World Cup Kicks Off Today!

23:50I don't know if he's going to start any of these games. Tal Arranjelas also has earned his place to be that regular starter. But this is somebody who knows what it's like from a very young age to feel that pressure. It can really guide. And not only Gilberto Mora, but a lot of these younger players as well. Raul Jimenez up front. So when you look at the roster, there is that possibility. I mean, obviously, I want to say, oh, the final and win the World Cup. But I want to be realistic here and serious on ESPN FC, although it is very early in the morning, at least here in L.A. So maybe the coffee hasn't hit me yet.

24:23but when it comes to Mexico, I do see a possibility of a quarterfinal appearance. Okay, well we get to see today what we can expect and we thank so much Christina and John for being with us. Make sure to be with us later on ESPN FC as we will be back with you at 5 p.m. Eastern looking back on everything that happened in that opening game between Mexico and South Africa. ESPN 2 will have you covered. coming up this friday evening a new era begins for american soccer as the u.s men's national team officially kick off their 2026 journey as you know managing maintenance repair and operations is never easy but for the ones who always rise to the challenge granger has your back from professional grade products you can count on to fast dependable delivery they're there to help you keep things running smoothly.

25:15Plus, their technical product specialists are here to help answer your toughest questions. And because Grainger knows safety is always a priority, they're committed to being your partner in protecting both your people and your facilities. Call 1-800-GRAINGER, click grainger.com, or just stop by. I'm pretty confident talking into a mic. Hey, I'm doing it right now. But home projects, I second-guess everything. Is that noise normal? Is that water damage? And who should I even call? That's where Thumbtack comes in. Upload a photo or a voice note, and their AI-powered search helps diagnose the issue and match you with the right top-rated local pro.

25:51Instead of guessing or searching for hours, you get clarity and can hire the right pro with confidence. For your next home project, try Thumbtack. They know homes. Hire the right pro today. The U.S. men's national team's highly anticipated 2026 World Cup journey officially begins tomorrow as they take on Paraguay at the Los Angeles Stadium, stepping onto the pitch as co-hosts as the biggest ever World Cup to date. Now, the availability of Chris Richards has been in question. Our Jeremy Schaap caught up with him yesterday. Chris, we're about 53 hours now from Paraguay. How are you feeling? I feel good.

26:32I'm really excited. We've had a few good sessions this week. I've been supporting the boys for the last two weeks, so now I'm finally being able to share the pitch with them and leading up to this opener, I'm very excited for it. Now, of course, four years ago, you weren't able to participate in the World Cup in Qatar. You had had a hamstring injury. What was going through your mind when this happened to your ankle on May 17th? I was having deja vu. I mean, honestly, I was very nervous. I think I forced myself back onto the pitch to kind of prove to myself that I could still do it. But, you know, when I first went down, I was very nervous.

27:03And then once I finally got the diagnosis a few days later, finally my nerves settled a little bit. And ever since then, my only goal was to be ready for the Paraguay game. All right, so now, as I said, we're a couple of days away. One of their star attackers, Julio Anciso, we don't know his status. He got hurt in the friendly against Nicaragua a few days ago. When you think about what they bring to the table, of course, primarily a defensive-minded team, what comes to mind? Yeah, I mean, those are the kind of teams that are tough to play against. You know, they're going to maybe sit back and absorb pressure and try to beat us on the transition or counterattacks.

27:35And so I think it's always about being switched on and making sure that whenever we do get our chances, we take them. The first home World Cup for the U.S. in 32 years in your lifetime. It's such a massive opportunity. When you think about what you want to achieve over the course of the next several weeks, what's at the top of the list? To win. I mean, I think I know we're a country full of winners. We want to be able to show everybody here that we can also do that. I think when you think of the last World Cup, it kind of birthed the MLS. So for us, we want to do something that also not just, you know, of course, inspires people on the field, but also people off the field.

