Michael Olise (c.) warmed up for the World Cup with a hat-trick against Northern Ireland. - © IMAGO/Dave Winter/Shutterstock

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All the latest FIFA World Cup 2026 news - Daily updates and LIVE blog!

09.06.2026

As Germany's, the Bundesliga's and the world's finest battle for the FIFA World Cup in North America this summer, our daily blog has you covered with all the latest news, stories and action...

Olise stars

Bayern winger Michael Olise scored his first career hat-trick as a France side featuring club-mate Dayot Upamecano beat Northern Ireland 3-1 in their final World Cup warm-up match. Elsewhere, Leverkusen goalkeeper Mark Flekken was an unused substitute in the Netherlands' 2-1 win over Uzbekistan.

Are Germany outsiders or among the favourites?

That was one of the questions Bayern's Leon Goretzka was asked in a FIFA.com interview. "Can I be honest? I'd rather we were favourites. I know that role well from my time at Bayern, and when you're favourites, the chances are greater that you'll pull it off," the Germany midfielder admitted. "That said, it wouldn't be right for us to regard ourselves as favourites for the World Cup after the last few years. The role we have now is certainly not a bad one, and the sooner we accept that, the more we can gain strength from it."

Hello North Carolina!

Nagelsmann and his players are due to arrive at their World Cup base in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, later on Monday. They will join RB Leipzig youngster Assan Ouédraogo, who was the first player to check in at the Graylyn Estate on Sunday after being called up as a replacement for the injured Lennart Karl.

8 June: Ecuador victorious

Germany's third Group E opponents cruised to victory in their final World Cup warm-up match, beating Guatemala 3-0 on Sunday. The South Americans kick off their campaign against Ivory Coast at 1am CEST on Monday 15 June - six hours after Julian Nagelsmann's side take on Curaçao, who beat Aruba 4-0 earlier on Sunday.

Eriksen "doing well" after scare

Denmark's Christian Eriksen is said to be "doing well" having collapsed during Denmark's friendly with Ukraine. After receiving treatment, the Wolfsburg man was able to leave the field of play by himself before travelling to hospital for tests.

Still at the top of their games

Germany's oldest World Cup representative is Neuer, who will be 40 years and 76 days old on the opening day of the tournament. However, he is not the Bundesliga's oldest representative. That honour belongs to Schalke's Edin Džeko, who is Neuer's senior by 10 days. Scotland's Craig Gordon will be the oldest player at the tournament. He will be 43 years and 162 days old when the tournament kicks off.

Türkiye edge past Venezuela

Hoffenheim defender Ozan Kabak (number 15 in the picture) started and played the full ninety as Türkiye beat Venezuela 2-1. Former Dortmund man Özcan and Frankfurt's Uzun came off the bench to help seal the win.

Argentina breeze past Honduras

Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Exequiel Palacios played 81 minutes and completed an incredible 113 of 114 passes against Honduras as Lionel Scaloni's side ran out 2-0 winners in Texas.

Good omens?

With victory against USA, Nagelsmann's Germany have now recorded nine consecutive wins, which is their best since recording 12 in a row in 1980. That year, they went on to win the Euros.

7 June: Nagelsmann confirms Manuel Neuer's return

Following victory against World Cup hosts USA, Nagelsmann confirmed to German broadcaster RTL, that Neuer will start Germany's curtain raiser against Curaçao on 14 June. He said: "He will now enter team training when we arrive in Winston-Salem, as planned, and then play against Curaçao."

Kane on target for England

Bayern Munich forward Harry Kane continued his rampant club form with England and found the net shortly before half-time as the Three Lions took on New Zealand in Tampa, Florida.

Australia and Switzerland draw

St. Pauli midfielder Connor Metcalfe (c.) provided an assist for Australia as they held Switzerland to a 1-1 draw in San Diego. Gregor Kobel, Silvan Widmer, Nico Elvedi and Johan Manzambi all started for the Swiss, with Jackson Irvine a second-half substitute for the Socceroos.

Germany beat USA

Goals from Kai Havertz and Leroy Sané did the job as Germany defeated a dogged USA side 2-1 in Chicago on Saturday in what was their final warm-up game prior to the start of the World CUp.

