The World Cup officially kicked off this week – but alongside the football, there are questions around heat, cost, the environmental impact and travel restrictions.

The BBC Analysis Editor Ros Atkins takes a look at the challenges facing this year’s tournament.

Shakur Stevenson has maintained his prediction for Errol Spence Jr vs Tim Tszyu, believing that one man will be too “mentally tough” for the other.

The two former world champions will collide in Australia on July 25, meeting at a catchweight of 158lbs to accommodate Spence’s inactivity.

Despite Tszyu pushing for a super-welterweight contest, his opponent clearly felt an extra 4lbs was appropriate following his three-year layoff.

This lengthy hiatus came after Spence suffered a ninth-round stoppage defeat to Terence Crawford, who became the undisputed king at 147lbs in surprisingly one-sided fashion.

Prior to that, Spence had claimed his WBC, IBF and WBA titles with respective victories over Shawn Porter, Kell Brook and Yordenis Ugas, though a move up in weight has always seemed inevitable.

Now, the 36-year-old looks to reignite his career against Tszyu, who comes off two points victories following his stoppage defeat to Sebastian Fundora last July.

While their rematch ended in round seven, Tszyu had shown tremendous grit against Fundora in 2024, only to lose his WBO title by split decision.

The Australian would then suffer a third-round stoppage defeat to Bakhram Murtazaliev later that year, with four-division world champion Stevenson telling All The Smoke Fight that he feels Spence is a level above.

“I think [Spence] gonna do good. I wish Errol the best; I hope Errol goes in there and beats Tim Tszyu up.

“I’m an Errol Spence fan; I was cool with Errol Spence before that [Crawford] fight. I know Errol is mentally tough – Errol is a dog when it comes to fighting, so I don’t think Tim Tszyu can beat him.”

Stevenson has previously suggested that Tszyu could get “destroyed” by Spence, believing the 31-year-old’s style is tailor-made for ‘The Truth’.

File Pic: Manu Bhaker with Jaspal Rana (Pic credit: Bhaker’s X post)

NEW DELHI: Double Olympic medallist Manu Bhaker on Saturday paid an emotional tribute to her former coach Jaspal Rana, describing his death as an “irreparable loss” and remembering the man she said understood her better than most people.Bhaker shared a series of photographs with the decorated shooter-turned-coach on X, accompanying them with a brief but poignant message: “Irreparable loss.”Rana, one of India’s most successful shooters and an influential coach, passed away at the age of 49. He had recently undergone a stent procedure after experiencing chest discomfort in late May and was admitted to hospital, where he died despite medical intervention.

Bhaker remembers mentor and friend

The 24-year-old, who scripted history at the Paris Olympics by becoming the first Indian after Independence to win two medals at a single edition of the Games, credited Rana for helping her rediscover confidence during one of the most challenging phases of her career.“I still can’t believe it. It is unbelievable news. I am struggling to process it,” Bhaker told Olympics.com on Friday. “He was not just my coach, mentor or guide, but also a friend who understood me better than most people.”Their association, which had witnessed both highs and lows, eventually evolved into one of the most remarkable comeback stories in Indian sport. Bhaker and Rana reunited ahead of the Paris Olympics, and the partnership yielded historic results.

Partnership that brought Olympic glory

Bhaker recalled how Rana’s approach went beyond technical guidance and helped her navigate difficult moments.“There were times when he was strict, and there were times when he simply listened,” she said. “He always wanted the best from me, even when I did not understand it at the time. Looking back now, every lesson he taught me had a purpose.”Reflecting on their reunion, Bhaker said it felt like “coming home”.“He knew when I was confident, when I was nervous and when I needed support. He always found a way to bring out the best in me,” she said.Rana’s passing has left the Indian sporting fraternity mourning the loss of one of its finest marksmen and coaches, while Bhaker’s heartfelt tribute underlined the deep bond they shared both inside and outside the shooting range.

Every four years, the FIFA World Cup serves as the platform for young players to showcase their talent to the world. Ivory Coast’s Yan Diomande, who has already made a name among the top forwards in European football thanks to some exemplary performances for Bundesliga club RB Leipzig, is keen to take the next leap in his development as he fulfils his World Cup dream. As Ivory Coast prepare for their opening match of the campaign against Ecuador, Diomande is keen to redefine the definition of a ‘star player’, saying he is yet to reach his true potential.

“I think everyone somehow sees me as a star, but I do not see myself as a star,” Diomande said when asked about his growing profile. “For me, I am still the same person as before, since the first day I arrived here.”

The comment offers an insight into the mentality that has helped the young Ivorian emerge as one of his country’s most exciting talents. Despite becoming a key figure for the national team and attracting increasing recognition, Diomande remains focused on self-improvement rather than status.

“That is why I try to fight every day to improve myself in everything, on and off the pitch,” he added.

The grounded approach has been shaped by a journey that began with a dream shared by countless children across Africa. Growing up in Ivory Coast, Diomande always envisioned himself playing on football’s biggest stage.

