Other Games - 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup Edition (+ warm-up matches): Villa-watch

[London Villan]

Surely Unai can sign one of their seemingly endless line of classy midfielders as Teliemans’ replacement.

[lovejoy]

Stolen from Twitter, “who expected 11 Frenchmen to turn up and work on Bastille Day?”.

[UK Redsox]

BOSTON — Fresh off its first-class flight from Glasgow, it received a reception befitting a visiting dignitary: a bagpiper in full regalia playing inside Boston Logan International Airport. Waiting to greet it were diplomats, the governor and Boston’s mayor.

The guest of honor? An orange traffic cone.

Tuesday’s arrival of the “Boston Cone” marked the latest chapter in the city’s unlikely love affair with Scotland’s Tartan Army, whose habit of placing traffic cones atop statues during last month’s World Cup turned the humble orange cone into one of the tournament’s defining symbols.

“I have to admit, this is probably — yes, it is — my first official welcoming ceremony for a traffic cone,” Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey said in the airport’s Terminal E, before signing her name to the cone. “But it’s a pretty special one, isn’t it? Because this cone tells the story of what happened this summer. What happened in Boston, what happened in Massachusetts.”

“And special thanks to the Scots for drinking all the beer,” she added to laughter. “I do promise you, when you return ... we will never again run out of beer in Massachusetts.”

https://www.nbcnews.com/sports/soccer/scottish-traffic-cone-dignitarys-welcome-boston-world-cup-rcna587571

[Flamingo Lane]

Mcnulty on the BBC website this morning writes that this game tonight is England's biggest football game since 1966. Then in literally the next sentence he writes that this is England's third World Cup semi final since 1966.

[Brazilian Villain]

Mcnulty on the BBC website this morning writes that this game tonight is England's biggest football game since 1966. Then in literally the next sentence he writes that this is England's third World Cup semi final since 1966.

It's England's biggest game since the 2024 Euros final.

[Richard]

Mcnulty on the BBC website this morning writes that this game tonight is England's biggest football game since 1966. Then in literally the next sentence he writes that this is England's third World Cup semi final since 1966.

The standard of sports "journalism" on that BBC site is the worst it has ever been.

[Hillbilly]

Just watched the highlights of France V Spain. Yamal absolutely bought that penalty. If Digne was about 2 inches to the right Yamal would have cleaned him out.

[Hookeysmith]

Just watched the highlights of France V Spain. Yamal absolutely bought that penalty. If Digne was about 2 inches to the right Yamal would have cleaned him out.

Is that the PSG Full Back Luca Digne?

[Dogtanian]

Mcnulty on the BBC website this morning writes that this game tonight is England's biggest football game since 1966. Then in literally the next sentence he writes that this is England's third World Cup semi final since 1966.

The standard of sports "journalism" on that BBC site is the worst it has ever been.

The standard of BBC journalism all over has dropped considerably over the last few years. They're only a couple of steps away from clickbait merchants.

[rob_bridge]

Mcnulty on the BBC website this morning writes that this game tonight is England's biggest football game since 1966. Then in literally the next sentence he writes that this is England's third World Cup semi final since 1966.

Joint 3rd after 2xEuros Finals. Apart from that it is most important.

[Chip Butty 111]

TBH if we get through tonight it will be another final defeat. Spain were superb last night. They way they move the ball, playing in ever changing patterns to feet, probing and creating space behind is mesmerising. England in possession play square balls side to side, go down the wing and then come back to the CBs and look wooden in possession.

[VILLA MOLE]

TBH if we get through tonight it will be another final defeat. Spain were superb last night. They way they move the ball, playing in ever changing patterns to feet, probing and creating space behind is mesmerising. England in possession play square balls side to side, go down the wing and then come back to the CBs and look wooden in possession.

Yes I agree to a point they were good value  , but the French were not pressing them in the middle

[Meanwood Villa]

Mcnulty on the BBC website this morning writes that this game tonight is England's biggest football game since 1966. Then in literally the next sentence he writes that this is England's third World Cup semi final since 1966.

Joint 3rd after 2xEuros Finals. Apart from that it is most important.

Lad at work called it the biggest match for a generation, I pointed out we were in a final two years ago. In fairness, I'd rather win the World Cup than the Euros but they're both massive and final clearly more important than semi.

[PeterWithesShin]

This is a pretty interesting read

What happened to David Batty, who shook off penalty miss against Argentina?

Few players take their first penalty as a professional at a World Cup, but that was exactly the situation David Batty found himself in back in 1998.

A series of amusing rumours have spread over the years as a result, amid claims Batty has become a superbike champion under a fake name, trained to be a master butcher and gone off grid to live in a caravan.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/articles/cp9jn090kv2o

[brontebilly]

TBH if we get through tonight it will be another final defeat. Spain were superb last night. They way they move the ball, playing in ever changing patterns to feet, probing and creating space behind is mesmerising. England in possession play square balls side to side, go down the wing and then come back to the CBs and look wooden in possession.

Yes I agree to a point they were good value  , but the French were not pressing them in the middle

Couldn't press as they were outnumbered 3 v 2 in midfield and Olmo was constantly free. Deschamps in hindsight maybe should have kept Rabiot on and took off Barcola. Spain were outstanding in that second half. Tactically superb.

France have had the best team by a distance I reckon in last 3 x WCs but only won once.

England likely will have that same problem if they go through. Getting flooded in the middle and Anderson trying to do everything.