It will be fascinating to see how much of the old magic Neymar can conjure, but you suspect if Brazil are to be a fixture at the business end of this tournament, it will be Vincius who will be the catalyst.

Two goals in two games, including a fabulous equaliser when Brazil were 1-0 down and struggling with the all-round excellence of Morocco, has prevented an underwhelming start to the tournament becoming something more concerning.

“He’s playing very well,” said Ancelotti, who managed the Brazilian star at Real Madrid before taking over the Selecao in 2025.

“We need to use him even though we have other fantastic players. We have experience, quality and legs. I’m completely satisfied [in] all of them.

“I have to put all the players to adapt to the style of the team.”

And therein lies the genius of Ancelotti – taking the big superstars and their bigger egos and making them work as a cohesive unit.

He is the most decorated manager in Champions League history with five trophies, and the only man to win titles in all of Europe’s top five leagues.

But leading Brazil to World Cup success would further elevate the Italian’s claim to be the greatest manager ever.

NEW DELHI: One of DR Congo’s most famous football supporters finally got his moment at the FIFA World Cup on Tuesday.Michel Nkuka Mboladinga, better known as Lumumba Vea, attended DR Congo’s match against Colombia after missing the team’s opening game against Portugal because of Ebola-related quarantine requirements.The supporter became a global sensation during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, where he spent entire matches standing completely still like a statue. Dressed in colourful suits and holding one arm in the air, he quickly caught the attention of television cameras and football fans around the world.Ahead of the Colombia match at Estadio Akron, Mboladinga arrived early and took his place behind the DR Congo bench. Wearing a bright red jacket and tie, a yellow shirt and blue trousers, he once again transformed himself into a “living statue”, standing motionless on a pedestal with his right arm raised.Although he did not speak to reporters, he smiled and nodded when asked if he was happy to finally be at the World Cup.His journey to the tournament has not been straightforward. Earlier this year, Mboladinga also missed DR Congo’s World Cup playoff against Jamaica because he could not secure a visa in time. He had travelled to Kenya and Ethiopia in an attempt to obtain the necessary documents, but was unable to make it to the match.His appearance is a tribute to Patrice Lumumba, DR Congo’s first Prime Minister and one of the country’s most important historical figures.

Lumumba played a key role in ending Belgian colonial rule in 1960 and became the leader of the newly independent nation. However, he was assassinated less than a year later during political unrest linked to a separatist movement in the Katanga region.Mboladinga’s raised arm, formal clothing and still posture are all inspired by monuments and images of Lumumba, which is why he is widely known as Lumumba Vea.His unique support has made him one of the most recognisable fans in international football and a symbol of DR Congo’s passion for the game.After missing the opening match against Portugal, many supporters were delighted to finally see the famous “statue fan” take his place in the stands at the World Cup.

Former German international footballer Bastian Schweinsteiger has been accused of employing racist stereotypes in his analysis of Germany‘s most recent World Cup opponents, Ivory Coast, at the weekend.

Ahead of the Group E clash in Toronto, which Germany won 2-1, Schweinsteiger said in his role as a pundit for German public broadcaster ARD that the Ivorians played “African football” which he characterized as “a bit unorthodox sometimes, a bit wild, not quite as tactical.”

The 2014 World Cup winner said Germany needed to be “prepared for it to be unpredictable at times.”

Why were Schweinsteiger’s comments problematic?

Schweinsteiger’s comments prompted reactions on social media and in German mainstream media accusing him of using racist and colonial tropes which reduce Black people to supposed physical attributes rather than crediting them with intellectual ability. The former Bayern Munich and Manchester United midfielder has yet to publicly comment on the matter.

“Behind attributions like ‘wild’ and ‘unpredictable’ are stereotypes which are older than football and which have racist, colonial roots,” explained Philipp Awounou, a Black German journalist and author, in a column for Spiegel news magazine.

“In the past, Black people of African heritage were stigmatized as uncivilized (‘wild’), different (‘unorthodox’) and potentially dangerous (‘unpredictable’).”

“These are racist stereotypes,” sports content creator Patrick Schnitzler told his 50,000 followers on Instagram, referring to recent academic studies which have revealed that commentators and fans are more likely to comment on Black footballers’ physical attributes than those of non-Black players.

