John Brewin
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Writer/editor/talker found on the @Guardian_Sport desk and the Football Weekly podcast | @podcast_libero member | freelancer
Articles by John Brewin
France 4-6 England: World Cup third-place playoff – live
LIVE – Updated at 00:01 The Three Lions go into battle against France for third place at the World Cup at Miami Stadium. Join John Brewin. Goal! France 4-6 England (Bellingham, 90+8) This is real desperation. England cannot seem to hold on to the ball aside from one man: Jude Bellingham goes on and on, and cuts in and out, beating Lacroix, righting himself and scoring.
France v England: World Cup third-place playoff – live
LIVE – Updated at 20:15 The Three Lions go into battle against France for third place at the World Cup at Miami Stadium. Join John Brewin. What of Thomas Tuchel himself? He's doubling down. Turns out the man hired to win the World Cup had no chance of doing so with the players at his disposal. “I believe that three other nations [in the semi-finals] have almost expectations to win the title. This is not us,” said Tuchel.
Was Tuchel and Bellingham really a Keane v McCarthy moment?
AND THEN THERE WERE FOUR Breakfast in America was a happy place for an Englishman this Sunday morning. Thanks to Jude Bellingham, (very probably) a hanging cable and a remarkable cameo from Djed Spence that brought back the ghost of Nobby Stiles, Norway were squeezed past in Miami. Lord Nelson, Lord Beaverbrook, Winston Churchill, Anthony Eden, Clement Attlee, Henry Cooper, Lady Diana and Maggie Thatcher could rest easy. Erling Haaland’s afternoon of frustration ended in tears.
A World Cup free agent XI: summer bargains and top targets among clubless players
As late bloomers and cult heroes go, few have made an impact on a World Cup quite like the goalkeeper who first defied Spain’s attackers and, after Cape Verde’s qualification for the knockouts, reduced Lionel Messi to a single goal. Vozinha departed Chaves in Liga Portugal 2 at the end of last season, having previously played in Cyprus, Slovakia and Moldova. With 27.5m Instagram followers, he would be a social media marketer’s dream, as well as a handy goalkeeper with a taste for the big occasion.
F1: Leclerc wins British Grand Prix but Verstappen crash causes safety car finish – live reaction
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France deliver knockout punch to Paraguay in the Battle of Philadelphia
Just an example of the laughs we have here. Just an example of the laughs we have here. Photograph: Martin Meissner/AP “Good evening. The game you are about to see is the most stupid, appalling, disgusting and disgraceful exhibition of football in the history of the game.” Were David Coleman still around, then perhaps the highlights package of France 1-0 Paraguay at the Geopolitics World Cup would have received similar words to Chile 2-0 Italy back in 1962.
British Grand Prix: Formula One – live updates
LIVE – Updated at 15:26 Lap-by-lap updates: Can George Russell or Lewis Hamilton claim victory on home soil to put more pressure on Kimi Antonelli? Join John Brewin. Confirmation of a five-second penalty for Hamilton. That's set the cat among the pigeons. He did miss the start, dropping the clutch in anticipation. A bit unlucky for him as the car was not moving. Leclerc gained 0.2 of a second on Antonelli. It's going well for the man from Monaco.
For Cape Verde, they’ll always have for ever
They couldn’t, could they? They almost did. Fair play, Gianni Infantino, adding an extra knockout round has proved a worthy addition to the Geopolitics World Cup. Sure, the group stage occasionally dragged like a wet Sunday in February, with attendant Scottish and South Korean tears, and Uruguayan rage, but jeopardy is king content. And “the 32” signed off with an all-time classic that went close to delivering the greatest shock of all shocks.
World Cup 2026: England get hostile reception in Mexico City as last 16 begins; Cape Verde give huge scare to Argentina – live
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World Cup 2026: Cape Verde give Argentina mighty scare; last 16 begins amid Mexico v England fixture chaos – live
LIVE – Updated at 08:32 Join our writers for the latest news and reaction as the last-16 stage gets started. Jurgen Klopp is the obvious – and best – choice for Germany. They were pretty mediocre throughout the competition, getting lucky against Cote d'Ivoire, then succumbing to Ecuador and Paraguay. I am impressed than Nagelsmann felt it could carry on.
World Cup 2026: Germany hold Klopp talks after Nagelsmann quits; Portugal to face Spain after VAR drama – live
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World Cup 2026: Germany hold Klopp talks after Nagelsmann quits; Portugal to face Spain after VAR drama – live
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World Cup 2026: Portugal through to face Spain after VAR drama, Salah fit to face Australia – live
LIVE – Updated at 10:24 Join our writers for the latest news and reaction as the last-32 stage draws to a close. Here's the pod squad with some “snicko” reflections. Fifa says tech confirms Croatia 'goal' could not stand Fifa has confirmed that Croatia's late “equaliser” against Portugal was correctly ruled out for offside due to technology housed inside the World Cup ball.
World Cup 2026: Portugal through to face Spain after VAR drama, Salah fit to face Australia – live
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World Cup 2026: Portugal through to face Spain after VAR drama, Salah fit to face Australia – live
Cristiano Ronaldo with a shirt in commemoration of late teammate Diogo Jota after their dramatic 2-1 World Cup win over Croatia booked a last-16 date with Spain. Photograph: Buda Mendes/Getty Images The World Cup is a place to unearth stars, and the Swiss may just have one. No wonder Newcastle United are working overtime to wrap up a deal for Johan Manzambi.
World Cup 2026: France and Mexico shine, Bielsa departs, England v DR Congo buildup, and more – live
LIVE – Updated at 12:40 Get all the latest as England prepare to face DR Congo, after France put on a show against Sweden and co-hosts Mexico cruised through after a storm delay. Norway fans rather enjoyed their victory over Côte d'Ivoire and staged a mass celebratory Viking “row” near the royal palace in Oslo.
World Cup 2026: France and Mexico shine, Bielsa departs, England v DR Congo buildup, and more – live
LIVE – Updated at 11:20 Get all the latest as England prepare to face DR Congo, after France put on a show against Sweden and co-hosts Mexico cruised through after a storm delay. Some interesting commentary on Tuesday night from the BBC's expert summariser Danny Murphy, as Norway played Cote D'Ivoire, alongside Steve Bower.
World Cup 2026: England win, Clarke quits Scotland and Iran denied at the last – live
LIVE – Updated at 10:10 Join our writers for all the latest news as we look back at the group stage and preview the last 32 matches. Joe Callaghan on the co-host's first ever foray into the knockouts. Against one of the lowest-ranked teams to survive the group stage, Davies and Marsch have an opportunity to add another first to the pile they've achieved this month. They can also heal a wound which opened at this same sweeping fever dream of a bowl last March.
World Cup 2026: England win, Clarke quits Scotland and Iran denied at the last – live
Steve Clarke, after seven years in the post and three major finals, has quit. Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA The third-place race reached its conclusion with heartbreak for not only the Scots. Iran will so rue a late goal against Egypt being denied by VAR. Preamble Good morning, good afternoon, good evening. wherever you are. The last 32 are decided, and there’s been further developments in the resignation of Steve Clarke following Scotland’s exit being confirmed.
World Cup 2026: England through, Scotland wait goes on and Spain hit by injuries – live
LIVE – Updated at 17:57 Join our writers for all the latest news from the tournament before the final group stage matches. Spain injuries: Pino out of finals, Williams struggling Yéremy Pino is likely to miss the rest of the World Cup with a broken collar bone and there are concerns Spain could also lose Nico Williams to a groin injury, as their qualification for the last 32 came at a heavy price. Spain landed back in Chattanooga from Guadalajara just before 5am on Saturday.
Filth, fury and fairytales
The Geopolitics World Cup has its North Korea 1966, its Cameroon 1990, rank outsiders to revive hearts hardened by relentless cynicism. For Pak Doo-ik and Roger Milla, read Vozinha, and all his Cape Verde teammates, including Pico Lopes, a defender recruited while playing for Shamrock Rovers from the diaspora via LinkedChat. An archipelago nation with a population smaller than Bradford has negotiated a tough group including two former winners in Spain and Uruguay.
World Cup 2026: James set to miss Panama match; Schweinsteiger defends Côte d’Ivoire comments – live
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The dullest game of the World Cup so far? Welcome back, England
YAWN IN THE USA England, an apology. Football Daily and the wider English media may have previously depicted Thomas Tuchel's lads as world champions in waiting after taking apart a Croatian team led by Luka Modric, 78, in a second-half Texan surge, but we were all so very wrong. Still, as the nation awoke following the goalless draw with Ghana , we had our England back. Tradition matters.
World Cup 2026: Norway's ‘Viking row' celebration irks neighbours; Infantino defends hydration breaks – live
LIVE – Updated at 18:00 Join our writers for all the latest news from the tournament before Scotland's final group stage match against Brazil in Group C.
