Austria and Algeria played to a thrilling 3-3 draw Saturday night in what amounted to a win-win result in their World Cup group-stage finale, allowing both to advance to the knockout round while eliminating Iran from the tournament.
The game was tied 2-all in the closing minutes, and Algeria looked as if it was content to run out the clock, when captain Riyad Mahrez scored his second goal with about a minute left in stoppage time. That put Austria on the verge of elimination, only for Sasa Kalajdzic to head in the equalizing goal moments later and rescue Das Team’s World Cup hopes.
Marko Arnautovic and Marcel Sabitzer also had goals for Austria, which finished second behind Argentina in Group J to advance for the first time since 1982. Its reward is a matchup with European champion Spain on Thursday in Los Angeles.
Rafik Belghali also scored for Les Fennecs, who became the ninth of 10 teams from Africa to advance. They finished third in the group but get a potentially easier Round of 32 showdown with Switzerland on Thursday night in Vancouver, British Columbia.
Iran would have advanced as one of the eight best third-place teams had Austria or Algeria won. But when Mahrez tied the game in the 60th minute, and the 2-2 score held the rest of the way, it was Team Melli that was sent home. (JapanToday)
Giovani Lo Celso became the first Argentina player other than Lionel Messi to score in this World Cup as the defending champions finished the group stage with a three-game sweep after a 3-1 victory over Jordan on Saturday night.
Lo Celso, in his first World Cup start, put Argentina ahead to stay when he scored on a direct free kick in the 19th minute. Messi added one of his own after entering the game in the second half, and the top scorer in World Cup history extended his mark to 19 goals.
Messi, the leader in this tournament with six goals, was among nine Argentina starters changed from the previous game since Group J was already clinched before the match. He entered in the 60th minute, three days after his 39th birthday, and in the same stadium where he broke the scoring mark last Monday, and scored in the 80th minute.
Their captain had scored all five of Argentina’s goals in wins over Algeria and Austria, including his first-ever World Cup hat trick and then two goals in his record-setting game on Monday. He has scored in seven consecutive World Cup games, breaking a tie with France’s Just Fontaine and Brazil great Jairzinho for the longest all-time streak.
In the first half, Lautaro Martinez put Argentina up 2-0 when he scored on a penalty kick in the 31st minute, in the same sequence when his close-range shot ricocheted off the crossbar.
Martinez, who was subbed out for Messi, and goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez were the only players to start all three of Argentina’s group matches.
Argentina, which has seven wins and two draws in its last nine World Cup games, plays in the round of 32 on Friday against Cape Verde, the smallest country to earn a spot in the knockout round. That game is in Miami, the home of Messi’s Major League Soccer team.
This is the fifth time Argentina has won all of its matches in group stage, and first since back-to-back tournaments in 2010 and 2014. Argentina has 14 wins, two losses and three draws in its last 19 group games.
France and Mexico were the only other squads in this expanded 48-team World Cup to get the maximum nine points in the group stage.
Jordan, the world’s 72nd-ranked team, lost all three of its games in the squad’s first appearance in the international tournament. The team was outscored 8-3.
Mousa Altamari, who entered the game at the start of the second half, scored in the 55th minute for Jordan.
Lo Celso and Martinez both scored their first World Cup goals.
Only a couple of minutes after Lo Celso was offside when he kicked the ball in the net but not counting for a goal, he got a free kick after being tripped up just outside the penalty box by Mohannad Abutaha, who drew a yellow card.
That was the first direct free kick for an Argentina goal in a World Cup since Messi against Nigeria in 2014.
After Martinez shot off the crossbar, Julian Alvarez followed with a header that was deflected by keeper Yazeed Abulaila over the net. But a VAR replay showed that Alvarez took a kick to the face on the play, setting up the penalty.
Messi had scored all five of Argentina’s goals in wins over Algeria and Austria, including his first World Cup hat trick and then two goals in his record-setting game on Monday.
Nicolás Paz, who made his World Cup debut subbing in for Messi late in the 3-0 win over Algeria in the opener, made his first start in his spot this time. Paz and Lo Celso were joined by forwards Marcos Senesi and Giuliano Simeone making first World Cup starts.