“We learn such stereotypes because we have grown up in a society with stereotypes,” he said. “Schweinsteiger, too. You and me, too.”

‘Schweinsteiger is not a racist’

Awounou insisted that he does not believe Schweinsteiger is racist. “That’s simply wrong,” he said. “Regardless of his problematic remarks, Schweinsteiger is absolutely not a racist and shouldn’t be labeled as such.”

He did suggest, however, that the 41-year-old’s comments “reflected the opinion of many German football fans and experts” – opinions which, incidentally, weren’t borne out by reality on Saturday.

Particularly in the first half, Ivory Coast produced a tactically solid performance against Germany, forcing Julian Nagelsmann‘s team into wide areas and restricting them to crosses and long-range shots – unsurprisingly for a team which didn’t conceded a single goal in qualifying and whose players have almost all played at top European clubs.

Meanwhile, they posed a threat on the counter-attack and took the lead through captain Franck Kessié (formerly of Atalanta, AC Milan and Barcelona) following good work by to Yan Diomande, the in-demand RB Leipzig winger who Schweinsteiger had also correctly predicted would be “dangerous.”

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Even after the break, the “Elephants” could have doubled their lead when Kessié exchanged passes with Manchester United’s Amad Diallo but shot over the bar.

‘The ‘wilder’ team was Germany!’

“Ivory Coast were the difficult opponent we expected and showed their technical quality and physicality,” Schweinsteiger wrote on social media after substitute Deniz Undav had scored twice to turn the game around for Germany late on.

“If I had to decide, I’d say the ‘wilder’ team in this game was us: the Germans!” said Awounou, suggesting in his Spiegel column that the most “unorthodox” player on the pitch who stood out with his physicality as well as his technique wasn’t an Ivorian but Felix Nmecha.

“A German. A Black player. Nigerian roots. Born in Hamburg. Grew up and trained in England. What does that tell us?” he said. “That our world, and football with it, has become far too global to be able to determine qualities based on continent of origin or color of skin.”

Edited by: Matt Pearson

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“That ‘buy a TV Licence’ QR Code is killing me”

Millions of viewers received a TV licence fee alert during the BBC’s airing of the England and Ghana World Cup match on Tuesday (June 23).

Fans watching the game at home quickly took to social media to hit out at the notice, which appeared intermittently on screens along with a QR code urging them to ensure they had a TV licence.

Currently, the standard UK TV Licence fee is £180 per year for both homes and businesses. The licence is required for those watching or recording live TV on any channel, or if using BBC iPlayer.

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The BBC deployed the use of the interactive QR codes during the live airing of the match at Boston Stadium, with millions tuning in to watch the game live on Tuesday. Viewers took to X, formerly Twitter, to share their views, dubbing the move ‘cringy’ and ‘desperate’.

One BBC insider told The Times that the prompts were designed to be a “very soft reminder” that all viewers must pay if they were watching any of the broadcaster’s programming.

“We are expecting a very broad audience to be watching the football and there will be a small section who don’t often come to the BBC,” they told the newspaper.

“Buy a TV licence, err how about f*** off” one user wrote on X on Tuesday, as another commented: “That ‘buy a TV Licence’ QR Code is killing me, BBC better behave.”

“BBC begging people to buy a tv licence at half time is so desperate and cringy…” another posted, as a fourth wrote: “BBC putting a QR code in the corner telling us to buy a TV licence. Absolutely no shame.”

It’s understood the use of the on-screen QR codes has already been tested across a number of previous World Cup fixtures following a successful pilot at the FA Cup final.

A TV Licensing spokesperson said in a statement: “We regularly test new ways of supporting people to get and stay correctly licensed.” The body also posted a reminder on social media before the game, which read: “England take on Ghana tonight at 9pm on BBC One. Remember, you need a TV Licence to watch the game live. Buy your licence here.”

Ante Budimir guided Croatia to a 1-0 ​win over a stubborn Panama side in their World Cup Group L clash on Tuesday, giving the Balkan side a crucial three points and eliminating the Central Americans on a night where the stakes ⁠were high for both sides.

