Iran reach the pitch, Saka weighs his fitness, and Group H defies expectation

The most politically loaded match of the 2026 World Cup got underway in Los Angeles on Tuesday, as Iran faced New Zealand in a fixture that had spent weeks in doubt. Visa complications, a base in Tijuana, and the persistent shadow of US-Iran tensions had made Iran's participation one of the tournament's defining stories before a ball was kicked — and when kick-off finally arrived, the occasion carried a weight far beyond the group stage. Meanwhile, in Miami, Group H produced the kind of evening that makes early World Cup rounds so compelling. Saudi Arabia came within minutes of a second consecutive shock before Ronald Araújo's late intervention rescued a 1-1 draw for Uruguay. With Cape Verde having already held Spain earlier in the day, the group is now entirely open, and the scramble for qualification promises to run deep into the second round.

Off the pitch, England's build-up to their opener against Croatia was coloured by uncertainty over Bukayo Saka. The Arsenal forward admitted to an ongoing achilles problem but insisted he was ready, even as Thomas Tuchel's camp continued to monitor him carefully. His condition matters enormously — Saka is central to how England attack — and the question of whether Tuchel trusts him for ninety minutes will define much of the team's shape going into the tournament. Elsewhere, Tunisia made the remarkable decision to sack Sabri Lamouchi mid-competition and hand the reins to Hervé Renard, a coach with deep experience of African football at this level. It is a rare and disruptive call at any World Cup, and it suggests serious dysfunction inside the Tunisian camp.