With the final round of group fixtures getting under way on 24 June, it’s time to start plotting your country’s path to World Cup glory on 19 July.

But with 32 of the 48 teams advancing to the knockout rounds, new tiebreaker rules, and a table of third-placed teams to keep track of, staying across the various permutations is far from simple.

As it stands, England, sitting top of Group L, and Scotland, third in Group C, are on course to meet in the last 16 in Mexico City (6 July, 01:00 BST).

But all of that could change depending not only on England and Scotland’s performances in their final group matches against Panama and Brazil, respectively, but also results elsewhere.

To keep you up to date, BBC Sport has developed a predictor tool that updates in-game to illustrate the schedule all the way to the final.

With dates and times listed alongside the fixtures, planning early morning alarms and potential all-nighters across three host countries and four different time zones has never been easier.

Click here to view the World Cup knockout stages as it stands.

The Minnesota Vikings were not overly busy this offseason signing new players — they spent the least amount of dollars in the NFL — but the franchise does have some meaty contract extensions to hand out, or so goes the working theory.

According to the Bleacher Report, right tackle Brian O’Neill, the longest-tenured Viking if Harrison Smith does not return, should be the top extension priority. The theory also jibes with fan sentiment.

O’Neill’s Reliability Makes the Extension Case Easy

BR: O’Neill Is Vikings’ Top Extension Candidate

BR’s Mo Moton defined the most important extension around the bend for each NFL team last week, and O’Neill got the nod in Minnesota.

Moton wrote, “O’Neill has been a model of consistency within the Vikings’ offensive line. He earned a couple of Pro Bowl nods in 2021 and 2024. Last season, the eighth-year veteran allowed just two sacks while on the field for 446 pass-blocking snaps, per Pro Football Focus.”

“According to ESPN’s Kevin Seifert, Minnesota is expected to resume extension talks with O’Neill after hiring general manager Nolan Teasley.”

It’s worth noting that extending O’Neill is not a hot take — it will likely happen soon.

The Production since 2018

O’Neill is an exceptional football player, evidenced by both his statistics and the eye test. Pro Football Focus data reveals O’Neill has played 7,900 career snaps — 4,840 in pass protection and 3,060 in run blocking. In 2025, he achieved an impressive overall grade of 81.6, with 76.4 in pass-blocking and an outstanding 84.5 in run-blocking, signifying top-tier tackle output.

O’Neill has also never received an overall PFF grade below 63.0 in any season. He’s that damn good.

Selected 62nd overall in the 2nd Round of the 2018 NFL Draft, O’Neill has since played in 124 games, starting 120. His excellence earned him Pro Bowl selections in 2021 and 2024. For a team that historically struggled with offensive line stability, O’Neill has been a definitive solution — a live-saver, one might argue.

A No-Brainer to Extend

An extension for O’Neill should be a clear and non-debatable priority. He was instrumental in stabilizing the Vikings’ offensive line during the challenging 2018-2021 period, when the trenches often felt like a weekly disaster.

At 30 years old, O’Neill is not old for a quality offensive tackle either. This is not a scenario in which significant resources are being committed to a 35-year-old with declining performance. A three-year extension, for example, would align perfectly with his age and projected performance window.

While the Vikings drafted Caleb Tiernan in the 3rd Round of the 2026 NFL Draft, that does not automatically designate Tiernan as O’Neill’s immediate successor. Teams frequently draft talented players for their value. The Vikings’ evident appreciation for Tiernan can coexist with O’Neill remaining a crucial component of the team’s long-term strategy. Think of Tiernan as the “best player available” on the Vikings’ draftboard at the time.

VikingsWire‘s Andrew Harbaugh noted last week, “The Minnesota Vikings have made it a point to make sure they are protecting whoever is under center with a strong offensive line. They have done a good job drafting their bookend tackles while showing off their front office skills, while building the interior in a variety of ways.”

“One of those pieces is entering his final year on his deal. Offensive tackle Brian O’Neill has been around the team while contract talks go on, some have started to give them replacements in mock drafts. O’Neill does not get enough credit for being one of the better offensive tackles in the NFL. The Vikings know what they have but with a new front office now in place, it will be interesting to see how this ends up going for all parties involved.”

What about the Linebackers?

While O’Neill’s extension should be the first in line, a couple of Vikings’ linebackers need their cups filled as well.

Andrew Van Ginkel is scheduled to hit free agency in 2027, and because Minnesota traded Jonathan Greenard two months ago, it can’t really afford to lose more EDGE depth unless it has a plan to draft another outside linebacker next April. The Vikings added $23 million to Van Ginkel’s existing contract during the 2025 offseason. Perhaps they’ll do it again before the start of the regular season.