28:10So, again, we want to be a group of guys that brings the country together, but also a group of guys that can win a trophy. OK, let's start by talking Chris Richards with you, Nadim, if we can, and the situation he finds himself and the U.S. do because of it here. Yeah, absolutely. It's obviously not perfect that he's not had the build up in the same way he would have wanted to with good health. But I think if he is back in that start in XI, I think that's huge for them. I think in terms of his last few years at Crystal Palace, he's been excellent. He's been alongside the other three centre-halves that they've had there in their back three.

28:40He's been brilliant in terms of what has been an historic run for Crystal Palace, the most successful years they've ever had as a football club winning the FA Cup. There was the Community Shield and then the Conference League last year as well, and he was very much a big part of that. So I think for him to be available, to be confident, and as you can see from that interview, he's excited about this tournament. He's talking about, say, the birth of MLS and such, and I don't know if he remembers it that well. He's not as old as some people on this panel. But I think it's huge if he is in there.

29:09Somebody that's hugely experienced playing at the highest level that has the drive, the desire to sort of make history for his national team. Ali, tell me what stood out in that interview and how it is when you're going into a tournament or a big game and you know that you're overcoming an injury. Do you have that in your head? Yeah, absolutely. Obviously, you want to be 100 % fit. You want to be healthy. You want to perform well. You want to lead your team to success. So, yeah, you want every moment in this opportunity because it's a World Cup. It's the biggest stage, and this is a big moment in your career.

29:36So, you know, we're hopeful that he can be out there to be able to lead the team and share that experience and share his ability to carry on the success. But also something else that stood out was those counterattacking moments, the mentality in this game and controlling the game on both sides of the ball, right, in the attack but also in the defense. And those transitional moments are going to be key for the U.S. and how consistent they can be, whether that be on the defensive side of the game, staying compact, connected, and then on the attacking side. When can you have those moments of those active passes going forward and getting into the attack, creating opportunities?

30:10So that also stood out and wanting to control the game as the US and that shared mentality of not only doing it for yourself, but also doing it for the US and uniting the country behind them. What's the importance of Chris Richards to this team, Ali? Helping out Team Ring defensively with the lack of speed that Team Ring has. Now, Team Ring has a lot of qualities to his game. Passing out of the back is one of them. Leadership may be another one, but speed is not one of them. And we're going to address the transitional moments that Ali was just mentioning there. In the game against Germany, what we saw from the United States, Anthony Robinson is going down the left-hand side.

30:45You have Christian Pulisic tucking inside, trying to combine with the other attacking midfielders, but also trying to combine with Balogun. Sergino Des appearing in the back post or appearing in the penalty spot and in a very advanced attacking position. And so I'm doing the math and I'm thinking, well, he's committed to the attack. He's committed to the attack. That guy's committed to the attack. They're pushing forward. And I'm saying to myself, if they lose the ball in a bad area and now there's a transition going the other way, you're now exposing Tim Ring who has to go into a wide area to defend 1v1 situation.

31:14Now, look, I'm not a defender and I didn't have speed. I'm not like Natum. I'm not like Ali. But I can tell you that center backs do not like to go out in wide areas to go and defend 1v1 situations or transition moments. That's where they're at the most uncomfortable, and that's where they're at the most vulnerable. And that's where the United States will be vulnerable as well. So what does Chris Richard bring to this team? If team ring has to go out and defend in wide areas, Chris Richard does have the speed to cover the ground in the middle and provide these teams with some balance. Regardless, those transition moments that Ali was just talking about, maybe she was talking about offensively.

31:46I'm concerned about transition moments defensively. Where is this team going to be if they've committed so many numbers forward? And the expectation and the desperation perhaps of needing to win the first game against Paraguay, that the crowd is pushing you forward. Go USA! We're number one! Here we go! And you're going to have to create chances because Paraguay are going to be comfortable sitting right here and saying, okay, break us down. Go ahead! Break us down! Go ahead! Where is the talent? Where are the playmakers? Where are the game changers? Break us down. I don't think you can do that.

