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)
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni accused her one-time close ally Donald Trump of fabricating a story about her on Friday, after the U.S. President told an Italian TV channel that she had “begged” him to take a photo with her at a G7 summit.
Meloni said she was “astonished” by his comments, which were “completely made up”. She also chided him for acting with far greater deference to the enemies of the West than he does towards old, established allies.
Underscoring how much Trump’s comments have angered Meloni’s government, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani announced he was cancelling a planned visit to the U.S. next week.
The latest exchange marks a sharp deterioration in ties, coming just days after signs emerged at the G7 summit that the two right-wing leaders had steadied a previously strained relationship following tensions this year over the war on Iran.
Video from the event in France showed Meloni and Trump deep in conversation, sitting side-by-side on a small sofa, but the U.S. leader suggested he had merely indulged her by chatting with her.”
She’s probably happy I talked to her. I didn’t have to talk to her,” Trump was quoted as saying by La7 TV channel in a brief interview, after he himself asked the journalist about Italy’s prime minister.”
She begged me to take a picture with her. She wanted a picture with me so badly. I wouldn’t have taken it, but I felt sorry for her,” Trump said, according to La7’s translation.
The channel did not release the original audio, just a dubbed version.
Meloni responded: “Donald Trump’s statements are completely made up. I am frankly astonished. I don’t know why the president of the United States behaves like this towards his allies: it is not the first time, moreover.”
“I can only say it is disappointing that he does not show the same determination with the enemies of the West and of the United States, whose leaders he instead treats with far greater indulgence,” she said, adding: “There is one thing he should remember: neither I nor Italy ever beg.”
Announcing the cancellation of his planned U.S. trip, Foreign Minister Tajani said on X: “The serious and offensive words of President Trump towards Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni offend the whole of Italy.” (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)
The Ogun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has unveiled Alhaja Kudirat Adegunwa-Balogun, a chartered accountant and daughter of industrialist, Alhaji Adebola Adegunwa, as the party’s deputy governorship candidate for the 2027 election.
Governor Dapo Abiodun announced her emergence on Sunday during the APC Strategic Caucus Meeting held at the party secretariat in Abeokuta.
Abiodun said the decision followed extensive consultations with party leaders and stakeholders across the state.
Adegunwa-Balogun will run alongside the APC governorship candidate, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi.
Her emergence follows the zoning of the deputy governorship position to Ogun East Senatorial District and its subsequent micro-zoning to the Ijebu Central Federal Constituency.
The 51-year-old finance expert currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer and Executive Director, Finance and Administration, at Rite Foods Limited.
Political observers view her nomination as a strategic move aimed at strengthening the APC’s appeal among professionals, women and voters in Ogun East ahead of the 2027 governorship election.
Speaking at the event, Abiodun commended party leaders and members for maintaining unity throughout the recently concluded primary elections, describing the process as unprecedented in the state’s political history.
According to him, the APC successfully produced candidates for elective positions without major disputes, litigation or factional crises.
“I have never witnessed anything like this in my years in politics in Ogun State. For the first time, leaders across generations came together to collectively endorse a successor, and that decision was accepted peacefully by all stakeholders,” Abiodun said.
He added that the consensus approach adopted during the governorship primary contributed to the smooth conduct of other primaries across the state.
“What we achieved reflects the true Ogun spirit. History will be kind to all of us because we have demonstrated that peaceful succession and consensus-building are possible in our politics,” he said.
The governor also praised aspirants who stepped aside for the sake of party unity, describing their sacrifices as critical to the APC’s stability and readiness for the 2027 elections.
Explaining the choice of Adegunwa-Balogun, Abiodun said the party considered equity and fairness in allocating the deputy governorship slot.
“If the government is coming from the West, we felt that for equity and fairness, the government should come from the East,” he said.
