Key events40m agoWorld Cup 2026: guide to all 1,248 players51m agoPreambleWill Andoni Iraola prove a hit at Liverpool? The appointment seems to have gone down extremely well with Reds fans, especially this line from the new boss: “For me, football is about emotions. About passion.”First up, here’s Andy Hunter’s story of the 43-year-old Spaniard putting pen to paper at Anfield.Who will England have to beat to win their first World Cup on foreign soil? The Opta supercomputer crunches the numbers. Warning: the path is not easy.Harry Kane responds to the Guardian World Cup guide Photograph: Eddie Keogh/The FA/Getty ImagesBracketology! In past World Cups, a pencil and eraser on a wallchart was the only option to work out England’s most likely stage of elimination. But humans evolve. And now we have this tremendous piece of technology: a clickable online bracket. If they top their groups, can Spain and France (the two favourites) meet in the final? Touch and drag to find out!Next up, the wallchart. Yep, nick some blu tack off one of your kids’ wonkily-hung posters of a K-pop band and get this centre stage on the kitchen wall. Probably another one in the toilet. Elegantly designed and beautifully illustrated.World Cup 2026: guide to all 1,248 playersThere’s only one place to start. The World Cup 2026: guide to all 1,248 players is a remarkable piece of work. Doffed cap to my colleagues who worked so hard to get this ready. It’ll take you a while to wade through so let’s get going straight away. How best to digest? Up to you. For some reason, my first clicks were to see how old Luka Modric is and then get more on Spain’s Mikel Oyarzabal because he’s going to win the Golden Boot.PreambleGood morning! Well, it’s now less than a week away! Six days and 11 hours to be precise before the World Cup kicks off with the Group A clash between co-hosts Mexico and South Africa. We’ve got an absurd amount of analysis to hit you with as the build-up continues and that includes news of last night’s friendlies. Oh, and if you love a wallchart and an online bracket to work out when England might play Spain, we have you covered there too.Beyond that, Andoni Iraola is in at Liverpool while there’s one of the biggest match-ups in women’s international football this evening as England take on Spain. The Lionesses will qualify for the 2027 World Cup finals in Brazil if they avoid defeat. As for England’s men, we’ll have all the latest ahead of their friendly with Chris Woods’ New Zealand on Saturday night.“You have to say that’s magnificent!”