Baldini is in temporary charge of Italy and won his first game 1-0 against Luxembourg, where he handed 15 players their international debut at Stade de Luxembourg. 

The Azzurri are on the hunt for a permanent head coach following the resignation of Gennaro Gattuso after Italy failed to qualify for their third consecutive World Cup. 

Conte has been linked with the vacancy after leaving Napoli at the end of the 2025-26 season, just one year on from guiding them to the Serie A title in his first campaign in charge. 

The 56-year-old previously took charge of Italy between 2014 and 2016, where he won 14 of his 25 games in charge (D7 L4), averaging a win percentage of 56%. 

However, Baldini pointed to Conte's success at club level as something Italy should look to consider, given he has 11 major titles during his managerial career. 

"Talking about coaches, one who almost always wins, always finishes in first or second is Conte," Baldini said.   

"But why does Conte always win? He has his own style, he can be nice, he can be unpleasant, he creates a strong group, but I'm just talking about results. 

"He went to England and won. He won with three squads in Italy. Juventus, Inter, Napoli. Whenever he didn't win, he came second. 

"But why is Conte successful? Because he has a methodology.

"If youth teams don't understand that having a methodology isn't just about teaching technique or how to cross the ball, then we're going nowhere; it's more like a lifestyle."

@ITAAirways #Azzurri #VivoAzzurro pic.twitter.com/MG4iDc7KBv

— Italy (@Azzurri_En) June 6, 2026

Napoli did, however, end the 2025-26 league season with 76 points, the first time a team coached by Conte has ever failed to bring up 80 points in a single Serie A campaign.

Considering Europe's top five leagues, only with Chelsea in 2017-18 (70) and Tottenham in 2021-22 (71) has Conte ever accrued fewer points in a season. 

However, Conte's 62% win rate in Serie A with Napoli is the third-highest of all Partenopei coaches, behind only Maurizio Sarri (69%) and Luciano Spalletti (68%).

The post Baldini backs serial winner Conte to succeed if he returns to Italy appeared first on SoccerNews.

Lautaro Martinez and Giuliano Simeone were both on target for the reigning world champions, who left Lionel Messi on the bench as he continues to recover from muscle fatigue.

It was Argentina's sixth straight win as they continue to step up their preparation for the World Cup, but they have already been dealt a blow, with Leonardo Balerdi ruled out of the tournament prior to the Honduras match.

While Messi is expected to be fit for their opener against Algeria on June 16, there are still question marks over the likes of Nico Gonzalez and Gonzalo Montiel.

"I don't want to alarm anyone either, but we're not at 100% with many players," Scaloni said.

"Maybe that decision doesn't just depend on a centre-back. We're going to wait and draw conclusions based on what the team needs.

"The misfortune of 'Flaco' [Balerdi] means we have to rethink situations with other team-mates.

"If we rush it, it could be a wrong decision. We're not going to make a decision until the Tuesday match [against Iceland] and see how the other guys are. We'll wait."

#SelecciónMayor

#Argentina 2 (Lautaro Martínez -p- y Giuliano Simeone)  #Honduras  0

¡Final del partido!

Nos vemos el martes pic.twitter.com/7xfoBwNPOQ

— Selección Argentina (@Argentina) June 7, 2026

Marcos Senesi is reportedly the favourite to replace Balerdi in the squad, but in better news for Argentina, Nico Paz, Julian Alvarez and Emiliano Martinez are all expected to return sooner rather than later.

Lautaro Martinez not only scored a composed penalty kick, but his backheel pullback also set up Simeone for the second goal.

Argentina are attempting to become the third team to win back-to-back World Cup titles, after Italy (1934-1938) and Brazil (1958-1962), and the striker is confident they have the ability to do so.

"We have to go defend what we achieved in Qatar," Martinez said.

"It's going to be tough, but we're going to give it everything to leave Argentina as high as possible."

The post Scaloni concedes some Argentina players’ fitness not at 100% appeared first on SoccerNews.

Scotland, who also beat Curacao 4-1 in their previous warm-up friendly, ran riot in the first half against their South American opposition to go into the tournament on a high.

Lawrence Shankland and Scott McTominay got the scoring underway before Che Adams netted a brace to secure the win.

This was the first time Scotland have netted four first-half goals in an international match since March 2015 against Gibraltar.