“As a little boy, when I started playing football in my home country, it was my dream to play in the World Cup, and now that dream is coming true,” he said. “I am happy and proud of myself because this was one of my biggest dreams since I was a child.”

Representing Ivory Coast remains his greatest source of pride. While many players speak about international football in professional terms, Diomande’s words reveal a deeply personal connection to the national team.

“Today, playing for my country is something very special to me,” he said. “I give everything for my country – it is my country.”

Want To Play Against The Best: Yan Diomande

The 23-year-old believes the current Ivorian squad has every reason to approach the tournament with confidence. Rather than being intimidated by the world’s elite nations, he is eager for the challenge.

“I want to play against the best teams in the world: France, Brazil, Argentina,” he said. “We have great self-confidence and want to go as far as possible.”

Even as he dreams of testing himself against football’s superpowers, Diomande remains conscious of the work still ahead.

“In football, it is not about age, but about mentality and talent,” he explained. “I am even more motivated to work hard because I can see what I am capable of and I can see my potential.”

That balance between ambition and humility also appears in the way he discusses African football legends. While many young Ivorians grew up idolising Didier Drogba, Diomande is careful to distinguish admiration from imitation.

“Drogba is a great player, but he is not the player I model myself on because we have different styles of play,” he said.

Yet his respect for the generation that paved the way is unmistakable.

“Drogba, Yaya Toure and Samuel Eto’o are role models not only for me, but for everyone,” he said. “I believe they are role models for this generation of Africans and young players.”

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Mauricio Pochettino had spent the past few days summoning belief in what the USA might achieve in the face of scepticism. Can they win the World Cup, he was repeatedly asked, to which his stock response was: “Why not? We can dream.” After this hugely impressive 4-1 win over Paraguay in Los Angeles, perhaps Pochettino’s task now is to manage inflated expectations, to temper America’s wildest dreams.

The first half in particular was 45 minutes of perfection, broken only by three minutes of needless hydration. One of America’s nagging concerns in recent years has been the lack of a ruthless striker but Monaco forward Folarin Balogun scored three times, one of which was ruled out for offside, and the last of which was a brilliantly composed and precise finish into the top corner of Orlando Gill’s goal.

That strike wrapped a half full of endeavour and spirit, but also technical quality and intelligent movement. Pochettino has spent most of his two-year reign as manager testing and tweaking, trying to find the right balance between attack and defence, between left and right, and here his team worked in seamless sync.

Sergino Dest was a constant threat on the right wing with his direct dribbling, while Paraguay’s right-back Juan Jose Caceres must have contracted the twisties trying to fend off Christian Pulisic on the opposite side. Pulisic offered creative spark and set up Balogun’s first goal before being replaced at half-time.

“I just got a bit of a kick in the first half, so I’m really hoping that it’s nothing,” Pulisic said after the game. “Taking a little bit of precaution today, but I’m hoping I’ll be fine the next few days.”

USA’s reliance on Pulisic has often weighed heavily on this generation’s star player. His face has been all over billboards and on TV adverts here. But the performance of Balogun up front and Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie stitching moves together in the No 10 role suggested that responsibility will be shared around.

“It’s a dream,” Balogun after his World Cup debut. “It’s a dreamy night.”

This World Cup is not just a test of the USA’s place in the game but a test of the game’s place in the USA. It is now the fourth most popular sport in America, with more fans than ever watching Major League Soccer and more children than ever playing the game. With a World Cup on home soil, there will never be a better platform for America to climb closer to the sport’s summit.

To be in LA over the past few days was to meet two different types of America. The majority only vaguely know the World Cup is happening and have no idea the US are playing in their own city or which players are on the team. They assume “Pochettino” is a type of coffee. It can feel like the World Cup has barely registered in a city this vast, like a damselfly landing on a water buffalo’s back.

But there are thousands of football fans if you look in the right places. US shirts, Mexico shirts, Argentina shirts, people passionate about the game and giddy its greatest show has arrived on their doorstep.

“What is success?” Pochettino keeps being asked. Perhaps it is not a specific knockout round but a feeling, a moment, a late winner that grips the entire country, even those oblivious to what is going on right now. USA’s task here is not so much to win the World Cup as to take the country on an unforgettable ride so that in years to come, the words “that summer of 2026” transport them back to a moment in time when they felt something.

The job of this squad, a diverse band of brothers, is to connect with the American public, and this was the perfect start. The evening began with an opening ceremony and organisers provided all the bombast you’d expect, with a series of musical acts headlined by Katy Perry and a parade of national flags reminiscent of an Olympic Games. Iran’s flag was among the 48, although it was somewhat comical that the event’s MC called for “a round of applause for peace” before kick-off.

