Jean-Pierre Lihou, 61, was initially friends with the Reform UK leader when he arrived at Dulwich College in the 1970s, at the time when Mr Farage is accused of saying antisemitic and other racist remarks by more than a dozen pupils. But Mr Lihou, who is half-German and said he went for a couple of sleepovers at Mr Farage's parent's house, told Sky News' Amanda Akass that it "soon become obvious he was not quite the same person I thought he was". Warning: This article contains references to antisemitic slurs which readers may find offensive Another former pupil, Stefan Benarroch, who was in the year below Mr Farage and is Jewish, said that Mr Farage was "not a kid" when he made alleged antisemitic remarks and his behaviour was "unacceptable in any era". Mr Farage has said he "never directly racially abused anybody" at Dulwich and said there is a "strong political element" to the allegations coming out 49 years later. Reform's deputy leader Richard Tice has called the ex-classmates "liars". A Reform UK spokesman accused Sky News of "scraping the barrel" and were "desperate to stop us winning the next election". 'People were hurt by it' Mr Lihou told Sky News Mr Farage used to direct antisemitic songs at his Jewish friend Peter Ettedgui, who is one of the main former classmates to have spoken out against the Reform leader. "He used to sing: 'Gas them all, gas them out, gas them all, into the chambers they crawl' - and the rest of those horrible words," he said. "You think, when somebody is obviously distressed by that, why do you keep doing it? The humour wears off... when you see this, and because I'm German I'm particularly sensitive to anyone making that kind of analogy." Mr Lihou also said Mr Farage used to "pass comment on anyone that wasn't white, particularly Indians". He said: "He had a great big issue with anyone called Patel because I think the school had at one point more Patels than Smiths. That seemed to irk him. "Anybody who wasn't white, he was likely to have a comment pretty much throughout my school life, especially Jewish people. I think that was the worst thing because you could obviously see that people were hurt by it." 'He was truly ghastly' Mr Benarroch, who was also friends with Mr Ettedgui, told Sky News: "His behaviour as a teenager was unacceptable by any standards and in any era. He was truly ghastly at Dulwich College." He said he would never have come across Mr Farage "had I not been a Jew". "He and his minions - and one of his minions, in particular, was my tormentor at Dulwich - they would spot us coming out of Jewish prayers on a Friday," he added. "So his behaviour at 16, 17, 18 - and you are a man at 18, you're technically an adult - was truly appalling. So we're not talking about a kid here." The property developer said the racism allegations are "not just about Nigel Farage as a teenager, this is also about Nigel Farage as an adult". "His behaviour as a teenager was unacceptable by any standards and in any era. He was truly ghastly at Dulwich College," he added. 'These things don't leave you' Mr Benarroch, who is no longer a practising Jew, added: "I was terrified of his bullies, he had these guys hanging around with him who were instructed to have a go at us as these young, nice Jewish boys. "I don't recall ever having direct contact with Nigel Farage, but certainly I was very much a witness to his tormenting of others, especially Peter Ettudgui. "He [Mr Farage] was so extreme, these things don't leave you, they don't leave your body, as such." On Thursday, Mr Farage launched into a tirade at the BBC after one of its reporters asked about the claims, with the politician reading out a letter he said was from someone he went to school with. He quoted the unnamed Jewish pupil as saying there was "plenty of macho, tongue-in-cheek schoolboy banter" and said sometimes it "was offensive, but never with malice". Read more: Farage dismisses school racism claims as 'banter in a playground'Farage needs to explain 'racist' comment allegations, says PM 'It was not schoolboy banter' Mr Benarroch rejected Mr Farage's claim it was just "schoolboy banter" and said he has continued to show the same views, just in a less obvious way. "You tell that [that it was banter] to the guys, to Peter who had 'Hitler should have gassed you' said to him," he said. "Peter Ettedgui was tormented by Nigel Farage. "The point I'm making is, he's a grown man now. He's a highly intelligent politician with nuance when it suits him, and so clearly he's not going around saying 'Hitler should have gassed you all', obviously." The former Dulwich student said Mr Farage had "kept the most disgraceful company imaginable" in the US during the 2010s on radio and TV shows. He specifically named Rick Wiles, a far-right American conspiracy theorist whose YouTube channel was banned in 2020 after calling Donald Trump's impeachment a "Jew coup". Mr Benarroch, who said he is not part of any political party, said "there is no political motivation" behind his allegations, but accused Reform and Mr Farage of making "a political statement" by calling them liars. On Thursday, Mr Farage said he had received multiple letters from former pupils in support of him. He said a letter from a Jewish schoolmate, said: "While there was plenty of macho tongue-in-cheek schoolboy banter, it was humour, and yes, sometimes it was offensive... but never with malice. "I never heard him [Farage] racially abuse anyone." A Reform UK spokesman "accused Sky News of scraping the barrel". He said: "This ridiculous interview has nothing to do with Nigel Farage himself but apparently someone who knew him at school almost 50 years ago. "Sky News are desperate to stop us winning the next election."