32:16If the United States get ahead of themselves and desperate enough to go and try to chase a goal, they may be asking for trouble against Paraguay. That's why the two central midfield players are so important, Adams and McKinney, because we talked about the transition. It works both ways. They've got to win the ball back in the good areas. They've got to be disciplined with the way they play. When the fullbacks do go forward, it's not always the center halves that have to go out there. Sometimes those holding midfield players have to see the danger and read it. So I think they're very important players.

32:41McKinney, at club level, loves to make forward runs. I don't think he can do that in this USA team because Tillman will be playing in front of him. So those two central midfield players, I think, are going to be vital for the way the USA play. The USA have won their last three against Paraguay. Does that matter, Ali? Yeah, that mentality and the confidence that you have carrying into this game. But this is a different stage. Those weren't World Cup games. But, you know, that will definitely give them confidence to want to succeed in this match and give them the motivation to continue to do so.

33:12but every game is a new game and a new opportunity and they can't get complacent so they have to show up and understand that this is a new opportunity and we'll see what happens. What happens when you win this first game? What does it do to the team? If the U.S. men's national team are to win this first game, how does that change things for them? Well then you move on to the next, right? You take one game at a time in a big tournament like this, you know, one and done, you move on to the next, you fully focus on to the next match but that gives you that confidence and that motivation to want to continue down this path And as long as everyone stays fit and healthy, then it will be good signs for the U.S.

33:47All right, Ali. But what happens if you don't win this first game? See, the thing is that I hear the Mexico conversation just ahead of this. And I hear the U.S. conversation right now. And I'm thinking, all right, well, these teams are going to win this whole competition. They're going to advance fully and openly and freely in the tournament. What happens if they don't win the first game? But it's also you don't have to play your best in the very first game. You don't have to play your best. It's always a buildup, right? You don't want to lose. You want to win. But if you don't win, then you just iron out the details and you move on to the next and hope that other teams will...

34:21Of the three games, though, is this the easiest one?

34:26I would say so. I would say so. I think Turkey is going to provide some issues. I think they're going to go one and two for sure. I think Australia... There is doubt. There is doubt. I do think if Paraguay sits back and they're holding and they're really difficult to break down, like Ale was mentioning, I do think that, you know, Australia might be the easier match. He's just hating because he hasn't got the U.S. winning their group. No, no, I'm not hating. I'm just providing context. I'm just asking people to calm down. There is this foregone conclusion that the United States are just going to walk through this group.

35:01And I'm just saying to the casual fan out there, relax. These teams know how to play. These teams are experienced. experienced. This team, they didn't just show up. They didn't just win a contest to be in this tournament. They worked their way into this tournament and they know very well who they are and they have an identity. Paraguay know who they are. Australia know who they are. Turkey beat the United States just a few miles from here in East Hartford not too long ago. So it's not a foregone conclusion. That's all. I'm just saying, calm down. Calm down. Let it come to you. Don't go chase it.

35:33I get that. I get that. He's making a good point, but USA is still favored. They're still favored to win this game and favored to win the next game. And then that third one against Turkey could be deciding who finishes first and second. I think if we sort of dance around well, you know, it will be tough. Like, we understand it's tough. Everyone that's here is here for a reason. They're all good sides. They're all talking about, Turkey talking about, Curaçao, Cape Verde, whoever. They've all earned the right to be here. And it is going to be complex. Cape Verde and Curaçao are not good teams, but there you go.

35:59They've earned the right to be here. And to be honest, Venezuela, Nigeria, Jamaica, to name but a few. You know what I mean? We're not good teams. We're watching from a distance. Watching from a distance. Ali Moreno is on the show tomorrow, so we're going to get a lot more talk on the US. But you aren't, Robbo, so we need to get your prediction for this game against Paraguay. I think the USA will win the game. I don't think it's going to be easy. Paraguay, I think, will try and play on the counter-attack. I think it's so important that Pulisic, coming in off that left-hand side, he's the one that's going to create.