Paz and Simeone are the first sons of former Argentina national team players to compete in a World Cup. Both were born in Europe. (JapanToday)
Colombia and Portugal played out a breathless 0-0 draw to a wall of sound at Miami Stadium, with both teams advancing to the last 32 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the top two in Group K.
The Colombians will rue their profligacy in front of goal on Saturday, but take encouragement from dominating quality European opposition for large periods as they head off to Kansas City as group winners to take on Ghana on Friday.
Portugal, who needed to win to top the group, go north to Toronto to play Croatia on Thursday, knowing they have not quite yet found a way to blend all the talent in their squad into an effective team.
The match started to a cacophony of noise from the massed ranks of yellow-shirted South Americans, and the decibel levels went up a notch when striker Jhon Cordoba headed the ball over the bar in the first minute.
Jhon Arias caused Portugal problems every time he ran at them, and he set Cordoba free in the 17th minute, the big target man unleashing a rocket of a shot that keeper Diogo Costa did well to stop.
After a lovely flowing move five minutes later, winger Arias took the shot himself and screwed the ball towards the far corner of the net, only for Ruben Neves to arrive just in time to flick it off the line.
Colombia struggled to clear their lines cleanly sometimes, however, and it was this frailty that allowed Portugal their best chances towards the end of the first half.
Bruno Fernandes found himself free in front of goal in the 39th minute, with his shot bringing a fine point-blank save out of Camilo Vargas in the Colombia goal.
Three minutes before half-time, Joao Felix cleverly chested the ball over a defender and flashed an acrobatic volley over the bar.
Colombia pressed forward, looking for the goal their dominance deserved, and both Gustavo Puerta and playmaker James Rodriguez troubled the goalkeeper with shots before the break.
Portugal attacked more after the break, but it was Colombia who continued to carve out the best chances, with Arias setting up substitute Richard Rios for a shot that went wide.
Arias curled a shot at goal, which was well saved by Costa, and Puerta drilled another chance wide just before the hydration break.
A Rodriguez volley was deflected away from its target in the 73rd minute, just before he and Arias were substituted, but Colombia continued to tear forward at every opportunity.
Davinson Sanchez thought he had scored the winner with a far-post header a minute from time, but it was called back for a very tight offside after a VAR check.
Rafael Leao went close to winning it for Portugal in stoppage time with a shot that flashed across goal, before the referee finally called time on the entertaining match, played out in front of a crowd of 64,478 sweltering in the Miami evening heat.
Portugal’s totem Cristiano Ronaldo, booed every time he touched the ball and starved of service, had barely a sniff of a chance, his one shot on target a long-range free kick that went straight to the goalkeeper. (AlJazeera)
Ten-man Paraguay eliminated Turkiye from the 2026 World Cup with a courageous defensive effort to seal a dramatic 1-0 win after suffering a dismissal before half-time, with the fastest goal of the tournament proving the difference.
Fired up after their humiliating 4-1 opening match defeat by the United States, Paraguay went ahead when Matias Galarza wound up from 25 metres (27 yards) and fired a low rocket home after 64 seconds on Friday evening, to eclipse Ismael Saibari’s 71-second strike in Morocco’s 1-0 win over Scotland hours before.
Spurred on to the sound of beating drums in the San Francisco Bay Area, Paraguay defended resolutely to withstand the Turkish onslaught and played the second half with 10 men, after Miguel Almiron was sent off for remarks made to Mert Muldur with his hand covering his mouth.
The win by the South Americans means the US were confirmed as Group D winners after their earlier 2-0 victory over Australia in Seattle.
Turkiye’s coach, Vincenzo Montella, said his players fought to stay in the tournament and it was an outcome everyone had to accept.
“I’m sad, but I’m also very proud of my players. They gave everything right up until the final whistle. That’s what football’s like,” he said.
Paraguay’s goalscorer Galarza said it was one of the best days of his life.
“We showed our quality fighting spirits even with one player down. God wanted this to happen for Paraguay more than ever before,” said the 24-year-old, on loan at Atlanta United from River Plate.
