This combination picture shows Paraguay’s midfielder Julio Enciso at the Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood on June 12, 2026, and France’s forward Kylian Mbappe at the Philadelphia Stadium in Philadelphia on June 22, 2026. Paraguay and France will meet in a 2026 World Cup round of 16 football match at the Philadelphia Stadium in Philadelphia on July 4, 2026.
| Photo Credit: AFP

Sweden’s Alexander Isak, right, celebrates with Viktor Gyokeres after he scored to put Sweden up 3-1 during the World Cup Group F soccer match between Sweden and Tunisia in Guadalupe, near Monterrey, Mexico, Sunday, June 14, 2026.
| Photo Credit: AP

A pool devoid of big teams is set to be highly competitive, while Germany and The Netherlands are overwhelming favourites to top their groups.

Group D (USA, Turkiye, Australia, Paraguay)

The USA team is chasing the American dream. Competing on home soil in the global competition for the first time since 1994, the national side, now led by Mauricio Pochettino, is locked in to Make America Great Again in ‘soccer’.

The World No. 16’s first task will be to get out of a tricky pool that consists of two other top-30 teams but none of the perennial powerhouses — Turkiye at 22 and Australia at 27.

The close win over Senegal and narrow defeat to Germany in World Cup warm-up games should have given Pochettino a fair idea of where the finishing touches to the preparation have to be applied.

Playing in front of jam-packed galleries could be both a boon and a bane. While stars like Christian Pulisic, who is no stranger to elite football, can live up to the heightened expectations, some may wilt under the enormity of the situation. How they tackle battles not only on the field but also off it will be crucial to USA’s chances.

For Turkiye and Australia, the focus will be much beyond spoiling the co-host’s carnival.

Having earned the right to perform on the global stage after 24 years, the European outfit cannot afford to pass up the golden opportunity.

The wait has been so long that Arda Guler and Kenan Yildiz, two of the most exciting prospects in the current squad, were not even born when Turkiye last caught the World Cup fever. Something close to the fairytale run of 2002 — which ended in a third-place finish — will be required if Vincenzo Montella’s contingent is to make inroads.

Australia, a regular at the finals since 2006, is no pushover but is yet to win a knockout fixture. Meanwhile, Paraguay, the lowest-placed team in the group at World No. 40, will be itching to prove that rankings do not directly translate to results.

Best finish: USA: Semifinals (1930); Turkiye: Third place (2002); Australia: Round of 16 (2006, 2022); Paraguay: Quarterfinals (2010).

Group E (Germany, Curacao, Ivory Coast, Ecuador)

Germany was forced to board the first available flight back home after being knocked out in the opening round of the last two editions. Ghosts from the past may resurface, especially for those who had endured the pain first-hand in Russia and/or Qatar, but the 2014 title-winner must avoid the ignominy of three early exits in a row without fuss.

The top-level experience in Julian Nagelsmann’s squad, recent form of four victories in as many matches since March and superior ranking (10) — the other teams in the pool are placed well below the European side — provide the Germans the head start in the race to top the group.

The four-time World champion should, however, be eyeing bigger things. That Germany has flown under the radar in discussions pertaining to title contenders may free up the additional baggage it has usually carried. But it has catching up to do in the overall scheme of things.

First up for Germany is Curacao, the smallest nation (both in terms of population and land area) ever to qualify for football’s biggest spectacle. Adding intrigue, only one player in the 26-member squad — Tahith Chong — was born in the Caribbean island, yet the place of birth hardly matters within the group because “you are accepted into the family once you come here.”

Curacao is home to Dick Advocaat, the 78-year-old who is poised to become the oldest coach at the quadrennial event. The 82nd-ranked outfit will have to punch well above its weight in the Americas to inscribe its name in the history books once again.

As for Ivory Coast, which is back in the World Cup fold after 12 years, it has not got to this point “to make up the numbers or go sightseeing.” The African country is likely to be involved in a tussle with Ecuador for the second automatic qualification spot.

Best finish: Germany: Champion (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014); Curacao: Debut; Ivory Coast: Group stage (2006-2014); Ecuador: Round of 16 (2006).

Group F (Netherlands, Japan, Sweden, Tunisia)

Come hell or high water, The Netherlands has guaranteed itself knockout football in every edition it has competed in since 1974. And it looks well placed to extend that streak under Ronald Koeman, who had donned the Oranje as a player in 1990 and 1994.

The Netherlands, the highest-ranked team in the pool at World No. 7, was sounded a warning in the recent 0-1 defeat to Algeria in a pre-tournament friendly. But the Dutch side is too good to not pass the preliminary test, with Japan being the closest challenger for the top spot.

It has the resources to even be fourth time lucky — it had finished runner-up in 1974, 1978 and 2010 — but consistently rising to the occasion against the ‘favourites’ will be vital.

Although not among the ‘big boys’, Japan cannot be ignored.

The Asian nation came agonisingly close to qualifying for the quarterfinals in 2018 and took centre stage four years later when it topped the group that included Spain and Germany.

So, not many eyebrows were raised after England great David Beckham termed Japan as a potential “surprise” package to upset the apple cart. “It has a really strong team… it could be kind of a secret,” Beckham told ABC News recently.

While Japan will miss the injured Kaoru Mitoma’s box of tricks in the final third, it has the experience and variety to crack complex codes. Hajime Moriyasu’s men may first have to overcome the Swedish challenge to secure a direct ticket to the eliminators.

Despite having a bumpy ride in the lead-up to the World Cup, Sweden possesses the dash of enviable quality that is required to get through to the next phase. With regards to Tunisia, it should play out of its skin to even stand a chance of making the cut for the first time.

Best finish: Netherlands: Runner-up (1974, 1978, 2010); Japan: Round of 16 (2002, 2010, 2018, 2022); Sweden: Runner-up (1958); Tunisia: Group stage (1978, 1998-2006, 2018, 2022).

Stockholm:

Sweden’s government said Wednesday it would boost security at schools after the country’s worst mass shooting left 10 dead, giving teachers the right to search students’ bags among other measures.

Schools will be required to have emergency plans for violent situations, access to schools will require keys, door codes or badges, and authorisations for camera surveillance will be simplified, Education Minister Johan Pehrson told a press conference.

Teachers and staff will be authorised to search students’ bags without warning at primary and secondary schools and adult education centres.

“We are working intensively to improve security for students, teachers and other school employees,” Pehrson said.

If adopted by parliament as expected, the new measures would enter into force on July 1, 2025.

On February 4, 35-year-old Rickard Andersson entered the Campus Risbergska adult education centre in Orebro and killed 10 people before apparently turning his gun on himself.

Officers found three weapons, shell casings and unused ammunition next to his body.

Andersson, whom police described as an unemployed recluse with no prior criminal record, had a hunting permit that licensed him to own four weapons.

He had lived isolated in his apartment since 2016, “with little contact with other people”, police said.

Police are still trying to establish a clear motive for the shooting.

Andersson had been enrolled at Campus Risbergska in the past but not attended classes since 2021.

Three days after the shooting, the government announced it would amend weapon laws and restrict access to semi-automatic guns.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Stockholm:

The Swedish government said Wednesday that it was examining the possibility of sending some inmates to serve their sentences in prisons abroad, anticipating heavy pressure on its own prisons in the coming years.

Sweden has struggled in recent years to rein in shootings and bombings linked to score-settling between rival criminal gangs.

Perpetrators are often young teens who are hired as contract killers because they are under 15, the age of criminal responsibility in Sweden.

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s centre-right minority government, which is backed in parliament by the anti-immigration Sweden Democrats, came to power in 2022 with a vow to get tough on crime.

“One concrete consequence of this change is that more people will be incarcerated and for longer periods, which will lead to increased pressure on the Swedish prison system,” Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer told a press conference Tuesday.

Strommer spoke as he received a government on the feasibility of prisoners serving time abroad.

“Our recommendation is that this should be done within the EU or within the Schengen area,” said Mattias Wahlstedt, who headed the probe, without giving any specific examples.

This practice has already been adopted by some countries including Norway, Belgium and Denmark.

Wahlstedt added that agreements negotiated between Sweden and the countries concerned would have to be approved by parliament.

The Seko trade union, which among others represents prison employees, said Tuesday that it opposed the government’s plan.

“Public services should not be outsourced to other countries. This is a matter of legal requirements, but it is also about preventing state activities from being sold off and run under private management,” Christer Hallkvist, responsible for labour negotiations for prison staff at Seko, said in a statement.

“Better conditions for staff and more prison places in Sweden are what will solve the problems in the Swedish Prison and Probation Service,” he added.

In recent weeks, Sweden has seen a surge in violence, with more than 30 bombings since the start of the year.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Several European countries are advising their residents to be ready for war even as Russia and Ukraine witnessed a grim milestone recently – the 1,000th day of conflict. Sweden, Finland, Norway and Denmark have issued advisories that ask citizens to make sure they sustain themselves in case of a crisis.

While Sweden started sending out millions of pamphlets on Monday that contained information about how to prepare for war, natural disasters and cyber or terror attacks, Finland launched a website gathering information on preparedness for different crises.

The Swedish pamphlet says: “Military threat levels are increasing. We must be prepared for the worst-case scenario — an armed attack on Sweden”.

The 32-page booklet ‘If Crisis Or War Comes’ contains tips such as stocking up on non-perishable food and water, keeping cash on hand and growing fruit and vegetables in gardens.

“If Sweden is attacked by another country, we will never give up. All information to the effect that resistance is to cease is false,” reads a line in the booklet.

It is an updated version of a pamphlet that Sweden has issued five times since World War II.

The new version doesn’t mention Russia, Ukraine or any other country by name.

The brochure is available in print in both Swedish and English and digital versions are available in several other languages — including Arabic, Farsi, Ukrainian, Polish, Somali and Finnish.

Finland’s website asserts authorities are “well prepared for self-defence”.

The country shares a 1,340-kilometre border with Russia and it has maintained a higher level of preparedness.

After Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine, Finland announced plans to build a 200-kilometre border fence – 10 feet tall and topped with barbed wire – with Russia which is due to be completed by 2026.

Both Swedish and Finnish checklists include easy-to-cook food. Finland has also asked its citizens to arrange for a backup power supply.

Meanwhile, Norway has urged its citizens to be prepared to manage on their own for a week in the event of war and other threats.

“We have sent out 2.2 million paper copies, one for each household in Norway,” BBC quoted Tore Kamfjord, responsible for the campaign of self-preparedness at the Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection (DSB), as saying.

Tins of beans, energy bars, pasta, and medicines – including iodine tablets in case of a nuclear accident – are included in the list of items to be kept at home.

The Nordic neighbours Sweden and Finland dropped decades of military non-alignment to join the US-led defence alliance NATO in the wake of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Norway was a founding member of the Western defensive alliance.

Denmark’s emergency management agency, as per a BBC report, emailed its citizens details on the water, food and medicine they would need to get through a crisis for three days.

On Tuesday, Vladimir Putin eased Russia’s rules for nuclear strikes days after the US allowed Ukraine to fire long-range American-made missiles into Russian territory.

Twenty-three of the 32 NATO members – up from just three a decade ago – have now agreed to reach the target of spending two per cent of gross domestic product on defence.

The growing consensus, however, is that Europe will have to do more to make sure it can stand on its own.

Stockholm:

Swedish prosecutors confirmed Tuesday a rape probe following media reports that French footballer Kylian Mbappe was being investigated after a visit to Stockholm but did not name the suspect.

On Monday, Swedish newspapers Aftonbladet and Expressen reported that a rape investigation had been opened following Mbappe’s two-day visit to the Nordic capital.

“In response to media reports about a suspected rape in Stockholm, the prosecutor can confirm that a criminal report has been submitted to the police,” Sweden’s Prosecution Authority said in a statement.

It added that the alleged incident occurred at a hotel on October 10, but did not name a suspect and said no further information could be shared for the moment.

Expressen on Monday identified Mbappe as the suspect, citing anonymous sources, while Aftonbladet said Tuesday it had also had obtained information confirming Mbappe was the suspect.

Expressen said Mbappe was “reasonably suspected” of rape and sexual assault, the lower of two grades of suspicion in the Swedish legal system.

Contacted by AFP on Monday, Mbappe’s entourage said it had no knowledge of a legal complaint made against him.

The French international was not selected for his country’s latest round of Nations League matches, so visited the Swedish capital with a group of people last Thursday.

According to Aftonbladet, they dined at a restaurant before going to a nightclub. Mbappe and the group left Sweden on Friday.

Aftonbladet said the complaint was filed on Saturday after the alleged victim had sought medical attention.

Expressen reported Tuesday that police had seized some clothing as evidence, saying it consisted of women’s underwear, a pair of black trousers and a black top.

On Monday, Mbappe himself claimed in a post on X that there was a link between the Aftonbladet report and his hearing before a French league committee on Tuesday, in his bitter dispute with his former club Paris Saint-Germain over what he says are unpaid wages.

Mbappe claims he is owed 55 million euros ($60 million) by the Qatari-owned French champions.

“FAKE NEWS !!!!. It’s becoming so predictable, on the eve of the hearing, as if by chance,” Mbappe posted.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Stockholm:

Toddlers should not be allowed to watch screens at all, Sweden told parents on Monday.

Children under the age of two should be kept away from digital media and television completely, the country’s Public Health Agency said.

Kids between the ages of two and five should be limited to a maximum of one hour of screen time a day, it said in new recommendations, while those aged six to 12 should spend no more than an hour or two a day in front of a screen.

Teenagers aged 13 to 18 should be limited to two to three hours per day, the agency said.

“For too long, smartphones and other screens have been allowed to enter every aspect of our children’s lives,” Public Health Minister Jakob Forssmed told reporters.

