Liverpool have begun a new era at Anfield after confirming the appointment of Andoni Iraola as their new manager, replacing Arne Slot in the dugout.

The Spaniard has arrived after the Reds decided to change the manager, following a difficult season where they finished 5th in the Premier League and trophyless after 13 defeats and more than 50 goals conceded, just 12 months after they won the title under the Dutch coach.

All the noise coming out of Liverpool in the final weeks of the season was that the board would stick with Slot for next season, which led to much shock around his departure. But it has now emerged that it seems the club had a real change of heart, as they were in talks over transfers while he was still in charge.

According to a report by Dutch outlet VI, Liverpool were one of the clubs to make contact over a deal to sign defender Jan Paul van Hecke.

The defender, who has been described as ‘incredible’, is entering the final 12 months of his contract at the Amex Stadium and has attracted the interest of several top clubs in the Premier League.

Tottenham Hotspur have seen a formal bid rejected, with the Seagulls valuing the Dutch international at around £70m, despite his contract status.

While Liverpool have made contact with the player’s representatives about a deal, it’s unclear if the club will proceed with any deal, as it has emerged that the contact was made while Slot was still the manager, and he was the driving force for any deal.

A new central defender is likely to be signed after Ibrahima Konate left at the end of his contract, with a move to Real Madrid now confirmed by club president Florentino Perez. Virgil Van Dijk will be 35 when the season starts, while youngster Jeremy Jacquet is set to arrive after signing from Rennes in January.

Liverpool Move for Van Hecke Would be Sensible

Liverpool are in need of a new central defender, and someone who is Premier League proven would be a huge boost to the squad as they could come in and immediately make an impact, rather than needing to adapt for too long.

Van Hecke has good quality on the ball, is strong in the air, fast and physically imposing. All of those attributes fit well with top level football, and at 25 there is still plenty of room for him to improve too.

£70m would be a huge price to pay, and Brighton are notoriously tough negotiators. A move would be sensible, but it now looks unlikely with all the moving parts, and Spurs having already moved to agree personal terms.

With the real 2026 World Cup kicking off in North America this summer, EA Sports has wasted no time tapping into the excitement.

The World’s Game update for EA Sports FC 26 brings a brand-new international tournament mode to the game, the closest thing to a fully-fledged World Cup experience that EA can offer without the official FIFA license.

Here’s everything you need to know.

FC 26 World’s Game — The ‘World Cup’ Mode

The World’s Game is a free update for FC 26, introducing a 48-team international tournament mode that mirrors the format and scale of the real World Cup taking place this summer. The update launched on the 4th of June, with teams being able to play out a full group stage, followed by a round of 32 knockout bracket that runs through to a final.

There’s one important caveat, though: Because EA Sports and FIFA parted ways following the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, EA no longer holds the rights to have the official tournament in their game. That means you won’t find the official FIFA World Cup trophy, branding, or visual identity within the mode. It is an unofficial recreation, but they have managed to keep some elements authentic. New stadiums have been added to the game, including real-world World Cup venues like Gillette Stadium and BMO Field.

Beyond the tournament itself, the update also introduces international-themed Manager Live Challenges and new international ICONs and Heroes in Player Career mode.

Which Teams Are in FC 26 World’s Game Mode?

The World’s Game update brings 53 fully licensed and playable national teams to FC 26 in total, with 41 of those being qualified nations competing in the real 2026 World Cup. The roster spans all confederations and includes global heavyweights like England, Brazil, Argentina, France, Germany and Spain, alongside less-expected additions such as Cape Verde and Uzbekistan.

That said, the licensing picture isn’t entirely clean across the board. Five teams, Algeria, Curacao, Iran, Iraq and Jordan, appear with entirely generic kits, badges and generated squads rather than real players. Egypt and Japan sit in a middle ground: Their actual players are in the game, but the national kit and badge branding isn’t officially licensed. Bosnia & Herzegovina and DR Congo launched with generic kits, though EA has confirmed authentic versions will be added in a future update.

FC 26 World’s Game in FUT

For Ultimate Team, the most popular mode in the game by some distance, the World’s Game update arrives wrapped in the Festival of Football, a six-week content event running from the 5th of June to the 24th of July that’s built around the real tournament’s progression.

The headline reward is a free 93-rated Festival of Football ICON Pele, handed to anyone who simply logs in and plays FC 26 during the event window. Over 100 new international players are being added to the FUT item pool across the summer, alongside a dedicated Event Hub, where players can keep up to date with everything that goes on.

