Have you ever wondered why you feel anxious when faced with the unknown? The answer lies in evolutionary biology, which dictated that those who maintained a healthy skepticism survived, while those who sought trouble escaped their death spiral. Intimacy does not breed contempt; it actually gives us a warm feeling. Football fans sadly lost that warm feeling after England played an attacking brand of football to beat Croatia 4-2, but that familiar feeling of reveling in England’s mediocrity returned in the second leg as England huffed and puffed in what was supposed to be a group stage match against a supposedly small nation.The Three Lions jersey is an extraordinary magical item, one that can turn a world champion into a mediocre player overnight. take Wayne Rooneyone of the Premier League’s greatest players, whose performances in England’s jersey at every tournament since Euro 2004 left much to be desired. The Man Utd legend has only one goal in the World Cup. This means that at the world championships he stood on more balls than he put them in the net. England’s performance against Ghana, in that sense, was a remarkable throwback to the days of a bygone era, what Don Draper would call a pang of nostalgia, and England fans would call the ultimate folly.But while England fans will be wondering if they are cursed with the albatross of a second-leg draw, one man who would be laughing is the godfather of all football managers: Sir Alex Ferguson. A proud Scot, Ferguson turned down the England job twice and famously said: “There was no way I’d consider taking the England job. Can you imagine me doing that? A Scot? I’ve always joked that I’d take that position and knock them out of the league: make them the 150th country in the world, with Scotland 149th.“And the fact that his former assistant Carlos Queiroz’s Ghana were the ones to checkmate England would have made him laugh even more, as would the fact that England had 78.8% possession and still failed to find the net, the highest possession figure in a World Cup goalless draw record since 1966.For old time’s sake, Queiroz even pulled out some classic Ferguson lines after the game, asking if VAR was working at the World Cup, if the VAR referee went on a break in the second half and if he went out for coffee.Before delivering Fergie’s reps in international football, Queiroz was the man who helped build Ferguson’s third great Manchester United team. Ferguson was a big fan, calling him an assistant who challenged him intellectually and “the closest you can get to being a Manchester United manager without actually holding the title”.
Under Queiroz, United moved away from their unrelenting 4-4-2 style, with two wingers and two central midfielders, towards a more flexible 4-3-3 that gave them more balance in midfield, more fluid forwards and a counter-attacking structure that could also be defended. It was the form that helped turn United into a serious European force. One game that stood out was Manchester United’s Champions League semi-final victory over Barcelona in 2008, decided by a classic Paul Scholes goal and a defensive masterclass in two games in which Barcelona dominated possession and still lost. One wonders if United’s two final clashes with Barcelona in 2009 and 2011 might have been a little different if Queiroz was still around.He was also instrumental in signing players from Portugal and Brazil, including Cristiano RonaldoNani and Anderson, and helped transform Ronaldo from a petulant and teasing teenager into an athletic specimen who became a complete footballer, whose rivalry with Lionel Messi would dominate nearly two decades of football.Much like his compatriot and former student Jose Mourinho, Carlos Queiroz’s first goal is not to lose, leading to what has been dubbed “sufferball”, where both teams suffer but only one does so willingly. Against England, Queiroz had a clear structure: a disciplined central block, a tight backline, Thomas Partey shielding the defence, and England were forced into wide possession without becoming a serious goal threat. Ghana had no desire to win the ball high from England’s centre-backs. Instead, they protected the middle, stifled England’s attacking midfielders and prevented Harry Kane from dropping into pockets and combining. As DAZN’s analysis put it, England had “width without penetration”.By half-time, England had 78% of the ball but only one clear look at goal. By the end of the match, they had 19 attempts, but only three shots on goal. That was no accident. Ghana allowed England to circulate possession in harmless areas, then closed down the essential spaces: the route to Jude Bellingham, the pocket space Kane wanted to occupy and the half-spaces where England’s wide players wanted to get inside. After the ball went wide, Ghana’s full backs kept their shape, the central defenders protected the penalty area and Partey blocked the danger zone in front of them.It was a Queiroz ball in its purest form. You can keep the ball, you can pass it, you can have all the numbers, but you won’t score. It was the kind of performance that would warm the heart of a Scot, especially one who hates the English.
GOAT return?
From Portuguese managers, it’s time to turn to Portuguese players. Cristiano Ronaldo, whose goal failure grabbed the headlines in the first leg, scored twice in Uzbekistan’s 5-0 win and announced to the camera that he was back. The real question, despite his dual goals, is: should he still be around?
Sure, Ronaldo scored 10 goals for Portugal in World Cups to surpass Eusebio as Portugal’s most prolific player, but Eusebio only played in one World Cup. The fact remains that these are Ronaldo’s first major tournament goals from open play in five years. Asked about Messi in the mix zone, Ronaldo remained silent perhaps because, as Athletic noted, Messi has scored five goals against teams in the top 30. Uzbekistan is now ranked 50th in the world.In the day’s other matches, Croatia did what they usually do at World Cup tournaments to keep their qualification hopes alive as Modrić turned back the clock for his 200th international appearance by becoming the fourth man to achieve that unique feat. Colombia also beat DR Congo 1-0 meaning they can still dream of topping the group ahead of Portugal. Colombia’s even more impressive feat came despite DR Congo mascot Lumumba Vea standing tall with his arm raised in the stands.
Day 14. Looking ahead
Group B START: 1:30 amWe are now in the business part of the group, which means that all group matches will now take place at the same time so no one can play against the system. Group B matches will feature Switzerland and Canada to decide who controls the group. Bosnia and Herzegovina vs Qatar is really a shootout and a draw won’t help either and whichever team wins will be in a good position to qualify for third place.Group CSTART: 3:30 amIn Group C, Brazil plays against Scotland. Brazil have four points, Scotland three, which means a draw will help them both qualify. If Brazil win, Scotland could still qualify, but that will depend on the other games. Morocco plays against Haiti and like Brazil has four points and only needs a draw to confirm qualification. On the other hand, Haiti could still mathematically stay alive if they manage to beat Morocco.Group ASTART: 6:30 am Co-host Mexico vs Czech Republic. The former have already passed after two wins, while the Czech Republic has one point and must beat Mexico to stay alive. Meanwhile, South Korea takes on South Africa. The Asian giants have three points and could qualify with a win or a draw.
First league representative
The Premier League likes to call itself the biggest show in the world. True football fans insist that this is the World Cup. But how many first league players are there in this tournament? According to league figures, 182 Premier League-affiliated players (169 currently and 13 registered for 2026-27) are playing at the World Cup. While Premier League leaders are shocked to learn, there are other leagues in the English football structure that have a total of around 200 players at the World Cup. German clubs have 109 players. French clubs have 86. Spain has 86. Italian clubs, although Italy did not qualify, also have 49 players. Meanwhile, 44 players are plying their trades in MLS.
Memes WATCH
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