Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart comments on the characteristics of the 2026 World Cup ball
Joe Hart highlighted that the 2026 World Cup ball reaches goalkeepers faster than they expect, which could impact their performance.
"Honestly, I feel like this ball gets to the goalkeepers a lot quicker than they think. Jordan Pickford is moving towards the ball but can't get there in time. The question might arise: 'Why did the goalkeeper hit the ball with his thumb and not his whole hand?' It looks like the ball got to him very quickly," Hart told the BBC. The group stage will take place from June 11th to 27th, with teams playing each other in a free-for-all format (each playing three matches). The two best teams in each group, in addition to the eight best third-placed teams, will advance to the round of 16.