36:29Balogun's got to be there, ready to play little one-twos with, because Pulisic can go past people. But he also, like most good dribblers, you need somebody to bounce the ball off and that has to be Balogun at times. And then they've got the pace of Robinson going down the outside. Ali already mentioned it. Who can get good crosses into the box. I think they will win. Robbo's a patriot. Yeah, well, who am I? America, baby. Number one. I'm not going to be getting any problems at customs. Gavin Jules have you covered throughout the World Cup on the Gavin Jules Show. Make sure to check out the podcast throughout the World Cup tournament.

37:05Man City have made a British record transfer bid according to reports for Elliot Anderson. So let's get you some more details on this coming from the website today. City's verbal offer is understood to be worth£106 million. And then there would be potential performance related add-ons taking the value beyond£120 million, Nadam. What are your thoughts on this report? So I think he's a very, very good player. And I think the feet itself, it feels like it's on the high side, but I always... His mic's off. Is his mic in his pocket? No. My mic is right there, is it? It's your mic. Oh, someone put my mic down, or I've done something.

37:55Honestly, I don't know if I can say that again. No, that was... Hang on, my mic's mine. Yeah, you can't repeat that.

38:04OK, fair enough. Didn't deliver a take, but he didn't like it anyway.

38:21According to reports, Manchester City have made a British record transfer bid for Elliot Anderson. We're going to get some more details here from the website, Nadem. a verbal offer which is understood to be worth£106 million with potential performance-related add-ons which would take the value beyond£120 million for the Nottingham Forest player. What are your thoughts? So, personally, I think it does feel like it's a high fee, but I think he's an excellent player, and I think he's an excellent young player at that. And as far as some of these fees above£100 million go, there's potential that it could end up being worth it because if we're to name a few, because you said British there, because there's Alexander Izak, there's Florian Vietz, there's Moises Caicedo, there's Enzo Fernandes, who are well above that 100 million mark as well.

39:08I think he has the potential to be of value in the same way an Enzo is or a Caicedo is for Chelsea. I think the fee itself, as I say, if it feels high, but if that's the number that they have to hit and they can afford to do it, I'm okay with it. I think he's an excellent player. I think he's not necessarily going to replace like a Rodri or Bernardo Silva as such, but I think he would help City propel into this next stage with this new manager in terms of a slightly different style of play. but somebody who's at the start of becoming excellent. So I'm OK with it. And thankfully, people sometimes cry about transfer fees and so on.

39:38If you're not paying it yourself, why are you so bothered about what the number is? Just get over it. I think he's an excellent player. I think he was a key player for Forest last year. Somebody who we expect to be starting for England at this World Cup only a year after starting for the Under-21s as they return their title in the European Championships. I think he's a brilliant player. I think he could be one of the best midfielders in the Premier League. Rebel. Yes, fully agree. I always say it, a midfield player is a midfield player because he can do most things, he can run forward, he can pass the ball, he's energetic, he's good defensively he'll win the ball back, he can close down, he's got good brain and I think he does everything you want from a midfield player and when you look at Manchester City's team Nico Gonzalez hasn't really quite done it, Rodri's not as fit as he once was they're losing Bernardo Silva Reinders has had his moments But Elliot Anderson at the moment is alongside Declan Rice as the best midfield players in England.

40:35And it's a great sign in, I think, for Man City if they get him. If they get him. It addresses a need for Manchester City, obviously. And in terms of the finances, since you're so concerned about the finances, well, I think if you're Manchester City, you want to jump ahead of the curve. Because what if Elliot Anderson has a blowout tournament in the World Cup? What if he has a great tournament and now that fee is not what we're talking about? we're thinking about something higher than that and you get in a bidding war with somebody else if you're Manchester City You're jumping ahead of the curve and saying okay.

41:04This is what we're putting forth We can afford them. We need them. We need this profile of player So in that sense you would argue for Manchester City Yeah, get ahead of everybody else get this done so that you don't have to worry about what happens during the World Cup and post World Cup What does it change for Manchester City if they are to get their hands on him? I I think for whoever the new manager coming in is, we obviously see and guessing it's going to be Mureska. I think he's got a brilliant footballer there. I think to talk about his style of play, I think Robbo has hit the nail on the head in terms of the fact that he can do everything.