Croatia and Panama came into the match looking for their first points of the tournament and knowing that a loss would send them home early after England and Ghana drew 0-0 earlier in the other game in the section.

Toronto ⁠Stadium was painted red, white and blue – ​the ⁠colours of both countries’ flags – on a windy evening by Lake Ontario. Croatia’s faithful serenaded attendees with a moving rendition of Hrvatski Band ⁠Aid’s “Moja domovina” rally song before kickoff, setting the tone for a lively match.

Croatia ​finally ⁠found a way past Panama’s ‌organised back line in the second half when Marco Pasalic played a clever backheel to Josip Stanisic, who skipped forward and swung a cross into the ‌box that Budimir guided home to put Croatia ‌ahead and send their wall of fans behind the goal into a frenzy.

They nearly added another when Pasalic was played in all alone, though he could not beat goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera and ⁠then sent the rebound skyward.

Both teams went toe-to-toe in a physical midfield battle but it was Panama who gave Croatia plenty of scares in the opening period with their pace down the wings as Jose Luis Rodriguez and Amir Murillo sent crosses into the box, though no one connected.

The victory was a sweet finale on a special night for 40-year-old Croatia midfield maestro Luka Modric, ‌who made his 200th international appearance and was thrown in the ​air by his teammates to mark the achievement at the end ‌of the match.

While Panama have been ⁠eliminated, they still have a lot to play for in their final ⁠group-stage match as they continue to search for their first win at a World Cup, though ‌it is a difficult ​ask against Group L leaders England.

Croatia ‌face second-placed Ghana, who are level on four ​points with England, in their final group match on Saturday.

Additional reporting by Reuters

Manchester United are keen to bolster their midfield this summer and an unexpected opportunity could be about to present itself

Manchester United’s midfield is their top priority this summer and with the transfer window a little more than a week old, the Reds are already making good strides in that area. Atlanta’s Ederson will be the first new addition to the ranks after United agreed a £35m plus add-ons deal for the Brazil international.

The 26-year-old’s late call-up to the World Cup has halted the progression of the deal. However, there is nothing to concern United fans and Ederson will be joining once his nation’s tournament ends. With one midfielder all but signed, the Reds have continued their hunt elsewhere.

Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson is admired by United but a deal looks set to be too much for the Reds. Manchester City’s rejected offer of £120m was always going to be well over what Ineos would agree to spend.

So the attention turned to West Ham midfielder Mateus Fernandes. The Hammers’ relegation to the Championship has put them in a tricky spot financially. They already declared in their most recent financial results that they would need to sell players in a bid to avoid Financial Fair Play (FFP) sanctions.

Understandably, Fernandes would be keen to remain in the Premier League next season and considering West Ham’s predicament, United will be confident they can eventually agree a deal with the Championship side. However, the Reds are not the only ones keen on the central midfielder.

Tottenham have been credited with interest in the 21-year-old, thus ensuring a move for Fernandes won’t be straightforward. With pressure building to sign Fernandes or risk having to move onto another target, an unexpected opportunity has opened up for the Reds.

According to reports, Real Madrid are now understood to be open to selling Aurelien Tchouameni this summer. It has been a month of change for Los Blancos with Jose Mourinho taking over and appearing to be wasting little time overhauling the squad.

From United’s perspective, this news will be a major shock. It is understood Real had been set on keeping Tchouameni despite him being at the centre of a squad disagreement earlier in the year.

However, were the midfielder to become available, as is claimed, United would be interested in signing him. That is no surprise either when you look at the defensive midfielder’s CV.

He has won the Champions League, La Liga, Club World Cup, Copa del Rey and two UEFA Super Cups while still being just 26. For the most part, the France international has been a key figure during this success.

That kind of experience is highly desirable for the Reds. They do not have a host of players who have been there and done it at the highest level.

Despite this, United’s interest in Fernandes makes the most sense. He is 21, played two full seasons in the Premier League and impressed in both, albeit those clubs were relegated to the Championship.

At the right price, Fernandes offers United a good opportunity to make a profit on his re-sale, should they wish to. Essentially, the midfielder is a ‘plug and play’ signing, who could fill in immediately next season, at an age where his best years are still to come.

