🇪🇸 Can "beautifully structured" Spain lift the World Cup again? 🏆 2026 World Cup Preview

England’s Great Escape! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Harry Kane SAVES The World Cup Dream! (DR Congo Reaction)

It’s the great escape in Atlanta! 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🔥 In this episode of Make Football Great Again, host Harry Brent is joined by the Mirror’s Chief Football Writer, John Cross, to break down England’s stressful, heart-stopping 2-1 victory over DR Congo in the final group stage match of the 2026 World Cup. After trailing for 70 minutes, captain Harry Kane once again played saviour, flipping the match with two late goals to book the Three Lions a spot in the Round of 16. We dive into the controversial penalty shout that VAR ignored, the impact of FIFA's new hydration breaks, and give our brutal player ratings for the squad (with a few harsh realities for Marcus Rashford and Djed Spence). 🔥 In this episode, we unpack: Harry Kane's Heroics: Why his second goal will go down in England World Cup folklore. The Penalty Controversy: Did Kane leave his foot in, or did the referee and VAR completely bottle a clear foul? Midfield Fatigue: Is Declan Rice running on empty? Why the Rice & Elliot Anderson pairing isn't working. The Left-Side Void: The ongoing struggles of Marcus Rashford when starting versus coming off the bench. The Ultimate Challenge: Previewing the Round of 16 clash against Mexico at the infamous Estadio Azteca, where the hosts have a 79% win rate. 🔔 Subscribe to Make Football Great Again so you never miss a match reaction or preview during England’s 2026 World Cup campaign! #EnglandFootball #WorldCup2026 #HarryKane #JudeBellingham #DeclanRice #ThreeLions #EstadioAzteca #EnglandVsMexico #SoccerPodcast #JohnCross ⏳ The Timecodes 0:00 – Intro: England's heart-stopping 2-1 victory over DR Congo 1:47 – The Emotional Rollercoaster: Going from sheer panic to absolute glory 3:02 – Attacking Fluidity: Was this England's best attacking performance of the tournament? 4:56 – The Penalty Controversy: Did VAR rob Harry Kane before halftime? 7:12 – FIFA's Hydration Breaks: How the controversial pauses saved England's tactical setup 9:44 – Player Ratings: The Defence (Pickford, Spence, Guéhi, Konsa) 11:08 – Midfield Ratings: Why Elliot Anderson and Declan Rice cannot play together 13:03 – Attacking Ratings: Jude Bellingham, Marcus Rashford's struggles, and Harry Kane's heroics 15:58 – The Subs: Anthony Gordon and Bukayo Saka's impact 16:17 – 3 Things We Learned: The broken left flank, Djed Spence's starting spot, and Declan Rice's exhaustion 19:22 – The Estadio Azteca Factor: Previewing the historic Round of 16 clash against Mexico 21:38 – Thomas Tuchel's Job Security: Is a Round of 16 exit acceptable for England? 22:55 – Outro: Looking ahead to Sunday's Azteca preview Make Football Great Again is the definitive 48-nation roadmap to the 2026 World Cup, combining deep-dive interviews from across the globe with legendary tournament anecdotes from our veteran reporters. Read all of the latest football news: https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/ Subscribe to our new Make Football Great Again newsletter for everything World Cup 2026: https://www.mirror.co.uk/newsletter-preference-centre/?view=Solus&mailingListId=c4fc9b20-3be6-4105-9f07-3ae274c4031b&utm_source=solusarticle #England #ThreeLions #Football #Soccer #WorldCup #WorldCup2026 #2026WorldCup #podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Chopping and Changing positions, Englands team Mascot and precious Penalties! 😳✅❌

What a whirlwind the World Cup has produced over the last 24 hours with two big footballing nations being taken out on penalties. In this episode John and Harry discuss Englands prolific penalty takers, mentality and what it's going to take for the team to reach the final. France have sent shockwaves through the tournament with an impressive win whilst Norway took down the Ivory Coast to reach the countries first Round of 16 in the World Cup. What will happen as England take on DR Congo, let us know your score predictions in the comments down below... Make Football Great Again is the definitive 48-nation roadmap to the 2026 World Cup, combining deep-dive interviews from across the globe with legendary tournament anecdotes from our veteran reporters. Read all of the latest football news: https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/ Subscribe to our new Make Football Great Again newsletter for everything World Cup 2026: https://www.mirror.co.uk/newsletter-preference-centre/?view=Solus&mailingListId=c4fc9b20-3be6-4105-9f07-3ae274c4031b&utm_source=solusarticle #England #ThreeLions #Football #Soccer #WorldCup #WorldCup2026 #2026WorldCup #podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

Jude Bellingham to the Rescue, Kane’s Record-Breaker, and England’s Endless Right-Back Curse!

