FIFA World Cup: Tobin Heath on record goals, France and Lamine Yamal

What the report says

Al Jazeera reported from New Jersey on July 19, 2026, that former United States women’s national team forward Tobin Heath assessed the FIFA World Cup 2026 ahead of the final in an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera Sport. Heath, a two-time Women’s World Cup winner and two-time Olympic gold medallist, was serving on FIFA’s Technical Study Group after retiring in 2025 because of injuries.

Heath said the expanded tournament and the mix of playing styles helped produce a record scoring total, with Al Jazeera citing 307 goals across 103 matches. She pointed to counter-pressing, teams winning possession higher up the pitch, attacks through wide areas and more aggressive use of full-backs as major tactical themes. She said she welcomed the variety created by matchups between traditional powers and teams with different football identities.

The former USA player singled out several African teams, including Cape Verde, Egypt and Ivory Coast, for their performances and style. She said Cape Verde’s matches against Spain and Argentina stood out, and praised Egypt’s display against Argentina as a contest that could have gone either way. Heath described African football’s showing as a positive sign for the sport’s development on the continent.

Heath also praised the tournament’s creativity, saying France’s attacking play made her a fan, and named leading stars including Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland as players who delivered at a high level. Among younger players, she highlighted Spain defender Pau Cubarsi and said she hoped Lamine Yamal would have a defining moment in the final. She also said the World Cup captured attention in the United States, though she questioned how lasting its impact would be on men’s football there.