The opening match of the 2026 World Cup gets under way tonight when Mexico face South Africa
The wait is officially over. Tonight, football takes centre stage as the World Cup kicks off in Mexico.
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Fittingly, co-hosts Mexico will get the tournament under way in a historic Group A clash against South Africa at the iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City.
In a beautiful twist of football symmetry, tonight’s opener takes place exactly 16 years to the day these two nations met in the opening match of the 2010 World Cup in Johannesburg.
With South Korea and the Czech Republic looming in the rest of Group A, points will be at a premium in what shapes up to be a brutal group to navigate.
While Mexico bypassed the drama of qualifiers as hosts, South Africa earned their spot the hard way by topping a gruelling group ahead of powerhouses Nigeria.
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Here is all the essential matchday information you need ahead of the World Cup opener.
Match details and kick-off time
Fixture: Mexico vs. South Africa (Group A)
Date: Thursday, June 11
Kick-off Time: 8pm BST
Venue: Estadio Azteca, Mexico City
How to watch (UK)
TV channel:ITV1 (Free-to-air coverage begins at 7.50pm BST, opening ceremony coverage starts at 6.15pm)
Live stream:ITVX (Available via mobile, tablet, smart TV or desktop with a free account)
Quotes corner
Javier Aguirre (Mexico manager):“I want players who feel proud to compete—players who give everything for their country on the pitch. If they play well and offer versatility, even better. But above all, they must be genuinely eager to represent Mexico.”
Hugo Broos (South Africa manager): “You know, it will be a special and fantastic experience for us because my players have never played in this kind of situation before.
“It will be very important for us to stick to our game plan and not be distracted by what is happening in the stands. We all know there will be thousands of Mexican supporters inside the stadium and maybe only a few South Africans.”
The finals are the biggest ever, with 48 teams and a round of 32. It’s also the first time three nations have co-hosted, with Mexico the first country to host a finals three times.
France, Spain and England look like the most likely teams to triumph, but as ever with summer tournaments the key will be who arrives with the most players fit.
The new faces are Cape Verde, Curacao, Jordan and Uzbekistan. Curacao will become the smallest nation ever to play at the finals.
Matches will be hosted across 16 cities, with the final due to be held at New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium on July 19, 2026.
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Julian Quinones scores the first goal of the tournament
AFP via Getty Images
Here are the full fixtures, results and kick-off times for the 2026 World Cup…
World Cup 2026 fixtures and results
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3am: South Korea vs Czechia (Group A, Guadalajara)
8pm: Canada vs Bosnia & Herzegovina (Group B, Toronto)
2am: USA vs Paraguay (Group D, Los Angeles)
5am: Australia vs Turkey (Group D, Vancouver)
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8pm: Qatar vs Switzerland (Group B, San Francisco)
11pm: Brazil vs Morocco (Group C, New York/New Jersey)
2am: Haiti vs Scotland (Group C, Boston)
6pm: Germany vs Curacao (Group E, Houston)
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9pm: Netherlands vs Japan (Group F, Dallas)
12am: Ivory Coast vs Ecuador (Group E, Philadelphia)
3am: Sweden vs Tunisia (Group F, Monterrey)
5pm: Spain vs Cape Verde (Group H, Atlanta)
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8pm: Belgium vs Egypt (Group G, Seattle)
11pm: Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay (Group H, Miami)
2am: IR Iran vs New Zealand (Group G, Los Angeles)
8pm: France vs Senegal (Group I, New York/New Jersey)
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11pm: Iraq vs Norway (Group I, Boston)
2am: Argentina vs Algeria (Group J, Kansas City)
5am: Austria vs Jordan (Group J, San Francisco)
6pm: Portugal vs DR Congo (Group K, Houston)
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9pm: England vs Croatia (Group L, Dallas)
12am: Ghana vs Panama (Group L, Toronto)
3am: Uzbekistan vs Colombia (Group K, Mexico City)
5pm: Czechia vs South Africa (Group C, Atlanta)
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8pm: Switzerland vs Bosnia & Herzegovina (Group B, Los Angeles)
11pm: Canada vs Qatar (Group B, Vancouver)
2am: Mexico vs South Korea (Group A, Guadalajara)
5am: Turkey vs Paraguay (Group D, San Francisco)
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8pm: USA vs Australia (Group D, Seattle)
11pm: Scotland vs Morocco (Group C, Boston)
2am: Brazil vs Haiti (Group C, Philadelphia)
6pm: Netherlands vs Sweden (Group F, Houston)
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9pm: Germany vs Ivory Coast (Group E, Toronto)
12am: Tunisia vs Japan (Group E, Monterrey)
1am: Ecuador vs Curacao (Group E, Kansas City)
5pm: Spain vs Saudi Arabia (Group H, Atlanta)
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8pm: Belgium vs IR Iran (Group G, Los Angeles)
11pm: Uruguay vs Cape Verde (Group H, Miami)
2am: New Zealand vs Egypt (Group G, Vancouver)
6pm: Argentina vs Austria (Group J, Dallas)
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10pm: France vs Iraq (Group I, Philadelphia)
1am: Norway vs Senegal (Group I, New York/New Jersey)
4am: Jordan vs Algeria (Group J, San Francisco)
6pm: Portugal vs Uzbekistan (Group K, Houston)
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9pm: England vs Ghana (Group L, Boston)
12am: Panama vs Croatia (Group L, Toronto)
3am: Colombia vs DR Congo (Group K, Guadalajara)
8pm: Switzerland vs Canada (Group B, Vancouver)
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8pm: Bosnia & Herzegovina vs Qatar (Group B, Seattle)
11pm: Scotland vs Brazil (Group C, Miami)
11pm: Morocco vs Haiti (Group C, Atlanta)
2am: Czechia vs Mexico (Group A, Mexico City)
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2am: South Africa vs South Korea (Group A, Monterrey)
9pm: Ecuador vs Germany (Group E, New York/New Jersey)
9pm: Curacao vs Ivory Coast (Group E, Philadelphia)
12am: Japan vs Sweden (Group F, Dallas)
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12am: Tunisia vs Netherlands (Group F, Kansas City)
3am: Turkey vs USA (Group D, Los Angeles)
3am: Paraguay vs Australia (Group D, San Francisco)
8pm: Norway vs France (Group I, Boston)
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8pm: Senegal vs Iraq (Group I, Toronto)
1am: Cape Verde vs Saudi Arabia (Group H, Houston)
1am: Uruguay vs Spain (Group H, Guadalajara)
4am: Egypt vs IR Iran (Group G, Seattle)
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4am: New Zealand vs Belgium (Group G, Vancouver)
12am: Panama vs England (Group L, New York/New Jersey)
12am: Croatia vs Ghana (Group L, Philadelphia)
00.30am: Colombia vs Portugal (Group K, Miami)
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00.30am: DR Congo vs Uzbekistan (Group K, Atlanta)
3am: Algeria vs Austria (Group J, Kansas City)
3am: Jordan vs Argentina (Group J, Dallas)
Pos
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Team
P
W
D
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L
GD
Pts
1
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Mexico
1
1
0
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0
2
3
2
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Czechia
0
0
0
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0
0
0
3
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South Korea
0
0
0
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0
0
0
4
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South Africa
1
0
0
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1
-2
0
Pos
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Team
P
W
D
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L
GD
Pts
1
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Canada
0
0
0
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0
0
0
2
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Bosnia and Herzegovina
0
0
0
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0
0
0
3
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Qatar
0
0
0
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0
0
0
4
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Switzerland
0
0
0
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0
0
0
Pos
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Team
P
W
D
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L
GD
Pts
1
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Brazil
0
0
0
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0
0
0
2
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Morocco
0
0
0
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0
0
0
3
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Haiti
0
0
0
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0
0
0
4
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Scotland
0
0
0
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0
0
0
Pos
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Team
P
W
D
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L
GD
Pts
1
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USA
0
0
0
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0
0
0
2
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Paraguay
0
0
0
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0
0
0
3
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Australia
0
0
0
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0
0
0
4
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Turkey
0
0
0
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0
0
0
Pos
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Team
P
W
D
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L
GD
Pts
1
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Germany
0
0
0
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0
0
0
2
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Curacao
0
0
0
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0
0
0
3
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Ivory Coast
0
0
0
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0
0
0
4
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Ecuador
0
0
0
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0
0
0
Pos
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Team
P
W
D
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L
GD
Pts
1
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Netherlands
0
0
0
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0
0
0
2
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Japan
0
0
0
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0
0
0
3
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Sweden
0
0
0
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0
0
0
4
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Tunisia
0
0
0
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0
0
0
Pos
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Team
P
W
D
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L
GD
Pts
1
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Belgium
0
0
0
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0
0
0
2
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Egypt
0
0
0
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0
0
0
3
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Iran
0
0
0
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0
0
0
4
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New Zealand
0
0
0
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0
0
0
Pos
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Team
P
W
D
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L
GD
Pts
1
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Spain
0
0
0
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0
0
0
2
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Senegal
0
0
0
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0
0
0
3
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Iraq
0
0
0
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0
0
0
4
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Norway
0
0
0
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0
0
0
Pos
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Team
P
W
D
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L
GD
Pts
1
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France
0
0
0
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0
0
0
2
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Senegal
0
0
0
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0
0
0
3
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Iraq
0
0
0
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0
0
0
4
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Norway
0
0
0
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0
0
0
Pos
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Team
P
W
D
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L
GD
Pts
1
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Argentina
0
0
0
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0
0
0
2
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Algeria
0
0
0
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0
0
0
3
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Austria
0
0
0
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0
0
0
4
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Jordan
0
0
0
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0
0
0
Pos
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Team
P
W
D
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L
GD
Pts
1
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Portugal
0
0
0
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0
0
0
2
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DR Congo
0
0
0
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0
0
0
3
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Uzbekistan
0
0
0
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0
0
0
4
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Colombia
0
0
0
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0
0
0
Pos
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Team
P
W
D
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L
GD
Pts
1
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England
0
0
0
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0
0
0
2
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Croatia
0
0
0
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0
0
0
3
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Ghana
0
0
0
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0
0
0
4
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Panama
0
0
0
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0
0
0
8pm: Match 73 – Group A runners-up v Group B runners-up (Los Angeles)
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6pm: Match 76 – Group C winners v Group F runners-up (Houston)
9.30pm: Match 74 – Group E winners v Group A/B/C/D/F third place (Boston)
2am: Match 75 – Group F winners v Group C runners-up (Monterrey)
6pm: Match 78 – Group E runners up v Group I runners-up (Dallas)
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10pm: Match 77 – Group I winners v Group C/D/F/G/H third place (New York/New Jersey)
2am: Match 79 – Group A winners v Group C/E/F/H/I third place (Mexico City)
5pm: Match 80 – Group L winners v Group E/H/I/J/K third place (Atlanta)
9pm: Match 82 – Group G winners v Group A/E/H/I/J third place (Seattle)
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1am: Match 81 – Group D winners v Group B/E/F/I/J third place (San Francisco)
8pm: Match 84 – Group H winners v Group J runners-up (Los Angeles)
12am: Match 83 – Group K runners-up v Group L runners-up (Toronto)
4am: Match 85 – Group B winners v Group E/F/G/I/J third place (Vancouver)
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7pm: Match 88 – Group D runners-up v Group G runners-up (Dallas)
11pm: Match 86 – Group J winners v Group H runners-up (Miami)
2.30am: Match 87 – Group K winners v Group D/E/I/J/L third place (Kansas City)
10pm: Match 89 – Winner match 74 v Winner match 77 (Philadelphia)
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6pm: Match 90 – Winner match 73 v Winner match 75 (Houston)
9pm: Match 91 – Winner match 76 v Winner match 78 (New York/New Jersey)
1am: Match 92 – Winner match 79 v Winner match 80 (Mexico City)
8pm: Match 93 – Winner match 83 v Winner match 84 (Dallas)
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1am: Match 94 – Winner match 81 v Winner match 82 (Seattle)
5pm: Match 95 – Winner match 86 v Winner match 88 (Atlanta)
9pm: Match 96 – Winner match 85 v Winner match 87 (Vancouver)
9pm: Match 97 – Winner match 89 v Winner match 90 (Boston)
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8pm: Match 98 – Winner match 93 v Winner match 94 (Los Angeles)
10pm: Match 99 – Winner match 91 v Winner match 92 (Miami)
2am: Match 100 – Winner match 95 v Winner match 96 (Kansas City)
8pm: Match 101 – Winner match 97 v Winner match 98 (Dallas)
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8pm: Match 102 – Winner match 99 v Winner match 100 (Atlanta)
10pm: Match 103 – Loser match 101 v Loser match 102 (Miami)
8pm: Match 104 – Winner match 101 v Winner match 102 (New York/New Jersey)
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Officers were called to reports of a stabbing at a school on Plant Hill Road on Tuesday, June 9.
Following further enquiries, Counter Terrorism Policing North West has assumed responsibility for the investigation, supported by Greater Manchester Police.
Searches connected to the incident remain ongoing.
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Detectives from the counter terrorism unit said they are keeping an open mind regarding the motivation behind the attack.
A 14-year-old girl was arrested on suspicion of Section 18 assault and detained under the Mental Health Act.
After being assessed by health professionals, she was released back into police custody.
The three people injured in the incident have all been discharged from hospital and, police said, suffered no serious injuries.
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The incident has not been declared a terrorist attack at this stage.
Chief Superintendent David Meeney, Commander for Manchester, said: “Our local detectives have been investigating this incident at pace ever since we arrested a schoolgirl suspect on Tuesday morning.
“She remains in custody in Manchester.
“This has included ensuring the suspect is checked by health professionals to make an assessment while under the Mental Health Act, and to explore all available evidence to understand why this incident took place.
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“Since our last update, further information has come to light that we have made Counter Terrorism Policing North West aware of.
“I know this update will only continue to make our local community concerned by Tuesday’s events.
“There is no information to indicate any further threat, and our local officers continue to be in the area.
“We are here to listen and to act, so please speak to our officers with any concerns.”
Carley Buckley, 43, of Faraday Drive, Halliwell, has been charged with one count of handling stolen goods and one count of fraud by false representation.
The charges relate to an incident in Bolton on May 27, 2026.
Greater Manchester Police confirmed that Buckley has been bailed and is due to appear before Wigan and Leigh Magistrates’ Court on August 12.
Dwayne Johnson has detailed the nerve-racking health scare he had after discovering a lump on his left testicle.
During a new interview with Esquire, the 54-year-old actor, famously nicknamed “The Rock,” recalled noticing the lump when he was taking a shower. He made a doctor’s appointment two days later after hoping, to no avail, that the lump would get better.
“I didn’t even tell Lauren,” he said, referring to his wife of six years. “I didn’t want to worry her before I knew if it was anything to even worry about.”
The Moana star told the outlet that during his appointment, his doctor felt the lump and told him it was probably epididymitis, “an inflammation of the coiled tube at the back of the testicle,” according to the Mayo Clinic.
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However, Johnson said that his doctor did warn him that the growth could be cancerous and urged him to have an ultrasound done. But since Johnson had a promotional event for his new Jumanji movie, alongside co-stars Kevin Hart and Jack Black, the test had to wait.
Dwayne Johnson said he discovered a lump on his left testicle (Getty Images)
“So I had to live with that for those twenty-four hours, not knowing—and I had to be on all day, joking around, making speeches,” he added.
“By the way: I’m fine,” he said, confirming it was a case of epididymitis. “But I didn’t know that then, and the thing was really painful.”
“That was at the beginning of 2024, and I was just getting ready to launch into what would become a nine-month workload for me, nonstop work,” he said. “And I was thinking, ‘Holy s*** how am I going to get through this with my gut issues? I’m not digesting properly.’”
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Host Dr. Mark Hyman said that the health issue occurred after Johnson took multiple rounds of antibiotics, which reduced the amount of Akkermansia — a bacterium that regulates the metabolism— in his body.
Dwayne Johnson said the lump in his left testicle was ‘really painful’ (AFP via Getty Images)
“We basically rehabbed your gut. Gave you probiotics and plant compounds—pomegranate, green tea, cranberry — to help rebuild,” Hyman said. “And we made you this amazing gut health shake with 10-plus ingredients personalized for you.”
Luckily, Johnson said he’s in a better place physically and emotionally, telling Esquire he’s “worked hard to just be at peace.”