Sky News can exclusively reveal that Mr Morgan is in the process of finalising a roughly $30m (£22.5m) fundraising for Uncensored that will give it a pre-money valuation of about $130m (£97m). The new investors are understood to include The Raine Group, the New York-based merchant bank, and Theo Kyriakou, the media mogul behind Greece's Antenna Group, owner of a stake in London-based digital venture The News Movement. Michael Kassan, a marketing veteran, is understood to be advising the business on advertising-related matters and may also invest in a personal capacity, according to insiders. A number of family offices from around the world are also said to be in talks to become shareholders in Uncensored. Joe Ravitch, the prominent American banker and Raine co-founder who has advised in recent years on the sale of Chelsea and Manchester United football clubs, is said to be joining the Uncensored board as part of the capital-raising. The move comes nearly a year after Mr Morgan announced his departure from Rupert Murdoch's British empire through a deal which handed him full control and ownership of his Uncensored YouTube channel. Allies of Mr Morgan said this weekend that some details of the fundraising were likely to be confirmed publicly in the coming days. While the size of his personal stake in the business was unclear this weekend, insiders said the crystallisation of a $130m valuation would mean that Mr Morgan's economic interest was, on paper, worth tens of millions of pounds. "The ambition is to grow this into a billion dollar company within a few years," said one person close to the discussions with investors. "With the scale of audiences now being driven to digital channels and the commercial opportunities there, that is definitely achievable." The former Mirror editor, whose career has also encompassed stints at ITV, with CNN in the US and Mr Murdoch's global media conglomerates News Corporation and Fox, is now drawing up plans to transform Uncensored into a more diverse digital media group. This is expected to include the launch of a series of 'verticals' attached to the Uncensored brand, including channels dedicated to subjects such as history, sport and technology. Mr Morgan is already said to be in talks with prominent figures to spearhead some of these new strands, with a chief executive also expected to be recruited to drive the growth of the overall Uncensored business. His appetite to establish a YouTube-based global media network has been driven by the scale of the global audiences he has drawn to some of his recent work, including interviews with the footballer Cristiano Ronaldo and the former world tennis number one Novak Djokovic. Both of those athletes have collaborated with Mr Morgan by posting parts of their exchanges on social media platforms, attracting hundreds of millions of views. Mr Morgan's access to President Donald Trump, whom he has interviewed on several occasions, is also likely to be a factor in the timing of Uncensored's expansion strategy. While many 'legacy' news and media networks remain hamstrung by inflated cost bases, Mr Morgan's decision to go it alone and focus on developing the Uncensored brand reflects his belief that the news and media industries are ripe for disintermediation by channels tied to prominent, and sometimes controversial, individual journalists and presenters. The Piers Morgan Uncensored YouTube channel has 4.3 million subscribers, roughly half of whom are from the US. Of the remaining 50%, however, only a minority are British, with a significant number based in the Middle East, South Africa and parts of Asia. This has fuelled Mr Morgan's view that there is journalistic and commercial mileage in creating content on issues which historically might have struggled to generate a significant international audience - such as ongoing military and political tension between India and Pakistan, and the white farmer 'genocide' furore in South Africa. Under the deal he struck with Mr Murdoch in January this year, Mr Morgan has a four-year revenue-sharing agreement that involves News UK receiving a slice