Turkiye dominated the match, with 79 percent possession at one point, but paid the price for their atrocious finishing, logging 32 attempts but no goals in an almost carbon-copy of their high-shooting opening-match loss to Australia.
Turkiye were inventive and always threatening but fell apart in front of the goal, with a slew of chances for Juventus forward Kenan Yildiz and Real Madrid’s Arda Guler. Paraguay defended solidly and looked dangerous on the break in their few chances.
Known as “La Albirroja” (the white and red), Paraguay last played in the World Cup in 2010, where they were eliminated by eventual champions Spain in the quarterfinal, which has been their best-ever run in the tournament.
Almiron was sent off in first-half stoppage time after the exchange with Muldur, with the dismissal confirmed by the video assistant referee (VAR) as Paraguay led 1-0.
It was the first instance of the new rule being applied at the World Cup.
Players who cover their mouths with their hand, arm or shirt in confrontational situations receive a red card.
The rule came into effect after Benfica’s Gianluca Prestianni was accused of making discriminatory slurs to Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr with his mouth covered. (AlJazeera)
Curacao goalkeeper Eloy Room made 15 saves against a relentless Ecuador attack, allowing The Blue Wave to earn a 0-0 draw against the heavily favored La Tri on Saturday night and earn the tiny island nation its first-ever World Cup point.
The outcome also allowed Germany, which beat Ivory Coast earlier in the day, to clinch Group E.
The 37-year-old Room, whose shutout of Jamaica last November sent Curacao to its first World Cup, bounced back from a 7-1 loss to Germany with one of the finest performances by a goalkeeper in World Cup history. His save total was one shy of the record — since saves became an official stat in 1966 — of 16 set by Tim Howard of the U.S. against Belgium on July 1, 2014.
The draw doesn’t eliminate either team from knockout play, but it put Ecuador in dire shape going into its group finale. Those matches take place Thursday with Curacao facing Ivory Coast in Philadelphia and Ecuador playing Germany in New York.
Ecuador certainly had a home-field advantage Saturday night at the home of the Kansas City Chiefs. Its fanbase, dressed like its players in bright yellow shirts, filled the stadium to the brim, making it look like a convention of Minions. There was only a couple of small pockets of blue-clad Curacao fans in a stadium whose capacity could house half of its island citizenry.
Among those in the crowd were Kansas City Royals players Bobby Witt Jr., Salvador Perez and Starling Marte.
The pressure mounted on Ecuador earlier Saturday, when Deniz Undav’s goal in stoppage time gave Germany a 2-1 win over Ivory Coast. The outcome of that match in Toronto meant that La Tri faced World Cup elimination with a loss to The Blue Wave.
Curacao made sure the pressure continued once play began.
Throughout the first half, 78-year-old coach Dick Advocaat’s team kept finding seams through the middle of the Ecuadorean defense, creating open looks at the goal. But each time, Curacao would end the runs with a sloppy pass or a shot wide of net.
Ecuador wasted its best scoring chance in the opening minutes, when World Cup veteran Enner Valencia found nothing between him and the goalkeeper. But Room guessed right, dived to his left and deflected the shot to keep the game scoreless.
The relentless pressure of La Tri picked up in the second half — and each time, Room was standing in the way.
Moises Caicedo forced him into making a spectacular save early on, then Valencia did the same with a well-placed header that Room knocked wide. On the ensuing corner kick, Room made two more sensational saves before Curacao finally cleared it.
It was that kind of night for Room. And that kind of night for Ecuador. (JapanToday)
Deniz Undav scored twice after being subbed on in the second half as Germany defeated Ivory Coast 2-1 on Saturday and clinched a spot in the knockout phase at the World Cup.
Four minutes into stoppage time, Undav received a pass from Felix Nmecha in front of the net and rifled it past Ivory Coast goalkeeper Yahia Fofana to give the Germans a comeback win.
Undav’s first goal of the match came after Nadiem Amiri sent in a long ball – that striker Kai Havertz let pass him by – onto the boot of Undav, who slammed it into the back of the net at the 68th minute. Both Amiri and Undav had subbed on eight minutes earlier.