“As dudes, as young men, teenagers, twenties, we’re trying to find ourselves. Then, in the thirties, that teenage bravado and confidence begins to wane because you’re like, Oh s***, I got to figure stuff out,” he said. “You hit your forties and you’re trying to figure who you are. Feels like you got your job locked down. Hopefully you got your family.
“But wait: Who am I? What’s my why? By the time I hit my fifth level—I’m fifty-three—I was working hard just to find what peace meant. Things in my world have become less presentational, less broadcast-y, more ‘I’m going to put in the work, and I’ll keep it as quiet as I can.’”
To mark the next stage of Portsmouth’s ambitious bid for the UK City of Culture 2029, hundreds of local people, cultural organisations and businesses are coming together to demonstrate the collective ambition behind the bid and the strength of support building across the city.
Midfielder Themba Zwane was shown a red card for violent conduct in the 84th minute as South Africa finished with nine men, while Mexico defender Cesar Montes was also sent off for a foul in stoppage time. Mexico face South Korea in Guadalajara on Thursday, while South Africa play the Czechia.
Watch: Al Carns’ interview less than an hour before he resigned
Jane Dalton11 June 2026 21:58
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‘We will give our armed forces the capabilities they need,’ Starmer pledges
As he appointed Dan Jarvis to replace John Healey, the prime minister said: “My first duty is to keep the British people safe, and I will always do what is necessary to protect our national security.
“I am pleased to appoint Dan Jarvis as Defence Secretary as we strengthen our armed forces and meet the growing threats facing our country.
“This Labour government is delivering the largest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War.
“In a dangerous and volatile world, we will give our armed forces the capabilities they need to defend Britain and keep our nation secure.”
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Jane Dalton11 June 2026 21:41
Day of drama in government: A timeline
12.09pm: John Healey resigns as defence secretary, telling the prime minister the financial settlement for defence plan fell “well short of what is required”, with extra support coming after 2030 when the “imperative to speed up readiness to fight is in the first two years”
6.35pm: Sir Keir Starmer issues a strong defence of his spending plans, telling Mr Healey Labour had implemented the highest sustained increase in defence spending since the Cold War, adding: “You are also right that we have to go further. The defence investment plan does just that.”
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7.44pm: Pamela Nash, Mr Healey’s parliamentary private secretary, resigns, describing the “delays and difficulties” that had dogged the Defence Investment Plan as “the latest issue that is damaging to the trust of the public in us”
8.22pm: Al Carns resigns as a defence minister, saying he could not defend “a level of investment I know to be inadequate to the task”
9.07pm: Dan Jarvis appointed new defence secretary
Jane Dalton11 June 2026 21:35
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Analysis: Starmer faces end game as Healey and Carns resign
Jane Dalton11 June 2026 21:22
Jarvis was tipped to replace Healey
The Independent’s Whitehall editor Kate Devlin earlier tipped Dan Jarvis as a successor to John Healey:
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Jane Dalton11 June 2026 21:11
Dan Jarvis is new defence secretary
Breaking news: Dan Jarvis has been appointed Defence Secretary, Downing Street has announced.
Jane Dalton11 June 2026 21:07
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Carns slates ‘budget written for calmer world’
Labour MP Al Carns, who has been touted as a possible future leadership candidate, told Sir Keir Starmer as he resigned: “While I had no hand in the defence investment plan, that distance does allow me to say plainly that it is not built for the threat we face.
“It is neither transformative enough nor sufficiently funded. We are asking our armed forces to operate in a more dangerous world on a budget written for a calmer one.”
Jane Dalton11 June 2026 21:00
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Change I pushed for won’t come, says Carns as he quits
In his letter to the prime minister standing down as defence minister, Mr Carns said it had become clear that the spending he had wanted would not come.
He wrote: “It has been the privilege of my life to serve this country, first in uniform and then in government.
“I have said that there are issues facing this department that do not lend themselves to easy answers, and that there needs to be agreement throughout the Government about the scale of the challenges we face. It has become clear to me that the change I had pushed for is not going to come. Given the situation, I have decided to resign as minister for the armed forces.
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“We face a more unstable and dangerous world than at any point in recent decades, and having spent most of my adult life in uniform, I understand what public service in such a moment demands.
