<p>The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/fifa-2026">FIFA World Cup 2026</a> R32 matches are producing highest drama with Netherlands becoming another team to crash out on penalties. The Dutch lost 3-2 in the final shootout againts Morocco on Monday (Jun 29) at Monetrrey Stadium in Mexico. The game was first goal being scored in the 72nd minute Cody Gakpo found the net for Netherlands and put them 1-0 ahead. The Dutch were almost through the R16 but Issa Dipo scored in 90+1st minute to send the game into the extra time. The the 30-minute of extra game play, the two teams went to face off in the penalty shootout and Morocco came out winners 3-2.</p><h2>How Morocco made into R16?</h2><p>The African nation was superior than the Dutch trhougout the game and it is visible in the game stats. Morocco made 12 shots for a goal and six were on target in comaprison to Netherlands' three on-target shots out of seven attempts. Morocco were also better with the ball, and kept it for 70 percent of the match and passing it around 780 times with 92 percent accuracy.</p>

FIFA World Cup 2026 Live on Zee5

<p>Netherlands, on the other and, made only 356 passes during the 30 percent of time they had control of the ball with their pass accuracy being just 81 percent. Netherlands also conceded 18 fouls compared to Morocco's 15.</p><p>Also Read - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/fifa-2026-why-was-germanys-extra-time-goal-vs-paraguay-disallowed-by-var-1782791577618">FIFA 2026 | Why was Germany's extra-time goal vs Paraguay disallowed by VAR?</a></p><h2>How the penalty shootout played out?</h2><p>Netherlands were first to kick with Teun Koopmeiners finding the net and putting the team 1-0 ahead. In reply, Neil El Aynaoui failed to score for Morocco. On the second attempt, Justin Kluivert missed for Netherlands but Soufiane Rahimi found the net as Morocco leveled score 1-1. Both the teams scored on third attempt, Wout Weghost for Netherlands and Chemsdine Talbi for Morocco. The next attempt was missed by both teams, Quinten Timber for the Dutch and Achraf Hakimi for Morocco. With only one more attempt left, Crysencio Summerville missed for Netherlands and Isamel Saibari found the net, as Morocco won 3-2 and sent its fans in frenzy.</p>

FIFA 2026 | Netherlands became second team after Germany to crash out on penalty shootout on Monday (Jun 29) in Round of 32 matches.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 R32 matches are producing highest drama with Netherlands becoming another team to crash out on penalties. The Dutch lost 3-2 in the final shootout againts Morocco on Monday (Jun 29) at Monetrrey Stadium in Mexico. The game was first goal being scored in the 72nd minute Cody Gakpo found the net for Netherlands and put them 1-0 ahead. The Dutch were almost through the R16 but Issa Dipo scored in 90+1st minute to send the game into the extra time. The the 30-minute of extra game play, the two teams went to face off in the penalty shootout and Morocco came out winners 3-2. How Morocco made into R16? The African nation was superior than the Dutch trhougout the game and it is visible in the game stats. Morocco made 12 shots for a goal and six were on target in comaprison to Netherlands' three on-target shots out of seven attempts. Morocco were also better with the ball, and kept it for 70 percent of the match and passing it around 780 times with 92 percent accuracy.

<p>FIFA 2026 | Netherlands became second team after Germany to crash out on penalty shootout on Monday (Jun 29) in Round of 32 matches.</p>

FIFA 2026 | Morocco beat Netherlands in penalty shootout to book R16 berth

<p>Germany, four-time world champions, suffered a shcok exit in the <a href="2026">FIFA World Cup 2026</a>, but it was not for the lack of trying. Germany lost 4-3 on penalties against Paraguay on Monday (Jun 29) at the Boston Stadium. The penalty shootout came into the picture after the teams ended regulation time at 1-1 and a Germany goal was disallowed by the VAR in the extra-time. The disallowed goal has now become the point of contention with many experts calling it wrong including Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann who called it 'a joke.'</p><h2>Why was Germany's goal disallowed by VAR?</h2><p>The contentious moment came in 112th minute of the game when Germany defender Jonathan Tah scored on a header to take his team 2-1 ahead. Referee Jalal Jayed, however, went on to check on the pitch-side monitor and the goal was eventually disallowed. The reason behind nullying the effort by Tah was Germany defender Waldemar Anton 'pushing' Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill.</p>

<p>After being impeded by Anton, Gill fell on the ground before getting up and trying to save the goal, which couldn't happen. The move by Anton was not seen as something within the game limit and the goal was disallowed, leaving the match to go into the penalties where Paraguay won.</p><p><strong>Also Read</strong> - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/fifa-world-cup-2026-cape-verde-captain-ryan-mendes-faces-rape-allegation-during-team-s-historic-run-1782733281962">FIFA World Cup 2026: Cape Verde captain Mendes faces rape allegation</a></p><h2>How the experts reacted on disallowed goal?</h2><p>Former England captain Alan Shearer told BBC that Paraguay goalkeeper Gill 'conned the referee.' "I don't agree with that decision at all. The keeper falls to the ground on a slight touch and it's very soft. I thought it was a terrible decision.</p><p>"You have to understand it is a contact sport, the goalkeeper has conned the referee and the VAR. The way he went down was pathetic," he added.</p><p>Germany coach Nagelsmann also didn't mince any words and said: "In my opinion, this foul was not a real foul; it was actually a joke that his goal was disallowed."</p>

FIFA 2026 | Germany's Jonathan Tah had scored a header in 112th minute but the goal was disallowed by VAR after referee Jalal Jayed deemed Tah's teammate Waldemar Anton pushing Paraguay goalkeeper Oranldo Gill as foul.

Germany, four-time world champions, suffered a shcok exit in the FIFA World Cup 2026, but it was not for the lack of trying. Germany lost 4-3 on penalties against Paraguay on Monday (Jun 29) at the Boston Stadium. The penalty shootout came into the picture after the teams ended regulation time at 1-1 and a Germany goal was disallowed by the VAR in the extra-time. The disallowed goal has now become the point of contention with many experts calling it wrong including Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann who called it 'a joke.' Why was Germany's goal disallowed by VAR? The contentious moment came in 112th minute of the game when Germany defender Jonathan Tah scored on a header to take his team 2-1 ahead. Referee Jalal Jayed, however, went on to check on the pitch-side monitor and the goal was eventually disallowed. The reason behind nullying the effort by Tah was Germany defender Waldemar Anton 'pushing' Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill.

<p>FIFA 2026 | Germany's Jonathan Tah had scored a header in 112th minute but the goal was disallowed by VAR after referee Jalal Jayed deemed Tah's teammate Waldemar Anton pushing Paraguay goalkeeper Oranldo Gill as foul.</p>

FIFA 2026 | Why was Germany's extra-time goal vs Paraguay disallowed by VAR?

<p>Germany's World Cup campaign came to a shocking end on Monday (Jun 29) in Foxborough, as Paraguay knocked out the four-time champions 4-3 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in the round of 32. It is the first time in World Cup history that Germany have lost a penalty shootout. Julio Enciso put Paraguay ahead before half-time, while Kai Havertz restored parity for Germany in the 54th minute with his third goal of the tournament. Jonathan Tah thought he had scored the winner in extra time, but the goal was ruled out following a VAR review for a foul on the goalkeeper, paving the way for a dramatic shootout. The defeat marks another early exit for Germany, who had been playing in their first knockout match since lifting the trophy in 2014.</p><p><strong>Also Read </strong>- <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/brazil-beat-japan-in-houston-to-secure-fifa-world-cup-2026-round-of-16-spot-gabriel-martinelli-stoppage-time-winner-1782760396561">Brazil edge past Japan in Houston to secure World Cup Round of 16 spot</a><br>In a shootout where momentum swung repeatedly, Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill emerged as the hero, saving spot-kicks from Havertz and Nick Woltemade. Despite missing two chances of their own to seal the win, Paraguay held their nerve as Jose Canale slotted home the decisive penalty after Tah's effort sailed over the bar. Gill, speaking after the win, called it "an immense thrill," and explained how Paraguay's preparation paid off: "We managed to hold on. We opened the scoring, they equalized, but then we managed to keep it up. Obviously, we analyzed every player and every detail of the penalty takers," he said. He added, “Thank God I was able to save two penalties. This is a privilege; we eliminated a champion. This is dedicated to all Paraguayans.”</p>

<p>Julian Nagelsmann had handed Deniz Undav his first start of the tournament after the Stuttgart striker came off the bench to score three times in the group stage, while Paraguay recalled Miguel Almiron following a one-match ban. Germany struggled to break down a compact Paraguay defence for long stretches, with Florian Wirtz eventually setting up Havertz's equaliser from the left flank. The result marks Paraguay's first-ever knockout-stage goal at a World Cup, having gone scoreless in their previous five matches, including a 2002 last-16 defeat to Germany. Paraguay will now face the winner of France's clash with Sweden in the next round.</p>

In a shootout where momentum swung repeatedly, Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill emerged as the hero, saving spot-kicks from Havertz and Nick Woltemade.

Germany's World Cup campaign came to a shocking end on Monday (Jun 29) in Foxborough, as Paraguay knocked out the four-time champions 4-3 on penalties following a 1-1 draw in the round of 32. It is the first time in World Cup history that Germany have lost a penalty shootout. Julio Enciso put Paraguay ahead before half-time, while Kai Havertz restored parity for Germany in the 54th minute with his third goal of the tournament. Jonathan Tah thought he had scored the winner in extra time, but the goal was ruled out following a VAR review for a foul on the goalkeeper, paving the way for a dramatic shootout. The defeat marks another early exit for Germany, who had been playing in their first knockout match since lifting the trophy in 2014. Also Read - Brazil edge past Japan in Houston to secure World Cup Round of 16 spot In a shootout where momentum swung repeatedly, Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill emerged as the hero, saving spot-kicks from Havertz and Nick Woltemade. Despite missing two chances of their own to seal the win, Paraguay held their nerve as Jose Canale slotted home the decisive penalty after Tah's effort sailed over the bar. Gill, speaking after the win, called it "an immense thrill," and explained how Paraguay's preparation paid off: "We managed to hold on. We opened the scoring, they equalized, but then we managed to keep it up. Obviously, we analyzed every player and every detail of the penalty takers," he said. He added, “Thank God I was able to save two penalties. This is a privilege; we eliminated a champion. This is dedicated to all Paraguayans.”

