️ Report: Antonelli wins world championship at age of 20
️ Email beau.dure@theguardian.com or chat to him on BlueSky

Lap 4 of 71: Hamilton inquires as to what action is being taken. He’s assured that people are looking into it.

For now:

• Game at Allianz Field in Saint Paul kicks off at 8pm ET

• Last time out: USA beats Mexico 3-0 in romp

• Email Beau your questions, thoughts and jokes

Jeff is at the game.

Meanwhile, Pablo Maurer is following the Messi farewell:

Goalkeeper feels like a re-opened competition after shaky halves from World Cup incumbents Matt Freese and Chris Brady, while Diego Kochen shone bright in his first start against Mexico. Brian Schwake will try to make his case from the opening whistle, looking to carry his fine form with Nashville into his second appearance.

I was hoping to see Auston Trusty partner with Chris Richards, as he seems like the best partner in a post-Tim Ream US side, but he looks set to deploy at left-back. That said, Alex Freeman will likely advance further up the right, and Trusty could deputize as a wide center-back in build-up phases.

Mathis Albert may not yet be a regular with Dortmund’s B-team, much less the senior side, but his dynamism throughout this camp earned him a surprise start over the more polished and proven Zavier Gozo. A fascinating chance to get a long look at another star of the program’s future.

• Americans win fifth consecutive title

• Reese and Clark celebrate their ‘chemistry’

USA 17-18 France, 1:30 left, 1st qtr: Angel Reese rotates in for the US.

Wide-open three-point attempt for Ayayi looks bad enough that the US will probably let her keep taking those fore a while.

Match officials are enforcing tweaks to the laws of the game that have hardly been tested. The results? Drama, ‘mistaken identities’ and lots of confusion

In the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes, the titular characters occasionally played a game known as Calvinball.

The rules were amorphous. At any moment, something like a “30-yard base wicket” may become part of the game. Determining a “winner” was besides the point, as the score for one game was given as “Q to 12.” The fictional, farcical sport entered public consciousness and was even cited by US supreme court justice Ketanji Brown Jackson in a blistering dissent last year.

With the World Cup down to eight teams, our writers assess who’s left, identify the biggest remaining threats to France and make calls on who will lift the trophy

Lionel Messi. As he proved in thrilling style against Egypt, Argentina’s No 10 still has magic in his boots even at the age of 39. While his penalty record of four from eight attempts is much worse than you’d expect, he is clinical when it matters most. EA

⚽️ Kick-off time: 5pm local/10am AEST/1am BST/8pm EDT
⚽️ Player guide | Bracketology | Golden Boot | Mail Beau

Through four games, Belgium have retained 57% of possession with a 65% field tilt – a possession metric weighing only final-third touches – but haven’t found a way to maximize that advantage.

While possession can be a noisy statistic, viewing it in stylistic terms can be informative. So far at this World Cup, Belgium have won the possession battle in all four of their games, with Senegal playing them closest in a 52-48 split. The United States have maintained a 58% share of the ball in their four games, neck-and-neck with Garcia’s Belgium. If Mauricio Pochettino’s side can keep the ball off Belgian feet more often than not, it could unsettle the Red Devils.

⚽️ Match gallery | Player guide | World Cup draw | Email Beau

It has just been announced that the arrival of the teams at the stadium has been put on hold. So, maybe we won’t be fine ....

And another! Norway are heading through. There’s gonna be a lot of rowing routines on the floors of New York bars tonight.

A bit more scouting info

France is good. Like, really good.

Gonçalo Ramos scored to set up a last-16 clash with Spain as Croatia’s hearts were broken when VAR ruled their late equaliser offside

1 min: Croatia in blue, Portugal in white.

Weather and ref

⚽️ Player guide | Golden Boot | Bracket

Hello from San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, where as you might expect an extremely pro-USA crowd is filing in. There are certainly more than enough Bosnia and Herzegovina fans here to make some noise should they give them a reason. It’s a beautiful day, sunny and cool in that special Bay Area way (unless you’re in the famously hot upper decks here).

Pre-pregame email …

Colombia finished top of Group K after playing out a highly-entertaining end-to-end 0-0 draw with Portugal

Peep! We’re off. Colombia in their typical yellow; Portugal in red. Nice change of pace from all the third jerseys we’ve been seeing here.

The teams observe a moment of silence for the 1,400 dead in the earthquake in Venezuela. Fans do not. Come on, folks. We don’t even do a full minute in the USA. You can be quiet for about 15 seconds.

⚽️ Kick-off time: 7pm local/8pm EDT/1am BST/10am AEST
⚽️ Third-place table | Player guide | Group tables | Mail Beau
⚽️ Uruguay v Spain – live match updates with Tom Lutz

Not enough preview info for you?

Check the team guides and look up any player in the tournament, including their player ratings so far, in our player guide.

⚽️ Third-place table | Player guide | Tables |

Questions for readers:

1. Who’s your favorite all-time Turkey player? Mine: Hakan Şükür, “the Bull of the Bosphorus.”

• ⚽ Kick-off at 9pm ET/2am BST/11am AEST

• ⚽ Player guide | Bracketology | Group standings | Mail Beau

As a child of the 70s, I’m slightly baffled that the John Denver classic Take Me Home Country Roads has become the unofficial theme song of this World Cup. I’m guessing very few of the people singing along have been to “the place I belong, West Virginia.”

It’s beautiful, though.

⚽️ Kick-off: 6pm local time/11pm BST/8am (Mon) AEST
⚽️ Player guide | Bracketology | Golden Boot | Email Beau

Beau will be here shortly. In the meantime, here’s what to know about Uruguay and Cape Verde before they meet in a few hours in Miami.

Uruguay

⚽️ Kick-off time: noon local/3pm ET/8pm BST/5am AEST
⚽️ Player guide | Bracketology | Golden Boot | Mail Beau

The atmosphere here at Lumen Field (excuse me, Seattle Stadium, how dare I) is positively electric a full 30 minutes before kickoff. This was predictable — the stadium has a well-earned reputation for being among the loudest in the United States — but it is still a sight to behold. The place is nearly full, and there are no shortage of Aussie fans as well, very prominently sat behind the goal at the south end of the stadium. Truly incredible atmosphere.

Pre-anthem mailbag

⚽ World Cup news: kick-off 6pm EDT/11pm BST/8am AEST
⚽ Player guide | Bracketology | Golden Boot | Email Beau

1 min Iraq go direct to start, with Amir Al-Ammari hammering a ball from midfield, but his target is surrounded by Norwegian defenders, and Nyland easily collects.

Atcho blows his whistle, and there’s a sea of red in the stands.

Folarin Balogun’s double secured an emphatic victory for the co-hosts in their opener

Chris Richards is IN

A 100% record on our projected lineup, with Chris Richards getting his wish and cracking the opening lineup. So, a nominal lopsided 3-4-2-1 that plays as a 3-2-5 in attack and a 4-4-2 in defense.

The US fared better against Germany after Malik Tillman dropped deeper into midfield and Weston McKennie played more advanced. I would expect similar today, though I wouldn’t discount the potential for something closer to a 4-1-4-1 with Robinson and Freeman operating like full-backs, Tyler Adams behind an attacking line (left to right) of Pulisic-Tillman-McKennie-Dest, and Folarin Balogun taking whatever service he can get.

• Knicks host Spurs with 2-1 lead in best-of-seven series

• Chuck D: Spurs can’t Knicks’ desperation in NBA finals

• How New York Knicks finals fever reached Rikers Island

• Reach out to Beau on Bluesky or by email

The call is overturned. I await an explanation.

Spurs 5-2 Knicks, 10:55, 1st qtr: Definitely not what the Knicks wanted at the outset – a foul on Karl-Anthony Towns, the big man who battled Wemby to a standstill in the first two games of the series. De’Aaron Fox hits both free throws.

• NBA finals predictions: our writers give their verdicts

• Game report: Brilliant Brunson leads Knicks to victory

Knicks 6-2 Spurs, 10:20, 1st qtr: Referee Scott Foster is mic’d up. He yells like an auctioneer before throwing the ball up.

And we’re off. Knicks have possession, and Jalen Brunson drains a 3-pointer. Wemby hits a pullup jumper. The Knicks come back with Josh Hart winning a rebounding battle and tossing out to OG Anunoby for a corner three.