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Last updated: June 6, 2026, 5:48 PM ET

Pre-World Cup Friendlies & Team News

The United States fell 2-1 to Germany at Soldier Field in Chicago in their final World Cup tune-up, despite turning in another solid performance following Sunday's 3-2 win. Despite the loss, U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino found positives to take away from the match. In other World Cup warmup news, Portugal forward Rafael Leão was sent off for punching an opponent during his team's 2-0 win over Chile. Argentina suffered a blow as defender Leonardo Balerdi ruled out of the World Cup due to a calf injury, while Germany's 18-year-old midfielder Lennart Karl missed the tournament after suffering a training injury on Friday. Coach Lionel Scaloni reported Lionel Messi is improving from muscle fatigue in his left hamstring and could play some minutes in warmups before Argentina's June 16 World Cup debut.

World Cup Logistics & Controversies

Service workers at SoFi Stadium authorized a potential strike just days before the venue hosts the U.S. opening World Cup match against Paraguay on June 12. Meanwhile, Iran's soccer federation accused the United States of "vindictive behavior" after saying visas were refused for "key managerial and administrative members" of its World Cup team. Iranian officials later confirmed technical staff have been denied visas, hours after the US said players could enter the country, adding a diplomatic layer to the tournament's pre-tournament drama.

World Cup Coverage & Analysis

As the World Cup approaches, analysts ranked all 48 squads while making predictions for how each team will perform. The publication predicted every single result to outline how their predicted winner will claim the trophy. EA Sports, which correctly predicted winners for the past four World Cups, also released their simulation results, adding another perspective on potential tournament outcomes.

Club News

West Ham saw chairman David Sullivan step down with immediate effect in the wake of "allegations," though the specific nature of these allegations was not detailed in the report.