England are through to the Round of 32 as Group L winners! But let’s be completely honest, Thomas Tuchel’s side made hard work of a 2-0 win over Panama at the MetLife Stadium. In this episode of Make Football Great Again, host Harry Brent is joined by the Mirror’s Chief Football Writer, John Cross, live from the stadium to dissect a laboured but much-needed victory. We break down another superstar performance from Jude Bellingham and discuss Harry Kane rewriting the history books by eclipsing Gary Lineker’s World Cup goalscoring record. We dive deep into the tactical gamble of Tuchel's reshuffled midfield, major structural warnings after Panama cut through England's defence, and the absolutely mind-boggling right-back injury curse that has claimed Jarell Quansah. Finally, we hand out our post-match player ratings and debate whether it’s time to fully commit to Jed Spence for the knockout rounds. Episode Timestamps 00:06 – Introduction & Match Overview: Harry and John react to England’s 2-0 win over Panama and topping Group L. 00:50 – The Jude Bellingham Show: Discussing Bellingham’s game-changing performance and why he’d walk into any world-class side. 02:28 – Tuchel’s Tactical Reshuffle: Breaking down the mass changes, the deeper role for Bellingham, and Kobbie Mainoo being left out. 04:00 – Defensive & Structural Concerns: Why Panama and Ghana’s counter-attacks prove England are wide open ahead of the knockout stages. 05:46 – The Right-Back Injury Curse: Jarell Quansah limps off. With Rhys James and Tino Livramento out, how does Tuchel solve this nightmare? 07:34 – Post-Match Player Ratings: John scores the squad, including Bukayo Saka’s fitness, Marcus Rashford’s sharpness, and Jordan Pickford’s nerves. 10:31 – Substitutes & Milestones: Jordan Henderson sets a historic 7th major tournament record, plus a look at Noni Madueke and the left-flank dilemma. 12:21 – Key Takeaway 1: The Alarming Panama Stats: Dissecting how Panama managed 13 shots and matched England's XG. 13:21 – Key Takeaway 2: Kane vs. Lineker & The Ballon d'Or: Breaking down Kane’s record-breaking night and his case for football's ultimate individual prize. 14:55 – Key Takeaway 3: The Case for Jed Spence: Why it's time for England to stop improvising and back Spence at right-back. 16:13 – Looking Ahead to the Round of 32: Key details for England's next knockout match Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

🤯 Will England FALTER? Injuries, Fracturing formations and defensive masterclass'

Straight from Thomas Tuchel's pre-match press conference from the Bowels of New York and the Metlife Stadium. In this episode, John and Harry break down more bombshells out of the England camp: the injuries and troubling news of Reece James' hamstring, the mood in the camp and what Panama could potentially turn up with! Plus, John gives his honest prediction on the result and matchday squad Tuchel will select for the game! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]

"Second Game Syndrome" Strikes Again! | England's Drab Ghana Draw, Tuchel's Tactics & Player Ratings

Same old England? Just when we thought the Three Lions were building serious momentum after defeating Croatia, Thomas Tuchel’s side turned in a ponderous, frustrating 0-0 draw against a resilient Ghana side in Boston. In this episode of Make Football Great Again, Harry Brent is joined by the Mirror’s Chief Football Writer John Cross straight from the stadium to break down where it all went wrong. They dissect England's historical struggle with "second game syndrome," ask why the attack looked so incredibly sluggish against Ghana’s low block, and question some baffling tactical decisions—including the inverted fullback dilemma and leaving Ivan Toney on the bench. Plus, John delivers his definitive Match Player Ratings, highlighting a stellar defensive display from Mark Guéhi, an erratic night for Jordan Pickford, and a frustratingly quiet outing for captain Harry Kane. What’s inside this episode: * The Low Block Conundrum: Why England couldn't move the ball quickly enough to stretch the Ghanaian defense. * Tuchel’s Selection Critique: The weird dynamic of right-footed fullbacks on the left flank and the benching of Marcus Rashford. * The Striker Dilemma: Harry Kane’s three-touch frustration in the box and why Ivan Toney was custom-made for this exact game. * Panama Preview: What needs to drastically change on Saturday to secure top spot in the group. * 00:06 – Intro & Post-Match Reality Check Harry and John react to a very "drab" 0-0 draw against Ghana and the immediate comedown from the opening-day joy against Croatia. * 00:36 – The Curse of "Second Game Syndrome" A deep dive into England's historical trend of slipping up in their second group games (2020, 2022, 2024) and why 2018 was the last time they avoided the trap. * 02:30 – How to Break a Low Block John explains why blaming a defensive opposition is a cop-out, criticizing England's ponderous, slow, and labored passing. * 05:14 – Weather Excuses & "Sunday League" Mentalities Debunking the heat myth in a chilly Boston and why England's sluggish opening five minutes set a complacent tone. * 07:06 – The Winger & Rashford Mystery Why was Anthony Gordon so ineffective, and why did Thomas Tuchel leave it so late to bring Marcus Rashford into the mix? * 07:45 – Official Player Ratings: The Starting XI John passes judgment on the team, detailing Pickford's nerve-wracking moments, Guéhi’s Man of the Match performance, and Kane's 5/10 display. * 10:00 – The Inverted Fullback Debate A tactical breakdown of Jed Spence and the awkward positioning of right-footed players dominating the left flank. * 12:18 – Substitutes & The Benched Strikers Rating the impact of Saka, O’Reilly, and Rogers, and calling out the "utterly bizarre" decision to leave Ivan Toney and Ollie Watkins on the bench. * 15:01 – Are England Genuine Contenders? A sobering look at whether England belongs in the top tier of tournament favorites or the "second tier." * 15:57 – Looking Ahead to Panama What England must prioritize on Saturday to fix their rhythm, secure the group, and trigger a much-needed team reaction. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices [https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices]