The ball has been rolling since June 11th: the new world champion will be played for 38 days in the USA, Mexico and Canada. For the first time there are twelve preliminary round groups with 48 teams. The German national team also started the competition successfully against Curaçao on Sunday. In the World Cup blog we will keep you up to date about national coach Julian Nagelsmann’s DFB team and all other topics relating to the XXL tournament.
07:23 am
Müller: Manzambi scored a double goal, one for FC Bayern
FC Bayern Munich should take a closer look at the Swiss national player Johan Manzambi, thinks Thomas Müller – and not just because of the two goals against Bosnia-Herzegovina. “He’s a good player overall. We’ve had him on the list for a long time,” said Müller in his role as a TV expert for “Magenta”. “For me, this is someone – and now we can make a headline – that FC Bayern should also look at,” said Müller about the SC Freiburg midfielder.
Manzambi came on as a substitute in the 72nd minute of Switzerland’s 4-1 win and made it 1-0 in the 74th minute. In the 90th minute, the 20-year-old scored to make it 3-0.
➜ All highlights of the Swiss victory in the video!
07:16 am
Horror after false report about Messi’s father
After a fatal false report about Lionel Messi’s father Jorge, Argentine actress and presenter Florencia Peña has publicly apologized to the superstar’s family. In a broadcast on the streaming service “Luzu TV” she claimed that Jorge Messi had died. The employees involved in the misinformation have been fired, Luzu TV said. Peña ended the collaboration on his own initiative, both sides said.
“I ask the Messi family for forgiveness for this terrible moment that I can imagine they are currently living through,” the 51-year-old wrote on Instagram. The false report was sent to her by the show’s production in the middle of the live broadcast. According to Argentine media, Peña told a reporter: “I am very ashamed.” She was asked to say it. “I was in shock.”
6:41 a.m
“Run, run, run”: Haiti’s plan for Brazil hit
Haiti’s coach Sébastien Migné is looking forward to the duel with record world champions Brazil. “Run, run, run” was his message to the players, said the Frenchman before the game in Philadelphia this Saturday (2:30 a.m./ARD and MagentaTV).
He wanted to make them understand that they could lose nothing but “gain everything”. The coach emphasized again that it had been 52 years since Haiti last took part in a World Cup. Now playing against Brazil is “unbelievable”.
6:06 a.m
Mexico’s World Cup fiesta continues – First team in knockout round
Co-hosts Mexico became the first team to advance to the knockout rounds of the World Cup. After a serious goalkeeping mistake, El Tri scored 1-0 (0-0) against South Korea in Zapopan and is already confirmed as the winner of Group A. Luis Romo scored the only goal of the game (50th minute), but in the end Mexico had to worry about victory.
➜ Go to the match report including video!
05:13 am
Neuer’s DFB prediction for Urbig and open words with Baumann
Record goalkeeper Manuel Neuer trusts his young Bayern colleague Jonas Urbig to become his successor in the national team. “Jonas has everything in his own hands. He is on a very good path,” said the 40-year-old Neuer, who is once again number one in the DFB goal after retiring from the World Cup in America. It is his fifth World Cup tournament since 2010.
“I also have to say to my other colleagues that they had a great season in their clubs,” said Neuer about Hoffenheim’s Oliver Baumann (36) and Alexander Nübel (29) from VfB Stuttgart. National coach Julian Nagelsmann took the 22-year-old Urbig with him as a training goalkeeper.
“Olli also played an excellent World Cup qualifier. I have great respect for all the goalkeepers who are here,” said Neuer. People treat each other very well and support each other in the interests of team success.
➜ To the DFB goalkeeper chronicle!
4:46 a.m
Controversial drinking breaks: Fan dissatisfaction again and again at the World Cup
The fans’ expressions of dissatisfaction in the stadiums over the controversial drinking breaks at the World Cup are increasing. In the second week of the World Cup, boos and whistles can be heard again and again when the referee interrupts the game for 3 minutes after around 22 minutes in each half.
On Thursday (local time) there was very audible booing at co-host Canada’s second group game against Qatar (6-0) in Vancouver. At the 1-1 draw between the Czech Republic and South Africa in Atlanta, the displeasure was significantly greater than at the first game in this stadium between Spain and Cape Verde. There was also audible rejection of the new introduction at Switzerland against Bosnia-Herzegovina in Inglewood and on Wednesday (local time) at England against Croatia in Arlington and Ghana against Panama in Toronto.
2:05 a.m
Greetings to Messi: US coach gets emotional
US coach Mauricio Pochettino used the press conference for the second World Cup game against Australia to say a few emotional words to his former player Lionel Messi. “I want to send him all my support because he is in a difficult family situation,” Pochettino said. “I know him and his family from our time in Paris. I would like to send my best wishes to his family.”
The background to these statements is that, according to the family, Messi’s father is currently “under medical observation” and therefore missed his son’s first World Cup game and his three goals against Algeria (3-0). Pochettino and Messi worked together at Paris Saint-Germain in the 2021/22 season.
➜ Messi’s hat-trick against Algeria in the video!
02:03 am
Canada historic: 1st World Cup success a runaway victory – Koné injury dampens mood
Host Canada scored their first victory at a World Cup with a goal feast and didn’t let a serious injury to Ismaël Koné slow them down. Coach Jesse Marsch’s team clearly defeated outsiders Qatar 6-0 (3-0) in Vancouver and needs a draw in the last preliminary round game against Switzerland in order to finish Group B in first place.
➜ Go to the match report including video!
01:49 am
Brazil welcomed euphorically – Ancelotti vows improvement
Coach Carlo Ancelotti is convinced that the Brazilian national team will perform better in their second group game than in their poor start. “We can improve the team and we will improve the team,” said the 67-year-old before the game against blatant outsiders Haiti on Saturday (2:30 a.m./ARD and MagentaTV) in Philadelphia. There may also be changes to the starting eleven, said the Italian. But he probably doesn’t plan any major changes.
Brazil didn’t get beyond a 1-1 draw against Morocco at the start. However, the African champion is also highly regarded at the tournament in the USA, Canada and Mexico. In addition, it does something to his players to wear the national team jersey, said Ancelotti. The most important thing now is to be resilient, explained the experienced Seleção coach.
When they arrived at the team hotel in Philadelphia, the Brazilians received a euphoric welcome. Hundreds of fans in jerseys and with flags celebrated the players, some of whom also gave autographs and fulfilled photo requests. The crowd was so great that the police gradually had to set up additional barriers in the streets around the hotel.
00:44
Turkey coach after criticism: Deserve “more respect”
With a calm voice but clear words, Vincenzo Montella condemned the sometimes strong criticism of the Turkish national team after the World Cup opening defeat against Australia.
“This chaos disappoints me very much. This team has achieved great results in the last three years and I think we deserve a little more respect after the first game, even if we could have done better,” said the Turkish national coach before the important game against Paraguay on Saturday (5 a.m./MagentaTV).
“We prepared this game with a clear head, even though there was so much chaos around us,” said Montella on his 52nd birthday. “I’m not referring to all media, but there are a few individuals who are causing a stir.” He expected criticism after the 2-0 defeat, “but not to this extent”.
➜ To the video highlights of the opening game!
12:25 a.m
Criticism of the Atlanta Stadium: “Only the grass is football”
South Africa’s coach Hugo Broos can’t do anything with the futuristic World Cup stadium in Atlanta. “If I can be honest: This is not a football stadium,” said the Belgian. “It’s fantastic, but only the pitch is football. The rest isn’t. It’s a hall. I don’t feel the atmosphere.”
The stadium has a movable roof that will remain closed during the World Cup. The reason for this is the climate in the US state of Georgia, which is characterized by high temperatures, high humidity and heavy rainfall in summer. A constantly closed roof is intended to better control the temperature in the stadium and maintain the condition of the turf.