Welcome to the World Cup in New Jersey: Motels, marshland and luxury rates
The expanse of warehouses and wetlands is typically a place people pass through on their way to somewhere else

© Getty Images
The expanse of warehouses and wetlands is typically a place people pass through on their way to somewhere else

© Getty Images
Scotland mark their return to a men’s World Cup for the first time in 28 years as they face a crucial clash against Haiti in Boston

© PA
The United States started the World Cup in spectacular fashion by beating Paraguay 4-1 on Friday night
© Reuters
Marc Cucurella played a key role in Spain winning Euro 2024 and now has his sights set on World Cup glory
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Balogun was born in New York when his parents were on holiday from London but the USA embracing the striker as its new star is a delicious irony to Donald Trump’s stance on immigration
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Susan Boyle is backing Scotland to make a winning start to their World Cup campaign

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Footy Addicts helps amateur players find a game at short notice – and tackles the problem of loneliness
Cries of “Boss! Boss! Boss!” emerge from the pitch during a hard-fought game of football in a London park. There aren’t a lot of names used in this game, because most players only met just before kick-off. They were brought together by an app that’s injecting life into grassroots football.
Footy Addicts was invented to solve an infuriating problem for amateur players – the late dropout, which can lead to unbalanced teams and ruined games. The app brings together strangers who are desperate to play football, and who can step in after a cancellation to make up the numbers at short notice.
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© Photograph: Sean Smith/The Guardian

© Photograph: Sean Smith/The Guardian

© Photograph: Sean Smith/The Guardian
The Ghana midfielder is currently set to miss his country’s opening World Cup match against Panama on Wednesday
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The country is ready to blow away decades of dashed hopes and celebrate, with marching bands and all-night parties
Scotland is leaning into one of its most treasured traditions: embracing the hope and anxiety of a football World Cup, with a healthy dose of self-deprecating style.
There are brash new tartans, an Edinburgh bar offering free Irn-Bru-infused “fiery ginger” beers for patrons with red hair, a collaboration between Scottish whisky firms and a Brazilian distiller, and all-night parties in nightclubs repurposed as fanzones.
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© Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA

© Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA

© Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA
Scotland, Brazil and Morocco are back it the same World Cup group after 28 years, with Haiti joining the fun
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Brazil look set to be without star player Neymar for their opening game against Morocco on Saturday
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The USA striker scored twice in his team’s opening win over Paraguay
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After a pre-tournament camp in Florida England have established their World Cup base in Kansas City, alongside the likes of reigning champions Argentina
© Reuters