of the advertising revenue generated by Piers Morgan Uncensored until 2029. Mr Morgan had returned to Mr Murdoch's media empire in January 2022 with a three-year agreement that included writing regular columns for The Sun and New York Post, as well as presenting shows on the company's now-folded television channel, Talk TV. He also recently released a book, Woke Is Dead, which was published by Mr Murdoch's books subsidiary, Harper Collins. As part of his new arrangements, Mr Morgan also signed a deal with Red Seat Ventures, a US-based agency which partners with prominent media figures and influencers to help them exploit commercial opportunities through sponsorship and other revenue streams. Among those Red Seat has worked with are Megyn Kelly, the American commentator, and Tucker Carlson, the former Fox News presenter. While many well-known American news media figures are followed because of their partisanship and affiliations to either the political left or right, Mr Morgan has positioned himself as a 'ringmaster' who is not ideologically hidebound. His plans come at a time of continuing upheaval in the global media industry, with Netflix agreeing a landmark $83bn deal this week to buy the Hollywood studio Warner Bros. In the UK, Sky, the Comcast-owned immediate parent company of Sky News, is in talks to acquire ITV's broadcasting business, while the Daily Telegraph newspaper could soon find itself as a stablemate of the Daily Mail if a proposed £500m deal is successful. Meanwhile, Reach, the London-listed newspaper publisher which owns the Daily Express and the Daily Mirror, now has a market valuation of just £176m - less than double that of Mr Morgan's new standalone digital media company. When Sky News revealed Mr Morgan's move to separate from News UK earlier this year, he said: "Owning the [Uncensored] brand allows my team and I the freedom to focus exclusively on building Uncensored into a standalone business, editorially and commercially, and in time, widening it from just me and my content. "It's clear from the… US election that YouTube is an increasingly powerful and influential media platform, and Uncensored is one of the fastest-growing shows on it in the world. "I'm very excited about the potential for Uncensored." This weekend, he added: "I am very excited that some of the most experienced and successful players in the global media industry, like Joe, Michael and Theo, share my ambitious vision for Uncensored. "This is the future of modern media."

Jean-Pierre Lihou, 61, was initially friends with the Reform UK leader when he arrived at Dulwich College in the 1970s, at the time when Mr Farage is accused of saying antisemitic and other racist remarks by more than a dozen pupils. But Mr Lihou, who is half-German and said he went for a couple of sleepovers at Mr Farage's parent's house, told Sky News' Amanda Akass that it "soon become obvious he was not quite the same person I thought he was". Warning: This article contains references to antisemitic slurs which readers may find offensive Another former pupil, Stefan Benarroch, who was in the year below Mr Farage and is Jewish, said that Mr Farage was "not a kid" when he made alleged antisemitic remarks and his behaviour was "unacceptable in any era". Mr Farage has said he "never directly racially abused anybody" at Dulwich and said there is a "strong political element" to the allegations coming out 49 years later. Reform's deputy leader Richard Tice has called the ex-classmates "liars". A Reform UK spokesman accused Sky News of "scraping the barrel" and were "desperate to stop us winning the next election". 'People were hurt by it' Mr Lihou told Sky News Mr Farage used to direct antisemitic songs at his Jewish friend Peter Ettedgui, who is one of the main former classmates to have spoken out against the Reform leader. "He used to sing: 'Gas them all, gas them out, gas them all, into the chambers they crawl' - and the rest of those horrible words," he said. "You think, when somebody is obviously distressed by that, why do you keep doing it? The humour wears off... when you see this, and because I'm German I'm particularly sensitive to anyone making that kind of analogy." Mr Lihou also said Mr Farage used to "pass comment on anyone that wasn't white, particularly Indians". He said: "He had a great big issue with anyone called Patel because I think the school had at one point more Patels than Smiths. That seemed to irk him. "Anybody who wasn't white, he was likely to have a comment pretty much throughout my school life, especially Jewish people. I think that was the worst thing because you could obviously see that people were hurt by it." 'He was truly ghastly' Mr Benarroch, who was also friends with Mr Ettedgui, told Sky News: "His behaviour as a teenager was unacceptable by any standards and in any era. He was truly ghastly at Dulwich College." He said he would never have come across Mr Farage "had I not been a Jew". "He and his minions - and one of his minions, in particular, was my tormentor at Dulwich - they would spot us coming out of Jewish prayers on a Friday," he added. "So his behaviour at 16, 17, 18 - and you are a man at 18, you're technically an adult - was truly appalling. So we're not talking about a kid here." The property developer said the racism allegations are "not just about Nigel Farage as a teenager, this is also about Nigel Farage as an adult". "His behaviour as a teenager was unacceptable by any standards and in any era. He was truly ghastly at Dulwich College," he added. 'These things don't leave you' Mr Benarroch, who is no longer a practising Jew, added: "I was terrified of his bullies, he had these guys hanging around with him who were instructed to have a go at us as these young, nice Jewish boys. "I don't recall ever having direct contact with Nigel Farage, but certainly I was very much a witness to his tormenting of others, especially Peter Ettudgui. "He [Mr Farage] was so extreme, these things don't leave you, they don't leave your body, as such." On Thursday, Mr Farage launched into a tirade at the BBC after one of its reporters asked about the claims, with the politician reading out a letter he said was from someone he went to school with. He quoted the unnamed Jewish pupil as saying there was "plenty of macho, tongue-in-cheek schoolboy banter" and said sometimes it "was offensive, but never with malice". Read more: Farage dismisses school racism claims as 'banter in a playground'Farage needs to explain 'racist' comment allegations, says PM 'It was not schoolboy banter' Mr Benarroch rejected Mr Farage's claim it was just "schoolboy banter" and said he has continued to show the same views, just in a less obvious way. "You tell that [that it was banter] to the guys, to Peter who had 'Hitler should have gassed you' said to him," he said. "Peter Ettedgui was tormented by Nigel Farage. "The point I'm making is, he's a grown man now. He's a highly intelligent politician with nuance when it suits him, and so clearly he's not going around saying 'Hitler should have gassed you all', obviously." The former Dulwich student said Mr Farage had "kept the most disgraceful company imaginable" in the US during the 2010s on radio and TV shows. He specifically named Rick Wiles, a far-right American conspiracy theorist whose YouTube channel was banned in 2020 after calling Donald Trump's impeachment a "Jew coup". Mr Benarroch, who said he is not part of any political party, said "there is no political motivation" behind his allegations, but accused Reform and Mr Farage of making "a political statement" by calling them liars. On Thursday, Mr Farage said he had received multiple letters from former pupils in support of him. He said a letter from a Jewish schoolmate, said: "While there was plenty of macho tongue-in-cheek schoolboy banter, it was humour, and yes, sometimes it was offensive... but never with malice. "I never heard him [Farage] racially abuse anyone." A Reform UK spokesman "accused Sky News of scraping the barrel". He said: "This ridiculous interview has nothing to do with Nigel Farage himself but apparently someone who knew him at school almost 50 years ago. "Sky News are desperate to stop us winning the next election."

