England stalls again: 0:0 with Ghana and questions for Tuchel

At the 2026 World Cup, England played 0:0 against Ghana and again confirmed it has players for the front page, but not an idea of what to do with the ball when the opponent shuts up shop at the back. Jude Bellingham, Rice and Anderson combined for seven key passes, and not one opened anything. Coach Thomas Tuchel is again under scrutiny for leaving Adam Wharton on the bench exactly when he needed someone to break the parked block. This is the fourth major tournament in a row that England's „golden generation“ opens with a draw. When so many names are worth so few goals, the question is no longer who plays, but why this repeats every single time.

Ronaldo enters history: a goal at six different World Cups

Cristiano Ronaldo scored two goals in Portugal's 5:0 win over Uzbekistan and became the first footballer to score at six different World Cups. The first goal came in the seventh minute after an assist from Cancelo, the second before half-time after a pass from Bruno Fernandes. Just a few days earlier the same Ronaldo was criticized for a pale opening against DR Congo (1:1), when he had 25 touches and two missed chances. Now the critics are silent. At 41 he once again shows that records for him aren't chance, but habit - and the rest of the world just watches how long this will last.

Real Madrid aims high: Olise instead of Vinícius?

Real Madrid plans to raise its bid for Bayern's Michael Olise once the World Cup ends. Munich has so far rejected offers above 200 million euros, and Olise has already set up three of Mbappé's four goals at the tournament. Behind the whole story is Vinícius Júnior, entering the last year of his contract, with president Pérez hesitating over whether to meet his financial demands. Real is at the same time tracking Chelsea's Enzo Fernández. The Spanish giant is again buying on the principle „take them all, sort it out later“ - a model that brings it trophies, but also dressing rooms full of stars sitting on the bench.

Modrić played his 200th appearance for Croatia

Luka Modrić entered a rare club: he played his 200th appearance in the Croatia shirt and became the fourth footballer in history with that many caps for a national team. At an age when most of his generation long ago hung up their boots, he's still a leading figure of the Croatian team. „There's no better feeling“, the captain said after the match. For a Balkan viewer, Modrić has long been more than a Croatian story - he's proof that this region can produce a top player who lasts twice as long as the others.

Croatia beat Panama, but didn't shine

Croatia beat Panama by a result that carries it into the knockout phase, but the play was anything but pretty. Coach Zlatko Dalić said after the match that „three points are most important“ and that his team „managed to scrape through“ - a diplomatic way to admit the win came on muscle, not quality. A stubborn Panama made their life hard until the very end. Croatia goes through, which is the goal, but if it plays like this in the coming rounds, the Balkan pride at the World Cup may quickly run out of fuel.