Five themed campaigns run throughout the Festival of Football. ‘Path to Glory’, which runs from the 5th until the 19th of June is the standout. It features live player items that upgrade in rating as their national team advances through the real World Cup. If you’re lucky enough to own a player that gets to the latter stages, you could be in possession of one of the game’s most overpowered cards.

‘Greats of the Game’ comes next and lasts until the 26th of June. Introducing two brand-new ICONs, the World Cup’s first Golden Ball winner, Mario Kempes, and Brazilian legend Rivellino. ‘Glory Hunters’ takes over from Greats of the Game until the 10th of July and brings PlayStyle customisation to selected items and is followed by ‘Phenoms’. Until the 17th of July, Phenoms will shine a light on the tournament’s most impressive young stars. It all wraps up with ‘Summer Stars’ from the 17th until the 24th of July, a celebration of the biggest performers of the tournament. Almost like a World Cup-themed Team of the Season event.

Useful World Cup links

Winning the World Cup is the pinnacle in football. Every youngster obsessed with the sport grows up with the dream of winning the trophy with their country.

Some of the greatest players in football history, including Lionel Messi, Pele and Diego Maradona, have all led their country to victory on the biggest international stage, and it has only gone to further their already remarkable legacies within the beautiful game.

However, we have seen others, just as deserving, who have never won the ultimate prize in the game. With the 2026 World Cup on the horizon, GiveMeSport have named the 13 greatest footballers in history that were unable to get their hands on the trophy.

13-6

Zico has been ranked as the 13th greatest player to never win the World Cup. The Brazilian legend, who scored 48 times in 71 matches for his country, never got close to getting his hands on the trophy. The furthest he got was in 1986 when his Brazil side were knocked out at the quarter-final stage.

Someone who did get extremely close to winning the trophy was Roberto Baggio. In 1994, the Italian was arguably the best footballer in the world. He carried his side to the final almost single-handedly, only for his journey to end in heartbreak, as he missed the decisive spot-kick in the final against Brazil. Despite that mistake, his greatness is undeniable.

George Best follows in 11th. The Manchester United legend never played at a World Cup, with Northern Ireland failing to qualify in the years that he represented them.

Luka Modric will retire following the 2026 World Cup. The midfield maestro led his side to the final in 2018, and he’ll be looking to go one step further in North America.

Lev Yashin, considered one of the greatest goalkeepers ever, follows in 9th, with Marco van Basten in 8th. The latter only represented his country in the World Cup finals on one occasion (1990), failing to hit the back of the net in that tournament.

Eusebio etched his name in World Cup history when he scored nine times in the 1966 edition. He fired Portugal to the semi-finals, where they were beaten by eventual winners, England.

Paolo Maldini also never managed to get his hands on the trophy. The AC Milan legend won everything at club level, but the World Cup alluded him throughout his illustrious career.

5-1

Michel Platini has been ranked as the fifth-best player to never win the World Cup. The legendary midfielder won back-to-back-to-back Ballon d’Or trophies from 1971-1973, but could not lead his country to World Cup glory.

Hungary have reached the World Cup final on two occasions: in 1938 and in 1954. In the latter, they were helped to the final by the brilliant Ferenc Puskas. Puskas scored in the final as Hungary took an early two-goal lead, but West Germany mounted a comeback to win 3-2.

Puskas, who scored 80 goals in as many games for Hungary, played for Spain later on in his career. He featured for La Roja at the 1962 World Cup as they failed to get out of their group.

Remarkably, Alfredo Di Stefano never played at a World Cup, despite featuring for Argentina, Colombia and Spain during his football career. He had his most success at the latter, scoring 23 goals in 31 matches. At club level, Di Stefano was part of the unbeatable Real Madrid side that won five consecutive European Cups from 1956-1960, while he also helped the club to eight La Liga titles.

Johan Cruyff helped Netherlands reach the final of the 1974 World Cup, but his side were beaten by West Germany. He missed out on the trophy with his nation, but he had some extraordinary success with Ajax at club level.

While the greatest player to have never won the World Cup (yet) is Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo, the greatest goalscorer ever, is closing in on 1000 goals scored in professional football.

Ronaldo will feature in his sixth World Cup finals in 2026. Portugal have not fared very well in his previous five, with their best performance in that time frame coming in 2006 when they finished fourth.

Now 41 years old, he will have the opportunity to win the trophy for the final time in his career in North America. You wouldn’t bet against Ronaldo lifting the trophy on July 19 and ending his international career in perfect fashion.