<p>In a shootout where momentum swung repeatedly, Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill emerged as the hero, saving spot-kicks from Havertz and Nick Woltemade.</p>

FIFA 2026 | Paraguay shock four-time champions Germany in penalty shootout to advance to R16

<p>Uruguay's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/fifa-2026">FIFA World Cup 2026</a> campaign came to an end in group-stage when they lost to Spain in their final Group H match. During the game, Manuel Ugarte, who plays for Manchester United in English Premier League, suffered a horrific injury. Ugarte was taken off the field in a stretcher after he twisted his knee, somrthing which he defined as the 'worst injury a footballer can face.'</p><p><strong>Also Read</strong> - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/fifa-2026-who-is-michel-nkuka-mboladinga-dr-congo-fan-who-is-a-living-statue-1782707299039">FIFA 2026 | Meet Michel Nkuka Mboladinga - DR Congo's fan who is 'a living statue'</a></p><h2>What happed to Manuel Ugarte?</h2><p>In the last group match of both Spain and Uruguay on Friday (Jun 26) in Guadalajara in Mexico, only one goal was scored with Spain winning 1-0. The goal came in 42nd minute with Alex Baena finding the net. During the set up of the goal, Ugarte tried to make a tackle but fell awkwardly and twisted his knee. He was eventually taken off on a stretcher as his team lost the match.</p>

<p>After the injury, he was checked by Uruguay's medical staff on Saturday (Jun 28) and is now expected to travel to Manchester for further assessment. Meanwhile, several media reports from Uruguay are claiming that Ugarte has suffered a cruciate ligament injury, which can make him unavailable for months.</p><h2>What did Ugarte say about injury?</h2><p>Talking to Instagram about his injury, Ugarte wrote: "Suffering the most serious injury a footballer can face in one of the most important matches in my country's history, and seeing it end this way without being able to stay on the pitch and support my team-mates until the final whistle, is something that will stay with me for the rest of my life."</p><p>"Hitting rock bottom will make me stronger in every sense, and I truly believe that's the case here. Without a doubt, when life wants you to stop, it finds a way to let you know. It's up to me to take the positives from this. Success in life is about starting again every time you fall," he added.</p>

In the last group match of both Spain and Uruguay on Friday (Jun 26) in Guadalajara in Mexico, only one goal was scored with Spain winning 1-0. During the set up of the goal, Ugarte tried to make a tackle but fell awkwardly and twisted his knee.

Uruguay's FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign came to an end in group-stage when they lost to Spain in their final Group H match. During the game, Manuel Ugarte, who plays for Manchester United in English Premier League, suffered a horrific injury. Ugarte was taken off the field in a stretcher after he twisted his knee, somrthing which he defined as the 'worst injury a footballer can face.' Also Read - FIFA 2026 | Meet Michel Nkuka Mboladinga - DR Congo's fan who is 'a living statue' What happed to Manuel Ugarte? In the last group match of both Spain and Uruguay on Friday (Jun 26) in Guadalajara in Mexico, only one goal was scored with Spain winning 1-0. The goal came in 42nd minute with Alex Baena finding the net. During the set up of the goal, Ugarte tried to make a tackle but fell awkwardly and twisted his knee. He was eventually taken off on a stretcher as his team lost the match.

<p>In the last group match of both Spain and Uruguay on Friday (Jun 26) in Guadalajara in Mexico, only one goal was scored with Spain winning 1-0. During the set up of the goal, Ugarte tried to make a tackle but fell awkwardly and twisted his knee.</p>

FIFA 2026 | Uruguay's Manuel Ugarte reveals suffering from 'most serious injury a footballer can face'

<p>Dominican Republic of Congo (DR Congo), the cental African country, is having their moment in the FIFA World Cup 2026, their second apperance ever in the tournament history and first since 1974. Their first group-stage match was against Portugal on June 16 and the football minnows drew the game 1-1. The fans were ecstatic with the result but one fan, in particular, was missing amid the see of blue jerseys which showed support for DR Congo. Michel Nkuka Mboladinga, the statue fan as he's known, for offering a tribute to Patrice Émery Lumumba - Congo's first prime minister after the country gained independece from Belgium in 1960 - was missing from the crowd.</p><h2>Who is Michel Nkuka Mboladinga?</h2><p>Mboladinga, who is fondly called "Lumumba Vea" or "Lumumba Lives," rose to the prominence during Africa Cup of Nations 2025 when he stood like a statue throughout all games of DR Congo as a mark of respect to contury's first PM Patrice Lumumba. He was in crowd when DR Congo faced Colombia in Mexico for the first time in the tournament.</p>

<p>Talking about why he chose to do this, Mboladinga told CNN Sports on Monday (Jun 22) from Mexico: "He’s my inspiration. Patrice Lumumba is a symbol of unity – the one who taught Congolese to stand and to be proud."</p><p><strong>Also Read </strong>- <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/fifa-2026-south-korea-coach-hong-resigns-hours-after-president-calls-out-incompetent-people-for-early-exit-1782701488839">FIFA 2026 | South Korea coach Hong resigns hours after president calls out 'incompetent people' for early exit</a></p><p>"I am a living statue," Mboladinga said about the heat in North America. "The climate has no impact on me. My job is not just to stand there, but rather to communicate energy, strength and power to the players. That is what I am focusing on."</p><h2>Who was Patrice Lumumba?</h2><p>In 1960, Congo got independence from colonial rule of Belgium which had started in 1885 under King Leopold II. The country kept fighting and Lumumba was an iconic figure in the struggle of independence. He became the country's first Prime Minister but was shot dead only seven months into the tenure at the age of 35.</p><p>Lumumba, however, continues to attract reverence and respect throughout the continent with civil right activist Malcolm X calling him "the greatest Black man who ever walked the African continent" in 1964.</p>

Michel Nkuka Mboladinga, the statue fan as he's known, for offering a tribute to Patrice Émery Lumumba - Congo's first prime minister after the country gained independece from Belgium in 1960.

Dominican Republic of Congo (DR Congo), the cental African country, is having their moment in the FIFA World Cup 2026, their second apperance ever in the tournament history and first since 1974. Their first group-stage match was against Portugal on June 16 and the football minnows drew the game 1-1. The fans were ecstatic with the result but one fan, in particular, was missing amid the see of blue jerseys which showed support for DR Congo. Michel Nkuka Mboladinga, the statue fan as he's known, for offering a tribute to Patrice Émery Lumumba - Congo's first prime minister after the country gained independece from Belgium in 1960 - was missing from the crowd. Who is Michel Nkuka Mboladinga? Mboladinga, who is fondly called "Lumumba Vea" or "Lumumba Lives," rose to the prominence during Africa Cup of Nations 2025 when he stood like a statue throughout all games of DR Congo as a mark of respect to contury's first PM Patrice Lumumba. He was in crowd when DR Congo faced Colombia in Mexico for the first time in the tournament.

<p>Michel Nkuka Mboladinga, the statue fan as he's known, for offering a tribute to Patrice Émery Lumumba - Congo's first prime minister after the country gained independece from Belgium in 1960.</p>

FIFA 2026 | Meet Michel Nkuka Mboladinga - DR Congo's fan who is 'a living statue'

<p>South Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo has stepped down after his sides unceremonious exit from the FIFA World Cup 2026. South Korea were in Group A along with co-hosts Mexico, South Africa, and Czechia. Hong's side lost 1-0 against Mexico and South Africa, and their only win in the group stage came against Czechia 2-1. They ended up with just three points which were not enough for them to advance to the R32. After the loss, South Korea president Lee Jae Myung also called out 'incompetent people' being put in the leadership roles, following which, Hong, in his second stint as coach, decided to step down.</p><p><strong>Also Read</strong> - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/fifa-2026-it-is-a-free-hit-says-canada-coach-marsch-after-last-gasp-r32-win-against-south-africa-1782698097740">FIFA 2026 | 'It is a free hit,' says Canada coach Marsch after last-gasp R32 win against South Africa</a></p><h2>South Korea coach resigns after president's remarks</h2><p>Disappointed by the early exit, Lee wrote on X: "When loyalty and factionalism are valued over competence, and incompetent people are appointed to leadership positions, the outcome is all but inevitable. I offer my deepest apologies to the public for the profound disappointment caused by this unacceptable outcome. We will move swiftly to reform sports administration to ensure that nothing like this happens again.</p>

<p>Hours after the president's remarks, Hong addressed reporters in Mexico and said, according to Yohnap news agency: "Over the past two years I asked myself the same question whenever I had to make important decisions, select players or prepare for training session and matches: ‘Is this the right choice for Korean football?’. I can not say every decision has been the right one, but I can tell you that I have made every decision with Korean football in mind."</p><p>Hong, 57, was the head coach second time of the South Korea national team. He had also exited from the poisition following the team's dismal performance in 2014 FIFA World Cup as well. The former captain's most controversial decision in the ongoing edition was benching veteran captain Son Heung-min for the game agains South Africa, where they needed a draw, but went on to lose the game and exited the tournament eventully.</p>

South Korea exited the World Cup in group stage after losing to Mexico and South Africa in Group A, following which president called out ‘incompetent people’ in leadership position and Hong resigned hours after.

South Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo has stepped down after his sides unceremonious exit from the FIFA World Cup 2026. South Korea were in Group A along with co-hosts Mexico, South Africa, and Czechia. Hong's side lost 1-0 against Mexico and South Africa, and their only win in the group stage came against Czechia 2-1. They ended up with just three points which were not enough for them to advance to the R32. After the loss, South Korea president Lee Jae Myung also called out 'incompetent people' being put in the leadership roles, following which, Hong, in his second stint as coach, decided to step down. Also Read - FIFA 2026 | 'It is a free hit,' says Canada coach Marsch after last-gasp R32 win against South Africa South Korea coach resigns after president's remarks Disappointed by the early exit, Lee wrote on X: "When loyalty and factionalism are valued over competence, and incompetent people are appointed to leadership positions, the outcome is all but inevitable. I offer my deepest apologies to the public for the profound disappointment caused by this unacceptable outcome. We will move swiftly to reform sports administration to ensure that nothing like this happens again.