On the other hand, Tchouameni is 26 and is in the peak of his career. This makes Real’s stance surprising, considering he featured so regularly for them last season. If a deal is there for the Reds, they would like to get it done though.

He would be a dream addition for United but there’s a long way to go before a deal can be completed. In the meantime, expect the Reds to keep digging away at a move for Fernandes.

Austria manager Ralf Rangnick was full of praise for Lionel Messi after Monday’s 2-0 defeat to Argentina, but he also felt a key refereeing decision played a role in the result.

While acknowledging Argentina’s quality, Rangnick questioned whether the opening goal should have counted.

Speaking after the match, the Austria boss pointed to what he felt was a foul on Xaver Schlager in the build-up.

“For the first goal, I would’ve asked the fourth official to do what he did before the penalty kick; he should have looked, and he would’ve seen what everyone saw: a foul on Xaver Schlager.”

The comments came after referee Amin Omar reviewed an earlier penalty decision involving Messi through VAR, leading Rangnick to question why a similar review was not carried out before Argentina’s opener.

Despite his frustration over the goal, Rangnick acknowledged the difference Messi made once again on the biggest stage.

“We knew he was on a level of his own, and Lionel Messi showed he’s one of the best, or even the best.”

Messi’s brace secured victory for Argentina and moved him clear as the World Cup’s all-time leading goalscorer with 18 goals.

The Austrian coach also admitted his side was at fault for the second goal.

“I think we participated in the second goal, that’s our own fault.”

But he remained convinced that the opening goal deserved a closer review.

For Austria, the result was disappointing but not disastrous. The defeat leaves Rangnick’s side with work to do in their final group-stage match, while the debate over Argentina’s first goal is likely to continue.

As far as the Austria coach is concerned, one decision changed the course of the game.

Michael Kent Jnr is optimistic that Think Giant will ultimately compete in races of greater significance than the one scheduled for him this Saturday at Caulfield, viewing it as a suitable starting point for his Australian campaign.

The imported four-year-old gelding is set to make his debut on Australian soil in the $130,000 benchmark 78 event over 1700 metres.

This outing will mark the Lope De Vega gelding’s first start since achieving a fourth placing in a Group 1 race at Cologne in September last year, and Kent is looking forward to seeing where his Southern Hemisphere career leads.

“He’s lovely, scopey horse who is far from the finished product,” Kent said.

“He’s 16.2 (hands) and all leg and I think he’ll keep filling out over the next 12 months or so.”

“Like all of the imports, we’re not forcing him, we just want to let him come to hand naturally and expect that he’ll get better for the prep and be better next preparation.”

Think Giant was purchased in partnership with OTI for €280,000 (approximately AU$457,000) at The Arc Sale at Arqana in France, following his fourth-place finish behind Sibayan in the Preis Von Europa (2400m).

This performance followed a third placing over 2400m at Listed level in France, which was his second Black Type placing after finishing runner-up over 1600m at Group 3 level in Germany as a two-year-old.

Kent noted that Think Giant required some time to acclimate, but a spell with Steven Pateman at Thirteenth Beach aided his settling process, and he and co-trainer Mick Price have observed a considerable turnaround in recent weeks.

“It’s been the last five weeks really where he’s just got it,” Kent stated.

“Now he walks out of the barn and he walks home, whereas he used to jig-jog everywhere.”

“He’s a real stayer, but he’s going the right way finally.”

Think Giant’s preparations have included a couple of Cranbourne jumpout wins, one over 1200m and another over 1400m, which Kent considered encouraging.

“We haven’t tuned him up for a first up win or anything like that, we’ve just brought him along gently and let everything happen naturally for him,” he commented.

“I don’t think the trials he won at Cranbourne were particularly strong, but he stayed on well on wet ground.”

“He’ll get back and then run on, but I think he’ll be looking for 2000 metres pretty quickly and we have got a bit of weight there on Saturday as well.”

Think Giant will carry 61kg at Caulfield, with Tom Stockdale booked to ride. Explore the available racing betting markets for this exciting debut.