There appeared to be almost as many Paraguay fans as US supporters inside this extraordinary spaceship of a stadium, almost as many vertical red and white stripes as horizontal ones, like the world’s most devilish game of Where’s Wally. Like several other games so far there were some empty seats which undermined the wisdom of Fifa’s ticketing policy, although several fans entering the stadium told The Independent they had paid around $1,000 for tickets, so Fifa may not miss a few going unsold.

Donald Trump did not attend but Tom Cruise, David Beckham, Brad Pitt, Halle Berry, Hilary Duff and Vince Vaughn were among the famous faces posted on giant screens with their names captioned beneath them, as they do here. What they witnessed was the standout performance of the tournament so far.

Pulisic danced into the box before drawing the mistake from Bobadilla for America’s first goal, and Pulisic was involved again down the left when he raced into space before squaring for Balogun to convert a sharp first-time finish. Balogun’s second goal was even better, shrugging off a defender before pausing just a moment and then spearing a shot into the top corner.

Paraguay pulled a goal back in the second half through substitute Mauricio, but the US showed off their firepower in reserve when Gio Reyna came off the bench to swerve an arcing finish past Gill to seal three points.

“Poch has said many times, why not us?” added Balogun. “We have to believe. You can’t do anything if you don’t believe in yourself.” By the full-time whistle, there were no more disbelievers.

The head of the Palestinian Football Association is waiting in Mexico City for permission to enter the United States with other federation heads attending the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Jibril Rajoub went to the opening match between Mexico and South Africa on Thursday. But he is among several people accredited to attend the World Cup who have been denied visas or have yet to receive them from the United States.

“I don’t believe that it’s fair to use or to abuse and deny the right of all footballers all over the world to attend,” the veteran Palestinian political figure said in an interview with The Associated Press.

The Palestinian team did not qualify for the World Cup, but FIFA typically invites the heads of football associations from around the world to the event every four years, which it frames as a celebration of global unity.

“Everyone will be welcome in Canada, Mexico and the United States for the FIFA World Cup next year. We are working exactly for that,” FIFA President Gianni Infantino said last year.

The United States, however, has refused entry to delegates from a raft of countries, including a referee from Somalia and a photographer traveling with Iraq’s team. 

Infantino said this week that FIFA had been trying to resolve visa issues but could not overrule the U.S. government.

“We need to respect that we are not the kings of the world who can rule over governments and police forces,” he told reporters on Wednesday.

The U.S. State Department had no immediate comment on Rajoub’s visa, but last year implemented new restrictions on Palestinian passport holders, including on anyone who had been employed by the Palestinian Authority.

It revoked a visa to allow Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to travel to the United Nations General Assembly last September.

Rajoub and other Palestinian soccer officials have long argued that Israel violates statutes by allowing teams from settlements in the occupied West Bank play in Israel’s national league. They have pushed FIFA to sanction Israel, also decrying restrictions on the movement of Palestinian players and how war in the Gaza Strip has destroyed 80% of sports facilities there.

Last month, Rajoub refused to shake hands with the head of Israel’s football federation at Infantino’s behest because he said the gesture would not heal wounds but instead whitewash Israel’s actions.

Rajoub pointed out that when Russia hosted the 2018 World Cup, it did not implement comparable visa restrictions for people who were invited to the tournament.

India vs Afghanistan 1st ODI Live Streaming: After a dominant win in the one-off Test, India are set to face Afghanistan in the first ODI of the three-match series on Saturday in Dharamsala. The spotlight will be on Rohit Sharma, who had a decent IPL season, although concerns over his fitness persist. Having nursed a hamstring niggle during the IPL, Rohit has now regained full fitness just in time for the series. Meanwhile, star batter Virat Kohli will miss the games due to a rare hamstring injury. With the 2027 ODI World Cup on the horizon, Shubman Gill and his team will be keen to test their squad depth against Afghanistan.

India are scheduled to play around 25 ODIs before the mega event, giving the team ample opportunity to experiment with players and combinations. However, the start to Gill’s ODI captaincy has not been smooth, with two losses in three series. Working alongside head coach Gautam Gambhir, Gill will be aiming to strengthen his influence in the dressing room.

Here are the live streaming and live telecast details of the India vs Afghanistan 1st ODI match:

When will the India vs Afghanistan 1st ODI match be played?

The India vs Afghanistan 1st ODI match will be played on Saturday, June 13.

Where will the India vs Afghanistan 1st ODI match be played?

The India vs Afghanistan 1st ODI match will be played at Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala.

What time will the India vs Afghanistan 1st ODI match start?

The India vs Afghanistan 1st ODI match will start at 1:30 PM IST. The toss will take place at 1:00 PM IST.

Which TV channels will telecast the India vs Afghanistan 1st ODI match?

The India vs Afghanistan 1st ODI match will be telecast live on the Star Sports Network.

Where to follow the live streaming of the India vs Afghanistan 1st ODI match?

The India vs Afghanistan 1st ODI match will be streamed live on JioHotstar app and website.

(All the details are as per the information provided by the broadcaster)

(With PTI Inputs)

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