Pink boots at World Cup: Why are footballers wearing pink boots at the World Cup?
The opening match of the 2026 World Cup was dominated by players wearing pink boots - but why is the colour so prevalent in football at the moment?
France moved into the World Cup semifinals with a 2-0 win over Morocco, driven by goals from Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele. Mbappe responded after an earlier penalty miss to score his eighth goal of the tournament as France advanced with authority. Mike Maignan, Adrien Rabiot and Manu Kone all started, while Morocco’s lineup included Neil El Aynaoui and Anass Salah-Eddine.
England’s buildup to its quarterfinal against Norway has been disrupted by a suspension for Jarell Quansah, who was handed a two-match ban. There are also concerns over Marc Guehi and Declan Rice, while Reece James has missed England’s last three World Cup matches. Norway has had its own logistical issue, having to change hotels before the game.
Manchester United’s transfer activity brought a mix of progress and uncertainty. Andrey Santos completed his move after passing a medical and signing his contract, but the situation around Ederson was less clear. The midfielder underwent the first day of intensive medical tests ahead of a €45 million move and was due to continue on Friday, though concerns over those results left United prepared to walk away. United also finalized the signing of a veteran Premier League player, with the deal able to become official as early as Friday.
Arsenal agreed a deal for Bruno Guimaraes after Newcastle compromised on the fee, despite Newcastle maintaining he is not for sale. In Italy, Milan completed the signing of Mario Gila from Lazio for €25 million plus €5 million in add-ons, while Inter moved for Anan Khalaili, who arrived in Milan to complete the final details of his €30 million transfer.
| Pos | Team | Played | GD | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arsenal | 38 | 44 | 85 |
| 2 | Manchester City | 38 | 42 | 78 |
| 3 | Manchester United | 38 | 19 | 71 |
| 4 | Aston Villa | 38 | 7 | 65 |
| 5 | Liverpool | 38 | 10 | 60 |
| 6 | Bournemouth | 38 | 4 | 57 |
| 7 | Sunderland | 38 | -6 | 54 |
| 8 | Brighton | 38 | 6 | 53 |
| 9 | Brentford | 38 | 3 | 53 |
| 10 | Chelsea | 38 | 6 | 52 |
| 11 | Fulham | 38 | -4 | 52 |
| 12 | Newcastle | 38 | -2 | 49 |
| 13 | Everton | 38 | -3 | 49 |
| 14 | Leeds | 38 | -7 | 47 |
| 15 | Crystal Palace | 38 | -10 | 45 |
| 16 | Nottingham Forest | 38 | -3 | 44 |
| 17 | Tottenham | 38 | -9 | 41 |
| 18 | West Ham | 38 | -19 | 39 |
| 19 | Burnley | 38 | -37 | 22 |
| 20 | Wolves | 38 | -41 | 20 |
| Player | Goals |
|---|---|
| E. Haaland (Manchester City) | 27 |
| Thiago (Brentford) | 22 |
| O. Watkins (Aston Villa) | 16 |
| João Pedro (Chelsea) | 15 |
| M. Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest) | 15 |
| D. Calvert-Lewin (Leeds) | 14 |
| V. Gyökeres (Arsenal) | 14 |
| D. Welbeck (Brighton) | 13 |
| E. Kroupi (Bournemouth) | 13 |
| J. Mateta (Crystal Palace) | 12 |
| B. Mbeumo (Manchester United) | 11 |
| B. Šeško (Manchester United) | 11 |
| H. Ekitike (Liverpool) | 11 |
| Richarlison (Tottenham) | 11 |
| Z. Flemming (Burnley) | 11 |