41:37And you could say, well, what's his best position? Well, for Nottingham Forest, who didn't have the best of seasons, say domestically compared to the year before, but they did make it to the semi-finals of a European competition. By the end of the season domestically, Elliot Anderson had the most touches of any player in the whole of the Premier League, playing for a side that didn't have a ton of possession. so he's very comfortable on the ball. You then look at, say, the way he plays for England, and there are times, especially in the recent games that we've seen, Declan Rice is comfortable getting higher up on the pitch because they can trust Elliot Anderson to get on the ball.

42:06So he's like a hybrid 6-8, just a brilliant midfielder. So I think to have somebody in your ranks in that team who can come in with a Premier League experience now to have potential huge impact, and you know as well, with the setup around him, he can get better. I think in the same way you saw it happen with England, it can happen domestically with Man City as well. So I think it's a brilliant midfielder to have. somebody who's starting to almost want to prove themselves at the highest sort of level and he can start to build other things around him i think seeing bernard of silver leave seeing people like gundawan and de bruyens leave in years gone by there is like a void that's there but for the way the premier league is and european football is at this moment in time maybe this is the era of the players like uh elliot anderson and if he comes in city as ellie said before his value might be even higher i think it's a fantastic sign he brings dynamism to Manchester City.

42:52That's what he brings. Manchester City have been a passing team and they haven't got, what I would say, great athletes in midfield. They've now got a great athlete in midfield who can get around the pitch. We were talking in other segments about players having to cover in full-back areas. He can do that. He can get forward. He can make runs. He can score goals. He doesn't score many goals at the moment, but his energy is there to score goals if you played him slightly higher. He can do everything you want from a midfield player. Does a player like that factor into the title race, his arrival if it's to happen, Ali, next year?

43:24Well, it addresses a bunch of needs. The guys have just mentioned some of the things that he would bring to Manchester City and some of the things that Stewie just mentioned there. Manchester City is a passing team and at times they're a passive team, a team that lacks the energy to press the ball the way they once did, to counter-press, to regain possession higher of the field. They haven't been able to do that for a couple of years now. And so here's a player that can give you that. And if indeed that's the style that you want to play, then you need players that are able and capable of doing that.

43:56It helps Manchester City to reestablish themselves and their style of play higher up the field rather than concerning themselves with cutting out transitions defensively. It helps. It helps to have Elliot Anderson. I don't think he's a title winning player, but it helps to have a guy that makes your team far more solid. and it answers and checks a lot of questions and a lot of boxes for Enzo Mariska and Manchester City in thinking, how are we going to set up? Well, you have a lot more clarity when this guy is on the field. Yeah, for sure. And I think with Mareska potentially coming in, because we don't know that for definite at this moment in time, but I think Elliot Anderson's ability and style suits whatever the manager would want.

44:38And that's what it would be for, if it's not Mareska, whoever the next guy comes in, if it's defensive, it's attacking, high press, low press, mid block, whatever you want, he can do that. But I think in terms of the league title as well, please, please let's not use mid blocks and low blocks and high blocks. To be fair, I don't think I said the mid one. You said mid block. That's high low middle of the field. Alec's going to block you. Yes, I am. We played this game for 40 years. None of us used mid block, low block and now. Sorry, I was trying to be all trendy, wasn't I? What I would say, I think this era now of the Premier League that's about to come, It's no longer the Guardiola, the Jurgen Klopp era where you need potentially 90 plus points to win a league title.

45:17I think it's nearly half the league have all had new managers come in. The most experienced manager in the Premier League right now in terms of time at their football club is Mikel Arteta. And we're talking about an Arsenal side that have won it with flaws, which we've all discussed on a week to week basis, even though they were the best side last season. So we're not sure for definite who the front runners are going to be next year alongside an Arsenal. and if the standard in terms of what it is to win the league is a little bit lower, then someone like an Elliot Anderson could be worth, say, three, four, five points.

45:43But it's also a sign of what maybe the modern midfield player has got to be. It's going back to the 80s, 90s, where midfield players had to be done. We keep talking about, oh, he's a holding midfield player. He's an attacking midfield player. A midfield player, you play in midfield because you can do both sides of the game. Yeah, for sure. And that's what Elliot Anderson can do. That's what Declan Rice can do. So maybe England could win the World Cup, you know. Not in your bracket. No. You are off your block suggesting that. OK, thank you so much. Make sure to join the team every single day on Extra Time.

46:19They will answer your questions. You can always check it out over on our YouTube channel. Now, some people get all the best gigs here at ESPN. Not again. Not again. A number of World Cup nations with one of America's top chefs.

46:38We've talked plenty about the World Cup when it comes to the competition on the field, but we also need to examine the competition off the field, specifically through some of the world's most popular dishes. Our own Ali Krieger, along with Alexis Nunes, joined the Food Network chef, Bobby Flay, to break down the cuisines of four countries considered favorites to win it all.

47:02Hey everybody, I'm Bobby Flay here in New York City at my friend chef Sam Hazen's restaurant, Palladino's Steak and Seafood, with some World Cup cuisine matchups.

47:16All right guys, let's talk about favorites now, because going into the World Cup, the favorites, of course, are France, cannot exclude España. Spain, then you've got Argentina, and then finally You have England, always amongst the favorites. How does each country's cuisine fare on the table? This is for France. Oh! And obviously you gotta do French onion soup for France. Some delicious Gruyere cheese and a wonderful onion soup. Enjoy. Smells delicious. Does it get more French than that, Bobby? It starts with the name French onion soup. It's wonderful, you know, it's like beef broth, some chicken broth, it's low and slow.

47:51Lots of caramelized onions, a crouton that's been nicely toasted and then lots of melted Gruyere cheese on top. It's rich, it's flavorful, it's technical. Like I feel like just like the French team. Let's see what Spain brings. For Spain, Tortilla Espanyol and the tomats, the delicious tomato salad. Wow. So this is basically an egg dish like a frittata that they have in Italy. Speaking of Italy, where is the Italian food? I know. We want the Italians on the pitch, but we also want their food. There's potatoes and there's peppers and a little bit of bacon. So it's like harder shell, and then on the inside, it's super soft.

48:28Right. Silky. Silky. It reminds me of the Spanish team as well. Silky smooth. Spain gave us the tiki-taka, sexy champagne football, as well as the fact that they have la mina mal. I will say I love Barcelona. I mean, for sure. Argentina, three World Cups. Lino Messi. This is his favorite dish. Milanesa? Yeah, of beef. We had some pickled peppers and some chimichurris on the bottom. Enjoy. Delicious. Pounded beef that's been breaded, Milanese style. Uh-oh. I see it in the eyes. Yes. I see it in the eyes. Defending champion. It's festive, but it's also soulful. But the sauce just puts it over the top.

49:09The chimichurri. The chimichurri. I feel like chimichurri is such a deep part of Argentinian cuisine. It's everything. It's their steak sauce. Would you go as far as to say that Argentina can repeat? When we're talking about the field, then yes. Yeah. When Messi is on the field, a lot of defenders are drawn to him, which then opens up space for other players to get into. I really like Enzo Fernandez as well. Yeah. Feisty. He's very feisty. That's what South American football is in it. All right, we will see what England brings to the table. Wow. Sunday roast? A little Sunday roast, yeah. This is beef fat Yorkshire, so with the beef drippings from the beef, honey carrots, roasted potatoes, and this is for Sir Bobby Charlton.

49:51Fresh horseradish, yes. Roasted prime rib, some potatoes, some root vegetables, some baby carrots, and then Yorkshire protein. Is it tasting like a favorite? This is one of my favorites of the day. It's smoky. Oh, it's juicy. Smoky. The sauce with the horseradish gives it like that extra pizzazz. Yeah, kick. Could this be England's year? How long has it been since the 60s? Yes, 1966. 1966, that's a long time ago. Worse than the Knicks winning a championship. That was 73. I know that one very well. Could you imagine if they won it after all this time, what would happen in England? I mean, it would be amazing.