Four-time champion Germany has come back from disappointing group stage exits in 2018 and 2022, while Ivory Coast is still searching for its first knockout stage appearance and could still qualify. The last time Germany got past the group stage it won the tournament in 2014. (JapanToday)
Japan moved one step closer to reaching the knockout stages of the World Cup for the fourth consecutive time after pummeling Tunisia 4-0 in Group F.
Japan’s four goals were the most the Samurai Blue had ever scored in a World Cup game, as Japan comfortably dismantled a Tunisia side that became the first to ever fire its coach after the opening game.
Ayase Ueda scored twice, along with Daichi Kamada and Junya Ito to put Japan level with the Netherlands on four points. The Dutch are currently top the group due to having scored one more goal than Japan in its two matches.
The loss for Tunisia means it is eliminated from the tournament. Japan is guaranteed at least third in the group, which could be enough to advance to the knockout stages.
Tunisia appointed two-time Africa Cup of Nations winner Hervé Renard to try and rescue the Eagles of Carthage after its humiliating 5-1 loss to Sweden, but the North African nation could not contain Japan’s speedy attack nor create any clear chances of their own.
Kamada opened the scoring in the fourth minute, the fastest in Japan’s World Cup history. The Crystal Palace midfielder was perfectly positioned for Keito Nakamura’s cross and barely had to move to tap in his second goal of the tournament.
In the 31st minute, Ueda received the ball in the midfield and drove toward the Tunisia box. When Ueda opted not to pass to a few advancing runners, any chance of a goal seemed lost — but the 27-year-old fired an angled shot from outside the box which flew into the left corner of the goal to make it 2-0.
The Feyenoord striker had an impressive club season with Feyenoord, scoring 24 goals in the Eredivisie to earn the league’s top scorer award.
In the 69th minute, Ito slotted a third goal for Japan after a Ueda’s flick put Ito in a one-on-one with Tunisia’s goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen, which he finished calmly.
Ueda’s masterful looping header in the 83rd minute, his second of the night, capped off an impressive night for the Samurai Blue.
Japan, which has not lost to a European opponent in 90 minutes since 2019, will play Sweden in Dallas on Thursday. Tunisia will play the Netherlands in Kansas City on the same day. (JapanToday)
Brian Brobbey and Cody Gakpo scored two goals apiece to power Netherlands to a 5-1 win over Sweden on Saturday in the World Cup to bounce back after a disappointing draw in its opener and move atop the Group F standings.
Brobbey’s goals came in the first half, helping the Netherlands get off to a great start and roll to the big win after playing Japan to a 2-2 draw Sunday.
The victory gives Netherlands a group-leading four points. Sweden has three points, with Japan and Tunisia scheduled to play later Saturday.
Gakpo, who also had an assist, extended the lead to 3-0 just after halftime, scoring in the 47th minute off a cross from Denzel Dumfries. He matched Brobbey when he scored on a right-footed shot from the left box in the 54th minute.
Sweden couldn’t build on its strong performance in a 5-1 walloping of Tunisia in its first match. The loss to the Dutch was its biggest World Cup defeat since losing 7-1 to Brazil in 1950.
The Dutch gameplan to play out wide to open up Sweden and cross to Brobbey worked perfectly early. He put the Netherlands on top in the fifth minute when Gakpo crossed into the middle of the box and Brobbey one-timed it with his right foot before tumbling forward to the grass.
His second goal came when he took a cross from Dumfries while sliding and just got his right foot on the ball, scoring inside the far post in the 17th minute.
Anthony Elanga’s left-footed goal cut the lead to 4-1 in the 59th minute and allowed Sweden to avoid the shutout.
Sweden had plenty of chances to score before that, but Netherlands’ goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen was brilliant in the first half with four saves.
Sweden appeared to have cut the lead to 2-1 on a header by Gustaf Lagerbielke in the 44th minute, but he was ruled offside. Lagerbielke is a baron from a noble family in Sweden. His father and grandfather are counts.But he wasn’t the only royalty in the stadium Saturday as the Netherlands had two very special guests cheering them on with King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima watching from a luxury suite.