Any faint England hopes rest on another memorable captain's contribution from Ben Stokes - four not out overnight - after England's top order again subsided under lights in the day-night Test at The Gabba. With Australia resuming the third day on 378-6, 44 ahead on first innings, Mitchell Starc top-scored with 77 to continue his remarkable series and stretch the hosts' advantage to 177 when they were finally all out for 511 just as dusk arrived in Brisbane. The Ashes, second Test, day three - as it happenedScorecard: Australia vs England, The Gabba, BrisbanePODCAST: Ashes Daily with Nasser and Athers in AustraliaChoose the Sky Sports push notifications you want The game was set up perfectly for Australia, their wagging tail earning their bowlers the perfect twilight conditions to operate in with a brand-new pink ball - and they duly took advantage. England's openers counter-punched briefly, with 45 scored in a six-over spell in the run up to tea, but Australia's seamers cashed in with six wickets in the final session. Ben Duckett (15) was the first to depart, in the second over of the evening, bowled off the toe-end of his bat by one that kept low from Scott Boland (2-33). Ollie Pope (26) added another 42 for the second wicket with Crawley (44) who, like with his first-innings 76, showed flashes of his best form before the pair departed in dismal fashion within four overs of each other. Michael Neser (2-27) accounted for both caught and bowled as neither could resist driving on the up to the wrong length - Crawley, in particular, guilty of failing to learn the lesson from his partner's dismissal. Joe Root (15) edged Starc (2-48) behind, while pick-of-the-bowlers in the second innings, Boland, was rewarded for a fine spell when Harry Brook (15) also nicked off. Both edges went unnoticed on the field but were overturned by DRS, while Jamie Smith (4) also failed to detect his faint edge behind - his review failing - as Starc claimed an 18th wicket in his remarkable series thus far. Ashes series in Australia 2025-26 All times UK and Ireland First Test (Perth): Australia beat England by eight wicketsSecond Test (day/night): Thursday December 4 - Monday December 8 (4am) - The Gabba, BrisbaneThird Test: Wednesday December 17 - Sunday December 21 (11.30pm) - Adelaide OvalFourth Test: Thursday December 25 - Monday December 29 (11.30pm) - Melbourne Cricket GroundFifth Test: Sunday January 4 - Thursday January 8 (11.30pm) - Sydney Cricket Ground

The choice of venue. The creation of a new trophy. The closing music act. Donald Trump was lavished with the adulation he craves by FIFA President Gianni Infantino and feels others unfairly deny him. Knowing how much being overlooked by the Nobel Committee hurt the US president, there was Mr Infantino with FIFA's newly-created Peace Prize to hand over. And a medal for Mr Trump to wear. "This is truly one of the great honours of my life," he said. "And beyond awards, Gianni and I were discussing this. We saved millions and millions of lives." This was all on the stage in front of an audience who turned up to find out who they will be playing at the World Cup. England handed an undaunting route past Croatia, Panama and Ghana. Scotland paired with newcomers Haiti before tricky reunions from their last men's World Cup in 1998 against Brazil and Morocco. But the show before the draw could even begin - presided over by Rio Ferdinand - took almost as long as a football match, at 87 minutes after the noon kick-off was delayed. There was a walk of self-promotion to complete - "I guess they have to wait" - before taking his seat in the Kennedy Center. Or the Trump Kennedy Center as the president takes to calling the venue picked 1.5 miles from the White House. "It was falling apart," he said, delaying the walk into the auditorium. "And now it's, it's pretty much back." Mr Infantino could only watch on, beaming, at his friend. "We had a dead country," Mr Trump went on, "and now we have the hottest country anywhere in the world". There was the awkwardness of being reminded, before receiving the peace accolade, about threats to launch military strikes on Venezuela to stop the drugs trade. "I did settle eight wars, and we have a ninth coming," he swatted away the question. "Which nobody's ever done before. But I want to really save lives. I don't need prizes." But FIFA knew how much he wanted more gold for the collection with the prize. More on this story:What draw means for England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland And for all the mockery and disdain targeted at FIFA, how many sports would relish having the US president spend several hours attending a procedural event determining the placing of teams in groups for a tournament? How many would dish out the same flattery to secure direct lines to the leader of the nation staging their championship? Many have benefited from Mr Trump's stardust and swagger being attached to this spectacle. Even Port Vale's most famous fan - Robbie Williams - secured a walk-on role, exceeding his profile this side of the Pond. And the Village People are reaping the rewards of becoming the unlikeliest of Trump hype acts. The festivities ended with eyes fixed back up to the presidential seating and the YMCA dance being performed. This was an afternoon that dispelled any pretence that FIFA keeps a distance from politics. It was unapologetically political. But few speak out in the FIFA world as the redistributed wealth keeps rolling back in their direction. It would be easy to forget this isn't entirely America's World Cup. They're sharing hosting with Canada and Mexico. Read more from Sky News:Netflix agrees blockbuster $72bn deal for Warner Bros studiosSeveral sites go down after Cloudfare outage And eventually the spotlight was ceded to their leaders - very briefly - as Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney drew out their countries' names. But it did live up to FIFA's mantra that football can unite the world. The neighbours were brought together here on a snowy day in Washington. And tensions - often stoked by Mr Trump with Canada and Mexico - thawed in the name of football.