50:31All right, so we have our four favorites now representing four favorite countries to win the World Cup. Ali, let me start with you first. Who wins it all? The flavor of the chimichurri mixed in with the meat, I think for me, just was phenomenal. All right, Bobby, so on the pitch now, who would you pick as the winner? I'm going to go with Spain. Hot smoked paprika. Hot smoked paprika, España. Human's own. Exactly.

51:03Some of us have to settle for the canteen food here at ESPN. on a weekly basis. Some of us get sent to all the best gigs. How was it, Ellie? It was incredible, but I was the only one eating every meal. Oh, we saw. I felt absolutely stuck. Oh, we saw. What's Alexis doing there? The entire time. And then I would pass the plate across the table to Alexis, and she would take a couple bites. But I think she was able to take the leftovers home after, so I'm happy for her. But it was an incredible experience. Bobby Flay was amazing, and I'm really excited. He did say maybe I could go on to the show and do, you know, the judging.

51:35judging and I'm going to hold him up on that. Can I ask you a question though, Ali? See, if memory serves me right, weren't you doing tapas tasting in San Sebastian in Spain as well? Are this your assignments? What kind of contract do you have and how can we get anywhere near that contract? I am only here. When we went to Milan, you went into an Italian restaurant. Ali, the German food. The German food, Ale. Do not forget. Excuse me. Okay. We had to have dinner. But it was still. It wasn't sent by work to go and eat and travel across the world to go eat. I remember seeing you having some meals with Mario Suarez as well on some La Liga shows.

52:22I take away my criticism. Part of the gig. That I had to sacrifice. And you were there as well. So better not point fingers. To your point, it was because we had to have dinner, but we just made a thing of it. We didn't get sent with all the bells and whistles, did we? Okay, so I put back my criticism on the table then. Some of us have won two World Cups, though, so... I'd take away my criticism. What looked best to you, Nadim? I think I'd go for the Argentinian as well. That looked delicious. I think I'd have that right now, if I'm honest. Stuart was getting annoyed, thinking it wasn't the best representation of our English.

52:55No, that meat was too raw and too rare. It wasn't... Well done! No, but you also want fish and chips. English is fish and chips. Technically, I thought that might not be English. That would have won the World Cup for me. That might not be English. Oh, I think it is. No, generally, it might not be English. I think maybe it started well in Portugal. Someone will fact check that, but I think it might not be English. Okay, well, we have fried fish in Venezuela. Does that count? I do feel for Ali Moreno, though, because he is genuinely a foodie. Yes, I am. Whenever we go on trips, he's always looking for the best restaurant for where we can go out.

53:27So how are you feeling about having to watch that and not being a part of it, Ali? As I said, it's not the first time that happens with Ali Krieger. So obviously there's preferential treatment. I guess you have to win a World Cup in order to be sent to the street. Sorry, so I don't qualify. Sorry, I don't qualify. The next food episode we're doing that has to be with you. The two Ali's. There you go. Where's our boss? Where's our boss? I always say Ali looks for the cheapest restaurant possible. No, that's not true. That's not true. That's not true, actually. Do you ever sometimes feel like you're just not really here?

53:59No, you guys. You guys go and eat your food. Boston Legacy against BFC coming up in NWSL Action, July 5th, 12 p.m. Eastern. You can catch that game on ESPN. And you can catch the guys' predictions because they are coming up next for the two games that kick off World Cup 2026 today.

54:25La Liga's promotion playoffs final. First leg is set. It is Malaga taking on Almeria. And you can see that game on Sunday, 3 p.m. Eastern on ESPN+. Future Spotlight is brought to you by DraftKings Sports. Group A and World Cup 2026 get underway today as Mexico hosts South Africa and South Korea will play Czechia. But who have our team got winning these opening games? Let's find out, shall we? It's our time at the touch screen. Starting with the first game, Mexico against South Africa. Ali, who have you got? I have Mexico winning this one. Okay. Home soil, crowd behind them. Okay. First game of the tournament.

