England and Croatia clash in the World Cup premiere

Early departures at the 2026 World Cup

Dos entrenadores presentaron su renuncia tras quedar fuera del Mundial 2026 en la fase de grupos. Escocia y Corea del Sur se quedaron sin técnico casi al mismo tiempo.

Steve Clarke left the Tartan Army bench after the team finished eleventh in the best third place table, just one step away from the round of 32. Escocia sumó tres puntos y una diferencia de -3: venció 1-0 a Haití, pero perdió 1-0 con Marruecos y 3-0 ante Brasil.

Clarke asumió en 2019 y había renovado por cuatro años. Según la prensa escocesa, David Moyes, actual DT del Everton, suena como sustituto de cara a la Eurocopa 2028.

Horas antes, Hong Myung-bo anunció su salida de Corea del Sur en una rueda de prensa en Zapopan, México. Los surcoreanos debutaron con un triunfo 3-1 sobre República Checa, pero luego cayeron 1-0 ante México y 1-0 frente a Sudáfrica.

“I am resigning from my position as coach of the South Korean men’s soccer team. I would like to apologize to the fans who love Korean soccer. We did not achieve the results they expected, and the responsibility falls entirely on me,” said Hong, 57, who was facing his second cycle.

La eliminación también provocó una fuerte reacción del presidente Lee Jae Myung. Se declaró “conmocionado” y exigió una investigación de la federación.

“When partisanship is prioritized over competition and unprepared people are elected, the result is inevitable. I apologize to the fans for this unacceptable defeat. We are committed to reforming sports administration,” said Lee.

Ambos estrategas dejan sus cargos después de que sus selecciones no lograran avanzar. Corea del Sur ni siquiera figuró entre los ocho mejores terceros. Con una sola victoria y dos derrotas, el ciclo quedó cerrado.

The BBC published a report questioning the treatment received by the Iranian team during the 2026 World Cup. The Iranian team said goodbye in the group stage after finishing third in Group G, behind Belgium and Egypt, with 3 points and a goal difference of zero.

“For every moment of glory, there is a story of misfortune, a nation forced to lament its misfortune and the injustices that led to its downfall. However, few stories compare to the cruelty with which Iran ended its participation in the 2026 tournament,” noted the British network.

Coach Amir Ghalenoei claimed on several occasions that the host country treated them unequally. According to their statements, the delegation faced challenges before the opening whistle: denied visas, inability to remain in the United States, constant travel and forced returns to Tijuana, Mexico, late at night. In addition, he indicated that they received less than half of the necessary training time.

“We were the most oppressed,” Ghalenoei said, adding: “I am proud of them. What these players did should go down in history, because the host country treated us very unfairly. Despite all these problems, we managed to play well, and the world is proud of the Iranians and our team.”

The coach urged FIFA not to allow hosts to treat teams differently in future World Cups. Iran was one step away from qualifying for the round of 32: Senegal advanced with 3 points and a difference of +2 in Group I.

After the 1-1 draw with Egypt on the third round of Group G, the Iranian delegation left a message in the locker room at Lumen Field in Seattle. The text alluded to fair play and honor, in apparent reference to the possible agreement between teams competing for a place among the eight best third parties, especially the 3-3 draw between Algeria and Austria in Group J.

FIFA confirmed that it has already initiated contacts with the New Zealand authorities following the complaint of sexual assault filed by a Brazilian woman against Ryan Mendes, forward and captain of the Cape Verde national team. The player will face Argentina in the round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup.

The facts according to the complaint

The Brazilian newspaper O Globo revealed that the sexual assault occurred in Auckland, New Zealand, where local police are investigating the case. The complainant worked as an interpreter for the Cape Verde team during a tour of Oceania last March. According to her story, Mendes entered her room, physically assaulted her and then sexually assaulted her. The outlet published photographs of the injuries suffered by the woman and a WhatsApp conversation in which an official from the Cape Verde federation described the incident as “Ryan’s personal matter,” without offering support.

FIFA’s position

After the spread of the case, organizations requested the exclusion of Mendes from the 2026 World Cup. The Cape Verdean Football Federation and FIFA were notified of the incident. In a statement sent to O Globo, the entity chaired by Gianni Infantino stated:

“FIFA takes any reports of inappropriate conduct very seriously and has a clear procedure for anyone in the football community who wishes to report an incident.”

The text adds that independent judicial bodies do not comment on complaints received or ongoing investigations. “Any information they wish to share will be disclosed at their discretion. We cannot comment further at the moment,” FIFA concludes.

The Cape Verde team, which faces Argentina, is under scrutiny as the investigation progresses in New Zealand.