Bulletin Archive: Day 6 — England Eve Edition

Tomorrow night at 21:00 BST, England begin their 2026 World Cup campaign against Croatia at AT&T Stadium in Dallas. The waiting ends. But before that — six days of football have already happened, Scotland are off the mark, and the tournament has delivered some enormous scorelines. Here is everything you need to know.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 England: One Night to Go

The Squad — Livramento Out, Chalobah In

In significant injury news confirmed today, Tino Livramento (Newcastle United) has been ruled out of England's World Cup campaign with a calf injury sustained in training. He is replaced in the squad by Trevoh Chalobah (Chelsea), who has been drafted in and will join up with the group in Kansas.

It is a blow — Livramento had been in outstanding form and was considered a serious contender to start against Croatia at right back. Chalobah, a versatile defender comfortable at centre-back or right back, is an experienced international who Tuchel knows well from their time together at Chelsea. His inclusion maintains England's defensive depth.

The rest of the squad is as expected. Bukayo Saka continues to be managed carefully with his achilles issue but is expected to start against Croatia. Thomas Tuchel confirmed at his pre-match press conference that Saka is available and will play.

Tuchel's Contract — Performance Clause Confirmed

The FA today confirmed that Tuchel's England contract extension — signed earlier this year — includes a performance clause. The details have not been disclosed, but FA chief executive Mark Bullingham confirmed the clause exists. It is an unusual arrangement for an England manager and reflects the seriousness with which the FA views this tournament as a test of Tuchel's project.

For England fans, the clause is irrelevant unless England fall short. The squad is built, the system is installed, and tomorrow night is the first real test.

England's Pre-Match Setup

The squad has been based in Kansas City for their pre-tournament training camp, with the move to Dallas happening this week. Tuchel has spoken warmly of the conditions in Kansas — the facilities, the weather, the focus. Multiple players have posted on social media from training sessions, and the mood from the camp appears to be exactly what you want to see: competitive, settled, and focused.

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 Scotland — They Did It. The Tartan Army Are Celebrating.

Haiti 0-1 Scotland — Sunday 14 June, Boston

Scotland's first World Cup match in 28 years — and they won it. The Tartan Army packed Gillette Stadium in Foxborough and delivered everything the occasion demanded. Scotland beat Haiti 1-0 to take three points and sit level with Brazil at the top of Group C on goal difference, after Brazil drew 1-1 with Morocco.

Elijah Just — the Motherwell attacking midfielder who has become one of the tournament's emerging stories — was the standout performer. BBC Sport's profile of Just described his rise from the Austrian second division to the game's grandest stage as one of the most compelling narratives of the early tournament. He is 22 years old and playing like he belongs here.

Scott McTominay, who missed a training session on Friday with an upset stomach, was fit and started — and was the heartbeat of Scotland's midfield. The Tartan Army's rendition of Baccara's Yes Sir I Can Boogie at Gillette Stadium has already become the soundtrack moment of the tournament's opening week.

Scotland now face Brazil (Group C MD2) and then Morocco (Group C MD3). Qualifying from this group would require a result against one of the tournament favourites — but after that Haiti win, nobody in the Tartan Army is ruling anything out.

📊 Complete Results — Days 1–6

17 matches played. All competitive group stage results.

🔥 Biggest Stories of the Tournament So Far

Germany 7-1 Curaçao — The Hammering

Germany put seven past Curaçao on Sunday in what is the tournament's biggest winning margin so far. It was, by any measure, a statement. Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala combined relentlessly, Kai Havertz scored twice, and Curaçao — the CONCACAF minnows on their World Cup debut — were simply overwhelmed. Germany look frighteningly good when in full flow. They are now the most feared team in Group E alongside Ivory Coast.

USA 4-1 Paraguay — The Co-Hosts Announced Themselves

The revised score (originally reported as 1-0, now confirmed 4-1) tells a story: the United States were genuinely excellent. SoFi Stadium was full and loud, and the home side delivered in front of their own fans. With Australia beating Türkiye 2-0 in the same group on Day 4, Group D is shaping up to be competitive — but the USA have asserted themselves as clear group favourites.

Sweden 5-1 Tunisia — But Tunisia Already Have a New Manager

Sweden's demolition of Tunisia was one thing. The follow-up story is almost unbelievable: Tunisia sacked manager Sabri Lamouchi after just one match, making him the first manager in history to be dismissed during a FIFA World Cup after a single game. Former Morocco and Saudi Arabia coach Hervé Renard has been appointed as his replacement. It is extraordinary tournament management — or the lack of it.

Spain 0-0 Cape Verde — The Shock Draw of the Tournament

Spain — one of the pre-tournament favourites — were held to a goalless draw by Cape Verde in Group H. Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha delivered a performance that has already become the story of the early tournament, making a string of saves that left Spanish fans stunned. Cape Verde's Roberto 'Pico' Lopes described the result as "the stuff of dreams." Spain are not yet in crisis — this is one game in a 48-team tournament — but the result sent a signal: this 2026 format will throw up shocks.

Iran — The Most Restricted Team at the Tournament

Iran manager Amir Ghalenoei described his side as the "most oppressed in the World Cup" after Iran were forced to return to their training base in Mexico immediately after drawing 2-2 with New Zealand in Los Angeles — before flying back again for their next match. Travel restrictions imposed on the squad are unlike any experienced by other nations at the tournament.

📅 Up Next — Tuesday 17 June (BST)

England vs Croatia is the match of the night. All four Group L teams play simultaneously — meaning England vs Croatia and Ghana vs Panama kick off at the same time (21:00 BST). England can go top of Group L with a win tomorrow night.

⚽ The Match Ball — Adidas Conext26

This tournament is being played with the Adidas Conext26 — the official 2026 World Cup match ball. It features AI-powered Connected Ball Technology (CBT) for the first time, with a chip inside that provides real-time tracking data used by semi-automated offside technology. Read our full match ball guide →

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