World Cup 2026: the round of 33 begins

At 67 years old and with more than three decades as technical director, Javier Aguirre is still in force. In his third stage at the head of the Mexican National Team, he achieved the best group stage for El Tri in a World Cup. Now, facing the round of 32 duel against Ecuador, he is clear that he does not want to repeat past mistakes.

Aguirre’s lessons

“I learned many things in those two games (the eliminations of 2002 and 2010), I was surely wrong, but it is important not to make the same mistake, that would be a double mistake; now is a different time, on a personal level even, and the big difference is our home field, that is like never before our great number 12 player,” he declared at a press conference.

“Vasco” highlighted the enthusiasm of the Mexican fans:

“We are aware that we have a country behind us and that motivates us a lot, so I would say that we are all very excited about what is coming.”

Aguirre has experienced four World Cup eliminations: as a player in Mexico 1986, as a technical assistant in the United States 1994, and as a coach in Korea-Japan 2002 and South Africa 2010. When asked what El Tri lacked to make history, he responded:

“The eliminations have always had a culprit, which is surely the coach. One could remember difficult eliminations and make 20 thousand stories to understand what was done wrong, but the victories belong to the players and the defeats to the coaches, and I include myself.”

He avoided seeking external explanations:

“Destiny, chance, arbitration, luck, that doesn’t matter to me. Both in 2002 and 2010 there were specific events that harmed us, but it is nothing more than an absurd justification after so much time.”

In this World Cup, the third to be played at home, Aguirre arrives with the scars of lost battles. Those that serve as fuel to want to change history.

Robert Lewandowski, new Chicago Fire player

Polish forward Robert Lewandowski, his national team’s all-time top scorer and former Barcelona star, will play in Major League Soccer with the Chicago Fire. The club announced a two-year contract on Monday, subject to obtaining a visa and international transfer certificate.

Lewandowski, 38 years old on August 21, joins a team that is third in the Eastern Conference with 26 points after 14 games, just in the World Cup break. The franchise opened a training center last year and is building McDonald’s Park, its own stadium that would open in 2028. Its possible debut would be on July 16 against Vancouver.

European career and key figures

With Barcelona, Lewandowski won three La Liga titles (including this season) and a Copa del Rey. In 192 games with the Catalan club he scored 119 goals. He arrived from Bayern Munich in 2022 for $52 million. In the Bundesliga, wearing the Bayern and Borussia Dortmund shirts, he scored 312 goals in 384 games and won 10 league championships.

For his national team, Lewandowski played a record 167 international matches since his debut in 2008 against San Marino. His 89 goals double that of any other Pole. However, he only played in two World Cups, reaching the round of 16 in 2022. After failing to qualify for this year’s World Cup, he hinted at his international retirement. Poland’s next commitments are in the Nations League in September.

Lewandowski will occupy a Designated Player position, one of the three squads that allow him to exceed the salary cap. His contract runs through the 2027-28 season, including the remainder of 2026 and the 2027 miniseason, before the league adopts the European summer-to-spring calendar.

The Paraguayan team achieved a historic ticket to the round of 16 of the 2026 World Cup. They beat Germany 4-3 in the penalty shootout, after drawing 1-1 in regular time. The game was played at Boston Stadium.

The feat from the eleven steps

Paraguay missed its last two penalties in the shootout, which gave life to Germany. However, in sudden death, Tah missed his shot and Canale scored the goal that sealed the South American pass.

In the first half, at minute 42, Julio Enciso opened the scoring with a header inside the six-yard box. The shot surpassed German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and the rival defense.

Germany reacted in the second half. At 54, Kai Havertz equalized with a solid header. German dominance grew, but goalkeeper Orlando Gill responded with several key saves to maintain the tie.

The score did not move in the 90 minutes, so the game went to extra time. Near the end of the first overtime period, Germany scored a goal that was disallowed for a foul against Gill.

Both teams searched for the winning goal without success. On penalties, Germany missed three shots and Paraguay hit four. The classification was defined in the round.

Now Paraguay awaits a rival for the round of 16: it will emerge from the duel between France and Sweden.