Toronto, 04 July 2026

Ismael Saibari, new signing of FC Bayern Munich, was substituted off injured after 21 minutes in Morocco's World Cup round-of-16 match against co-host Canada on Saturday evening (4 July 2026).

The 25-year-old attacking midfielder, whose transfer from PSV Eindhoven to the German record champions had been announced the same week, had to leave the pitch early in the game. He was replaced by Soufiane Rahimi of Al-Ain FC. Nothing was initially known about the severity of the injury; the duration of his absence is also unclear.

Saibari was Morocco's top scorer at this World Cup with three goals and had previously delivered strong performances. His contract with FC Bayern runs until 30 June 2031; the estimated transfer fee is reportedly in the range of 55 million euros. His previous contract at PSV Eindhoven was set to run until 30 June 2029.

The injury affects not only Morocco but also FC Bayern Munich, making the significance of his absence immediately clear. For Saibari himself, the World Cup round of 16 thus ended early.

Strain from heat in Philadelphia

In parallel, the climatic conditions at some venues are providing cause for discussion. In Philadelphia, a thunderstorm had previously delayed the match between France and Iraq by two hours. The round-of-16 match between France and Paraguay in Philadelphia, which according to FIFA was scheduled to take place on Saturday at 5:00 p.m. local time (11:00 p.m. CEST), had also been confirmed by FIFA despite the increased weather risk.

France midfielder Désiré Doué said with regard to the heat: "We know the weather will be difficult. You lose a lot of energy. You sweat more and lose more water. Sometimes you are less clear in the head. When we arrived, it was already hot. Now it is even hotter." Temperatures of up to 39 degrees Celsius are expected in Philadelphia. The stadium has no roof and cannot be air-conditioned.

The US weather service advised residents to avoid strenuous activities or to shift them to the morning and late evening hours. Paraguay's coach Gustavo Alfaro referred to the familiar conditions at home: "The weather is naturally very similar to that in Asunción. Even if we are of course used to such conditions, this is a weather that will influence the game without any doubt." His defender Junior Alonso added: "This is completely normal for us. Hopefully it will be a bit warmer tomorrow."

Golden Goal as a historic parallel

The duel between France and Paraguay is also a rematch of the 1998 round of 16. Back then, on 28 June in Lens, Laurent Blanc had scored the Golden Goal for a 1:0 victory in the 114th minute. Blanc recalled: "That was the moment when we saw that we could do it – that success was within reach." He added: "We criticized the Golden Goal in the past, but here we benefited from it. The feeling that went through me when I scored was indescribable."

Fifpro warns of growing hostility

The Golden Goal rule had been used for the first time at a World Cup in France in 1998, before being abolished in 2004 after the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea. On Monday (6 July, 2:00 a.m. CET), England faces Mexico at the Azteca Stadium. What remains in the memory of this stadium above all is Diego Maradona's "Hand of God" for Argentina against England in the 1986 quarter-finals.

Away from the sporting action, the players' union Fifpro had criticised the growing hostility towards players at this World Cup and called for more measures against hate. Fifpro stated: "In recent weeks, players have been abused online and in person, often in a racist and discriminatory manner. There have been intimidations and hostilities also off the pitch. These incidents are not isolated cases." The union demanded: "There need to be tangible consequences for those responsible and a joint commitment from groups, including law enforcement agencies, social media platforms, media, fans and the public, to reverse this trend."

Bundesliga players in the tournament

According to statisticians, at least eleven players from Bundesliga clubs are still involved in the tournament with their national teams at the 2026 World Cup. A hypothetical Bundesliga starting eleven would include Gregor Kobel, Joe Scally, Nico Elvedi, Dayot Upamecano, Alphonso Davies, Exequiel Palacios, Malik Tillman, Antonio Nusa, Michael Olise, Harry Kane and Johan Manzambi, among others.

Thomas Tuchel, who coaches the German record champions, expressed confidence with regard to the stadium in Philadelphia: "I hope we can finally make peace with the stadium. It will pay off for us. We will get it back. It is karma. The karma will return to us. We will turn the whole thing around."