Key events

29m ago Manchester City near deal for Maresca appointment
41m ago 'Everyone is in tears': Turkey processes surprising departure
1h ago Preamble

A first look into the correspondence bag brings this note from Gerry Scott, which I fully support:

If the best third-placed teams can progress from groups then goal difference ought to take priority over head-to-head results for ordering sides. Türkiye deserves at least a chance to defeat the US and surpass one of Paraguay or Australia instead of already being eliminated from the competition.
I am certain Gianni will address this promptly.

Football Daily has arrived. Tune in as Max Rushden, Barry Glendenning, Lars Sivertsen, Jack Snape, Ewan Murray, Seb Hutchinson and Alex Abnos review the action just witnessed.

Manchester City close on appointing Maresca

Matt Hughes

Some news away from the World Cup now, courtesy of the always-active Matt Hughes:

Manchester City are nearing a financial agreement with Chelsea that would allow them to name Enzo Maresca as their next head coach.

Chelsea seek payment from City to let Maresca leave because they hold proof the Spaniard violated his deal at Stamford Bridge by discussing terms with the club's Premier League competitors while still in charge last season.

Reports indicate Maresca told Chelsea he had been contacted by both City and Napoli last winter during the turbulent period before his unexpected resignation on New Year's Day, a statement never challenged.

Chelsea insist they merit compensation for losing Maresca, whose exit disrupted a campaign that concluded with a 10th-place finish in the Premier League and no European spot, yet they maintain a solid tie with City and expect a friendly resolution.

How does it look so far? It is nearly impossible to have a poor experience at a World Cup, despite the heavy politics and commercial pressures that try to dampen the event. Here are our writers' assessments of the opening week plus a few days.

This nation can stage an energetic and rewarding World Cup; it can also deliver one that goes by almost unseen.

'Everyone is in tears': Turkey deals with sudden exit

Turkey entered their first World Cup in 24 years carrying high hopes and several emerging talents but departed without scoring and in distress after another stunning inability to finish against Paraguay.

As Reuters notes, they recorded an incredible 32 shots at goal versus Paraguay yet found the net zero times, following 30 attempts in their opening match against Australia, which ended 0-2.

Arda Guler, the 21-year-old standout in Turkish football, offered an apology to the country. "We gave it everything but nothing came off. Still we needed to find the target," he remarked. "We needed to claim these matches. Everyone feels down, everyone is upset."

It marked a dramatic drop for a side that enjoyed a strong push to the Euro 2024 quarter-finals. A promising group of players led by the young skills of Guler and Kenan Yildiz looked ready to shine globally.

Instead Turkey's squad and coaches will confront strong criticism back home ahead of their last group fixture versus the USA, who have already advanced to the round of 32.

Paraguay coach Gustavo Alfaro noted his team displayed character after a 1-4 loss to the USA in their opener. "This has nothing to do with tactics or planning. This win, this outcome belongs to the players," he stated.

Preamble

Hello everyone and welcome to day 10 of the World Cup. Viewers across Europe have much to consider upon waking. Scotland fell 1-0 to Morocco in a match that might have turned far worse, having conceded inside two minutes and been dominated early before I retired, yet it could have improved as Scotland saw two strong penalty appeals rejected.

Elsewhere came perhaps the tournament's biggest surprise so far as many observers' surprise picks, Turkey, bowed out after a second successive loss, this time to Paraguay, who saw Miguel Almiron dismissed for comments directed at Mert Muldur while his hand covered his mouth, marking the first application of that fresh rule.

The host countries keep enjoying their run, with the USA's victory over Australia confirming their place in the knockout phase, while Brazil secured a straightforward 3-0 result against Haiti.

Here are the reports: