England laboured to a disappointing goalless draw with Ghana in their second World Cup fixture, failing to register a shot on target for almost an hour.

The closest the Three Lions came arrived late on, when Nico O’Reilly’s close-range header cannoned off the crossbar and Harry Kane’s follow-up was smashed high into the stands.

At half-time, Jude Bellingham was involved in a foul-mouthed altercation with the Ghanaian bench, drawing Carlos Queiroz into the confrontation, with the Ghana boss later claiming the midfielder’s choice of language created “more tension” between the two camps.

Bellingham was also at the centre of a separate issue that went largely unnoticed amid the chaos and the goalless affair: a question over whether he should have been sent off.

Why Jude Bellingham Risked Being Sent off

Peter Cziborra via Reuters

While the half-time spat with Queiroz drew most of the attention, it was a quieter exchange with Ghana forward Jordan Ayew that carried the greater risk for Bellingham.

Cameras caught the midfielder speaking to Ayew while covering his mouth, a gesture FIFA has specifically targeted under new rules introduced for this tournament.

Referees can now dismiss players for hiding their mouth during exchanges, a measure brought in following the fallout from Gianluca Prestianni’s six-match ban for homophobic language directed at Vinicius Junior during a Champions League tie in February.

Paraguay’s Miguel Almiron already felt the force of the new law this tournament, when he was sent off against Turkey after VAR flagged the gesture to the referee. Bellingham avoided the same fate because his exchange with Ayew was not deemed confrontational.

The rule only applies when the gesture accompanies a hostile interaction, meaning Ayew’s lack of a reaction likely kept Bellingham on the pitch, whereas Turkey’s Mert Mulder made an immediate beeline for the referee.

Pierluigi Collina Explains FIFA’s Reasoning Behind the Rule

FIFA referees committee chairman Pierluigi Collina addressed the law before the tournament began, making clear the intent behind the crackdown.

Had officials viewed the moment differently, England would have been without one of their talismans for this weekend’s pivotal Group L finale, leaving Thomas Tuchel’s side to wonder just how close they came to a damaging twist on top of an already frustrating night in Boston.

Rising UFC heavyweight contender Josh Hokit has revealed the ‘real reason’ why he insulted former first lady Michelle Obama after his win at the White House earlier this month.

The former NFL player went viral for his post-fight interview after stopping Derrick Lewis in the second round. Instead of basking in the 10th win of his professional career on such a big stage, the 28-year-old caused major controversy when he declared: “Michelle Obama is a man” and followed that up with “Am I right, America?”

Veteran broadcaster Joe Rogan quickly wrapped up the interview to avoid Hokit making any more remarks. Among those to publicly criticise the fighter for his slur was UFC Hall of Famer, Daniel Cormier, who branded it “disgusting”.

Although UFC CEO Dana White has confirmed that Hokit will not be punished by the promotion for his actions, the interview is still a major point of contention for many.

Josh Hokit Opens Up on Controversial Michelle Obama Interview

As a result, when Hokit appeared on a recent edition of the Ariel Helwani Show, the veteran Canadian podcaster was keen to find out what had motivated the Californian native to make such an offensive comment.

Hokit has become known for his outlandish, tongue-in-cheek, statements since joining the UFC and so it was no surprise to see him take a similar stance when Helwani first asked him about his interview.

“I thought I was giving her a compliment. I don’t think anyone viewed it as Michelle Obama being a man. It’s more like she knows how to deal with adversity, she knows how to work hard like a man when times get tough.

“It was a perfect opportunity to show the world how great this country is with freedom of speech… In other parts of the world, you say something like that and you die,” he reasoned, before insisting that he would never apologise for his words.

Amber Searls via Imagn Images

Josh Hokit’s Motivation Behind Michelle Obama UFC White House Insult

However, later in the interview, Hokit gave a far more grounded explanation as to why he chooses to make such controversial comments.