But he wasn’t the only royalty in the stadium Saturday as the Netherlands had two very special guests cheering them on with King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima watching from a luxury suite.
The crowd of 68,777 was largely made up of fans of the Netherlands, many of whom made their Oranje Fanwalk 2 1/2 miles from Rice University to Houston Stadium on Saturday morning.
Crysencio Summerville, who assisted on Gakpo’s second goal, tacked on a goal for Netherlands in the 89th minute and celebrated with NBA star Steph Curry’s “night night” gesture.
Sweden finishes group play Thursday night against Japan at Dallas Stadium, and Netherlands meets Tunisia that night in Kansas City. (JapanToday)
Colombia opened their World Cup Group K campaign with a 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan at the Estadio Azteca on Wednesday, as Daniel Munoz, Luis Diaz and Jaminton Campaz struck to overcome a spirited second-half response from the tournament debutants.
Uzbekistan were disciplined for long periods under their Italian coach Fabio Cannavaro, but Colombia’s greater quality stood out in front of a crowd of over 80,000 on a cool, rain-tinged evening in Mexico City.
Colombia, the Copa America runners-up, had early sights of goal through Jhon Arias and James Rodriguez, but Uzbekistan sat deep, scrapped gamely and waited for mistakes. Bekhruz Karimov almost profited when he burst forward, only for Jhon Lucumi to intervene before he could shoot.
Diaz had the clearest chance of the opening half when he struck the post, before Abdukodir Khusanov slid in after the winger had knocked the ball past him, taking out both the Colombian player and a pitchside cameraman who required medical treatment.
Uzbekistan’s resistance finally cracked in the 40th minute. Diaz gathered the ball after an attack had broken down and clipped a fine pass into the path of Munoz, who guided home a neat finish for his third international goal.
The large Colombian contingent erupted, their yellow shirts making the Azteca look and sound almost like home. Chants of “Vamos Colombia”, adapted from a Club America-style chorus, rolled around the ground, while Uzbekistan’s small band of supporters answered with drums of their own.
Uzbekistan improved after the break and equalised on the hour with the country’s first World Cup goal.
Dostonbek Khamdamov fed Eldor Shomurodov, whose shot from the right side of the box was saved low by Camilo Vargas. The goalkeeper could not hold it, however, and Abbosbek Fayzullaev nodded in the rebound from close range.
However, Uzbekistan’s joy lasted only five minutes.
Gustavo Puerta released Diaz in the 65th minute, and the forward side-footed across goal to restore Colombia’s lead. The crowd responded with chants of “Lucho, Lucho”.
Uzbekistan kept pushing. Akmal Mozgovoy shot narrowly off target in stoppage time, Karimov hit the bar with an effort from distance, and Azizbek Amonov had a shot blocked after Otabek Shukurov’s pass.
But Colombia had the final word, Campaz scoring in the ninth minute of stoppage time to settle a contest in which Nestor Lorenzo’s side had 15 attempts to Uzbekistan’s nine, and extended their strong recent group-stage record to seven wins in eight World Cup matches.
Colombia face DR Congo on Tuesday in Guadalajara, after Uzbekistan play Portugal on the same day in Houston. (AlJazeera)
Newly promoted Coventry City will travel to champions Arsenal in the first match of the 2026-27 Premier League season.
The season’s curtain raiser on Friday, 21 August sees the Sky Blues play their first top-flight match in 25 years against the Gunners, who were led to their first Premier League title since 2004 by Mikel Arteta.
Manchester City begin life without Pep Guardiola at home to Bournemouth on Sunday, 23 August, who also start the campaign with a new manager in Marco Rose.
Hull City, who went up via the play-offs, host Manchester United on Saturday, 22 August while fellow promoted side Ipswich are at home to Sunderland on the same day.
Liverpool’s first match under Andoni Iraola, who replaced the sacked Arne Slot after leaving the Cherries, is away at Newcastle on the same day.
Chelsea start life under Xabi Alonso away at Fulham on Monday, 24 August, with the Cottagers also still to appoint a new manager after Marco Silva’s departure. (BBC)
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