Miguel Delaney

England 4-2 Croatia: Kane levelled Gary Lineker's World Cup record and credited Tuchel's half-time team talk for inspiring a dominant second-half performance

After Jude Bellingham’s stunning goal, England were sensational and took risks unseen for years but, as Miguel Delaney writes in Dallas, two glaring issues remain heading to Boston against Ghana

It wasn't just the performance that England had waited years for, it was an attitude. “Even if we lose,” Thomas Tuchel told his players at half-time in Dallas, “we do it our way.”

Miguel Delaney As Thomas Tuchel excitedly watched his England team rampage at Croatia in Dallas, he couldn't help a thought run through his mind: "People in the pubs will like this."

After the first round of group games provide moments of high euphoria for minnow countries, Miguel Delaney takes a look at why, this time, smaller countries are benefiting from western European wealth

Bookmark popover Removed from bookmarks I t was perhaps the perfect way to conclude the opening round of games for this World Cup

As more big players struggle with injury, and World Cup set-pieces are expected to be refereed in a completely different way to the Premier League, a few international managers are already adapting plans. In the latest episode of Copa Independent, Miguel Delaney, Lawrence Ostlere, and Adam Clery discuss THE question: how do you win a World Cup? Can you "playbook" it, as Gareth Southgate tried? Do you need an ideology, as Spain has? How influential are conditions – was Brazil 1970 only so good because no one could press in Mexican midday heat? For more World Cup analysis, tune in to Copa Independent – it won’t just get you feeling the World Cup, but thinking about it, too. Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Bookmark popover Removed from bookmarks A s the England squad relaxed in their central Dallas hotel the night before facing

Long after Brazil 's 3-0 win over Haiti had eased to the pace of a training game, and Carlo Ancelotti was actually playing some of the positives

Barcola shone for France at the World Cup against Senegal and is a European champion with PSG, while Liverpool are also thought to be interested