“It is for this very reason I cannot continue.
“I have watched, as a Marine, what war looks like now. I have spoken to those who have seen it up close in Ukraine. The lesson is uncomfortable and it is unambiguous.
“The character of conflict is changing faster than our procurement can keep up with. We are still purchasing capability suitable for the last war while our adversaries arm for the next one. Platforms that cost billions can be defeated by systems that cost thousands. Any serious defence investment plan has to start from that reality.”
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Jane Dalton11 June 2026 20:57
Carns: I could not defencd inadequate defence funding
Mr Carns said he quit because he could not “in good conscience” defend a level of investment he knew “to be inadequate to the task”.
He wrote: “I have sat in the rooms, seen the assessments, and spoken to the commanders who will be asked to do more with less, and I cannot in good conscience stand at the dispatch box and defend a level of investment I know to be inadequate to the task.
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“A serious country funds its defence to meet the threat it actually faces, not the threat it wishes it faced.”
Jane Dalton11 June 2026 20:54
Al Carns resigns as a defence minister in another blow to Starmer
Al Carns has resigned as a defence minister, he has announced in a letter to the Prime Minister shared on social media, following John Healey’s exit as defence secretary.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration put up $750,000 to charter a private yacht to evacuate a single American citizen from a remote South Pacific island after she had been aboard a cruise ship at the center of a deadly hantavirus outbreak, a move that has further strained the State Department’s emergency budget.
The woman, who may have been exposed to the virus while aboard the Dutch MV Hondius cruise liner in April, had gotten off the ship and then flown to San Francisco before traveling to the isolated British territory of Pitcairn Island through Tahiti, according to two U.S. officials and an internal government document obtained by The Associated Press.
The exact amount of the total evacuation payment is still being assessed because the operation is still underway. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a medical case covered by U.S. privacy laws.
State Department emergency budget strained by multiple evacuations
Another internal document said the State Department is looking at transferring as much as $50 million into that emergency fund from other accounts — $35 million from the budget for embassy security, construction and maintenance and an additional $15 million from an account that pays for broader diplomatic programming. No decision on the transfers has yet been made.
One of the officials said the State Department has another option, to ask Congress to replenish the fund. However, the official said the department is expected to be able to handle payments for both ongoing and “emerging contingency needs.”
The official would not say what the potential shortfall is but insisted that the department is “well positioned” to support diplomats, other U.S. government employees and private Americans who have been forced to leave the Middle East because of the Iran confict, as well as U.S. citizens who may need assistance due to developments such as the Ebola outbreak in Africa.
How the US is evacuating an American exposed to hantavirus from a remote island
The State Department declined to comment on the specifics of the woman’s case on Pitcairn Island but said that “when an American is at risk abroad and unable to access commercial transportation, the Department of State seeks to provide appropriate assistance to get them home to the United States or to another safe location.”
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After the woman departed the cruise liner where the hantavirus outbreak occurred, the ship continued to other destinations in the South Atlantic, with some passengers falling ill and at least three dying. The unidentified American woman was stuck on Pitcairn, an island with only about 50 inhabitants, no airport and infrequent maritime options to depart.
Pitcairn is well-known as the island on which Fletcher Christian and other British mutineers from the HMS Bounty took refuge after the 1789 events that toppled Capt. William Bligh, which have entered into the public lexicon with books and films about the “Mutiny on the Bounty.” Their descendants make up most of the island’s current population.
Complicating matters, British authorities had sought urgent American assistance in evacuating the woman from the island, which is their territory, according to the government document about the cost of the evacuation and the second U.S. official.
But initial attempts to send her to Tahiti, a French dependency, about 1,350 miles (2,160 kilometers) — or a 30-hour sea journey — from Pitcairn, were rejected by French Polynesian authorities. They did not want to allow her in because she had not disclosed her exposure when she transited the island on her way to Pitcairn.
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The U.S. is transporting the woman, who was not symptomatic, from Pitcairn to Easter Island, another remote location in the Pacific about 1,400 miles (2,253 km) away, which is a territory of Chile and has direct flights to Santiago, so she can return to the United States for any necessary treatment.