<p>South Korea exited the World Cup in group stage after losing to Mexico and South Africa in Group A, following which president called out ‘incompetent people’ in leadership position and Hong resigned hours after.</p>

FIFA 2026 | South Korea coach Hong resigns hours after president calls out 'incompetent people' for early exit

<p>Canada coach Jesse Marsch hailed his squad as "Canadian heroes" after the co-hosts made history on Sunday (Jun 28) by becoming the first team in the expanded 48-nation <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/fifa-2026">FIFA World Cup 2026</a> to reach the last 16. Canada won 1-0 against South Africa at a raucous SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles in the injury post post regulation period of 90 minutes. It was a landmark result for a nation that had lost all six of its previous World Cup matches across two appearances, a record that Marsch and his players have now buried emphatically. With large parts of the arena draped in red, the American coach gathered his entire squad on the pitch at the final whistle to deliver a team talk that quickly went viral, telling his players they had become heroes of a nation.</p>

<p><h2>Canada coach hails players after last-gasp win</h2><p>Speaking to reporters in the post-match press conference, Marsch was unapologetic about his decision to address his players on the pitch, a moment that drew some criticism for being performative. "There are people who like to say it's performative to meet on the pitch, and frankly, I don't give a s*** what people have to say," said Marsch. "Like, all I care about is our own team and what we do together."  He added that he had wanted to give "voice to them how important a moment this will prove to be for the sport in the country."</p><p><strong>Also Read</strong> - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/lionel-messi-scales-footballing-peak-with-free-kick-goal-against-jordan-breaks-68-year-old-world-cup-record-1782654376199">Lionel Messi shatters 68-year-old World Cup record with stunning goal vs Jordan</a></p><p>Canada finished second in their group behind Switzerland, which meant they had to leave home soil for the knockout stages, a blow given the electric atmosphere that had surrounded them in Vancouver. "We were disappointed to have to leave Canada, given the fanfare and passion around everything for the World Cup and our team," admitted Marsch. "But the guys quickly refocused and knew that this was a massive opportunity."</p><p>Their Round of 16 destination is Houston, where they will face either Morocco, whom Marsch called "a modern giant" for their 2022 semi-final heroics, or three-time finalists the Netherlands, a side he described as "a traditional giant."</p><p>Far from being overawed, Marsch is embracing the occasion. "I feel like it's a free hit, and we're going to go after it and do everything we can to see if we can find a way to get a win," he said.</p><h2>Where to watch and live stream Canada's FIFA World Cup 2026 matches?</h2><p>Canada's knockout matches in FIFA World Cup 2026 will be aired LIVE across WION's sister company Zee5 app and website. (link: https://www.zee5.com/)</p></p>

It was a landmark result for a nation that had lost all six of its previous World Cup matches across two appearances, a record that Marsch and his players have now buried emphatically.

Canada coach Jesse Marsch hailed his squad as "Canadian heroes" after the co-hosts made history on Sunday (Jun 28) by becoming the first team in the expanded 48-nation FIFA World Cup 2026 to reach the last 16. Canada won 1-0 against South Africa at a raucous SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles in the injury post post regulation period of 90 minutes. It was a landmark result for a nation that had lost all six of its previous World Cup matches across two appearances, a record that Marsch and his players have now buried emphatically. With large parts of the arena draped in red, the American coach gathered his entire squad on the pitch at the final whistle to deliver a team talk that quickly went viral, telling his players they had become heroes of a nation.

<p>It was a landmark result for a nation that had lost all six of its previous World Cup matches across two appearances, a record that Marsch and his players have now buried emphatically.</p>

FIFA 2026 | 'It is a free hit,' says Canada coach Marsch after last-gasp R32 win against South Africa

<p>The FIFA World Cup 2026 is on with Cape Verde and Curacao, tiny nations with very low population, having impressed everyone by not only qualifying, but in-tournament performance as well. In fact, Cape Verde are in Round of 32 in their maiden tournament. India, on the other hand, failed to qualify despite having a vast population and pool of resources which many of the countries playing in the tournament do not possess. The last time India had a chance to play in the FIFA World Cup was in 1950 but they didn't participate and since then, they haven't come close to qualifying for it. What is the reason behind that?</p>

Watch FIFA World Cup 2026 live on Zee5

<p>WION spoke to a nearly 20-year-old footballer Adil Sheikh, who has played for Mumbai FC U-19 and in Durand Cup as well to try and understand what it takes to be a footballer in India and how the country can bridge current gaps as well as his future plans.</p><p>"Other countries identify talent very early and then the players get full support and facilities to maximise their potential," says Adil about where the other football countries are better than India. "In India, sometime parents ask for focus on studies more while the kids abroad are allowed to explore other things apart from academics and they get full support as well to pursue those interests."</p><p><strong>Also Read</strong> - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/fifa-2026-argentina-to-rest-messi-for-dead-rubber-jordan-group-stage-fixture-1782526126815">FIFA 2026 | Argentina to rest Messi for dead-rubber Jordan group-stage fixture</a></p><p>Speaking about his journey and the support in early days, Adil revealed he "started playing football in school for fun but there was not much backing."</p><p>"But when I started showing improvement and the coaches gave me good feedback so parents came around despite the skepticism regarding my future given India's football situation not being there with other sports," he added.</p><p>Adil trained at Mumbai-based Somaiya Vidyavihar University and notes that the facilities, training, and support he got at there were key in his development as a footballer.</p><p>"Coaches helped me a lot with with physical requirements of the game at the Somaiya Sports Academy sports lab with various fitness drills involving strength, endurance, and more. During the tournament time, the coaches also helped with different playing style and keep the right attitude including aggression and tactics," he says.</p><p>While he got all the support and facilities to play the sport he likes at the Somaiya Sports Academy, there's a difference he noted between the Indian football tournaments such as ISL and other foreign leagues and says "intensity is much higher in foreign league games.</p><p>"The players are very fast and their decision making is very quick while playing completely relaxed without pressure."</p><p>On being asked how the gap can be bridged, Adil says "if children are taught early and given pathway in childhood years and we can probably match the the level of foreign footballers."</p><p>At just 20 years of age, feeling pressure is natural and Adil admits that his "game sways a bit when he takes the pressure," but he has "taught himself to not listen to others and playing for fun which helps improving the performance."</p><p>Speaking on how coaches at the Somaiya Vidyavihar University have helped him, Adil says "the coaches do get annoyed sometimes when a drill is not going on properly," but "later on they came and talk about what could have been done better and where were we going wrong" and this caring and nurturing beyond the pitch his something which helps him stay relaxed and keep pressure at bay.</p><p>In the future, Adil aims to “represent India in U-21 football and be there in the squad to represent the country when India qualifies for FIFA World Cup.”</p>

Mumbai-based footballer, who had played for Mumbai City FC and Durand Cup, aims to represent India in FIFA World Cup when the country qualifies in future.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 is on with Cape Verde and Curacao, tiny nations with very low population, having impressed everyone by not only qualifying, but in-tournament performance as well. In fact, Cape Verde are in Round of 32 in their maiden tournament. India, on the other hand, failed to qualify despite having a vast population and pool of resources which many of the countries playing in the tournament do not possess. The last time India had a chance to play in the FIFA World Cup was in 1950 but they didn't participate and since then, they haven't come close to qualifying for it. What is the reason behind that?

<p>Mumbai-based footballer, who has played for Mumbai City FC and Durand Cup, aims to represent India in FIFA World Cup when the country qualifies in future.</p>

FIFA 2026 | India may not be playing but 20-year-old Adil Sheikh aims to be in national squad when India qualifies

<p>The FIFA World Cup 2026 Day 16 (Jun 26) was all about the debutants Cape Verde, which continued to impress in their maiden football world cup. The tiny nation, in their first appearance, have booked themselves a knockout berth after drawing all three of their group-stage matches. In other games, France beat a second-string Norway to top their group and Spain booked a berth in Round of 32 as well. Below are the complete results from the day:</p><p><strong>Also Read</strong> - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/fifa-2026-argentina-to-rest-messi-for-dead-rubber-jordan-group-stage-fixture-1782526126815">FIFA 2026 | Argentina to rest Messi for dead-rubber Jordan group-stage fixture</a></p><h2>France beat Norway and Senegal get first win in Group I</h2><p>The much awaited match-up between Kylian Mbappe vs Erling Haaland didn't happen in Group I as Norway, which are already through the knockout stage, decided to rest Haaland against France in last group fixture. The 2018 winners and 2022 runners up France, however, didn't shy to take advantage of the opportunity and beat Norway 4-1 at the Boston Stadium. For France, Ousmane Dembele scored a hat-trick with goals in 7th, 20th, 32nd minute while Desire Doue scored one in 90+4th minute. For Norway, Thelo Aasgaard scored the sole goal in 21st minute.</p>

<p>In the second match of the group, Senegal registered their first win beating Iraq 5-0 at the Toronto Stadium. With the win, Senegal finished third on the group standings and have a glimmer of a hope to make it to the next round by virtue of being one of the best eight teams among all third-placed teams across 12 groups.</p><h2>Spain through, Cape Verde continue Cinderella run in Group H</h2><p>Spain, after starting their campaign with a draw, upped the ante by beating Saudi Arabia first and then two-time winners Uruguay to finish on top of the Group H. In the last group-stage match, Spain beat Uruguay 1-0 with Alex Baena scoring the only goal of the match in 42nd minute at the Guadalajara Stadium.</p><p>In the second match, Cape Verde held Saudi Arabia to a goalless draw at Houston Stadium to earn third point and finish second on the group standings. Before Saudi, Cape Verde had also held Spain (0-0), and Uruguay (2-2) to a draw as well. They now face Messi's Argentina in the Round of 32.</p><h2>Belgium, Egypt through R32 from Group G</h2><p>Belgium beat New Zealand 5-1 in Group G match to power through the R32 as group toppers. This was Belgium's first win of the tournament after drawing against Egypt and Iran. For Belgium, Leandro Trossard scored a brace (28th and 50th minute), Kevin De Bruyne in 66th minute, Romelu Lukaku in 86th minute, and Alexis Saelemaekers in 90+4th minute. For New Zealand, Elijah Just was the sole scorer in 84th minute.</p><p>In the other game of the group, Egypt and Iran played 1-1 draw. Mahmoud Saber scored early, giving Egypt 1-0 lead in the 5th minute before Iran's Ramin Rezaeian scored the equalizer in 14th minute. No other goals were scored but one was denied for Iran in the last minute as they finished third on the group standings and Egypt were through the next round.</p><h2>Where to watch and live stream FIFA World Cup 2026 matches?</h2><p>The group stage subsequent knockout matches in FIFA World Cup 2026 will be aired LIVE across WION's sister company Zee5 app and website. (link: https://www.zee5.com/)</p>

FIFA 2026 | Cape Verde qualified for R32 after holding Saudi Arabia to a goalless draw. Spain also through while France beat Norway 4-1 and Senegal registered first win.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 Day 16 (Jun 26) was all about the debutants Cape Verde, which continued to impress in their maiden football world cup. The tiny nation, in their first appearance, have booked themselves a knockout berth after drawing all three of their group-stage matches. In other games, France beat a second-string Norway to top their group and Spain booked a berth in Round of 32 as well. Below are the complete results from the day: Also Read - FIFA 2026 | Argentina to rest Messi for dead-rubber Jordan group-stage fixture France beat Norway and Senegal get first win in Group I The much awaited match-up between Kylian Mbappe vs Erling Haaland didn't happen in Group I as Norway, which are already through the knockout stage, decided to rest Haaland against France in last group fixture. The 2018 winners and 2022 runners up France, however, didn't shy to take advantage of the opportunity and beat Norway 4-1 at the Boston Stadium. For France, Ousmane Dembele scored a hat-trick with goals in 7th, 20th, 32nd minute while Desire Doue scored one in 90+4th minute. For Norway, Thelo Aasgaard scored the sole goal in 21st minute.

