The Guardian’s World Cup Correspondents Answer Your Questions Live
As the group stage of the 2026 World Cup draws to a close, The Guardian is giving fans a chance to put their questions directly to the journalists who have been covering the tournament on the ground in the United States.
Correspondents Alexander Abnos, Pablo Iglesias Maurer and Jeff Rueter went live at 5PM BST (midday EDT, 9AM PDT) to field reader questions on everything from the tournament’s biggest moments so far to who they reckon will go all the way.
The three writers are part of The Guardian’s expanded US soccer team, which has had a busy few weeks tracking what the outlet is calling the biggest World Cup ever.
What They’ve Been Covering
Pablo Maurer was in Dallas to witness Lionel Messi become the World Cup’s all-time top goalscorer — a landmark moment for the tournament and arguably its biggest individual story of the group stage.
Jeff Rueter, meanwhile, has been on the West Coast, where he covered Canada’s emphatic 6-0 victory in Vancouver — one of the more eye-catching results of the opening rounds.
Alex Abnos has had a varied brief, reporting on the United States’ encouraging start to the tournament while also covering Iran’s group stage matches played in Los Angeles — fixtures that carried significant political and cultural weight beyond the football itself.
What It Means for Punters
With the group stage wrapping up, now is the time to reassess your outright and next-round bets. The USMNT’s strong start, Messi’s record-breaking form, and some heavy scorelines have already shifted the landscape considerably. Head over to our World Cup 2026 hub for the latest tips and analysis, and check the live standings to see who has already secured their knockout stage spot.
The Guardian’s Q&A covered the full sweep of the tournament — from the atmosphere inside American host cities to predictions for the latter stages. For UK fans tracking the action across time zones, it offers a useful ground-level perspective from journalists who have been pitchside throughout.
Expect more analysis from The Guardian’s US team as the knockout rounds approach.