The Tartan Army also ended their six-match winless run against South American opposition (D1 L5), since beating Ecuador 2-1 in May 1995, which will serve them well with Brazil one of their opponents in the group stage.

Clarke rung in the changes during the second half, with the result already decided, and with Scotland embarking on their first World Cup campaign since 1998 next week, he is glad to have a selection headache.

"Fantastic, fantastic problems," Clarke said.

"Really good first half, then I turn round to my bench, and the changes are good.

"When we made the changes, you lose a little bit of the rhythm of the game when you make so many changes, both sides, but the boys go in. Their priority, really, was not to concede because we wanted a clean sheet.

"It's been a little while since we had a clean sheet, so it was nice to get that. I spoke before that there are no injuries, good performance, and we got the result.

"It's not often they give me everything I asked for, so pleased with that."

FULL TIME: Bolivia 0-4 Scotland.

A big win and a clean sheet in our final @FIFAWorldCup warm-up match.#BOLSCO | #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/BcLtfl3iFQ

— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) June 6, 2026

Scotland had 20 shots against Bolivia, racking up 3.1 expected goals (xG) in the process, and have scored four goals in back-to-back games.

Given their World Cup group also contains Morocco and Haiti, whom they face in their opener, Clarke acknowledged how important it is to feel confident in front of goal heading into the tournament, where they will be aiming to reach the knockout stages for the first time.

"Obviously, we get told that we don't score enough goals, but that's back-to-back fours, so if we can continue in that vein…" he added.

"It's about the creation of the chances, and the creation of chances was good. If you create good chances, then we've got players on the pitch who can score goals."

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The World Cup co-hosts were playing their final warm-up game ahead of the tournament and fought back to equalise through Antonee Robinson after Kai Havertz's early opener.

However, Leroy Sane netted a 57th-minute winner, with the USA unable to find another leveller at Soldier Field.

Pochettino's side have struggled for consistency in their preparation for the World Cup, with their last 10 friendlies yielding five wins, four defeats and a draw.

However, the USA showed their fight against the four-time world champions, and Pochettino believes they could not have had a better send-off ahead of their opener against Paraguay on June 12.

"Overall, I think it ​was a good performance. I am happy with the performance of everyone. We play one of the most important teams in the ​world," Pochettino told reporters.

Final from Soldier Field. The FIFA World Cup is up next.#USMNT x @CocaCola pic.twitter.com/gpzAEosfsE

— U.S. Soccer Men's National Team (@USMNT) June 6, 2026

"I think we need to be ​happy with that. We compete, [we were] unlucky, I think it was an even game… It was an amazing challenge for us to see how we react, how we show character, how we show togetherness, how we start to play under pressure.

"We were demanding ​a lot to the players in the ​last two ⁠weeks. I've seen [us] overload the players and the team.

"Now [we have] to assess the load and be ⁠intelligent ​in the way that we are ​going to arrive to the Paraguay [game], in the best condition, fresh with ​energy."

The USA will also face Australia and Turkiye in Group D as they look to advance to the knockout stages for the fourth consecutive World Cup.

However, they have the second-lowest win rate among teams to play at least 30 World Cup matches, winning just nine of their 37 games – a rate of 24%, just behind South Korea (18%). 

The post USA’s fighting spirit against Germany thrills Pochettino appeared first on SoccerNews.

Endrick netted the winner for Brazil, coming off the bench to score in the 52nd minute after Bruno Guimaraes and Mostafa Zico had traded early goals.

However, the worrying moment for the Selecao came in the 17th minute, when Roma defender Wesley, who has been a key fixture in Ancelotti's defence, pulled up sharply, holding his groin.

He was helped off the pitch and was later seen crying on the bench with his World Cup participation now in doubt as he left the stadium on crutches, wearing a heavy bandage.

"He needs to undergo some tests. He has a muscle problem, and we have to wait for the diagnosis [on Sunday]," Ancelotti told reporters.

"I think he'll have time to recover and be with us at the World Cup. Otherwise, we'll have to choose another player, and we'll have time to do so. It's urgent; it worries us.

"He's an important player; he plays at his best, with power. He's learned a lot about the things he wasn't so good at, such as attacking and marking, now in Italy.

"I hope it's nothing serious, that he gets the necessary treatment, and that he can continue with us on this journey. But I don't deny that there's urgency and concern; if it were to be something serious, it would be a shame."

FIM DE JOGO EM CLEVELAND!

2-1

Bruno Guimarães
Endrick

Fim da preparação da Seleção Brasileira para a Copa do Mundo.

Agora é foco total na estreia da competição.#BateNoPeito
ISSO É BRASIL! pic.twitter.com/vc4wAk7w4L

— brasil (@CBF_Futebol) June 7, 2026

Brazil posed a serious threat in front of goal against Egypt, having 12 shots worth 1.8 expected goals (xG) and getting seven of those on target.

And it was a team performance, with Raphinha, Vinicius Junior, Igor Thiago and Endrick all having two shots each as they shared the load.

Ancelotti made eight changes at the break to get one last good look at his squad, but he is confident he already knows who will be on the team sheet when they face Morocco in their World Cup opener on June 13.

"I have the starting XI for Morocco, yes," he added. "I have a clear idea.

"We were very good for 60 minutes; we pressed high and were strong defensively and offensively.

"We played well, but we lacked concentration for a five-minute spell in the first half, and we were punished.

"At a World Cup, you don't get a second chance to fix those mistakes. But I am not worried; it is better to have these reminders now than next Saturday."

The post ‘It worries us’ – Wesley’s World Cup in doubt after suffering muscle injury appeared first on SoccerNews.

The Spaniard has plenty of experience of winning the Champions League, doing so twice with Barcelona before delivering Manchester City their maiden title in the competition.

Across his time with City, Barca and Bayern Munich, Guardiola has won 61.3% of his 191 Champions League games (W117 D39 L35), seeing his teams score 444 goals in those matches.

Only Carlo Ancelotti (123) has won more games in the competition than Guardiola, who has managed the third-most games.

Barca have won back-to-back LaLiga titles under Hansi Flick, but the Blaugrana are yet to reach the Champions League showpiece under the German coach.

Guardiola, however, claimed chasing a Champions League title could derail the club's current plans.

"The Champions League is a competition that destroys projects, and I hope that’s not the case at Barca," said the former City boss.

It’s been 11 years since this beautiful moment  pic.twitter.com/Pnu5miDvxF

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) June 6, 2026

"We must not think that just because you don’t win it, everything that has been built is no good.

"The league is the competition that gives you consistency and continuity. In the Champions League, you need to reach the decisive stages in good condition, without injuries, and refereeing also has a huge impact.

"What matters is that the daily work is excellent, that the team keeps growing and improving, and that they don’t believe the season is a failure just because they don't reach the Champions League final or win it.

"The league is what sets the foundation for judging whether a season has been good or not."

The post Guardiola: League performance defines success, not Champions League appeared first on SoccerNews.

The Red Devils enjoyed a dominant first half, though they only led 1-0 at the break, with Leandro Trossard getting the goal in the 28th minute.

However, after Charles De Ketelaere added their second and Ismael Gharbi was sent off, the floodgates opened.

Kevin De Bruyne, Dodi Lukebakio and Nicolas Raskin all got on the scoresheet, and Belgium finished the match with 27 shots on goal worth 4.1 expected goals (xG), with 12 shots on target.

At the other end, Tunisia only accumulated 0.3 xG from seven shots, getting only one on target, though they did also hit the woodwork.

Garcia switched back to a four-man defence, having seen a successful trial with three at the back during their 2-0 win over Croatia, and he sees lessons to be learned from how they played against Tunisia.

"It is a wake-up call. It is sometimes good for a coach to be able to emphasise that the players must always be focused, always go to the limit," Garcia said.

"I told them that I was not satisfied and that they needed to pull themselves together.

The perfect send-off ahead of the World Cup. pic.twitter.com/f7b3bPmozD

— Belgian Red Devils (@BelRedDevils) June 7, 2026

"Between minutes 55 and 60, we lost the ball. It was just like in training. We defended with six, not eleven.

"It should be the other way around. We even almost let Tunisia get back into the match. Afterwards, we recovered.

"We won't win 5-0 every time at the World Cup. Don't forget that we also played against ten men for a long time.

"But okay, we have gained confidence, and everyone has been able to get some minutes. Morale is pretty much at maximum. And I think we can do even better."

Belgium will not travel to Seattle on Monday, with their Group G opener against Belgium taking place on June 15. They also face Iran and New Zealand in their other group-stage fixtures.

The post Garcia warns Belgium against complaceny despite 5-0 friendly win appeared first on SoccerNews.

Peru will look to build on their recent win over Haiti, while Spain arrives in Mexico as one of the major favourites for the tournament and will want to sharpen their rhythm before facing Cape Verde in their World Cup opener.

Verdict: Over 2.5 goals
Best odds: 1/2
Bookmaker: 1xBet

Peru

Peru is entering this clash in a good mood, after a 2-1 win over Haiti. This result gives Mano Menezes and his squad some encouragement before facing one of the strongest teams in international football, although taking on Spain is a completely different challenge compared to playing against Haiti. Peru actually fought really hard, and came from behind in that match, with Renzo Garces and Jairo Velez scoring late goals to complete the turnaround.

Peru has not been consistent enough over the past year, but they have shown signs of improvement under Menezes, and a game against Spain gives them a chance to measure their progress against elite opposition. They failed to qualify for the World Cup, but the game against Spain at this moment shows their determination to safely qualify for the next big tournament.

The main challenge will be defensive concentration. Spain is excellent at controlling possession, moving opponents across the pitch and waiting for spaces to appear. Peru will probably spend long periods without the ball, which means their midfield and back line will need to stay compact and avoid leaving gaps between the lines.

Still, we should be careful in writing off Peru completely. They have scored in six of their last seven matches, and the likes of Jairo Velez, Kenji Cabrera, Andre Carrillo and Jhonny Vidales give them enough attacking options to threaten if Spain make mistakes or rotate heavily during the second half.

Peru Team News

Peru will be without Joao Grimaldo and Alex Valera for this friendly. Grimaldo is unavailable, while Valera is recovering from a ligament injury.

In their absence, Jhonny Vidales will probably be a central attacking option. Jairo Velez and Kenji Cabrera are also candidates to start in wide areas, as regular players in Peru’s recent attacking setup.

Pedro Gallese should remain one of the key figures in goal, while Renzo Garces comes into the match with confidence after scoring against Haiti. Marcos Lopez, Oliver Sonne and Miguel Araujo are among the defensive options available to Menezes.

In midfield, Peru can lean on experience through Andre Carrillo and Yoshimar Yotun, while Sergio Pena and Jesus Castillo give them more options in central areas. Against Spain, the midfield battle will probably decide how long Peru can stay competitive.

Spain

Spain arrives in Puebla as one of the strongest teams heading into the 2026 World Cup. Luis de la Fuente’s side has built a long unbeaten run, and even though their recent friendlies against Egypt and Iraq ended in draws, La Roja remain one of the most complete squads in the tournament.

The 1-1 draw against Iraq was not the result Spain wanted, but it also came in a preparation context where minutes and fitness management were always going to matter. With the World Cup opener against Cape Verde coming soon, De la Fuente is expected to rotate and save key players for the knockout phase of this long tournament.

Spain’s technical level should still give them a clear advantage here. Even if some key players miss this match, they have enough quality through Dani Olmo, Ferran Torres, Alex Baena, Gavi, Mikel Merino, Alejandro Grimaldo and Borja Iglesias to control possession and create chances.

However, since their last two matches ended in a draw, against opponents of similar strength as Peru, Spain might play more aggressively in this match, and try to win by a big margin, in order to face their first World Cup opponent in a good mood.

Spain Team News

Lamine Yamal will miss out as he continues to work his way back from a hamstring issue, while Nico Williams is also unlikely to play.

Luis de la Fuente rested several important players against Iraq, including Pedri, Rodri and Mikel Oyarzabal. Spain could again manage minutes carefully, but some of their leading names may still be used to build match rhythm before the World Cup opener.

Spain’s goalkeeping options include Leo Roman, Joan Garcia and Unai Simon. In defence, De la Fuente can call on Marc Pubill, Alejandro Grimaldo, Eric Garcia, Pedro Porro, Aymeric Laporte, Jon Martin, Sergio Gomez, Javi Rodriguez and Pau Cubarsi.

The midfield group includes Marcos Llorente, Mikel Merino, Gavi, Alex Baena, Marc Bernal, Javi Guerra and Benat Turrientes. Further forward, Ferran Torres, Gonzalo, Dani Olmo, Yeremy Pino, Jesus Rodriguez and Borja Iglesias are all listed among the attacking options.

Peru vs Spain Key Factors to Consider

• Peru came from behind to beat Haiti 2-1 in their previous friendly, with Renzo Garces and Jairo Velez scoring late goals.
• Spain drew 1-1 with Iraq in their last warm-up match and will want a sharper attacking display before the World Cup.
• Spain are unbeaten since their penalty shootout defeat to Portugal in the Nations League final in June 2025.
• Peru has scored in six of their last seven matches, despite missing out on the World Cup.
• Spain has won both previous friendly meetings with Peru, with 2-1 victories in 2004 and 2008.

Conclusion

Peru should be motivated after their comeback win over Haiti, but this is a major step up in quality. Mano Menezes’ side has enough attacking energy to make the game competitive in moments, though they will need to defend with much more discipline than they have shown in some recent matches.

Spain is the stronger side in every department. They have more depth, more control in midfield and far more attacking quality, even if De la Fuente decides to rotate or manage minutes carefully before the World Cup.

This looks like a match where Spain should create plenty of chances, while Peru may still have enough to contribute at least one dangerous spell going forward. With Spain looking for a more convincing final tune-up, and Peru capable of leaving spaces as the game opens up, over 2.5 goals looks like the best angle.

Verdict: Over 2.5 goals
Best odds: 1/2
Bookmaker: 1xBet

The post Prediction: Peru vs Spain appeared first on SoccerNews.

The 27-year-old was hoping to win back-to-back World Cups with France after their success in 2018, but they lost on penalties to Argentina in the Qatar showpiece.

Mbappe scored a hat-trick in the final and scored his penalty in the shoot-out, but it was still not enough to get France over the line.

The only other player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final is Geoff Hurst, who did so for England against West Germany in 1966.

The 2022 final ended 3-3 before Argentina won on penalties, and Mbappe believes it is the greatest final in the competition's history.

"The greatest final of all time? I think nothing matches it in terms of entertainment, the clash, the match scenario, with so many twists and turns," Mbappe told Sorare.

 pic.twitter.com/PynOGAJvNp

— Equipe de France  (@equipedefrance) June 6, 2026

"It ended with penalties, the most brutal way for anyone.

"It was either Lionel Messi’s first World Cup win or a back-to-back for France, so it was historic no matter what.  

"Have I watched the match again since? Never! I think if I do, it might awaken some demons."

Mbappe has scored more goals (12) and recorded more direct goal involvements (14) than any other player across the previous two World Cups.

France will be hoping to regain their world title this summer, with their campaign kicking off against Senegal on June 16, before also facing Iraq and Norway in Group I.

Since 1998, France have reached the World Cup final in four of the seven editions (1998, 2006, 2018, 2022), at least twice more than any other nation during that period.

They will also attempt to become only the third team to reach the final in three consecutive editions after West Germany (1982, 1986, 1990) and Brazil (1994, 1998, 2002).

The post Mbappe will never rewatch 2022 World Cup final appeared first on SoccerNews.

Germany won 2-1 at Soldier Field with goals from Havertz and Leroy Sane coming either side of a stunning volley from Antonee Robinson.

Havertz also assisted Sane's winner, which marked Germany's ninth consecutive win as Julian Nagelsmann's side head into the World Cup in stellar form.

Although admitting it was not a perfect performance against co-hosts USA on Saturday, Havertz believes there is plenty of reason for Germany to be optimistic.

"I think we played a good game overall and that we were better in the second half," Havertz told RTL after the game.

letzter Test #fifaworldcup #dfbteam  DFB/Max Galys pic.twitter.com/rz5QlTZe6c

— DFB-Team (@DFB_Team) June 6, 2026

"With the ninth win in a row, we’re now going into the first group game with a lot of confidence.

"Of course, there were phases where we lost a bit of control, but overall, we are in good shape and can look forward positively."

Germany begin their World Cup campaign against Curacao on June 14, and Nagelsmann confirmed Manuel Neuer would be fit to start between the sticks.

Oliver Baumann, who started against the USA and in all six of Germany's World Cup qualifiers, admitted it was difficult to hear he would not be the first choice this summer.

"It was tough at first. It wasn't exactly cool," Baumann told RTL.

"It was immediately clear to me that I would put myself at the service of the team. This is a World Cup – I want to help the team and make my contribution. Everything else is secondary."

The post Havertz: Germany going into World Cup with a lot of confidence appeared first on SoccerNews.