<p>FIFA 2026 | Cape Verde qualified for R32 after holding Saudi Arabia to a goalless draw. Spain also through while France beat Norway 4-1 and Senegal registered first win.</p>

FIFA 2026 Day 16 Round-up | Cape Verde continue Cinderella run with R32 spot and more results

<p>Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni has confirmed that captain Lionel Messi will not start Saturday's (Jun 27) final Group J fixture against Jordan in FIFA World Cup 2026, with the reigning champions having already secured top spot in the group. Scaloni, speaking to reporters on Friday (Jun 26), said the decision had been made well in advance. "Leo will come on later and I've already confirmed the team, but we're going to announce it tomorrow," said the Argentine coach. Having beaten Austria 2-0 and Algeria 3-0 in their opening two matches of the tournament in North America, Argentina are through to the last 32 as group winners. With Jordan already eliminated and nothing riding on the result for La Albiceleste, Scaloni is expected to rotate heavily across his squad, giving fringe players much-needed minutes ahead of the knockout stage.</p><h2>Why Argentina resting Messi for Jordan fixture?</h2><p>The decision to rest Messi is a calculated one from Scaloni, with the 39-year-old having already made a massive mark on the tournament. The Inter Miami forward, who celebrated his birthday on Wednesday (Jun 24), has scored every single goal Argentina have managed so far - five in two wins - making him the outright leading scorer in FIFA World Cup history. His form has been nothing short of remarkable, a fact not lost on his teammates.</p>

<p>Left-back Nicolas Tagliafico, who plays club football in France, was effusive in his praise when speaking to the media. The 33-year-old said Messi is operating at the very same level as he did when Argentina won the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, perhaps even surpassing that. In the next round, Argentina will face the runners-up from Group H, which features Spain, Uruguay, Cape Verde and Saudi Arabia.</p><h2>Where to watch and live stream Argentina's FIFA World Cup 2026 matches?</h2><p>Argentina's group stage fixture and Jordan and subsequent knockout matches in FIFA World Cup 2026 will be aired LIVE across WION's sister company Zee5 app and website. (link: https://www.zee5.com/)</p>

FIFA 2026 | The decision comes as Argentina already through in Round of 32 with Messi scoring all five goals in two wins for the defending champions.

Argentina head coach Lionel Scaloni has confirmed that captain Lionel Messi will not start Saturday's (Jun 27) final Group J fixture against Jordan in FIFA World Cup 2026, with the reigning champions having already secured top spot in the group. Scaloni, speaking to reporters on Friday (Jun 26), said the decision had been made well in advance. "Leo will come on later and I've already confirmed the team, but we're going to announce it tomorrow," said the Argentine coach. Having beaten Austria 2-0 and Algeria 3-0 in their opening two matches of the tournament in North America, Argentina are through to the last 32 as group winners. With Jordan already eliminated and nothing riding on the result for La Albiceleste, Scaloni is expected to rotate heavily across his squad, giving fringe players much-needed minutes ahead of the knockout stage. Why Argentina resting Messi for Jordan fixture? The decision to rest Messi is a calculated one from Scaloni, with the 39-year-old having already made a massive mark on the tournament. The Inter Miami forward, who celebrated his birthday on Wednesday (Jun 24), has scored every single goal Argentina have managed so far - five in two wins - making him the outright leading scorer in FIFA World Cup history. His form has been nothing short of remarkable, a fact not lost on his teammates.

<p>FIFA 2026 | The decision comes as Argentina already through in Round of 32 with Messi scoring all five goals in two wins for the defending champions.</p>

FIFA 2026 | Argentina to rest Messi for dead-rubber Jordan group-stage fixture

<p>The ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026 is seeing a rush of goals with as many as 177 goals already done with two more days left in the group stage. The goal number in FIFA 2026 is highest for eny edition of the football world cup, going past 172 goal set during the FIFA 2022 in Qatar. With the entire Round of 32 left to be played along with four quarterfinals, two semis, and a final - the number is only bound increase. While the goalkeepers are trying their best to save the ball from hitting the net, the official ball 'Trionda' might be making a little difficult for them to do so.</p><h2>Know all about FIFA 2026 official ball - Trionda</h2><p>The ball, made by Adidas, has four panels - the fewest in a World Cup ball. It has deep seem (stitches to connect the panels), something done intentionally by FIFA to ensure in-flight stability. The ball also has "strategically placed debossed lines alongside embossed country icons."</p><p>"The four-panel construction incorporates intentionally deep seams," FIFA says about the ball, and adds that it creates "a surface that produces optimal in-flight stability by ensuring sufficient and evenly distributed drag as the ball travels through the air. Additionally, embossed icons that are only visible up-close elevate grip when striking or dribbling the ball in wet or humid conditions."</p>

<h2>How the ball is behaving in air?</h2><p><a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5521/11/5/128">According to a research</a> done by the academics of Department of Sport and Exercise Science, Seoul Women’s University (South Korea), and Institute of Health and Sports Science, University of Tsukub (Japan), the Trionda exhibits drag crisis at a certain speed.</p><p>The researchers tested the ball in different simulations in a wind tunnel which indicated that "arrangement of panel and seam structures exposed to the oncoming flow affected the aerodynamic response."</p><p>The research reports that the ball does not slow down as expected beacuse of the panels, surface and other factors, taking keepers by surprise against their own judgement and hence goes through the hands of some, most notably through Algeria's Luca Zidane against Argentina's Lionel Messi.</p><h2>What do experts say about the ball?</h2><p>Ex-England keeper Joe Hart gave his opinion to BBC on Iraq goalkeeper Ahmed Basil being unable to stop the ball hitby France's Kylian Mbappe annd said: "The ball is coming into the keepers a lot faster than it feels when it comes off the foot."</p><p>"I'm seeing this goal way too many times for a World Cup for there not to be something up with that football," he added.</p><p>Former Denmark goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel also opined on BBC and said: "The thing about this one is the construction of it is four panels this time. There's no stitching in it - it's all bonded together.</p><p>"When you mix that in with the different weathers, the air density, there's less drag on the ball, which means it doesn't spin as much, but it also means I find it a split second faster and I think we're seeing that a little bit."</p><h2>What does Adidas say about the ball?</h2><p>The manufacturer says that the ballwas approved by 300 tests and was designed to ensure "a more predictable trajectory." Notably, the 2010 FIFA World Cup edition ball Jabulani became very infamous for changing its trajectory mid-flight, making it a nightmare for the goalkeepers.</p><p>The design creates "a ball surface that produces optimal in-flight stability by ensuring there is sufficient and evenly distributed drag as it travels through the air," Adidas said.</p><p>"The embossed icons also provide the added performance benefit of elevated grip on the ball when dribbling or striking the ball in wet or humid conditions."</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

FIFA 2026 | The tournament has already seen more than 170 goals with group stage still not over. Now, a research has shown that the ball ‘Trionda’ is coming to keeper faster than they are anticipating.

The ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026 is seeing a rush of goals with as many as 177 goals already done with two more days left in the group stage. The goal number in FIFA 2026 is highest for eny edition of the football world cup, going past 172 goal set during the FIFA 2022 in Qatar. With the entire Round of 32 left to be played along with four quarterfinals, two semis, and a final - the number is only bound increase. While the goalkeepers are trying their best to save the ball from hitting the net, the official ball 'Trionda' might be making a little difficult for them to do so. Know all about FIFA 2026 official ball - Trionda The ball, made by Adidas, has four panels - the fewest in a World Cup ball. It has deep seem (stitches to connect the panels), something done intentionally by FIFA to ensure in-flight stability. The ball also has "strategically placed debossed lines alongside embossed country icons." "The four-panel construction incorporates intentionally deep seams," FIFA says about the ball, and adds that it creates "a surface that produces optimal in-flight stability by ensuring sufficient and evenly distributed drag as the ball travels through the air. Additionally, embossed icons that are only visible up-close elevate grip when striking or dribbling the ball in wet or humid conditions."

<p>FIFA 2026 | The tournament has already seen more than 170 goals with group stage still not over. Now, a research has shown that the ball ‘Trionda’ is coming to keeper faster than they are anticipating.</p>

FIFA 2026 | Is 'Trionda' making it difficult for goalkeepers to stop the football?

<p>Ivory Coast are in Round of 32 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 - something that hasn't happened for them ever in the tournament history. The West African nation beat Curacao 2-0 on Thursday (Jun 25) at Philadelphia Stadium to make history for themselves. After the win, Ivory Coast coach Emerse Fae called out former German player Bastian Schweinsteiger's remarks about his team before the two sides had met last week. Fae said that the comments made by te ex-German player were 'racist' and he was 'disappointed by it.'</p><h2>What had Schweinsteiger said about Ivory Coast?</h2><p>The two sides had played on June 20 and German had won the contest 2-1 which sent the into the Round of 32. Before the match, Schweinsteiger made the comments on German broadcaster ARD on what the four-time champions could expect from the West African country.</p><p>"A bit African football, a bit unorthodox, a bit wild, a bit perhaps also not so conditioned by tactics. We have to be prepared for it to be unpredictable," Schweinsteiger had said.</p>

<h2>What did Fae say about Schweinsteiger?</h2><p>After guiding his team to the maiden football World Cup knockout round, Fae slammed the comments and said: "We could call it racist, if we were calling a spade a spade."</p><p>"When I heard his comment, I was disappointed," Fae added. "Disappointed in the man. It is odd he would speak that way."</p><p><strong>Also Read</strong> - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/fifa-2026-pride-flags-to-be-allowed-in-iran-vs-egypt-group-stage-match-in-seattle-1782440736747">FIFA 2026 | Pride Flags to be allowed in Iran vs Egypt group-stage match in Seattle</a></p><h2>How did Ivory Coast qualify for Round of 32?</h2><p>The West African country started their campaign with 1-0 win against Ecuador on June 14 at the Philadelphia Stadium before losing to Germany 1-2 a week later at the Toronto Stadium. In their final group-stage match of the tournament, Ivory Coast beat Curacao 2-0 and ended with six points to finish behind Germany in the group standings to qualify for the Round of 32.</p><h2>Where to watch and live stream Ivory Coast's FIFA World Cup 2026 matches?</h2><p>Ivory Coast's knockout matches in FIFA World Cup 2026 will be aired LIVE across WION's sister company Zee5 app and website. (link: https://www.zee5.com/)</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

FIFA 2026 | Ivory Coast coach Emerse Fae called out former German player Bastian Schweinsteiger's comments on the team as ‘racist’ after the team qualifed for the maiden knockout stage in their football world cup history.

Ivory Coast are in Round of 32 of the FIFA World Cup 2026 - something that hasn't happened for them ever in the tournament history. The West African nation beat Curacao 2-0 on Thursday (Jun 25) at Philadelphia Stadium to make history for themselves. After the win, Ivory Coast coach Emerse Fae called out former German player Bastian Schweinsteiger's remarks about his team before the two sides had met last week. Fae said that the comments made by te ex-German player were 'racist' and he was 'disappointed by it.' What had Schweinsteiger said about Ivory Coast? The two sides had played on June 20 and German had won the contest 2-1 which sent the into the Round of 32. Before the match, Schweinsteiger made the comments on German broadcaster ARD on what the four-time champions could expect from the West African country. "A bit African football, a bit unorthodox, a bit wild, a bit perhaps also not so conditioned by tactics. We have to be prepared for it to be unpredictable," Schweinsteiger had said.

<p>FIFA 2026 | Ivory Coast coach Emerse Fae called out former German player Bastian Schweinsteiger's comments on the team as ‘racist’ after the team qualifed for the maiden knockout stage in their football world cup history.</p>

FIFA 2026 | 'Call it racist,' Ivory Coast coach hits out at ex-German player after R32 qualification

<p>The FIFA World Cup 2026 Day 15 saw a couple of interesting games and more teams qualifying for the Round of 32. The matches were played among teams from Group D, Group E, and Group F, with six more teams making it to the knockout round of the football World Cup. One of the biggest upsets of the day was four-time champions Germany losing their last group-stage match but it didn't affect their qualification for the next round.</p><h2>FIFA World Cup 2026 Day 15 Results</h2><p>A total of six matches took place on Day 15 (Jun 25) of the ongoing football world cup 2026. The first games were between Group E teams which included Germany match. The next two matches were Group F fixtures involcing Netherlands and Japan, both of which qualified. Below are the complete results of Day 15 of FIFA World Cup 2026:</p>

<h2>Germany stunned, Ivory Coast qualify from Group E</h2><p>Germany were stunned by Ecuador 2-1 at the New Jersey New York stadium. Leroy Sane scored first for Germany in the second minute but Ecuador bounced back quickly in the ninth minute with Nilson Angulo scoring the equalizer. There were no futher goals untill 77th minute afterwards when Gonzalo Plata scored and took Ecuador ahead. With the win, Ecuador finished third on the group standings and have an outside chance of making it to the R32.</p><p><strong>Also Read</strong> - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/fifa-2026-pride-flags-to-be-allowed-in-iran-vs-egypt-group-stage-match-in-seattle-1782440736747">FIFA 2026 | Pride Flags to be allowed in Iran vs Egypt group-stage match in Seattle</a></p><p>In the second match of the group, Ivory Coast beat Curacao 2-0 to qualify for the R32 for the first time. Nicolas Pepe scored both the goals for Ivory Coast, in 7th and 64th minute, as they became second team behind Germany to advance with six points each.</p><h2>Netherlands, Japan advance from Group F</h2><p>In Group F matches, Netherlands beat Tunisia 3-1 and Japan held off Sweden at 1-1 as both the teams advanced to the Round of 32 stage. For Netherlands, Brian Brobbey scored in 7th minute, four minutes after Ellyes Skhiri had scored an own goal and given the Dutch 1-0 lead. Jan Paul van Hecke then scored the goal in 62nd minute for Netherlands. For Tunisia, Hazem Mastouri had scored in 54th minute as the sole high point of the match for them.</p><p>In the other match, Japan held off Sweden at 1-1 to qualify for the R32 from the group. With the draw, Japan ended up with five points, one more than Sweden's four. For Japan Daizen Maeda scored in the 56th minute but Sweden's Anthony Elanga scored the equalizer in 62nd minute. Japan then displayed great defence and walked away with a draw needed to qualify for the knockout round.</p><h2>USA, Australia through knockout round from Group D</h2><p>In the last two group stage matches of the day, co-hosts USA and Australia qualified for the Round of 32 from Group D. In USA vs Turkiye, the co-hosts lost 2-3 but their two wins in previous two matches ensured a group-topping finish with six points and an automatic berth for the knockout round.</p><p>In the second match, Australia drew against Paraguay 0-0 but still ended up with four points, thanks to their win against Turkiye earlier in the tournament. While Paraguay also had four points, Australia finished second based on goal difference and hence got a sure shot spot in the Round of 32. Paraguay, on the other hand, would have to go through a qualification process among 12 third-place teams and only top eight will advance.</p><h2>Where to watch and live stream FIFA World Cup 2026 knockout matches?</h2><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The knockout matches in FIFA World Cup 2026 will be aired LIVE across WION's sister company Zee5 app and website. (link: https://www.zee5.com/)</p>

FIFA 2026 | Germany were stunned by Ecuador in Group E while Ivory Coast made it to Round of 32 after win over Curacao. Netherlands also are though after beating Tunisia while Japan qualifed after holding off Sweden to a draw. USA and Australia also qualifed from Group D.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 Day 15 saw a couple of interesting games and more teams qualifying for the Round of 32. The matches were played among teams from Group D, Group E, and Group F, with six more teams making it to the knockout round of the football World Cup. One of the biggest upsets of the day was four-time champions Germany losing their last group-stage match but it didn't affect their qualification for the next round. FIFA World Cup 2026 Day 15 Results A total of six matches took place on Day 15 (Jun 25) of the ongoing football world cup 2026. The first games were between Group E teams which included Germany match. The next two matches were Group F fixtures involcing Netherlands and Japan, both of which qualified. Below are the complete results of Day 15 of FIFA World Cup 2026:

<p>FIFA 2026 | Germany were stunned by Ecuador in Group E while Ivory Coast made it to Round of 32 after win over Curacao. Netherlands also are though after beating Tunisia while Japan qualifed after holding off Sweden to a draw. USA and Australia also qualifed from Group D.</p>

FIFA 2026, Day 15 Round-up | Germany stunned, USA lose but both through in R32 and more results

<p>FIFA has decided to allow rainbow flags inside Seattle's Lumen Field on Friday (Jun 26) in Iran vs Egypt clash in a group stage match of the FIFA World Cup 2026. The match was designated a "Pride Match" by Seattle city officials as part of city-wide Pride celebrations before the identities of the competing teams were even known. It then drew objections from both football federations. FIFA, however, has stood firm, reiterating that its code of conduct explicitly allows flags and symbols representing gender identity and human rights inside stadiums. The governing body also clarified that the "Pride match" branding was an initiative of the local organisers, with formal celebrations planned outside the venue.</p><h2>Rainbow flags set to feature in Iran vs Egypt</h2><p>Homosexuality is illegal in Iran under Islamic law and can carry the death penalty. In Egypt, it is frequently penalised under loosely worded laws that prohibit what authorities describe as 'debauchery.' Both nations' football federations raised objections to the Seattle Pride celebrations surrounding their fixture, making this one of the more politically charged matches of the tournament. FIFA, however, was unequivocal in its Thursday (Jun 25) statement, saying the FIFA World Cup 2026 is an inclusive event and that fans of all sexual orientations and gender identities are welcome. When the coaches of both sides faced questions at their pre-match press conferences, they chose to sidestep the issue entirely.</p>

<p>Iran's Amir Ghalenoei said all his focus was going to be on the pitch and that his team would not think about what is happening off it. Egypt's Hossam Hassan echoed those sentiments almost word for word, saying he respected the rules and that football was the only thing on his mind. The match will be played at Lumen Field with both teams well aware that the rainbow flags inside the stadium are here to stay.</p><p><strong>Also Read</strong> - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/is-fifa-world-cup-2026-on-course-to-become-the-highest-scoring-tournament-ever-1782401030978">FIFA World Cup 2026 becomes highest-scoring World Cup in 68 years as Lionel Messi leads goal rush</a></p><h2>Where to watch and live stream Iran vs Egypt's FIFA World Cup 2026 match?</h2><p>Iran vs Egypt group-stage match in FIFA World Cup 2026 will be aired LIVE across WION's sister company Zee5 app and website. (link: https://www.zee5.com/)</p>

Homosexuality is illegal in Iran under Islamic law and can carry the death penalty. In Egypt, it is frequently penalised under loosely worded laws that prohibits it.

FIFA has decided to allow rainbow flags inside Seattle's Lumen Field on Friday (Jun 26) in Iran vs Egypt clash in a group stage match of the FIFA World Cup 2026. The match was designated a "Pride Match" by Seattle city officials as part of city-wide Pride celebrations before the identities of the competing teams were even known. It then drew objections from both football federations. FIFA, however, has stood firm, reiterating that its code of conduct explicitly allows flags and symbols representing gender identity and human rights inside stadiums. The governing body also clarified that the "Pride match" branding was an initiative of the local organisers, with formal celebrations planned outside the venue. Rainbow flags set to feature in Iran vs Egypt Homosexuality is illegal in Iran under Islamic law and can carry the death penalty. In Egypt, it is frequently penalised under loosely worded laws that prohibit what authorities describe as 'debauchery.' Both nations' football federations raised objections to the Seattle Pride celebrations surrounding their fixture, making this one of the more politically charged matches of the tournament. FIFA, however, was unequivocal in its Thursday (Jun 25) statement, saying the FIFA World Cup 2026 is an inclusive event and that fans of all sexual orientations and gender identities are welcome. When the coaches of both sides faced questions at their pre-match press conferences, they chose to sidestep the issue entirely.

<p>Homosexuality is illegal in Iran under Islamic law and can carry the death penalty. In Egypt, it is frequently penalised under loosely worded laws that prohibits it.</p>

FIFA 2026 | Pride Flags to be allowed in Iran vs Egypt group-stage match in Seattle

FIFA 2026 |  Golden Boot is awarded for the highest goal scorer of the tournament and the list is currently lead by Lionel Messi (5 goals). Messi is followed by Vini Jr, Kylian Mbappe, and Erling Haaland who all have four goals each.

<p>FIFA 2026 | &nbsp;Golden Boot is awarded for the highest goal scorer of the tournament and the list is currently lead by Lionel Messi (5 goals). Messi is followed by Vini Jr, Kylian Mbappe, and Erling Haaland who all have four goals each.</p>

FIFA 2026 | Who will win the Golden Boot? Meet early contenders and leaders

<p>The FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage is just two days away from getting over and there are still teams to fill up the spots for the next round when the knockout begins. For the first time 48 teams are participating in the tournament which are divided into 12 groups of four teams each. The next round will have 32 teams vying for a place in quarterfinals. FIFA, to select the 32 teams for the next round, has decided to pick up top two teams from each group after the group-stage and selecting eight third-placed teams among all the 12 groups.</p><h2>How the eight best third-placed teams will be selected?</h2><p>FIFA has introduced five-step procedure to select the the eight third-placed teams which will join the rest of 24 teams for the knockout stage which beging in Round of 32. While the selection for top 24 teams is directly based on finishing in top two of their respective groups, here's below the procedure to select rest of the eight teams:</p><h3>Highest number of points</h3><p>The first way any team among the 12 third-placed teams can qualify for the Round of 32 is based on points. Th top eight teams with highest number of points after group stage and selecting top 24 teams, will get a berth in the knockout round.</p>

<h3>Goal difference</h3><p>If there two or more teams with same points and there's a tie to select last eight of R32 teams, the goal difference will be checked and the team with better goal difference will advance. The goal difference is calculated by number of goals done a team in group stage matches and then the number of goals conceded are substracted to get the number.</p><p><strong>Also Read</strong> - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/fifa-2026-day-14-round-up-brazil-morocco-qualify-for-r32-from-group-c-and-more-results-1782360547731">FIFA 2026 Day 14 Result | Brazil, Morocco in R32 from Group C and more results</a></p><h3>Goals scored</h3><p>If there is a tie still persisting after checking for points and goal difference, the goals scored will be looked at to determine the teams among third-placed sides to allot a R32 berth. It is highly unlikely that the situation will stretch to this point but just in case it does, FIFA has it covered.</p><h3>Highest team conduct</h3><p>In a case when two or more teams have same points, same goal difference, and same goals scored, FIFA then take their conduct during the group stage into the account. The conduct means total yellow and red cards for the players and officials will be counted and the teams with lesser number of those cards will prevail into the R32.</p><h3>Highest FIFA ranking</h3><p>If none of the above things work to determine eight teams among the 12 third-placed teams, the FIFA will go to the rankings of the teams and the sides with best rankings will proceed to the next round along with top 24 teams.</p><p>The steps after first one of looking at the points will be considered only after the previous ones have failed to determine the teams.</p><h2>Where to watch and live stream FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 matches?</h2><p>All the Round of 32 knockout matches in FIFA World Cup 2026 will be aired LIVE across WION's sister company Zee5 app and website. (link: https://www.zee5.com/)</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

FIFA 2026 | There will be 32 teams in the knockout round with 24 teams being the top-two finishers from 12 groups and then 8 teams will be decided though five checks FIFA has put in place to break any tie-breakers.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage is just two days away from getting over and there are still teams to fill up the spots for the next round when the knockout begins. For the first time 48 teams are participating in the tournament which are divided into 12 groups of four teams each. The next round will have 32 teams vying for a place in quarterfinals. FIFA, to select the 32 teams for the next round, has decided to pick up top two teams from each group after the group-stage and selecting eight third-placed teams among all the 12 groups. How the eight best third-placed teams will be selected? FIFA has introduced five-step procedure to select the the eight third-placed teams which will join the rest of 24 teams for the knockout stage which beging in Round of 32. While the selection for top 24 teams is directly based on finishing in top two of their respective groups, here's below the procedure to select rest of the eight teams: Highest number of points The first way any team among the 12 third-placed teams can qualify for the Round of 32 is based on points. Th top eight teams with highest number of points after group stage and selecting top 24 teams, will get a berth in the knockout round.

<p>FIFA 2026 | There will be 32 teams in the knockout round with 24 teams being the top-two finishers from 12 groups and then 8 teams will be decided though five checks FIFA has put in place to break any tie-breakers.</p>

FIFA 2026 | How FIFA will determine eight teams among third-placed sides for Round of 32?

<p>The FIFA World Cup 2026 day 14 is done and all the expected teams won their respective games as group stage nears the end.The winning teams are Switzerland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Morocco, Brazil, South Africa, and co-host Mexico as well. Below are the detailed results of all the matches from day 14 of football World Cup</p><h2>Switzerland beat Canada in Group B</h2><p>Switzerland topped Group B with 2-1 win over co-host Canada and ended the group-stage with seven points from three matches. Ruben Vargas scored in 46th minute before Johan Manzambi doubled the lead in 57th minute. For Canada, Promise David scoed a goal in 76th minute but it was not enough. Canada, while qualified for R32 ended up second on the Group B with four points from one draw, one loss and one win in three matches.</p>

<h2>Bosnia and Herzegovina beat Qatar in Gruop B</h2><p>In the second Group B match, Bosnia and Herzegovina beat Qatar 3-1. Kerim Alajbegovic scored in 29th minute for Bosnia before an own goal by Qatar's Sultan Al-Brake doubled their lead in 34th minute. Hassan Al-Haydos tried to minimize damage witha goal in 42nd minute but to no avail. Ermin Mahmic then finished off any chances with 80th minute goal. Bosnia and Herzegovina ended with 4 points on third place - same as Canada - and can still qualify for the R32 while Qatar crashed out.</p><p><strong>Also Read</strong> - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/fifa-2026-germany-most-likey-to-end-up-as-group-toppers-but-coach-nagelsmann-not-liking-it-1782356452583">FIFA 2026 | Germany most likey to end up as group toppers but coach Nagelsmann not liking it</a></p><h2>Morocco and Brazil win in Group C</h2><p>The Group C matches were the most entertaining ones with Morocco beating Haiti 4-2 in six-goal thriller while Brazil stampd authority with 3-0 win over Scotland. Both Morocco and Brazil ended up with seven points from three matches each with five-time winners Brazil topping the group standings. Morocco, however, are also through the Round of 32 with top two teams from each of 12 groups getting automatic qualification.</p><h2>South Africa and Mexico qualify from Group A</h2><p>In Group A matches, co-hosts Mexico registered their third win on the trot to end with nine points from three matches as they beat Czechia 3-0. South Africa, on the other hand, beat South Kores 1-0 in an all inportant match for both the teams. With the win, South Africa reached to four points and qualifed for the R32 while South Korea, which had three points from two games before the match, ended with same three points and now are at the mercy of qualification process for the best eigh third-place teams.</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

FIFA 2026 | Brazil and Moroccco qualifed from Group C while Switzerland and Canada are through from Group B and Mexico as well as South Africa are through from Group A.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 day 14 is done and all the expected teams won their respective games as group stage nears the end.The winning teams are Switzerland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Morocco, Brazil, South Africa, and co-host Mexico as well. Below are the detailed results of all the matches from day 14 of football World Cup Switzerland beat Canada in Group B Switzerland topped Group B with 2-1 win over co-host Canada and ended the group-stage with seven points from three matches. Ruben Vargas scored in 46th minute before Johan Manzambi doubled the lead in 57th minute. For Canada, Promise David scoed a goal in 76th minute but it was not enough. Canada, while qualified for R32 ended up second on the Group B with four points from one draw, one loss and one win in three matches.

<p>FIFA 2026 | Brazil and Moroccco qualifed from Group C while Switzerland and Canada are through from Group B and Mexico as well as South Africa are through from Group A.</p>

FIFA 2026 Day 14 Round-up | Brazil, Morocco qualify for R32 from Group C and more results

<p>Germany have sealed top spot in Group E and are bound for the last 32 of the FIFA World Cup 2026, but coach Julian Nagelsmann is not entirely pleased with the situation. The four-time world champions, who thrashed debutants Curacao 7-1 before coming from behind to beat Ivory Coast 2-1, will only know their round-of-32 opponents less than 48 hours before their first game in Foxborough on June 29. Under the expanded 48-team format - the first of its kind in World Cup history - the eight group winners from the opening round must wait until late Saturday (Jun 27) to discover which of the eight best third-placed teams awaits them. Germany are among those eight group winners facing that uncertainty, and their final group game against Ecuador on Thursday (Jun 25) adds little clarity to their knockout preparation.</p><h2>Germany coach isn't happy about topping Group</h2><p>Nagelsmann made no secret of his frustration at a pre-match press conference in New Jersey, though he acknowledged the structural complexity behind the scheduling. "I think we are being punished as the group leader," the 38-year-old told reporters.</p>

<p>"But if you look at all the algorithms and how everything plays together, it's extremely complex and the more teams you have, the more complex it gets."</p><p><strong>Also read</strong> - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/argentina-honours-lionel-messi-with-an-85-foot-statue-bigger-than-the-70-foot-one-dismantled-in-kolkata-india-1782325535038">Argentina honours Lionel Messi with an 85-foot statue, bigger than the one dismantled in India</a></p><p>The Germany coach added that his staff have done what they can to prepare for multiple scenarios and said: "It's not ideal that we don't find out until (late Saturday) who we will play, but we are prepared, we worked out the opponents that are most likely."</p><p>"We are prepared well enough that we don't have to prepare for the match in such a hectic way on Sunday, because it will be our last training session where we can actually change something. There's a little time pressure there... (but) we are all still pretty young as coaches, and if we have to, then we'll work through the night."</p><h2>Where to watch and live stream Belgium's FIFA World Cup 2026 matches?</h2><p>Germany's group-stage and possible knockout matches in FIFA World Cup 2026 will be aired LIVE across WION's sister company Zee5 app and website. (link: https://www.zee5.com/)</p>

With two wins in two matches, Germany are expected to top the Group E standing with the match against Ecuador being their last. They will, however, not know their opponent in R32 until later Saturday.

