European Super Football

Four games from immortality As Harry Kane raced towards the corner of Atlanta's futuristic stadium, England head coach Thomas Tuchel followed him on to the pitch in celebration. Author | Ben A Kane, the captain, leader and undisputed world-class striker, had rescued a World Cup campaign that had been drifting towards one of the darkest moments in England's history. Harry Kane leads the post match team talk after dramatic win over DR Congo. youtube.com/shorts/bu7BD... [image or embed] — SuperNews ( @supernews12.bsky.social ) 2 July 2026 at 10:05 Beneath the closed roof, away from Atlanta's searing heat and suffocating humidity, England and perhaps Tuchel's reign were fading fast as they trailed DR Congo until one of the country's greatest-ever players came to their rescue. There is no doubt England were heading for an embarrassment to rival the Euro 2016 last-16 defeat by Iceland and the shock World Cup loss to the United States in 1950 until Kane, as he has do...

Four years after the penalty shootout heartbreak against Argentina in the final in Qatar... Les Bleus look intent on putting that disappointment behind them and going all the way this time. Author | Jack L They squandered a host of chances against Sweden, finishing with 25 attempts on goal, their highest tally in a World Cup match since 1998. Even so, France have scored 13 goals in four matches in the United States and their attacking numbers are on another level. Watch | Highlights of France v Sweden on BBC Football Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele has been involved in six goals, scoring four and providing two assists, while Michael Olise has five assists and struck the post with a spectacular acrobatic effort. One player will be key again But in Kylian Mbappe they have a player at the peak of his powers, producing the kind of ruthless finishing that underlines why he is regarded as one of the world's finest forwards. The Real Madrid forward is level in the race for the Gold...

A shock exit at the World Cup There was a time when Germany were expected to win major football tournaments. Author | Ed Including their years as West Germany, they have lifted the World Cup four times, finished runners-up on another four occasions and won three of the six European Championship finals they have contested. Those days, however, now feel a long way off. The front page of Tuesday's Bild newspaper captured the mood with the headline: "The next German football nightmare", after Germany's World Cup campaign came to a sudden end in the last 32 with a 4-3 penalty shootout defeat by Paraguay following a 1-1 draw after extra time. Watch | A former German footballer responds to their defeat and exit Since winning the World Cup in 2014, Germany have twice failed to progress beyond the group stage and have now been eliminated in the first knockout match they have played at the 2026 tournament. Paraguay began the competition 41st in the FIFA world rankings, compared...

Steve Clarke's abrupt Scotland exit leaves questions after World Cup disappointment For much of Saturday afternoon, the skies above Charlotte were cloaked in dark grey clouds as torrential rain, fierce winds, thunder and lightning battered the city. Author | Sean M Steve Clarke quits as Scotland manager. Reaction from BBC Scotland here. youtu.be/VwVttcjuxQc?... [image or embed] — Super News Affiliate ( @supernews1.bsky.social ) 28 June 2026 at 19:13 If Steve Clarke happened to glance out from his hotel room, it would have provided a fitting backdrop for what was to come. Within minutes of Scotland's World Cup exit being confirmed, news broke that the head coach was stepping down. Unlike the storm outside, there had been little indication it was on the way. The manner of his departure was entirely in keeping with Clarke's character There was no fanfare, no immediate interviews and no apparent desire to explain his thinking beyond the statement he released. The detail a...

England's first two group matches have presented very different challenges. A thriller against Croatia and a battle against Ghana. Author | Liam C Croatia pressed high, while Ghana defended deep and were content to concede possession, as reflected in England's 78.2% share of the ball. Ghana's experienced coach Carlos Queiroz appeared to take particular satisfaction in pointing out, on several occasions, that England had "no solutions". Tuchel said: "It is difficult to find a way through when someone plays a 4-5-1, sits completely deep and is committed to it, and they celebrated a 0-0 like a win. "So you could see the different approaches, which is fair enough and credit to them. You cannot lose your head about it." A closer look at two very different matches Against Croatia, England's runners in wide areas and through the middle posed a genuine threat. With Ghana sitting back, however, the Three Lions needed a moment of individual brilliance and...

Scotland's attacking questions and defensive resilience leave Group C hopes finely poised. They have three points from a 1-0 win over Haiti and a 1-0 defeat by Morocco. Author | Sean M That tally of points could yet prove enough if they avoid a heavy loss to Brazil on Wednesday, while a draw would leave them on the brink of reaching the last 32. But what have the two matches in Boston revealed before the Tartan Army descends on Miami? In the build-up to the tournament, head coach Steve Clarke switched to a 4-4-2 formation for friendlies against Curacao and Bolivia with encouraging results. Against modest opposition, Scotland scored eight goals across those two games and arrived at the World Cup in confident mood. Clarke persisted with the same shape for the opening match against Haiti, but Scotland managed fewer shots than their opponents and posted a lower expected goals figure (1.05 compared with 1.21). John McGinn's winner arrived via a deflection, while starting forwards La...

It was a remarkable first match for England at the 2026 World Cup Can they keep this brave and attacking style up throughout the tournament? Author | Liam C England supporters spilled out of the magnificent Dallas Stadium into the warm night air buoyed by a sense of exhilaration after Thomas Tuchel's side delivered a powerful statement of intent. Harry Kane had earlier urged his England team-mates to be "free in the mind" and embrace the pressure that comes with a World Cup, and they took him at his word, for better and worse. England's opening 4-2 win over Croatia combined exhilarating attacking football with moments of alarming defensive vulnerability, but the smiles on the faces of supporters leaving this vast arena painted their own picture. This was, whisper it, fun. England have often been difficult to watch in recent years, even when reaching the Euro 2024 final and the World Cup quarter-finals in Qatar four years ago. Those campaigns brought progress, but rare...