“So today, it gives me great pleasure to announce to us who our deputy governor will be by the grace of God. Today, we have amongst us Mrs. Kudirat Abiodun Adegunwa-Balogun and by the grace of God, Mrs. Adegunwa-Balogun will be our deputy governor.”
Also speaking, Adeola expressed confidence in Adegunwa-Balogun’s capacity to complement his administration if elected, citing her professional achievements, leadership experience and commitment to public service.
In her acceptance speech, Adegunwa-Balogun described her nomination as a call to service and pledged to deploy her experience in support of Ogun State’s development.
“I see this nomination as a call to duty and a privilege to serve. My over three decades of experience in various leadership and governance roles in the corporate world have prepared me for this moment,” she said.
She noted that her exposure to governance dates back to 1999 and said those experiences had given her valuable insight into public administration and service delivery.
“Since 1999, I have been closely associated with governance. These experiences have given me valuable insight into public service, its challenges, its impact and its sacred responsibility,” she stated. (Punch)
Nestory Irankunda and Connor Metcalfe scored and Australia spoiled Turkey’s return to the World Cup for the first time in 24 years with a 2-0 victory on Saturday night.
Goalkeeper Patrick Beach made eight saves for the Socceroos in their group opener as FIFA President Gianni Infantino looked on. Australia was playing in its sixth straight World Cup and seventh overall.
Turkey reached the semifinals of the 2002 World Cup but then missed five straight tournaments before qualifying this year by beating Kosovo in a playoff.
Irankunda broke through for the Socceroos in the 27th minute with a low shot while pursued by three defenders. It came less than a minute after the first-half hydration break.
Irankunda celebrated by punching the corner flag in a tribute to Australian soccer legend Tim Cahill. The 20-year-old who plays for Watford is the Socceroo’s youngest-ever goal scorer at a World Cup.
Minutes later Beach stopped Abdulkerim Bardakcı’s blast from distance. Beach started in goal for the Socceroos rather than experienced counterpart Matthew Ryan in a surprise decision from coach Tony Popovic.
Kenan Yildiz, a 21-year-old who plays for Juventus, was not in the starting lineup but subbed in for Turkey at half-time.
Turkey had a dangerous free kick in the 57th minute, but Arda Güler’s attempt was saved by Beach. Güler, a talented 21-year-old attacking midfielder who plays for Real Madrid, was not yet born the last time Turkey played in the World Cup.
Connor Metcalfe capitalized on Ismail Yüksek’s turnover in the 75th minute to double the Socceroos’ lead. The Socceroos fell to France in the opener in Qatar but then beat Tunisia and Denmark in their group before getting knocked out by eventual champion Argentina in the round of 16.
It is the third World Cup appearance for the Turks, who reached the tournament for the first time in 1954.
The teams are in Group D with the United States and Paraguay. The Americans downed Paraguay 4-1 in their group opener on Friday in Los Angeles. (JapanToday)
Former Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton won his first race as part of the legendary Ferrari team, capturing victory at the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix in Spain on Sunday.
The triumph came in his 31st race with Ferrari in a year of resurgence for Hamilton. The 41-year-old is in second place in the driver standings, trailing teenager Kimi Antonelli, who was seeking his sixth consecutive victory for his Mercedes team.
Hamilton finished sixth in the standings in 2025, well behind season winner Lando Norris of McLaren. He had not stood atop the podium since he won the Belgian Grand Prix in July 2024 while driving for Mercedes.
“I started out with a dream last year, which seemed almost impossible during my time last year,” Hamilton said immediately after the race. “But we never gave up hope. The team just continued to lift me up. We made so many changes and so many improvements. On top of that, I’ve got the greatest fanbase a sportsman could ever ask for. Thank you. Thank you to everybody.”
Hamilton executed his team’s plan to perfection in Barcelona. They used a three-stop strategy, employed tyres they thought would be most efficient in the blazing heat and were aided by a free stop while under a Virtual Safety Car. The temperature on the track at the start of the race was above 50C (122F), F1 reported.
Russell held on to the early lead with Hamilton, Antonelli, Norris and four- time season champion Max Verstappen doing the chasing while maintaining their starting positions.
On Lap 12, the leaders all sought a tyre change as they began to impact performance. On Lap 23, Ferrari called in Hamilton for another tyre change, and he closed on the lead, thanks to his fresh set.
As the other drivers hit the pits again, Hamilton took a 16-second lead.
After the Virtual Safety Car came out, Hamilton was called in again by Ferrari with 24 laps to go. When he returned to the circuit, his lead was less than three seconds over Russell, but Hamilton had the advantage of fresh, hard tyres.
With five laps remaining, Antonelli passed Russell for second place, but a broken end plate forced him out of the race and ended his winning streak.
Hamilton finished 19.5 seconds ahead of Russell, with Norris finishing third. The trio made up the first all-British podium since 1968.
Russell said post-race that Ferrari is emerging as a threat to other teams, thanks to extensive improvements.
“Firstly, huge congrats to (Hamilton) because I know how hard he works. We spent a lot of years together at Mercedes, so I’m really pleased to see him back to the Lewis I remember when I was growing up watching Formula 1,” he said.
“But yeah, a tough day, it’s good to be back on the podium and have a bit of a clean race from my side. Ferrari were mighty impressive today and we need to keep on pushing.” (AlJazeera)
The New York Knicks, fuelled by a sensational 45 points from Jalen Brunson, rallied again to beat the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 and win their first NBA title in 53 years on Saturday.
The Knicks won the best-of-seven championship series 4-1, denying Victor Wembanyama and his young Spurs teammates on their home floor to lift the trophy for the first time since 1973.
The Knicks, who recovered from 29 points down in game four to produce the biggest comeback in Finals history, erased a double-digit deficit to win for the fourth time in the series.
The Knicks trailed by 16 in the second quarter and were down by 10 early in the fourth, but Brunson wouldn’t let them lose.
“I’ve got no words,” Brunson said after setting a Knicks record for points in a Finals game, surpassing Willis Reed’s 38 in game three of the team’s 1970 triumph over the Los Angeles Lakers.
“I don’t know what I’m feeling,” added Brunson, who was named Finals Most Valuable Player.
“I’m in awe. Whenever someone counts us out, we find a way to come back and do something about it.”
French star Wembanyama scored 19 points, pulled down 14 rebounds and blocked five shots, and rookie Dylan Harper scored 25 points off the bench for San Antonio.
But once again, the Spurs team that vanquished the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference finals were unable to hold off the crafty and determined Knicks.
The win marked the final chapter of a dramatic playoff run which had captivated New York, with tens of thousands of long-suffering fans packing neighbourhood watch-parties throughout the Big Apple as the team inched towards a first title in more than half a century.
Within moments of clinching victory on Saturday, the Empire State Building was lit up in the Knicks’ signature orange and blue colours, as raucous celebrations erupted outside the team’s Madison Square Garden home.
There was a boisterous blue and orange-clad contingent cheering them on at the Spurs’ Frost Bank Center as well, where the celebrities on the sidelines included not only longtime Knicks fans but also Britain’s Prince Harry, who sat with NBA commissioner Adam Silver.
Mikal Bridges scored 14 points and Josh Hart added 13 points and 11 rebounds for the Knicks. Karl-Anthony Towns scored just two points before fouling out in the fourth quarter, but pulled down 10 rebounds and came up with three steals and a blocked shot.
Fouled on a three-pointer, Brunson made all three free throws to put the Knicks up 86-85 with 3:40 left to play.
It was their first lead since the opening minutes, and they wouldn’t trail again.
Game four hero OG Anunoby drove for a dunk that made it 88-85, and after the Spurs knotted it at 88-88, Brunson put New York back in front with a driving basket and the Knicks held on. (AlJazeera)
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