Germany have sealed top spot in Group E and are bound for the last 32 of the FIFA World Cup 2026, but coach Julian Nagelsmann is not entirely pleased with the situation. The four-time world champions, who thrashed debutants Curacao 7-1 before coming from behind to beat Ivory Coast 2-1, will only know their round-of-32 opponents less than 48 hours before their first game in Foxborough on June 29. Under the expanded 48-team format - the first of its kind in World Cup history - the eight group winners from the opening round must wait until late Saturday (Jun 27) to discover which of the eight best third-placed teams awaits them. Germany are among those eight group winners facing that uncertainty, and their final group game against Ecuador on Thursday (Jun 25) adds little clarity to their knockout preparation. Germany coach isn't happy about topping Group Nagelsmann made no secret of his frustration at a pre-match press conference in New Jersey, though he acknowledged the structural complexity behind the scheduling. "I think we are being punished as the group leader," the 38-year-old told reporters.

<p>With two wins in two matches, Germany are expected to top the Group E standing with the match against Ecuador being their last. They will, however, not know their opponent in R32 until later Saturday.</p>

FIFA 2026 | Germany most likey to end up as group toppers but coach Nagelsmann not liking it

<p>Rade Bogdanovic, a former footballer who played as a striker for Atletico Madrid and Weder Bermen, has landed in hot soup over his racist comments while appearing as an 'expert commentator' on Serbia-based RTS - a television and radi broadcaster. Bogdanovic made the comments during the Iran vs Belgium match, played on Sunday (Jun 21), which ended in a draw. His comments were directed at Belgium defender Nathan Ngoy after the player got the red card.</p><h2>What did Bogdanovic say about Ngoy?</h2><p>The 56-year-old questioned the stamina and focus of Black players and said: "I have always said those players - and I'm really not racist - but black players lack the concentration to last more than 60 to 80 minutes. When we played, we sometimes had to protect our own players to stop them making mistakes."</p>

<p>After the comment, Bogdanovic's co-host tried to challenge the commnets made but the 56-year-old doubled down and insisted that his comments are true for 'majority of Black players.'</p><p><strong>Also Read</strong> - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/fifa-2026-can-t-recall-argentina-s-lionel-messi-on-his-favorite-of-18-record-world-cup-goals-1782189393380">FIFA 2026 | 'Can’t recall:' Argentina's Lionel Messi on his favorite of 18 record World Cup goals</a></p><p>The ex-footballer apologized later on for his comments and said in a statement to Reuters: "I sincerely apologise for my statement regarding black football players."</p><p>RTS also issued a statement and clarified that Bogdanovic isn't employed by them, saying: "We would like to take this opportunity to apologise, as a broadcaster, for the statement made in our programme concerning members of a particular race."</p><p>The match had ended in a goalless draw, which pushed Belgium to third place in Group G behind Egypt and Iran. In two group-stage matches played, Belgium have not won a single one - playing a draw against both - Egypt and Iran. They are at two points currently and would have to win against New Zealand to bolster their Round of 32 place chances.</p><h2>Where to watch and live stream Belgium's FIFA World Cup 2026 matches?</h2><p>Belgium's group-stage and possible knockout matches in FIFA World Cup 2026 will be aired LIVE across WION's sister company Zee5 app and website. (link: https://www.zee5.com/)</p>

56-year-old former striker for Atletico Madrid and Weder Bermen questioned the stamina and focus of Black players after Belgium defender Nathan Ngoy was given a red card.

Rade Bogdanovic, a former footballer who played as a striker for Atletico Madrid and Weder Bermen, has landed in hot soup over his racist comments while appearing as an 'expert commentator' on Serbia-based RTS - a television and radi broadcaster. Bogdanovic made the comments during the Iran vs Belgium match, played on Sunday (Jun 21), which ended in a draw. His comments were directed at Belgium defender Nathan Ngoy after the player got the red card. What did Bogdanovic say about Ngoy? The 56-year-old questioned the stamina and focus of Black players and said: "I have always said those players - and I'm really not racist - but black players lack the concentration to last more than 60 to 80 minutes. When we played, we sometimes had to protect our own players to stop them making mistakes."

<p>56-year-old former striker for Atletico Madrid and Weder Bermen questioned the stamina and focus of Black players after Belgium defender Nathan Ngoy was given a red card.</p>

FIFA 2026 | Ex-Atletico striker Bogdanovic issues apology after racist comments during Belgium vs Iran

<p>Argentina superstar Lionel Messi added another feather to his cap with his brace in 2-0 win against Austria in FIFA World Cup 2026 on Monday (Jun 22) at Houston Stadium. With the first of his two goal on the night, which came minutes the half-time, Messi became the highest goal-scorer in the history of FIFA World Cup - taking over German legend Miroslav Klose's 16-goal record set in 2014. Messi, playing his sixth FIFA World Cup, now has 18 goals in the tournament history and he acknowledged the 'good feeling.'</p><h2>Messi reacts on becoming highest goal scorer in FIFA World Cup history</h2><p>"It feels special, but like I’ve always said it does," he said after the match. "Like I’ve said other times, I enjoy playing, having a good time on the pitch. I wasn’t necessarily having one on the ­penalty, but with luck we were able to work through that situation, take the advantage and leave with three points."</p>

<p>Answering a question about his favorite of 18 goals, Messi laughed and said: "I can’t recall right now, I’m tired, low on energy, and finding it hard to think."</p><p><strong>Also Read</strong> - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/fifa-2026-day-12-round-up-brace-for-impact-messi-mbappe-haaland-put-their-teams-into-round-of-32-1782184303971">FIFA 2026 Day 12 Round up |'Brace for impact': Messi, Mbappe, Haaland put their teams into Round of 32</a></p><h2>How does Argentina win help them in FIFA World Cup?</h2><p>The win against Austria was Argentina's secon consecutive in the ongoing football World Cup 2026, giving them six points so far and a place in the knockout round as well. Messi was happy about it and said: "We knew it was going to be a game with a lot of intensity and we knew we wouldn’t be able to let our guard down. But yes, I’m happy. It’s important to us also to get the six points to have a little bit of a calmer week."</p><p>Argentina's last group stage match is against Jordan on June 27 at Dallas Stadium.</p><h2>Where to watch and stream Argentina's FIFA World Cup 2026 matches?</h2><p>Argentina's group-stage and knockout matches in FIFA World Cup 2026 will be aired across WION's sister company Zee5 app and website.</p>

Messi, with a brace against Austria, became the highest goal-scorer in the history of FIFA World Cup - taking over German legend Miroslav Klose's 16-goal record set in 2014.

Argentina superstar Lionel Messi added another feather to his cap with his brace in 2-0 win against Austria in FIFA World Cup 2026 on Monday (Jun 22) at Houston Stadium. With the first of his two goal on the night, which came minutes the half-time, Messi became the highest goal-scorer in the history of FIFA World Cup - taking over German legend Miroslav Klose's 16-goal record set in 2014. Messi, playing his sixth FIFA World Cup, now has 18 goals in the tournament history and he acknowledged the 'good feeling.' Messi reacts on becoming highest goal scorer in FIFA World Cup history "It feels special, but like I’ve always said it does," he said after the match. "Like I’ve said other times, I enjoy playing, having a good time on the pitch. I wasn’t necessarily having one on the penalty, but with luck we were able to work through that situation, take the advantage and leave with three points."

<p>Messi, with a brace against Austria, became the highest goal-scorer in the history of FIFA World Cup - taking over German legend Miroslav Klose's 16-goal record set in 2014.</p>

FIFA 2026 | 'Can’t recall:' Argentina's Lionel Messi on his favorite of 18 record World Cup goals

<p>The FIFA World Cup 2026 Day 12 produced some magical moments but none better than Lionel Messi breaking all-time goal scoring record in the football world cup history. Behind him is Kylian Mbappe who also scored a brace in France's win. Both, Argentina and France, finalists of FIFA World Cup 2022, entered the Round of 32 with respective wins in their group stage matches. In the thrid match of the day, Norway beat Senegal to confirm their knockout berth as well with Erling Haaland scoring two goals out of three for his side. Below are all the FIFA World Cup 2026 Day 12 results</p><h2>Messi brace puts Argentina into R32</h2><p>In the Group J match played at Houston Stadium, Messi scored the first goal of the night for either side in the 38th minute as Argentina headed into the half-time with 1-0 lead. The defending champions looked set to win by same margin before Messi changed it, scoring his second goal of the night in the 90+5th minute to ensure a 2-0 win. With the brace, Messi now has 18 goals in FIFA World Cup history - the most by any player - and five of them have comes in the last two matches.</p>

<h2>France thump Iraq for knockout berth</h2><p>The match started late because of a storm and then France blew away Iray for a 3-0 win at the Philadelphia Stadium. Kylian Mbappe, France superstar, opened the scoring in 14th minute and then added another in 54th minute as well. Ousmane Dembele also joined the party in 66th minute as France, the finalists of last two editions, booked their Round of 32 berth.</p><p><strong>Also Read </strong>- <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/setback-for-germany-nico-schlotterbeck-ruled-out-of-fifa-world-cup-2026-with-ankle-injury-1782138442158">Setback for Germany: Nico Schlotterbeck ruled out of World Cup with ankle injury</a></p><h2>Norway beat Senegal for a place in R32</h2><p>Earling Haaland was on song for Norway in Group I fixture against Senegal at the New York New Jersey Stadium as Norway became third team of the day to qualify for the round of 32. Marcus Holmgreen Pedersen opened the scoring with a 43th minute goal before Haaland doubled the lead in 48th minute.</p><p>Senegal showed some fight as Ismaila Sarr scored a goal in the 53rd minute but Haaland then scored another one in 58th minute to take Norway 3-1 up. Sarr reduced the goal difference with his second goal in 90+3rd minute but could not save his team from a defeat.</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