55:16What we saying, Nadim? So, Ali's a country but professional, and she's a time traveler, so she knows Mexico are going to win, so could you please direct my one over to Mexico as well? You're welcome. Three for three? Three for three? I'll take care of it myself. Yeah, Mexico. They're going to go out and win it, and for all the reasons that were mentioned in the show earlier, including the pollution in Mexico, which we should do something about that, by the way, It is an advantage to them. The heat in Mexico is also an advantage to them. The crowd will be an advantage unless they're playing poorly and then they put pressure on Mexico to perform on the field.

55:50Regardless, I think Mexico squeezed a 1-0 win. Stuart Robson. Well, you only have to look at the rankings we just saw there. 14 against 60. It has to be Mexico. Can't see any other result. And I'm going to put myself right on top of Ned in there. Okay. What? What? What? Yes. I'm gonna have to get myself back now. There we go. There we go. There you go, my friend. Okay, I won't do that then. But I will go with the rest of you. Five from five, what could possibly go wrong. Naidan pushed you not in front of all of us again. Okay, we'll get back to that in a moment, because there's some thoughts on Mexico I'd like to get from you guys.

56:28But first of all, we've got South Korea against Czechia. So if you could do the honours once again, Ali, who have you got? Yes, I have South Koreans. Oh, she's... I think just the discipline, the tactical ability. I think the technical players that they have, I think they're going to come out on top. I don't want to walk in front of you, Kassou. Could you do me the honors again, please? I follow you wherever you go. I'll walk in front of you. Of course you will. Of course you will. I'm one of the other players. Here we go. Talk to us, Ali. And again, just for context and full disclosure that I am unbiased, The manager for South Korea is Hong Myung Bo, who was my roommate with the LA Galaxy.

57:06And yet, that doesn't in any way affect the way I make my decisions because I'm stubborn. And in my bracket, I had Chekya as first in the group. In order for that to work out, they have to win today. I'm going with Chekya. What a snob to his friend. I think X says that he never got on with his roommate, did he? Yeah, exactly. So there is the bias that way. But I'm going to go with South Korea. I think they're more dynamic. Czechia are an Asian team so I'm gonna go with Ali and Nedim on that one.

57:39Thank you for the argument Kay, you really supported your argument really well. I liked all those stories you told me about him, at least somebody's gonna be his friend. Alright, what I want to do Ali, just because we heard from the team in Mexico, I just wanted to get a little thought from you on what we can expect from this Mexico team. Yeah, so I'm not nearly as high on Mexico as both Christina and, of course, John Suckler. As the Mexicans are. As the Mexicans are, yes. In all honesty, this is a team that is industrious and hardworking. They're good, not great. And they don't have a great player.

58:17They don't have a difference maker. So much so that they're desperately looking for Gilberto Mora, the 17-year-old, to be that guy. I just don't think that Mexico has enough. They'll win today. They'll advance out of the group. But eventually, come round of 16, gone. Now, we thought people had been a bit cruel to you today and a little bit mean. A little bit ageist, shall we say. What have you got going now? We were talking about Harlan's lovely hair. Did you see this picture of the Norwegian national team doing all these pictures and hiking? Yeah, but we had Frank dressed up like that the other day.

58:47We had Frank dressed up as it, and we thought it wasn't fair to go out. Yes! Yes! Yes. Yes. I think that's real. Is there an HR department? Well, there is. I think it's a great look. Yeah, that is just horrible, isn't it? It's beautiful hair. I'd love to have hair like that, but I wouldn't have that style, that's for sure. Don't worry if you're feeling left out. We can do the same for you if you'd like as well, Ali. That's okay. I don't care. I'll take that hair. In fact, you know what? I love my hair the way it is. Ali's the most comfortable of the lot of us. Do we like Stuart with or without the hair?

59:23Yeah, but you'd have to spend more time in the glam room. Oh, yeah. I don't know if you'd like that. Taking up our time in the makeup room. Nobody takes up your time. You take it all, don't you? We'll be back tomorrow at the same time, same place. See you then.