IKER CASILLAS ON JAPAN’S GOALKEEPER (SUZUKI) AFTER THE NETHERLANDS GAME:
“Football is strange sometimes. You can watch a match filled with world class attackers, big names, expensive talent… and somehow, the player everyone leaves talking about is the goalkeeper.
That happened yesterday.
I have watched goalkeepers for most of my life. I know the difference between a keeper having a ‘good game’ and a keeper controlling the emotions of an entire stadium. What Japan’s goalkeeper did against the Netherlands was far beyond a normal performance.
You can teach reflexes. You can teach positioning. But you cannot teach mentality. That boy played without fear yesterday.
Against a team with that much attacking quality, most goalkeepers panic. They lose concentration after one mistake, they start second-guessing themselves, they become nervous under pressure. He did the exact opposite.
He looked calm, focused… almost arrogant in the best way possible. Every save gave confidence to his defenders. Every touch looked composed. Even when the pressure increased, he never looked affected.
At one point, I genuinely celebrated because I thought the ball was already in the net… and somehow he still kept it out.
People will remember the scoreline. I will remember the goalkeeper.
Trust me… after this tournament, Europe will know his name.”
🚨🎙Phil Foden breaks his silence after being left out of England's 2026 World Cup squad by Thomas Tuchel
A journalist asked Foden about his reaction to the omission alongside Cole Palmer, how it made him feel, and what message he had for the selected players.
🗣 Foden's response: "That decision isn't easy the way most people see it, you know? Like you said, me, Palmer, and other players being left out... I don't want to say I'm angry, but I would have loved to be there to try and help my team. But it is what it is. If Cole Palmer — one of Chelsea's best players over the past three years — isn't called up, then I don't have any reason to be angry about my own situation."
"To all my teammates representing England at this World Cup, I wish them the absolute best of luck. I believe they can make the country proud and bring the trophy home. That's all I've got to say on it. Thanks."