Netherlands v Sweden: World Cup 2026 – live

⚽️ World Cup kick-off: 1pm local time/6pm BST/3am AEST
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So, what’s it actually like out there? Hear from our writers, in alphabetical order.

The mid-west charm in Kansas City is a reminder that the US is more than what you see on the news. The extreme weather’s tough, though. Last Saturday brought heat and high levels of humidity in the afternoon, then tornado warnings in the evening. It’s quite hard not to eat meat here. It feels like chicken is the vegetarian option. Are people interested in the football? It’s mixed. The USMNT’s opening game was on in our hotel lobby. A group of Americans were watching baseball on another TV and occasionally came over to check the score. But then I’ve just met a Chelsea fan during the Mexico v South Korea game. He knew his football. Jacob Steinberg