Norway's players have mounted a strong defence of captain Martin Odegaard following intense domestic media ​criticism of his performance in their opening match at ‌the World Cup.

France and Spain are among the favorites to take home the 2026 World Cup. Here's a look at the full, 48-team field ranked by their odds to win.

Ayyoub Bouaddi has been linked with Arsenal, Paris St-Germain and Liverpool Olivier Giroud knows a prodigious talent when he sees one. "I played with Kylian Mbappe when he was 18," the BBC Sport pundit said.

Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland each had standout performances as their respective teams opened World Cup play on Tuesday, June 16.