Off-ball linebacker Blake Cashman is also on deck for free agency in nine months. He recently turned 30, but inside linebackers aren’t as expensive as outside linebackers. Cashman is also a tackle machine.

Overall, O’Neill, Van Ginkel, and Cashman headline any would-be Vikings contract extension this summer or before 2027 free agency. It will be a glimpse into the decision-making soul of new general manager Nolan Teasley.

Dustin Baker is a novelist and political scientist. His second novel, The Invaders , is out now. So is … More about Dustin Baker

Stormzy found himself in a unique position at the World Cup showdown between England and Ghana, openly declaring his support for both nations as they faced off in Boston. The highly anticipated match, held at Boston Stadium on Tuesday evening, ultimately concluded in a 0-0 draw.

Before kick-off, the acclaimed rapper, real name Michael Ebenezer Kwadjo Omari Owuo Jr, spoke to the BBC about his divided loyalties. “I’m a Ghana boy, so this is beautiful,” he remarked, surveying the bustling crowd. “Everyone keeps asking me, ‘Who are you rooting for?’, and I’m like, ‘I’ll be honest, a nice 1-1 draw’.”

He elaborated on his connection to both teams, stating: “Do you know what it is? Ghana, we need the points more than England need the points. But it’s just beautiful. It’s obviously both my heritages, so it’s a beautiful day for me.” The 32-year-old, born and raised in the UK, has Ghanaian heritage through his mother.

Stormzy described the World Cup atmosphere as “chaotic,” even admitting he had lost his sister in the crowd, adding: “I keep reminding myself I’m very blessed to be here.”

Following the game, he shared a series of photographs from inside the stadium, including one of him posing with the ball.

His caption expressed hopes for both teams: “Now for England to slap 3 or 4 past Panama and for Ghana to nick points against Croatia and we move forward! Grateful to of been part of a game that means a lot to me.” He also extended thanks to Adidas for “letting me bring out the Trionda.”

The stands were dotted with other famous faces. Marcus Mumford, frontman of Mumford & Sons, posted a selfie on Instagram wearing an England jersey and was later seen watching the match with his bandmates, having played a concert at Fenway Park the previous night.

Sir David Beckham was also in attendance, spotted by American actress Alexandra Daddario. The White Lotus star, wearing an England jersey and cap, managed to capture a selfie with Beckham smiling and giving a thumbs-up from the stand above her.

Meanwhile, Jeremy Clarkson offered two tickets to the game on X, later sharing a humorous photo from the match, joking about the need for a hydration break due to a sliver of sunlight.

Goal-scoring records have been tumbling at the 2026 World Cup – and the world’s most prolific strikers have another milestone in sight.

Usually a subplot, the race for the World Cup Golden Boot is one of the main talking points at this year’s tournament as the top marksmen set a blistering pace.

The overall record has already been broken by Argentine superstar Lionel Messi, who now has 18 goals over six World Cups after adding five in two games in the United States.

But he is being chased hard by Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland – who have four goals apiece – with Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Kane also in the mix.

Read moreWorld Cup 2026: Mbappé becomes France’s record scorer

The long-standing single-tournament record of 13 goals set in 1958 by France’s Just Fontaine appears vulnerable.

German great Gerd Muller was the last man to hit double figures, at the 1970 tournament in Mexico, when he scored 10 goals.

Since then, at all but three tournaments, the leading scorer has hit six goals or fewer.

Messi, who turns 39 on Wednesday, has been the standout performer so far at the tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

He struck a memorable hat-trick against Algeria before scoring twice in a 2-0 victory over Austria, accounting for all five of the defending champions’ goals so far.

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said it was “hard to explain” the genius of the veteran forward after their opening match in Kansas City.

“We are amazed with him still, although we get to see him on a daily basis and he’s been the best for 20 years,” he said. “He still pulls it off every single match.”

Messi’s most likely challenger, based on the prospect of a deep run in the tournament, is Mbappé, who scored eight goals four years ago in Qatar to win the Golden Boot.

The 27-year-old, now France’s record goalscorer, is just two goals behind Messi’s career total.

The Real Madrid star said, perhaps unconvincingly, that chasing Messi was not top of his mind after his team’s 3-0 stroll against Iraq in their second game.

“Leo always scores goals and always will,” he said. “So I am not looking at what he is doing, I’m just focusing on helping my team.”