“Don’t hate the player, hate the game, and that’s the game we’re playing nowadays. We’re playing a numbers game, and I’m gonna win them every single time. Whatever brings the most eyes to my fight, that’s what I’m going to do.”

Speaking about the financial impact of his UFC notoriety, the fighter confirmed:

As distasteful as some may find Hokit’s comments, he stated that the UFC have not contacted him to complain about his conduct.

“They would message me if they really felt a certain way. They can always feel some type of way. I respect their opinions, but we do have freedom of speech, so it is what it is. I don’t like what other people say, but I’ve got to deal with it.”

After his win at the White House, Hokit looks to be in line for a big fight next, with names such as Brazilian superstar Alex Pereira being mentioned as a possible opponent.

With the 2026 World Cup well underway, the end of the group stage is on the horizon and fans are starting to ask the same question: what’s our potential draw like?

Well, that depends on multiple factors; the biggest being all the group games being completed. Many fans are getting carried away with who they could be facing after just two games, whereas there is still a lot to be decided. Then, we head into the knockouts of this extended competition in the Round of 32, Round of 16 and so on.

Despite that, there are still some routes that can be planned and ruled out and, with all the noise of the global tournament, here’s the definitive answers to all the qualification quandaries and potential match-ups.

Which teams have reached the knockout phase?

Credit: REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

After just two games, we can highlight teams in every group who have already secured qualification to the next phase of the competition. Even if their final position isn’t secured yet. Of course, there are also the best ‘third-placed’ teams to consider as well. However, while we can point towards the ‘as it stands’ table, it is very much subject to change daily until the end of the group stage.

The early qualifiers include the teams who have gone 100 per cent: those include Mexico, USA, Germany, France, Norway, Colombia and Argentina. It ensures their final outings are nothing but a formality, as top spot is already confirmed. However, France will face Norway to confirm who will reign supreme in Group I.

In addition, the host countries, USA and Mexico, have started strong, lifted by their incredible home support that has seen them qualify after just two games. Canada are also well-placed to join them as all three look set to be involved in the next stage of the competition.

At the other end of the spectrum are the teams who have already been eliminated. The biggest shock? Undoubtedly, Turkey. Everyone’s favorite ‘Dark Horses’ pick bowed out of Group D without scoring a goal, having been shocked by Australia in their opening game and Paraguay in their second.

Both Iraq and Senegal faced tough opposition from France and Norway, with both of their respective talismanic figures in Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe hitting top form, whilst Jordan, Uzbekistan, Panama and Tunisia also exited early.

World Cup knockout stage bracket & how it works

Burt Granofsky/Cal Sport Media/Sipa USA via Reuters

With an extended World Cup for the first time in history, the addition of 16 more teams has resulted in more games, more drama — and an enhanced tournament bracket.

Eagle-eyed fans have been rushing to the ‘as it stands’ bracket to see who awaits them in the first round of the knockouts, which is the Round of 32. Typically, it would be just two teams from eight groups who qualify straight into the Round of 16. However, this time there are new rules.

Twelve groups will result in 24 teams qualifying for the next stage and the rest of the numbers are made up of the best third-placed teams. The best eight teams to finish third, to be precise. This ensures that there is plenty to play for as we head into the final round of games.

What we can see is the different sides of the draw that teams are on; it tells us who England is likely to play in the semi-finals should they reach it, for example.

England could face the likely route of Mexico in the Last 16, Brazil in the quarter-finals and Argentina in the semis if all goes as predicted. Below that, the most eye-catching affair would be Argentina facing off against fellow South American rivals, Colombia, in the quarters before a potential super-clash against Portugal — that would see Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo on the biggest stage.

In the top half of the draw, there may be match-ups that include Germany vs France in the Last 16, with the winner facing the Netherlands in the quarters. Whilst many will have their eye on Spain versus France in the semi-finals as a probable outcome.

However, all is to be decided in the final round of games as there is plenty to play for.

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