The minister said that Swedish teens aged 13 to 16 spend six and a half hours a day on average in front of their screens, outside of school hours.

Forssmed said that didn’t leave “a lot of time for communal activities, physical activity or adequate sleep”, and lamented a Swedish “sleep crisis” noting that more than half of 15-year-olds did not get enough sleep.

The health agency also recommended that kids not use screens before going to bed and that phones and tablets be kept out of bedroom at night.

It cited research showing that excessive screen use can lead to poor sleep, depression and body dissatisfaction.

Sweden’s government has previously said it is looking at a ban on smartphones in primary schools.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Activists of radical anti-blasphemy party Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan protest against the burning of the Koran in Sweden, in Karachi on January 27, 2023. File
| Photo Credit: AFP

Swedish prosecutors on Wednesday (August 28, 2024) charged two men with inciting ethnic hatred over several protests involving the burning of Korans in 2023, which sparked widespread outrage in Muslim countries.

Salwan Momika, a Christian Iraqi who burned Korans at a slew of protests, and co-protester Salwan Najem were charged with “agitation against an ethnic group” on four occasions in the summer of 2023.

“Both men are prosecuted for having on these four occasions made statements and treated the Koran in a manner intended to express contempt for Muslims because of their faith,” senior prosecutor Anna Hankkio said in a statement.

According to the charge sheet, the duo desecrated the Koran, including burning it, while making derogatory remarks about Muslims – in one case outside a Stockholm Mosque.

“In my opinion, the men’s statements and actions fall under the provisions on agitation against an ethnic or national group and it is important that this matter is tried in court,” the prosecutor added.

Relations between Sweden and several Middle Eastern countries were strained by the pair’s protests.

Iraqi protesters stormed the Swedish embassy in Baghdad twice in July 2023, starting fires within the compound on the second occasion.

In August last year, Sweden’s intelligence service Sapo raised its threat level to four on a scale of five after the Koran burnings had made the country a “prioritised target”.

The Swedish government condemned the desecrations while noting the country’s constitutionally protected freedom of speech and assembly laws.

Earlier this month, prosecutors charged Swedish-Danish right-wing activist Rasmus Paludan with the same crime over a 2022 protest in the southern city of Malmo, which also included burning the Koran.

In October 2023, a Swedish court convicted a man of inciting ethnic hatred with a 2020 Koran burning, the first time the country’s court system had tried the charge for desecrating Islam’s holy book.

Prosecutors have previously said that under Swedish law, the burning of a Koran can be seen as a critique of the book and the religion, and thus be protected under free speech.

However, depending on the context and statements made at the time, it can also be considered “agitation against an ethnic group.”

Virat Kohli is arguably the most popular cricketer on the planet, and is loved by a billion people in his own country. He even boasts 270 million followers on Instagram. However, one man who does not recognize him is legendary Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Filming a video with YouTube content creator ‘IShowSpeed’, Ibrahimovic could not recognize Virat Kohli, and admitted that he had not heard of him before either. Speed then referred to Kohli as the ‘GOAT’ (Greatest Of All Time) of cricket.

At first, Speed (real name Darren Jason Watkins Jr.) asked Ibrahimovic if he knew Virat Kohli. Hearing a no from Ibrahimovic, Speed proceeded to show him a picture of Kohli. However, much to Speed’s surprise, Ibrahimovic failed to recognize him.

“No. I’ve never seen cricket in my life. Not being disrespectful, but no,” said Ibrahimovic, when Speed showed him Kohli’s picture.

“Is he some kind of big player?” asked Ibrahimovic.

Watch: Zlatan Ibrahimovic fails to recognize Virat Kohli

| WATCH: Speed asks Zlatan Ibrahimovic if he knows Virat Kohli pic.twitter.com/qd5t5w8ZJp

— Speedy HQ (@iShowSpeedHQ) July 9, 2024

“He’s the GOAT,” replies Speed. “He is the GOAT in a different aspect, man. You’ve got to learn the different GOATs in different aspects,” continued the 19-year-old YouTube sensation.

It is not a surprise that Ibrahimovic may not know Kohli, as cricket is not a widely-played sport in Sweden. The country ranks 55th in ICC’s T20I team rankings.

Ibrahimovic – who ranks 15th in the list of most goals scored in football history (561) – retired from football at the age of 41 last year. His last club was Italian giants AC Milan.

American YouTuber Speed, on the other hand, boasts more than 26 million subscribers on YouTube, and is popular for his love for Portuguese footballer Cristiano Ronaldo. However, Speed is also a fan of Virat Kohli, and recently went to watch India vs Pakistan during the 2024 T20 World Cup at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in New York.