Two teams from different sides of the world will face off this weekend in a landmark football occasion. One team from the Americas, another from Europe, will meet in an exhibition of the world’s game that is being broadcast across the globe, writes JAMES NALTON

England survived a thrilling Azteca encounter, but the stadium and its supporters created one of the tournament’s defining nights, writes JAMES NALTON

JAMES NALTON celebrates Ruben Blades’s song Patria – played before Panama’s game against Ghana — a song inspiring hope instead of hate

Concerns grow over whether new stoppage rules serve profit rather than football’s integrity, writes JAMES NALTON

Zohran Mamdani pushes an inclusive vision for football, but basketball still dominates the city’s imagination, writes JAMES NALTON

Wharton impresses for Crystal Palace in Leipzig while Tuchel’s squad selection comes under scrutiny, writes JAMES NALTON

Marsch’s side look to build on rapid progress as they prepare for a landmark home tournament, writes JAMES NALTON

Calls for justice drowned out by choreographed symbolism and power politics at Fifa Congress, writes JAMES NALTON

World Championship secured in Sheffield until 2045 as new generation of players prepares to compete, writes JAMES NALTON

Expanded teams bring historic diversity, yet high prices and US entry barriers threaten to make it the most exclusionary tournament yet, writes JAMES NALTON

If the United States wants international success in a game it built, maybe it should embrace the joy of the game rather than the unnecessary military pageantry, writes JAMES NALTON

Travel bans, visa refusals and political tensions have raised some serious questions about the tournament’s integrity, writes JAMES NALTON

As the 2026 tournament approaches, Fifa’s World Cup hosting controversies reach new extremes, writes JAMES NALTON