The World Cup 2026 is beginning to find its rhythm with the remaining co-hosts getting their campaigns underway on day two - 2,210 miles apart.

Canada battled back to draw 1-1 with Bosnia-Herzegovina in Toronto thanks to substitute Cyle Larin after a tepid opening ceremony and an angry reaction to the sight of their American head coach Jesse Marsch heartily singing the anthem.

After then it was the turn of the USA, the primary hosts of this tournament, who got their campaign underway with an emphatic 4-1 thrashing of Paraguay in Los Angeles.

Barriers are already going up at Penn Station ahead of thousands of fans making their way to the MetLife Stadium for Brazil v Morocco this evening.

An attendant said they’re expecting ‘chaos’ as there's also a concert at Madison Square Gardens, and a Knicks watch party this evening.

A few Morocco and Brazil fans are dotted around the station already, even ten hours ahead of kick-off.

Mauricio Pochettino had spent the past few days summoning belief in what the USA might achieve in the face of scepticism. Can they win the World Cup, he was repeatedly asked, to which his stock response was: “Why not? We can dream.” After this hugely impressive 4-1 win over Paraguay in Los Angeles, perhaps Pochettino’s task now is to manage inflated expectations, to temper America’s wildest dreams.

England have suffered a theft of training equipment ahead of their arrival to their World Cup training base in Kansas City, with items that include the team’s match boots and official tournament balls stolen on Friday.

Local police are investigating the incident, which came as team staff were in transit from their pre-tournament base in Florida to the Swope Soccer Village in Missouri, where the England players are due to arrive on Saturday. Police confirmed two individuals have been apprehended while the investigation continues.

Having blamed vacant seats during the opening night encounter between South Korea and Czechia on fans choosing to stay on the concourse in Guardalajara, Fifa big wigs will have spotted hundreds of empty spots in Toronto, the tournament’s smallest venue with a capacity of just over 45,000.

The official attendance was given as 43,008, with swathes of empty rows in the most expensive areas during the start of the first half as those who had paid top dollar chose to, it would seem, enjoy some refreshments rather than the action.

Toronto saw more empty seats despite excitement surrounding Canada, while SoFi Stadium even had a sprinkle of empty seats before the USA hammered Paraguay.

Ghana sports minister Kofi Adams has derided the “flimsy” grounds on which Thomas Partey has been denied entry to Canada for the 2026 World Cup and has urged a review of the decision.

The ex-Arsenal midfielder will, as it stands, miss Ghana’s World Cup opener on Wednesday against Panama in Toronto after being denied a Canadian visa.

The 33-year-old has been charged with seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault by London’s Metropolitan Police and is awaiting trial. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges.

Ghana’s government has since expressed “strong reservations” following the “high-handed and extremely unfair” decision to refuse the midfielder a visa to enter Canada.

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Neymar looks set to miss Brazil’s 2026 World Cup opener against Morocco on Saturday.

The 34-year-old, who has not played for the national team in nearly three years, was a somewhat surprising inclusion in Carlo Ancelotti’s 26-man squad for this summer’s tournament in North America.

However, Neymar immediately sustained a grade two calf injury and while recovery is ongoing, the forward is unlikely to feature in New York on Saturday afternoon.