It had been reported that the US streaming giant was in exclusive talks over the deal following a bidding war for the assets. Paramount Skydance and Comcast, the ultimate owner of Sky News, were the rival suitors for the bulk of WBD that also includes HBO, the HBO Max streaming platform and DC Studios. Money latest: Budget airline launches six new routes While Netflix has agreed a $27.75 per share price with WBD, which equates to the $72bn purchase figure, the deal gives the assets a total value of $82.7bn. It will see WBD come under Netflix ownership once its remaining Discovery Global division, mostly legacy cable networks including CNN and the TNT sports channels, is separated. However, the agreement is set to attract scrutiny from competition regulators, particularly in the United States and Europe. Both WBD and Netflix do not see the prospect of the deal being completed until late 2026 or 2027. The main stumbling block is likely to be the fact that Netflix, which has hits including Stranger Things and Squid Game, is already the world's biggest streaming service. Further drama could come in the form of a complaint by Paramount, which had previously made a bid for the whole company. CNBC reported this week that Paramount had claimed the auction process was biased in favour of Netflix. Entertainment news provider Variety has also reported that major studios fear an institutional crisis for Hollywood unless the move is blocked. Ted Sarandos, the co-chief executive of Netflix, said: "By combining Warner Bros' incredible library of shows and movies - from timeless classics like Casablanca and Citizen Kane to modern favourites like Harry Potter and Friends - with our culture-defining titles like Stranger Things, KPop Demon Hunters and Squid Game, we'll be able to do that even better. "Together, we can give audiences more of what they love and help define the next century of storytelling." Netflix shares were trading down more than 3% in pre-market deals but recovered much of that loss when Wall Street opened. Those for WBD were up by more than 2%. David O'Hara, managing director at the advisory firm MKI Global Partners, said of the proposed deal: "The 12-18 month timeline signals a long antitrust review, but despite the overlap between Netflix and HBO Max, there is a path to approval through possible HBO divestment. "Netflix would not accept a $5.8bn break fee if it didn't see at least a small chance of the deal closing."

He has always dismissed such claims as "politically motivated" and insisted recently he has "never directly racially abused anybody". But now, with the prospect of Prime Minister Farage looking ever more likely, former classmates have decided now is the moment to speak up about their concerns, almost 50 years later. Warning: This article contains references to antisemitic slurs which readers may find offensive The allegations are deeply shocking. Jean-Pierre Lihou told me Farage used to sing a sickening song about the Nazi gas chambers, which began "gas them all, gas them out, gas them all, into the chambers they crawl". Lihou claims Farage said non-white pupils should be sent home and had a particular issue with the fact that at one point the school had more pupils with the surname Patel than Smith. Stefan Benarroch, meanwhile, told my colleague Ali Fortescue he witnessed Farage "tormenting others" and was himself "terrified" by Farage's "gang of bullies" who he claims "were instructed to have a go at us as these young, nice Jewish boys" on their way back from Friday prayers. The Guardian - whose investigation last month prompted a renewed focus on the issue - reports that 28 former teachers and pupils have come forward to report witnessing antisemitic or racist behaviour from him. A group of Holocaust survivors are now calling on Farage to either admit whether he said the words he's accused of saying, and apologise, or accuse those who said he did of lying. His political opponents - battered for so long in the polls by Reform UK - are keen to pile on the pressure too. Both Labour and the Liberal Democrats have urged him to "come clean" and apologise. The Tories have also argued that if it's true, Farage should say sorry, though Kemi Badenoch has certainly been more nuanced in her response than other political rivals, making the point that what most people may say as teenagers is very different from what they