All of those factors mean the process of getting her moved from Pitcairn to Easter Island took many weeks to arrange, the officials said.
The government document, which was confirmed as accurate by the two officials, said moving the woman from Pitcairn eventually was arranged via the “Titaina Explorer” trimaran yacht owned by a wealthy Frenchman, who uses it for personal exploration in the South Pacific. Pitcairn has no airport and only limited sea access.
The officials said the woman had no political or celebrity connections and they did not know exactly when she will return to the U.S. Maritime tracking sites show that the Titaina Explorer departed Pitcairn Island on June 5. The voyage to Easter Island can take up to 10 days depending on the speed of the boat and the weather.
World Cup 2026 is here, promising a festival of football on a scale never seen before.
With the tournament being hosted in the USA, Mexico and Canada, all the matches will kick off between 5pm and 5am UK time. While most footy fans will be pleased that the games are outside of normal working hours, the late (and very early) kick-offs pose a challenge for people keen to soak in the atmosphere in a pub.
England fans will be able to watch late-night football in the pub
PA Archive
But these same automatic extensions don’t apply for England and Scotland games in the group stage – meaning some games will potentially be tougher to watch.
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However, venues with existing late licenses can continue to operate as usual.
What you need to know about licensing rules for pubs in London at the World Cup 2026
No automatic extensions to venues’ normal operating hours have been granted by the Government for the World Cup group stages.
This in short, means that pubs and venues will be allowed to serve drinks within their standard agreed licensed hours, and stick to their permitted opening times.
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This will mean that pubs with a standard 11pm licence should be able to show games kicking off at up to 9pm within their normal hours without any issues.
To watch a later game without any problems, fans should seek a venue that has a later licence.
However many pubs with a standard 11pm licence are likely to seek a Temporary Event Notice (TEN) to stay open later for big games with later kick-offs, such as England’s group stage game with Panama Saturday, June 27, that kicks off at 10pm. These applications for temporary late licences are expected to be approved in most situations.
But in short, and to be safe, if you want to watch a particular game that kicks off after 9pm, check with the venue where you are planning on watching, to see it will be showing the game.
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The automatic extension in knockout rounds
An automatic extension has been granted by the government to pubs in England and Wales showing England or Scotland games during the knockout stages.
This means any pub or venue with a standard 11pm alcohol license can stay open later without applying for an extension.
For games that kick off between 5pm and 9pm, licensing hours are extended until 1am and for those that kick off between 9pm and 10pm, licensing hours are extended to 2am.
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However, this only applies when England or Scotland are playing in a knockout round.
What about knockout matches that start after 10pm?
Currently, the extension will not apply to any potential matches that kick off for home nations in the knockout stages after 10pm.
Licensed “on-trade” venues, such as pubs, bars and restaurants, at this stage, would have to apply for a Temporary Event Notice if they wish to stay open later.
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But the government could look again at the terms of the automatic extension if this scenario arises.
What about when no home nation is playing in a knockout game?
If neither Scotland nor England are on the pitch, the automatic licensing extensions for the knockout games don’t apply.
So be prepared for some venues not serving alcohol past 11pm for knockout matches not involving the home nations, if they haven’t applied for a TEN.
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It will always be safer to check a venue is showing a game that kicks off after 9pm.
What about outdoor venues?
Nothing says British summertime like watching football in a beer garden, but plans may be foiled under council curfews.
It’s important to check that the venue you’re attending will still be showing the football outside at later times as the extension does not cover curfews.
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Will all pubs be showing England and Scotland games?
For a kick-off beyond 9pm in the group stages, it’s best to check the venue where you are planning on watching is showing the game and has a late licence for it.
Below are the kick off times for the group stage games for each nation.
Wednesday 17 June, 9pm: England Vs Croatia (Dallas Stadium)
Tuesday 23 June, 9pm: England Vs Ghana (Boston Stadium)
Saturday 27 June, 10pm: Panama Vs England (New York New Jersey Stadium)
Sunday 14 June, 2am, Scotland vs Haiti (Boston Stadium)
Friday, June 19, 11pm, Scotland vs Morocco (Boston Stadium)
Wednesday, June 24, 11pm, Scotland vs Morocco (Miami Stadium)
If England and Scotland reach the knockout stages, for games that kick off between 5pm and 9pm, licensing hours at pubs will automatically be extended from 11pm until 1am and for those that kick off between 9pm and 10pm, licensing hours will be extended from 11pm to 2am.
