO stage), few highlights. And it’s not “a tournament too far”. That was said in 2022. But he’s absolutely right when he says his football legacy, as an all-time great, has been defined elsewhere nytimes.com/athletic/74265…

Bruno Guimaraes has informed Newcastle United of his wish to leave St James’ Park and join Arsenal. The Premier League champions are stepping up their pursuit of the 28-year-old and have indicated a willingness to pay up to £60million for the midfielder. The Athletic reported in June that Arsenal had a verbal offer — worth below £60m — rebuffed. Exclusive story from @David_Ornstein ⬇️ 🔗 nyti.ms/4wyBMQ9

⚡️EXCL.⚡️Manchester United reach £50m agreement to sign Andrey Santos from Chelsea @David_Ornstein @lauriewhitwell @TheAthleticFC nytimes.com/athletic/74252…

Even now, after all these years, there are underrated aspects to Messi’s game. One of them — something his detractors in Argentina used to say he lacked in comparison to the great Diego Maradona — is his ability to find another level, to draw on something deep inside him to bend his games to his will, rather than just his genius as a footballer. Watching in the studio for U.S. broadcaster Fox, Thierry Henry said it reminded him of times playing alongside him at Barcelona. “You do not (want to) wake up the beast,” Henry said. “You look at his eyes, and he switches. When he goes into that mood, it’s very difficult to stop him.” nytimes.com/athletic/74292…

For a time in the second half, Lionel Messi looked dazed, as if unable to comprehend what was happening to him and his team. He had missed a penalty and Argentina were 2-0 down to Egypt, their defence of their title seemingly in tatters. And then something clicked. It was as if a fire had been lit inside him. And almost in the blink of an eye, Argentina were 3-2 up and Egypt, so close to making history by reaching the World Cup quarter-final for the first time, were out, victims of a classic remontada. Messi made the first on 79 minutes with a cross that was headed home by Cristian Romero and scored the second four minutes later with a magnificent first-time shot that flew in off the crossbar. And even if he played no part in the third, a stunning counter-attack rounded off by Enzo Fernandez, it felt like the Messi effect was what had turned a hitherto shambolic Argentina performance around. 📝 @OliverKay bit.ly/3QLiDeF

For 79 minutes, it looked as if Argentina were beyond divine intervention. Players and fans were looking to Lionel Messi for inspiration. But nothing was happening… until a force took hold of him. Welcome to the glorious rage. ✍️ @OliverKay: nyti.ms/4gmVeuk