The dullest game of the World Cup so far? Welcome back, England
England, an apology. Football Daily and the wider English media may have previously depicted Thomas Tuchel’s lads as world champions in waiting after taking apart a Croatian team led by Luka Modric, 78, in a second-half Texan surge, but we were all so very wrong. Still, as the nation awoke following the goalless draw with Ghana, we had our England back. Tradition matters.
Spain v Saudi Arabia: World Cup 2026 – live
LIVE – Updated at 17:42 Minute-by-minute updates: Spain were held by minnows Cape Verde in their opener; will Saudi Arabia cause further problems? Join John Brewin to find out. 40 min: Good replay of a Lajami tackle that Dani Olmo rode. The Saudis can mix it, byt are wanting when it comes to the technical stuff.
Spain v Saudi Arabia: World Cup 2026 – live
LIVE – Updated at 15:16 Minute-by-minute updates: Spain were held by minnows Cape Verde in their opener; will Saudi Arabia cause further problems? Join John Brewin to find out. Madrid screening of Spain v Saudi Arabia cancelled due to heat The public screening of Spain's World Cup match against Saudi Arabia in Madrid on Sunday has been cancelled because of extreme heat forecast for the Spanish capital, officials said.
The 2026 World Cup team of the tournament so far (without the superstars)
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The 2026 World Cup team of the tournament so far (without the superstars)
Vozinha (Cape Verde, goalkeeper) A star was born, at 40, when a player whose highest-profile employers were Portugal's Gil Vicente, denied Spain's all-stars in that historic 0-0 draw . His Christian name being Josimar may well have pointed to him being a nascent World Cup cult hero.
Netherlands 5-1 Sweden: World Cup 2026 – live
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Netherlands v Sweden: World Cup 2026 – live
LIVE – Updated at 19:46 Join John Brewin as the Netherlands seek their first win of the tournament against Sweden. 84 min: Sweden continue to look dangerous, and Ali sets up Isak to smash in a shot that Verbruggen deals with, and a certain amount of artistic impression. 83 min: Graham Potter has not given up hope, and asking for more from his team, his suit a little more dishevelled than he'd prefer. The Dutch are doing their best to close down the space, though have no answer to Elanga's pace.
Netherlands v Sweden: World Cup 2026 – live
LIVE – Updated at 16:31 Join John Brewin as the Netherlands seek their first win of the tournament against Sweden. The Sweden coach, Graham Potter , has been talking about Alexander Isak, who scored against Tunisia: “Alex has had a season that has been interrupted,” Potter said. “Most football players would say they need a certain amount of time and games to get up to top, top level, so we've had to try to build Alex up.
Scotland 0-1 Morocco: World Cup 2026 – as it happened
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Scotland v Morocco: World Cup 2026 – live
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Scotland v Morocco: World Cup 2026 – live
LIVE – Updated at 22:00 Minute-by-minute by report: Steve Clarke's men take on Africa's highest-ranked side in Boston. Join John Brewin. Mary Waltz gets in touch: “How can Scotland not be everyone's second team? The fans. Amazing. Singing at the Red Sox game, marching down the streets of Boston with their bagpipes.” Ewan Murray Scotland's switch to three/five man defence is no surprise . The inclusion of Nathan Patterson at right wing back instead of Aaron Hickey will turn heads, however.
Qatar v Switzerland: World Cup 2026 – live
The ‘San Francisco Bay Area Stadium’ before kick-off in Qatar v Switzerland. Photograph: Darren Yamashita/IMAGN IMAGES/Reuters Here’s the Qatari star man. Interactive Akram Afif profile. Sunderland fans will be looking forward to seeing their local hero in action. Interactive Granit Xhaka profile. The 2022 hosts’ preparations for the tournament were disrupted as the US-Iran war caused the cancellation of valuable friendlies against Serbia and champions Argentina in March.
BBC kicks off World Cup broadcast battle in Salford and provides contrast to ITV’s celebrity slop
The BBC Sport studio at Media City in Salford where the broadcaster will present its live coverage of the World Cup. The BBC Sport studio at Media City in Salford where the broadcaster will present its live coverage of the World Cup. Photograph: Christopher Thomond/The Guardian Must a World Cup broadcast be on location? The BBC, for reasons of cost and environmental concerns, has rolled back to when tournaments were beamed back to the UK.