‘They’re so inevitable’

Level with Mbappé on four goals is Manchester City forward Haaland, who has scored in his past 12 competitive appearances for Norway.

The giant forward, 25, played down his extraordinary talent after taking his international tally to a remarkable 59 goals in 52 games.

“It’s like many other things, I’m just really good at scoring goals and I’m quite lucky,” he said. “I don’t know what I’m doing. It’s just how it is.”

Germany’s Deniz Undav and Canada’s Jonathan David have three goals each and Kane and Ronaldo are among a clutch of players with two.

Portugal’s Ronaldo briefly stole the spotlight from long-time rival Messi on Tuesday when he became the first man to score in six different World Cup tournaments.

Read moreWorld Cup 2026: Portugal and record-breaking Ronaldo outshine Uzbekistan

The 41-year-old roared, “I’m back, I’m back” after his two strikes in the 5-0 romp against Uzbekistan, which followed an insipid performance from him in their opening 1-1 draw against DR Congo.

Ronaldo, the leading scorer in men’s international history, with 145 goals, said: “I always arrive, even if it’s later, but I’m there.”

Kane, whose six goals won him the Golden Boot at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, is stuck on two after missing a golden chance during England’s goalless draw against Ghana on Tuesday.

US striker Folarin Balogun, who has netted twice, has set his sights on matching the world’s elite but realises he has a tough act to follow.

Read moreWorld Cup 2026: Group standings

“Seeing players like Messi, Mbappe, Haaland – they’re so inevitable. I think they’re scoring a goal a game, sometimes more,” he said.

“For me, it’s just about trying to get to that level – to be inevitable as well, to be consistent.”

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

Talks have reportedly resumed to try to expand the Playoff to 24 teams.

The calendar bunching up in December may require removing conference title games.

On today’s episode of Locked On College Football, Spencer McLaughlin is joined by ‘Locked On Pac-12’ host Christian Rauh.

Should Boise State be seen as the national G6 Playoff favorite?

Washington has been surging (again) on the recruiting trail.

Jedd Fisch’s program is too often overlooked for its recruiting potential in the Big 10/national landscape.

00:00 Playoff expansion discussions
03:25 Debating conference championship necessity
13:24 PAC 12 playoff chances
18:53 Boise State and San Diego State analysis
23:32 Washington’s strong 2027 recruiting class
28:30 Jedd Fish’s recruiting success

/ @lockedoncollegefootball  

On June 23, 2026, former NCT member Mark Lee’s photos were shared on social media, wearing a t-shirt with the Confederate flag. The images originated from his new label Upper Room’s Instagram story, which posted them from a fan event at a cafe before deleting the post.

The controversy centers on the Confederate flag, a symbol tied to the Confederate States of America, which fought to preserve slavery during the American Civil War. Historians widely regard the flag as a symbol linked to slavery, white supremacy, and racism.

This has led to widespread backlash, as Mark Lee was born in Canada and has prior experience living and working in the United States as part of NCT. He left NCT and SM Entertainment in April 2026. He then established his solo label, Upper Room, earlier in June 2026. Following the backlash, Upper Room issued a statement on Instagram Stories apologizing for the incident.

This development has led to discussions among internet users about symbol awareness and accountability for international artists. Many questions about how Mark Lee was unaware of it despite being born in Canada and living in the United States.

One X user said:

“He didn’t know what it means is the weakest excuse in the book. Especially with the fanbase he has. This one’s actually crazy.”

More users came forward criticizing Mark Lee.

More users shared their opinion on the same. On the other hand, some Mark Lee fans have also shared their thoughts.

Mark Lee’s agency Upper Room issues an apology

On June 23, 2026, his label, Upper Room, issued an apology on Instagram stories. The label described the shirt as a vintage item selected for its aesthetic. They noted efforts to avoid showing the symbol in official content and acknowledged the oversight.

In the statement, they stated:

“We would like to extend our sincere apologies for the concern, discomfort and disappointment caused by the vintage T-shirt that appeared in a recently shared photograph. The garment was selected solely as a vintage wardrobe item.”

They continued:

“However, upon recognizing the historical significance and sensitivity associated with the symbol displayed on the T-shirt, we took measures to ensure that it would not be visible in any official content. Regardless of intent, we acknowledge that this issue should have been handled with greater caution and care. We take full responsibility for this oversight.”

It stated that both the label and Mark reject racism, hate, discrimination, or intolerance. They also said that they are committed to stronger review processes for wardrobe and content in the future.

Upper Room concluded by saying that they would take “greater responsibility” moving forward.