would say as adults. Read more:Farage dismisses school racism claims as 'banter in a playground'Farage needs to explain 'racist' comment allegations, says PM The problem for Farage is that far from going away - the story is only getting bigger. He's clearly hugely frustrated by this - as evidenced by the angry tirade he launched against the BBC this week when their reporter asked about the allegations. He argued it's "double standards" to criticise what he was alleged to have said 49 years ago, at a time when broadcasters were still showing blackface in The Black And White Minstrel Show. He also read out a letter he said had been sent to him by a Jewish contemporary pupil, who described "plenty of macho, tongue-in-cheek schoolboy banter" - which, while sometimes "offensive", was "never with malice". Reform has hit back against our story in bullish fashion, accusing Sky News of scraping the barrel in a desperate attempt to stop Reform UK winning the next election. Of course, the question of who will win the next election isn't down to journalists - but voters. And the jeopardy for Reform is whether these allegations will deter enough potential voters - particularly wavering Tories - to disrupt what has thus far been an unstoppable wave of support.

In a repeat of the 2018 World Cup semi-final, England begin their Group L campaign against Croatia on Wednesday June 17, in Dallas or Toronto. Thomas Tuchel's side then face Ghana on Tuesday June 23, in Toronto or Boston, with their final group game on Saturday June 27, against Panama - a team they also faced at the 2018 World Cup, beating them 6-1 in the group stages. England's routes to 2026 World Cup finalScotland's World Cup draw: Key questions answeredExplained: Why England are set to avoid world's top three until semisWales, NI and ROI await World Cup play-offs - so how do they work?World Cup 2026 schedule, dates and venues Scotland have been handed a nostalgic return to the World Cup as they face Brazil and Morocco in Group C - two teams they faced on their last appearance at the tournament in 1998. Steve Clarke's side open their campaign against Haiti on Saturday June 13 in Boston or New Jersey-New York. Scotland then take on 2022 semi-finalists Morocco on Friday June 19, in Boston or Philadelphia, with their final group game against Brazil on Wednesday, June 24 in Atlanta or Miami. The venues and kick-off times will be announced on Saturday, December 6 at 5pm UK time, when FIFA will unveil the full match schedule. There could be one more home nation at next summer's tournament in USA, Canada and Mexico, with Wales and Northern Ireland aiming to come through the UEFA play-offs in March. Wales or Northern Ireland would be in Group B with Canada, Switzerland and Qatar. The Republic of Ireland can also qualify for the 2026 World Cup through the play-offs and could face co-hosts Mexico, South Africa and South Korea in Group A. Next year's tournament will be the biggest World Cup ever, with 48 nations taking part - an expansion from 32 - across 104 matches, with 16 cities hosting games. The tournament opens with co-hosts Mexico against South Africa at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City on June 11. It is a repeat of the 2010 World Cup opener as then-hosts South Africa claimed a 1-1 draw. The 2026 World Cup final will be on July 19 at the New York-New Jersey (MetLife) Stadium. World Cup draw in full Group A: Mexico, South Korea, South Africa, Republic of Ireland/Denmark/North Macedonia/Czech Republic Group B: Canada, Switzerland, Qatar, Wales/Northern Ireland/Italy/Bosnia-Herzegovina Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Scotland, Haiti Group D: USA, Australia, Paraguay, Turkey/Romania/Slovakia/Kosovo Group E: Germany, Ecuador, Ivory Coast, Curacao Group F: Netherlands, Japan, Tunisia, Poland/Ukraine/Sweden/Albania Group G: Belgium, Iran, Egypt, New Zealand Group H: Spain, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Cape Verde Group I: France, Senegal, Norway, Iraq or Bolivia/Suriname Group J: Argentina, Austria, Algeria, Jordan Group K: Portugal, Colombia, Uzbekistan, DR Congo or Jamaica/New Caledonia Group L: England, Croatia, Panama, Ghana Tuchel wary of 'difficult' group England already knew before a single ball was drawn that they would benefit from a new Wimbledon-style seeding system introduced by FIFA, which will keep them apart from Spain and Argentina until the semis and from France until the final if all four countries win their respective groups. Should England win their group, they will face a third-place team in Atlanta in the round of 32 on July 1. Three Lions boss Tuchel, however, must first navigate a group he is wary of. "Difficult group, difficult opener," he told BBC Sport. "Difficult group with Croatia and Ghana, two regulars in World Cups and two proud and strong nations. "Panama, I don't know much about Panama at the moment but we will find out about it before the tournament starts, of course. "For me, I'm only experienced group football in Champions League formats and the way to approach it was to always give it the biggest respect and to put all the focus into winning the group. "It always seems difficult like our group now but we are confident and we will be well prepared when we arrive." Croatia beat England to reach the final in 2018, while they reached the semi-finals at the 2022 tournament in Qatar. "Nobody should be underestimated," Tuchel added. "Of course, Croatia is the standout, they're the highest ranked team from pot two that we got into our group but listen, Ghana is always full of talent and can always surprise and has a big history in World Cup football. "Panama will try to make the most in their underdog role. No one can be underestimated, everyone deserves the fullest respect and we can show that." Clarke: It's a great group | 'I didn't want European team' Scotland have now been drawn against Brazil in most of their World Cup appearances - five out of nine. Clarke's side also face a tough test in 2022 semi-finalists Morocco, who were the last team to face Scotland in the World Cup finals. A 3-0 win for the North Africans ended Scotland's 1998 campaign in Saint Etienne. But Scotland will be the favourites to beat Caribbean nation Haiti in their opener as both sides meet for the first time. "It's a good draw," Clarke told STV. "I didn't want any European teams, I wanted teams from different continents, and we got that. Scotland's World Cup draw: Key questions answered "Three great teams to play against and something to look forward to next summer. "You see how the draw was going on and teams were getting pushed down and I thought we were going to end up in that section. "It's a great group. Brazil is always a good game, and it's nice to get them. But Morocco is also a tough opponent, and it's two teams who, the last time we were at a World Cup, were teams that beat us. So hopefully this time we can do a little bit better against them." Opta facts: England and Scotland's draws analysedEngland have only won two of their last nine group games at the World Cup against fellow European opponents (D4 L3), beating Wales 3-0 most recently in 2022.England's only previous meeting with Ghana of any sort came in a friendly in March 2011, with Asamoah Gyan's 90th-minute equaliser cancelling out Andy Carroll's opener.England are yet to lose to sides from Africa at the World Cup (W5 D3), winning each of their last two against Tunisia in 2018 (2-1) and Senegal in 2022 (3-0).England's only defeat under Thomas Tuchel so far in 10 games (W9) was to an African nation, losing 3-1 to Senegal in a friendly in June.Since losing to the USA in 1950, England are unbeaten in their six World Cup matches against CONCACAF nations (W3 D3).Scotland are winless in eight previous meetings with South American opposition at the World Cup (D2 L6), the most times one nation have faced opponents from the same confederation without ever winning.Brazil are the only nation that Scotland have faced more than three times in their entire history without ever winning, losing eight of their 10 meetings in all competitions (D2).Scotland's only previous game against a CONCACAF nation at the World Cup came in 1990, losing 1-0 to Costa Rica in their opening group game.Scotland are winless in each of their last six meetings with CONCACAF nations in all competitions (D3 L3).World Cup match schedule FIFA will reveal the match schedule at 5pm UK time on Saturday, December 6, where kick-off times and locations will be unveiled, but the key dates for the tournament have already been confirmed. Group stage: June 11-27 Round of 32: June 28 to July 3 Round of 16: July 4-7 Quarter-finals: July 9-11 Semi-finals: July 14-15 Third-place play-off ('Bronze final'): July 18 Final: July 19