Belgium clicking into gear

Kevin De Bruyne (c.) led the charge as Belgium sent out a statement to the rest of the World Cup participates with a 5-0 thrashing of Tunisia on Saturday. Eintracht Frankfurt's Arthur Theate was an unused substitute throughout.

Ouédraogo reacts to late call-up

The Leipzig youngster was already on holiday in Spain when Nagelsmann phoned him to invite him to the World Cup on Friday evening. "When Julian Nagelsmann told me that I'm part of the squad now, I had to take a moment to process and digest it first, before I immediately packed my bags," said the 20-year-old. "It's a huge honour and makes me incredibly proud to represent Germany at the World Cup. For me, this fulfills a childhood dream that I've worked really hard for, especially in the last months and years. I'm looking forward to my role in the team and want to help the squad as best as I can both on and off the pitch."

Ouédraogo going straight to HQ

Karl has now landed back in Munich to begin his rehabilitation, but his replacement in the squad - Ouédraogo - did not fly out to Chicago to be with the rest of the team. Instead, he has travelled to the Germany camp's World Cup headquarters in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

6 June: Karl promises to come back stronger

The Bayern youngster stated on his Instagram account: "I don't even know where to begin, but the pain at having to miss the biggest tournament is indescribable. I did everything I could to be fit for the World Cup. Unfortunately, injuries often happen at the worst possible time. I wish my team every success and will, of course, support them every minute. I'll come back stronger, I promise."

Assan Ouédraogo called up as replacement

FIFA regulations allow participating teams to replace injured players in their squads prior to the start of the tournament, with Nagelsmann choosing to call up RB Leipzig's Assan Ouédraogo in Karl's stead. “In Assan, we’re now bringing in a player who, like Lenny, made an excellent start with us," said the coach. "He’s also extremely talented and we want him to play with courage, freedom and confidence."

Karl ruled out of World Cup

On late afternoon local time in Chicago, the DFB confirmed that Karl's injury was a torn muscle fibre in his left thigh, meaning he won't be able to participate at the tournament. "I’m incredibly sorry for Lenny," said Nagelsmann once the extent of the injury was confirmed. "With his carefree attitude, creativity, pace and personality, he fitted into the team perfectly. It’s a huge shock for him and for all of us that he’ll miss the World Cup."

Neuer still not ready

Nagelsmann also confirmed that Manuel Neuer will play no part against the USA as he continues to recover from a calf injury. "He’s doing well and is on his way back to full fitness. Even so, we don’t want to take any risks tomorrow in order to maximise the chances of everything going perfectly for him during the tournament and to avoid any setbacks. He’s had a few calf injuries this season, which is why we’ve decided not to take any chances tomorrow."

5 June: Karl injured in training

Bayern Munich starlet Lennart Karl suffered an injury in training on Friday and had to be taken to hospital as a result. "We'll have to wait and see what the outcome is," said Nagelsmann. "To be honest, it didn't look particularly good. But I'd ask you to be a little patient – we're heading to the hospital now to get some scans done [...] He first needs some time to process the situation himself, and so do we, before we decide what to do next. We need a diagnosis for that. Once we have it, we'll update you and then see whether, hopefully, he can continue with us at the tournament or whether we'll need to call up a replacement. But we'll take it one step at a time."

Ivory Coast stun France

RB Leipzig's Yan Diomande (r.) started in Nantes as the Ivory Coast won their third World Cup warm-up match by coming from behind to beat France. Rayan Cherki put the hosts ahead on the stroke of half-time, with Bayern duo Michael Olise and Dayot Upamecano playing the first half. Guéla Doué levelled for the Africans before Diomande made way. Hoffenheim's Bazoumana Touré came on at the same time. Amad Diallo hit the winner in the 84th minute.

Swedes held in Stockholm

Daniel Svensson (pictured) of Borussia Dortmund, Mattias Svanberg (Wolfsburg) and Alexander Bernhardsson (Holstein Kiel) all started Sweden's final warm-up match as they were held to a 2-2 draw at home to Greece, for whom ex-Bochum striker Giorgios Masouras scored a 95th-minute leveller. St. Pauli's Eric Smith was one of nine players introduced just after the hour mark by Graham Potter, after Viktor Gyökeres had cancelled out Kostas Tsimikas' early opener.