World Cup 2026: Canada and USA enter fray; empty seats; Mexico's winning start; McTominay fitness boost – live
LIVE – Updated at 17:49 Join our writers as they bring you the latest news as co-hosts USA and Canada get their World Cup campaigns under way. Brian Broderick gets in touch: “The ‘I am from Bosnia - Take Me to America' song reminded me of Paul Simon's America and its haunting line “I'm empty and aching and I don't know why” as he realises that the place just ain't what it used to be.
The 'Azteca' delivers as hosts and ghosts give us that World Cup feeling
MEXI-GO! There's an elemental force to football that can never be bottled and sold off. For reasons only known to Gianni Infantino and attendant pen pushers, the Azteca has been renamed the Mexico City Stadium for the Geopolitics World Cup. You can change a name for admin purposes, make punters pay through the nose for tickets, and charge 280 pesos ($17) for a beer (!) but legacy endures. It cannot be costed, sliced and diced.
Two sleeps from the World Cup and geopolitics are shining bright
A mural of Iraq's Aymen Hussein (left) in Sadr City, east of Baghdad. The forward was detained for more than seven hours upon arriving in Chicago. A mural of Iraq's Aymen Hussein (left) in Sadr City, east of Baghdad. The forward was detained for more than seven hours upon arriving in Chicago. Photograph: Ahmad Al-Rubaye/AFP/Getty Football Daily likes to cast a light, satirical touch, though maybe satire aims a little high.
Antonelli holds off Hamilton to win chaotic Monaco GP after red flag: F1 – as it happened
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Monaco Grand Prix: Formula One – live updates
World championship leader Kimi Antonelli arrives by boat for the Monaco Grand Prix. Photograph: ANP/Shutterstock Liam Lawson, who has been showing off his Monaco lifestyle to the Sky broadcast, has problems with his Racing Bulls car; there seems to be a power problem, and it seems he may be starting from the pit lane. It’s a gala weekend for McLaren, a team with such rich history. McLaren, as leader, driver and designer, motivated by inexorable will, battled on.
Bolivia v Scotland: World Cup 2026 warm-up – live
Scotland’s Liam Kelly, Andy Robertson and Kenny McLean during a team walk in Manhattan, New York, before today’s match against Bolivia. Photograph: Andrew Milligan/PA Ewan Murray is following Scotland at the World Cup, and he will be reporting on this game from New Jersey. All eyes are on Haiti. Clarke insists he cannot alter plans on account of potential fitness setbacks. “Do you want to wrap them in cotton wool and [they] don’t train?” Clarke asked. “You need to work.
Real Madrid want the world to know there’s another show in town
Forget the GWC – it’s all about Florentino 2026, people. Photograph: Federico Titone/SOPA Images/Shutterstock FOR REAL? Before the Geopolitics World Cup circus gets under way, Real Madrid would like you to know there’s always another show in town. Los Blancos have an odd, difficult relationship with the tournament. Spain’s 2010 triumph involved Sergio Ramos, Xabi Alonso and Iker Casillas being bolted on to a raft of Barcelona players, somewhat demeaning to any aristocratic pretensions.
Real Madrid want the world to know there’s another show in town Original
Forget the GWC – it’s all about Florentino 2026, people. Photograph: Federico Titone/SOPA Images/Shutterstock Before the Geopolitics World Cup circus gets under way, Real Madrid would like you to know there’s always another show in town. Los Blancos have an odd, difficult relationship with the tournament. Spain’s 2010 triumph involved Sergio Ramos, Xabi Alonso and Iker Casillas being bolted on to a raft of Barcelona players, somewhat demeaning to any aristocratic pretensions.
World Cup 2026 news, PFA awards shortlists, transfer latest and more: football– live
Spain 1-1 Iraq France 1-2 Ivory Coast Sweden 2-2 Greece Panama 4-2 Dominican Republic South Korea 1-0 El Salvador Iran 2-0 Mali A few notes. France took the lead through Rayan Cherki on the stroke of half-time but a late winner from Manchester United’s Amed Diallo condemned the French to their first defeat in 364 days.
Champions League team of the season: Lamine Yamal, Harry Kane … and a Spurs player
Morten Hjulmand, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Harry Kane had excellent seasons in the Champions League. Composite: Guardian Picture Desk (Composite: Guardian Picture Desk) This year we are picking a team of the season with a difference: I am allowed only one player per team. Of course, as finalists Paris Saint-Germain and Arsenal have players with claims to all of these positions, so apologies to Willian Pacho and Declan Rice, among others.
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