Scotland’s No 1: A Young Goalkeeper’s Memorable Meeting in Boston

The Scotland squad are tucked away in a Boston hotel, trying to shut out the noise of a World Cup. Outside, the world keeps finding them.

For 13-year-old Daniel Nevin, that meant a walk, a chance, and a moment he is unlikely to let go of. The young goalkeeper from St Cadoc’s Youth Club in Glasgow found himself face to face this morning with Angus Gunn, the man charged with keeping Scotland’s dream alive between the posts.

They posed for a photo in the lobby, Gunn relaxed and smiling, Daniel beaming. His dad, Tommy, 55, watched on as his son met the player he has been studying from afar.

“Delighted,” was how Tommy summed it up. Daniel now has one simple wish for tonight’s game against Morocco: a clean sheet from Scotland’s No 1.

World Cup co-hosts flex their muscles

While Scotland’s supporters gather their nerves, the other co-hosts have already thrown down markers.

Canada tore into Qatar with a ruthless 6-0 victory, their first win of this World Cup and a statement of intent from a side still smarting from past tournaments. Goals flowed, confidence grew, and a nation that has long lived in the shadows of the global game suddenly looked right at home.

Mexico, already purring, kept their perfect record alive. A tight, controlled 1-0 win over South Korea was enough to maintain their 100 per cent start and underline why so many see them as dark horses on home soil.

Elsewhere, Switzerland brushed aside Bosnia-Herzegovina 4-1, a scoreline that reflected their authority. The Czech Republic and South Africa shared a 1-1 draw, a point each in a group that still feels wide open.

2030 storm brewing: Spain v Morocco

This World Cup has barely settled into its rhythm, yet the next major battle is already forming on the horizon.

The 2030 tournament, spread across Spain, Portugal and Morocco, has sparked an early row. Both Spain and Morocco want the final. Both believe they have the case, the history, the stage.

According to The Times’ chief sports reporter Martyn Ziegler, the decision currently sits on a knife-edge — 50-50 between the two nations. One final, two powerful bids, and a political tug of war that will run long beyond this summer.

Pochettino’s USA: scars of 2002, new ideas in 2026

Mauricio Pochettino knows what a World Cup can take from you.

In 2002, under Marcelo Bielsa, he lived a version of the tournament that felt more like lockdown than liberation. Argentina, loaded with talent, crashed out in the group stage. The players were shut away, insulated from everything but pressure and expectation. It left a mark.

Now in charge of the United States, Pochettino is doing it differently. Same stage, different script. The USA camp this summer is looser, more open, built on trust rather than tension. He wants his players to feel the weight of the occasion without being crushed by it.

The early signs? Encouraging. Very.

Australia strike early, again

Australia have slipped into this World Cup with purpose. Their 2-0 win over Turkey in Vancouver last Saturday was clean, efficient and quietly historic.

This is their sixth consecutive World Cup, a sign of how far they have come as a football nation. Yet it is the first time since 2006 that they have opened with a win. That matters. It changes everything — the mood, the belief, the maths of the group.

With three points already banked, Tony Popovic’s side can look at the knockout stages with something stronger than hope. Only twice before have Australia reached that phase. Now, they can see a path to a third.

USA hit the accelerator

If Australia were measured, the USA were explosive.

Their 4-1 dismantling of Paraguay lit up group D. Pochettino’s team raced into a 3-0 lead before half-time, playing with a tempo and aggression that left Paraguay reeling. Folarin Balogun struck twice, a centre-forward playing like he belongs on this stage.

Paraguay clawed one back in the second half, a reminder that no game at this level drifts entirely one way. But Giovanni Reyna’s stoppage-time strike, a superb finish, slammed the door shut and sent a message to the rest of the group.

This is a co-host not content with simply being a good host.

Pulisic on the clock

One cloud hangs over the USA’s bright start.

Christian Pulisic, the team’s talisman, is fighting the clock. The 27-year-old forward is nursing a calf injury picked up in the days before that opening win over Paraguay. He impressed in the first half, then came off at the break, discomfort overriding adrenaline.

Now, with Australia looming, his fitness is a race against time. Pochettino will not want to risk him too early. The player will want to play. The medical staff will sit in the middle, calculators in hand, weighing group dynamics against long-term stakes.

Day nine: all eyes on Seattle

So it comes to this: USA v Australia, under the lights in Seattle.

Both teams won their opening games. Both look organised, confident, and clear in their identity. This is not just another group fixture; it is the kind of match that bends a group out of shape. The likely decider for top spot in group D.

Kick-off is at 8pm in Seattle (12pm PDT), a prime slot for a co-host riding a wave and an Australia side that quietly fancies its chances of spoiling the party.

Around them, the World Cup keeps spinning — England, Scotland and the rest of the contenders jostling for position, stories breaking by the hour. Inside that Boston hotel, Angus Gunn will be going through his routines, shutting out the noise.

Somewhere in Glasgow, a 13-year-old goalkeeper will be watching, hoping the man he met in a hotel lobby delivers the clean sheet he asked for.