Schick on target in Czech win

Bayer Leverkusen striker Patrik Schick opened the scoring as the Czech Republic beat Guatemala 3-1 in New Jersey in their final World Cup warm-up match. Hoffenheim duo Robin Hranác and Vladimir Coufal also started and played the first hour. Their club teammate Adam Hložek came on for the second 45 minutes.

4 June: Havertz talks up Neuer & Undav

Kai Havertz is in contention to face the USA on Saturday after missing the friendly win over Finland due to his UEFA Champions League final commitments with Arsenal. In an interview with the German Football Association, he described returning goalkeeper Manuel Neuer as "the best I've ever seen," while reflecting on "a spectacular season with Stuttgart" for team-mate Deniz Undav, who scored twice in his absence last weekend.

Davies gives fitness update

Currently recovering from a hamstring injury, Bayern's Alphonso Davies has offered hope he could yet have a part to play in co-hosts Canada's World Cup opener against Bosnia and Herzegovina on 12 June. "If I'm recovering as good as possible, let's see. If not, then there's no need to rush, just keep continuing the recovery," he told media on Wednesday. "Anything is possible in life. For me, it depends on how the recovery is going, how these next few days or this week leading up to the game goes."

Win for Korean trio

Bayern's Minjae Kim played for around an hour as South Korea, captained by Mainz's Jaesung Lee, kept a clean sheet in a 1-0 win over El Salvador. Gladbach's Jens Castrop came on as a second-half substitute.

3 June: Algeria win on the road

Wolfsburg's Mohamed Amoura started while Farès Chaïbi (Frankfurt) and Ibrahim Maza (Leverkusen) played the full second half as Algeria beat the Netherlands 1-0 in Rotterdam. Mark Flekken (Leverkusen/ Netherlands) and Ramy Bensebaini (Dortmund/ Algeria) were unused substitutes.

Tah speaks on Germany's hopes

The Bayern and Germany defender said: "Anything is possible for us. We have a team that, when it gets into its flow, when it gains momentum, can achieve anything. There are nations that, on paper, might be a touch stronger than us. I don't believe that names ultimately matter when it comes to winning a tournament. It's much more about cohesion and team spirit. That's why anything is possible for us."

0:29

Germany arrive in Chicago

The four-time world champions have landed in the Windy City to a hero's welcome. They play World Cup co-hosts the USA in a friendly on 6 June, remember.

Germany takes silver

Additionally, in terms of league representation, Germany likewise ranks second with regards to number of player representatives at the tournament with 108, second only to England on 205.

Bayern rank second in representation

There are 18 players representing their respective countries at the World Cup who are on the books at Bayern Munich, meaning the reigning German champions are the second-most represented club across world football at this summer's tournament, behind only English giants Manchester City (19). Of those 18, eight alone will be representing Germany.

2 June: Morocco cruise

Wolfsburg's Jonas Adjetey played the full 90 of Ghana's 1-1 draw with Wales, while Ayoube Amaimouni-Echghouyabe (Frankfurt, r.) - making his international debut - and Bilal El Khannouss (Stuttgart, m.) helped Morocco thrash Madagascar 4-0.

Croatia beaten

Josip Stanišić (pictured) started the game as Croatia lost 2-0 to Belgium in Rijeka. Luka Vušković, who spent the season on loan at Hamburg from Tottenham Hotspur, was also in the starting line-up.

Away they go

The German national team departed for Chicago on Tuesday afternoon. There, they play the USMNT as they prepare for the tournament in Canada, Mexico and the USA, which begins on 11 June.

0:47

Watch: Germany before their departure for the World Cup

After Germany's victory over Finland, they played the same opponents in a shortened friendly in training a day later before connecting with the fans, signing autographs and taking selfies, ahead of their departure to North America.

Austria without Baumgartner

Ralf Rangnick will be without the RB Leipzig star after he sustained a thigh injury during the pre-match warm-up before Tuesday’s friendly victory over Tunisia. Baumgartner, who has scored 19 goals in 58 appearances for the national team, was set to play a key role in North America after his 13 goals and eight assists in 33 Bundesliga games this term helped Leipzig secure a place in next season's UEFA Champions League.

Buenos Díaz

Bayern's Luis Díaz captained Colombia in their 3-1 friendly win over Costa Rica, scored and provided an assist. They face Jordan on Sunday evening next before opening their Group K campaign against Uzbekistan on 17 June.

Davies looks on during Canada win

Bayern Munich's Alphonso Davies was an onlooker as Canada beat fellow World Cup competitors Uzbekistan 2-0 in a friendly in his hometown of Edmonton. Davies ran around the pitch in the warm-up, but it is not yet clear if he will recover sufficiently from his hamstring issue to face Bosnia-Herzegovina in Canada's tournament opener a week on Friday.

June 1: Sabitzer to the rescue

Austria beat Tunisia in Vienna, thanks to Dortmund midfielder Marcel Sabitzer's second-half effort. Bayern's Konrad Laimer was sent off before the break, in a game that featured a raft of internationals who played their club football in the Bundesliga this past season.

Neuer's back!

After missing Bayern's DFB Cup final triumph over Stuttgart and Germany's win against Finland with a calf strain, Manuel Neuer has returned to training. The 40-year-old goalkeeper could make his first appearance for the four-time World Cup winners in almost two years, when they face co-hosts the USA in their final tournament warm-up game on 6 June.

Nusa and Ryerson impress for Norway

Antonio Nusa (pictured) helped Norway beat Scandinavian neighbours Sweden 3-1 in Oslo. The Leipzig forward was on target either side of a pair of Jørgen Strand Larsen goals, both set up by Dortmund right-back Julian Ryerson.

Uzun on target for Türkiye

Frankfurt's Can Uzun registered his first goal and assist for his country as Türkiye ran out 4-0 winners over Montenegro. Midfielder Salih Özcan - who left Dortmund at the end of the season - also started the game in Istanbul.

May 31: USMNT see off Senegal in five-goal thriller

A Bundesliga trio of Giovanni Reyna (pictured), Gladbach teammate Joe Scally and Malik Tillman helped the USA down Senegal 3-2 in a preparatory World Cup friendly. For their visitors, Bayern starlet Bara Sapoko Ndiaye was handed his first cap ahead of the tournament's beginning, playing the full 90 minutes from the heart of the midfield. Nicolas Jackson, who had spent last season on loan at Bayern too, led the Senegalese line.

Japan eke out win over Iceland

Another five-strong Bundesliga delegation was active in Japan's narrow 1-0 victory over Iceland. Frankfurt's Ritsu Dōan was the only starter for the Samurai Blues, but Bayern's Hiroki Ito (pictured), Mainz's Kaishu Sano, Wolfsburg's Kento Shiogai, and Bremen's Yukinari Sugawara all featured off the bench, with the latter assisting the winning goal in the 87th minute.

Switzerland dominant against Jordan

There was a five-strong Bundesliga contingent who featured for Switzerland in their 4-1 friendly win over Jordan ahead of their journey stateside. Freiburg's Johan Manzambi (r.) and Gladbach's Nico Elvedi both started, whilst Hamburg's Miro Muheim, Stuttgart's Luca Jaquez and Mainz's Silvan Widmer were all introduced off the bench in the second half.

Czechia edge Kosovo

Hoffenheim's Czech duo of Robin Hranáč and Adam Hložek (pictured) helped their side to a 2-1 victory over Kosovo as their World Cup preparations continued, with the latter scoring what proved to be the decisive goal. Despite a late consolation goal, the Kosovan Bundesliga quartet of Fisnik Asllani, Leon Avdullahu, Albian Hajdari and Elvis Rexhbeçaj could not manage to mount a successful comeback.

Comfortable win for Germany

In their penultimate pre-World Cup friendly, Julian Nagelsmann's charges secured a resounding 4-0 win over Finland in Mainz - their eighth win in a row. Deniz Undav was the star of the show, recording a brace and an assist for Florian Wirtz, with Jamal Musiala banging home the fourth goal. The squad now head to North America, where they will face tournament co-hosts USA in their final warm-up match at Soldier Field on 6 June.

Germany-based quartet make Algeria squad

Algeria Coach Vladimir Petković has named his final World Cup squad, and he has included four Bundesliga/Bundesliga 2 players: Ramy Bensebaini (Borussia Dortmund), Farès Chaibi (Eintracht Frankfurt), Ibrahim Maza (Bayer Leverkusen) and Mohamed Amoura (Wolfsburg). The Algerians take on holders Argentina, Austria, and Jordan in Group J.

Musiala on Wirtz

At a press conference on Saturday, Jamal Musiala shared his thoughts on potentially sharing a pitch with Florian Wirtz during Germany's friendly match against Finland, a selection combination that has not occurred since November 2024: “I had definitely missed playing with him. It’s a lot of fun being on the pitch with him. I’m looking forward to the coming weeks."

Final Czech squad expected later

Czechia head coach Miroslav Koubek is scheduled to trim his 29-strong preliminary list to a final 26-man squad directly after his charges' friendly with Kosovo today. Bundesliga stars Patrik Schick (Bayer Leverkusen), Vladimir Coufal, Adam Hložek and Robin Hranáč (all Hoffenheim) will be hoping to make the cut.

May 30: Havertz scores in Champions League final

Kai Havertz, who scored for Germany last time out against Ghana and who will miss the World Cup warm-up match with Finland tomorrow due to his involvement in the Champions League final, netted the opener for Arsenal in said match on Saturday, but could not prevent his team from losing in a penalty shoot-out to defending European champions PSG. Germany coach Julien Nagelsmann had noted at his pre-match press conference that the squad had sent the forward a good luck message, and that "We're all keeping our fingers crossed for Kai."

Captain Davies is on the plane

Jesse Marsch has announced his 26-player squad for the World Cup and his captain Alphonso Davies is confirmed as part of the squad. The Bayern Munich star heads into his second World Cup with Canada, after making his tournament debut in Qatar in 2022.

5:04

Watch: Manuel Neuer in high demand for selfies and autographs!

Manuel Neuer took some time off from Germany's World Cup preparations to sign autographs and poses for selfies with fans.

Joshua Kimmich on difference in Germany's World Cup squads

Speaking at Friday's press conference, Kimmich explained: "I have the feeling that everyone in our team knows what we can and can't do. That everyone has also internalised what they need to contribute for us to be successful as a group. That's the difference to previous World Cups, where we felt we were better than we actually were. We spoke a lot about potential, but didn't translate it onto the pitch."

May 29: Added incentive

Should Germany go on and win the World Cup, David Raum and Julian Nagelsmann plan on getting matching tattoos. "What scares me the most is our matching tattoo if we win the World Cup," explained Nagelsmann. "Not because I'm afraid of getting tattoos, but because I think we won't find any space left on your body." To which the Raum responded: "No no, you can always find a free spot [...] He can chose the design himself, but I definitely want to be there when he gets his tattoo."

Julian Nageslmann on Germany's team spirit

"I told the players that we’ll be like a family over the coming weeks, that everyone has to trust one another, pull in the same direction and speak openly about things. This journey doesn’t start today – it began three years ago. A lot of it comes through good performances. When you win, there’s no reason for the mood to dip. Everyone in the team is responsible for contributing to that team spirit."

Groß on what he brings to the team

“I believe that during such a long tournament, I can contribute a lot to the team: If I’m needed on the pitch, I’ll be there - 100 per cent. I can bring a high level of stability and composure. And if I’m not playing, then I want to fulfill my role by putting the team first, bringing energy, and supporting the others. That’s the role of everyone who isn’t in the starting XI."

Pascal Groß on his first World Cup call-up

“Right now, I’m just incredibly happy to be part of the German national team, and I can promise that I’ll give my all and enjoy every moment at my first World Cup. How I personally felt about it and how I’d evaluate it - that’s something I’ll talk about later. Making a prediction right now is just too hard.”

May 28: First session in Herzogenaurauch

In their first training session of their pre-tournament training camp, the Germany players were put through their paces in the heat under the watchful eye of Julian Nagelsmann.

0:59

Germany arrive at pre-World Cup camp

The squad selected by Julian Nagelsmann for the tournament arrived at Herzogenaurauch ahead of their warm-up match against Finland.

Rudi Völler on the World Cup atmosphere in Germany

"The team has a job to do. A good atmosphere doesn’t come about on its own. I do think we produced some good performances under pressure in the games after the defeat in Slovakia. We’ve won seven in a row."

1:41

Julian Nagelsmann on his World Cup squad selection

Germany head coach Julian Nagelsmann on his roster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and the reasons behind recalling Manuel Neuer.

Welcome!

Hello and welcome to our live blog covering all the latest news from the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the USA, Mexico and Canada. Stay tuned for all of the big stories from the biggest footballing show on earth, especially from the German camp!

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