For a later kick-off time than 10pm, pubs without a late licence will need to apply for one through a TEN.
In sport, fairness matters. But when it comes to buying tickets to watch the world’s biggest ever sporting event, money matters too.
Attending the men’s Fifa World Cup 2026 will be much more expensive than any previous World Cup. And that’s not what fans were promised.
In fact, when the US, Canada and Mexico set out their original bid to host the tournament, they said a seat at the final would cost a maximum of US$1,550 (£1,174).
But by April 2026, the cheapest standard final ticket had reached US$5,785. The most expensive seats hit US$10,990 and later tripled. Just two days before the start of the tournament there were reports of 180,000 unsold tickets.
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Politicians in New York and New Jersey have launched a formal investigation into allegations that Fifa has confused fans and inflated prices. Fans have complained of a lack of clarity, with many waiting hours in online queuing systems with no idea of the amount they’d have to pay when (and if) they were allocated tickets.
The increase in costs may remind some music fans of the 2024 scandal over Oasis concert tickets when customers watched prices more than double from £148 to £355 as they waited in online queues.
“Dynamic pricing”, when prices go up and down depending on levels of demand, will also be familiar to anyone who has been surprised by swift changes in the price of flights before a holiday. The same seat can cost more today than it did yesterday simply because more people want it.
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Fifa denies that it is has engaged in dynamic pricing, saying that they use “variable pricing” instead. But from a consumer’s point of view, it amounts to the same result – the price of tickets that they want to buy changes, usually in an upward direction.
In response to the Oasis dynamic pricing episode, UK regulators later forced ticket sellers to commit to showing price ranges before fans join a queue. By using a “variable” system, Fifa positions itself outside that regulatory precedent entirely.
It faces no obligation to disclose prices in advance and no requirement to explain how they change.
A game of monopoly
But dynamic pricing isn’t always a bad thing for consumers. In fact, it can help them to get a better deal. Economists studying airline markets found that dynamic pricing can reduce prices as different airlines compete for passengers.
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The trouble is that Fifa operates in a market with zero competition. No rival sells World Cup tickets. No substitute product exists.
The work of Nobel prize-winning economist Jean Tirole demonstrated that when a single firm controls an essential platform and operates at every level of the market, competitive discipline on pricing disappears. The operator stops seeking an efficient price and starts trying to extract the very maximum that the consumer will tolerate.
For football World Cups, Fifa sets the primary price. It runs the only sanctioned resale marketplace. It pockets 30% on every secondary transaction when unwanted tickets are sold on. It makes money on the first sale, and earns a bit more on the second.
No outcome costs Fifa money. No regulators intervene. But not everyone is prepared to pay out.
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Adjusting for inflation, World Cup ticket prices have been stable for 30 years. Then Fifa introduced its new model and the entire pricing architecture shifted. This would explain all the unsold tickets.
For example, England’s semi-final and final allocations failed to sell out. Every fan who applied got a seat.
After the backlash, Fifa introduced a US$60 “Supporter Entry Tier” for every match, including the final. It amounts to roughly 10% of each national association’s allocation, a few hundred seats in stadiums holding up 80,000. As a pricing intervention, it changes nothing apart from an attempt to absorb criticism.
The day before the World Cub began Fifa president Gianni Infantino defended the level of ticket pricing, claiming that if they were cheaper the majority would have been resold on the black market. He added that the money generated was required to fund football development across the world.
Consumer research explains exactly what went wrong. When people buy a service rarely and can’t understand how the price was set, they don’t just feel frustrated, they feel cheated.
And when they feel cheated, they walk away. Fifa treated fan loyalty as guaranteed demand. Supporters’ reaction proved it isn’t.
Then, at the start of June, Fifa quietly slashed prices across all 104 matches and returned 70% of its block booked hotel rooms due to low demand – a last minute change of tactics probably designed to save face and avoid empty seats. But to many, desperately chasing lost fans after trying to extract more revenue than any World Cup in history already looks like foul play.
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