<p><h2>Norway beat Senegal for a place in R32</h2><p>Earling Haaland was on song for Norway in Group I fixture against Senegal at the New York New Jersey Stadium as Norway became third team of the day to qualify for the round of 32. Marcus Holmgreen Pedersen opened the scoring with a 43th minute goal before Haaland doubled the lead in 48th minute.</p><p>Senegal showed some fight as Ismaila Sarr scored a goal in the 53rd minute but Haaland then scored another one in 58th minute to take Norway 3-1 up. Sarr reduced the goal difference with his second goal in 90+3rd minute but could not save his team from a defeat.</p><p> </p></p>

FIFA 2026 | Argentina beat Austria 2-0, France beat Iraq 3-0,  and Norway beat Senegal 3-2 with Messi, Mbappe, and Haaland scoring a brace for their teams, respectively.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 Day 12 produced some magical moments but none better than Lionel Messi breaking all-time goal scoring record in the football world cup history. Behind him is Kylian Mbappe who also scored a brace in France's win. Both, Argentina and France, finalists of FIFA World Cup 2022, entered the Round of 32 with respective wins in their group stage matches. In the thrid match of the day, Norway beat Senegal to confirm their knockout berth as well with Erling Haaland scoring two goals out of three for his side. Below are all the FIFA World Cup 2026 Day 12 results Messi brace puts Argentina into R32 In the Group J match played at Houston Stadium, Messi scored the first goal of the night for either side in the 38th minute as Argentina headed into the half-time with 1-0 lead. The defending champions looked set to win by same margin before Messi changed it, scoring his second goal of the night in the 90+5th minute to ensure a 2-0 win. With the brace, Messi now has 18 goals in FIFA World Cup history - the most by any player - and five of them have comes in the last two matches.

<p>FIFA 2026 | Argentina beat Austria 2-0, France beat Iraq 3-0, &nbsp;and Norway beat Senegal 3-2 with Messi, Mbappe, and Haaland scoring a brace for their teams, respectively.</p>

FIFA 2026 Day 12 Round up |'Brace for impact': Messi, Mbappe, Haaland put their teams into Round of 32

<p>Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez has praise veteran captain Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of the pivotal Group clash against first-time World Cup participants Uzbekistan on Tuesday (Jun 23) in Houston. The Selecao, regarded as one of the outside favourites to lift the trophy on North American soil, endured a frustrating tournament opener last week as they were held to a 1-1 draw by the Democratic Republic of Congo. The stalemate put Ronaldo under spotlight, leaving both the player and his coach open to a barrage of criticism from pundits and fans alike. Portugal now face a must-win situation or at the very least a must-perform one as they look to reassert themselves in what is shaping up to be a competitive group. Against debutants Uzbekistan, who will enter the contest as heavy underdogs, Martinez's side will be expected to deliver a convincing performance and the spotlight, almost inevitably, will again fall on their record-breaking 39-year-old forward.</p><h2>Portugal coach defend Ronaldo</h2><p>Speaking at his pre-match press conference on the eve of the Uzbekistan fixture, Martinez was effusive about Ronaldo's professionalism and dedication even as the questions over the iconic forward's form and fitness showed no signs of easing.</p><p><strong>Also Read</strong> - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/lionel-messi-creates-fifa-world-cup-history-with-record-17th-goal-surpasses-miroslav-klose-most-goals-in-world-cup-argentina-vs-austria-1782150729009">Messi's record-breaking brace against Austria powers Argentina to World Cup knockouts</a></p><p>"I think he's a player that he focuses so much, (he is) probably the biggest example of how to focus on the aspects that you can influence — the way he recovers, the way he prepares, the way he trains," said the Spaniard.</p>

<p>"He's a good example for us, for all of us." Martinez went a step further in underlining just how much the six-time World Cup participant means to the camp, adding: "It is the sixth time he plays a World Cup, and he is a player who's been defending and playing for his country for a long time. So he really wants to keep on improving, to contribute to the team, and he's really a role model for our team."</p><p>However, when reporters pressed Martinez on whether Ronaldo would be in the starting line-up against Uzbekistan, the coach refused to give a straight answer, saying he had not yet informed his players of the team selection. Martinez also addressed the mood inside the camp following the DRC disappointment, framing it as a source of motivation rather than a burden.</p><p>"The feeling of frustration that we all had as a team, the feeling of disappointment after the game, probably that's the best starting point to prepare for the next game," he said.</p><h2>Portugal schedule in FIFA World Cup 2026</h2><p>After enduring a draw against DR Congo, Portugal play against Uzbekistan on June 23 at Houston Stadium before taking on Colombia on June 27 in their final Group K fixture at Miami Staidum.</p><p>Where to watch and stream Portugal's FIFA World Cup 2026 matches?</p><p>Portugal's group-stage matches in FIFA World Cup 2026 will be aired across WION's sister company Zee5 app and website.</p>

The stalemate by Portugal against DR Congo put Ronaldo under spotlight, leaving both the player and his coach open to a barrage of criticism from pundits and fans alike.

Portugal head coach Roberto Martinez has praise veteran captain Cristiano Ronaldo ahead of the pivotal Group clash against first-time World Cup participants Uzbekistan on Tuesday (Jun 23) in Houston. The Selecao, regarded as one of the outside favourites to lift the trophy on North American soil, endured a frustrating tournament opener last week as they were held to a 1-1 draw by the Democratic Republic of Congo. The stalemate put Ronaldo under spotlight, leaving both the player and his coach open to a barrage of criticism from pundits and fans alike. Portugal now face a must-win situation or at the very least a must-perform one as they look to reassert themselves in what is shaping up to be a competitive group. Against debutants Uzbekistan, who will enter the contest as heavy underdogs, Martinez's side will be expected to deliver a convincing performance and the spotlight, almost inevitably, will again fall on their record-breaking 39-year-old forward. Portugal coach defend Ronaldo Speaking at his pre-match press conference on the eve of the Uzbekistan fixture, Martinez was effusive about Ronaldo's professionalism and dedication even as the questions over the iconic forward's form and fitness showed no signs of easing. Also Read - Messi's record-breaking brace against Austria powers Argentina to World Cup knockouts "I think he's a player that he focuses so much, (he is) probably the biggest example of how to focus on the aspects that you can influence — the way he recovers, the way he prepares, the way he trains," said the Spaniard.

<p>The stalemate by Portugal against DR Congo put Ronaldo under spotlight, leaving both the player and his coach open to a barrage of criticism from pundits and fans alike.</p>

FIFA 2026 | 'Role model for team': Portugal coach defends Ronaldo ahead of Uzbekistan fixture

<p>The Day 11 of FIFA World Cup 2026 is done and Cape Verde, one of the debutants of the tournament, continue to impress with their talent, grit, determination, and performance. Another noteworthy match was Iran battling it out against New Zealand for a draw while Spain finally getting on with their campaign. The race to knockout stage is heating up and all the teams are upping their game but none better than Egypt on Sunday (Jun 21) which beat New Zealand to go on top of the Group G. Here below are all the results from day 11 action at the World Cup 2026:</p><h2>Spain beat Saudi Arabia 4-0 in Group H</h2><p>In the first match of the day, Spain kickstarted their campaign with a commading victory against Saudi Arabia. After the shock draw against Cape Verde in their first match, the one-time World Cup winners were on the mark on Sunday at Atlanta Stadium with Lamine Yamal scoring first goal of the night in 10th minute. Mikel Oyarzabal then doubled Spain's lead in 21st minute before completing his brace three minutes later in the 24th minute. Saudi's forgettable day was capped off by Hassan Altambakti hitting an own goal in the 49th minute - the last of the match.</p>

<p><h2>Iran hold off Belgium 0-0 in Group G</h2><p>Playing amid all the tensions and drama around their travel in and out of the USA, Iran held off Belgium at 0-0 draw at LA Stadium in Inglewood. This was the second draw by Iran in as many matches, giving them another crucial point as they sit second on the points table in Group G with two points and one more match left.</p><h2>Cape Verde stun Uruguay 2-2 in Group H</h2><p>After shocking Spain in their opening match, Cape Verde held two-time winners Uruguay to a 2-2 draw at Miami Stadium for another point. Kevin Pina scored the first goal of the match, giving Cape Verde 1-0 lead in the 21st minute. Uruguay's Maximiliano Araujo then levelled the scores in 45th minute before Agustin Canobbio scored one more before the half-time (in 45+6th minute). Helio Varela then scored the equalizer for Cape Verde in 61st minute to snatch another draw in the maiden FIFA appearance.</p><h2>Egypt beat New Zealand 3-1 in Group G</h2><p>Egypt fired on all cylinders against New Zealand at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, beating them 3-1 to go atop the group. New Zealand got the early lead with Finn Surman scoring in the 15th minute. For Egypt, all goals came in the second half - Mostafa Ziko scoring in 58th minute, Mohamed Salah in 67th minute, and Trezeguet in 82nd minute to take their team home.</p></p>

FIFA 2026 Day 11 Results | Cape Verde stunned two-time winners Uruguay 2-2, Spain beat Saudi Arabia 4-0, Iran draw Belgium 0-0 and Egypt beat New Zealand 3-1.

The Day 11 of FIFA World Cup 2026 is done and Cape Verde, one of the debutants of the tournament, continue to impress with their talent, grit, determination, and performance. Another noteworthy match was Iran battling it out against New Zealand for a draw while Spain finally getting on with their campaign. The race to knockout stage is heating up and all the teams are upping their game but none better than Egypt on Sunday (Jun 21) which beat New Zealand to go on top of the Group G. Here below are all the results from day 11 action at the World Cup 2026: Spain beat Saudi Arabia 4-0 in Group H In the first match of the day, Spain kickstarted their campaign with a commading victory against Saudi Arabia. After the shock draw against Cape Verde in their first match, the one-time World Cup winners were on the mark on Sunday at Atlanta Stadium with Lamine Yamal scoring first goal of the night in 10th minute. Mikel Oyarzabal then doubled Spain's lead in 21st minute before completing his brace three minutes later in the 24th minute. Saudi's forgettable day was capped off by Hassan Altambakti hitting an own goal in the 49th minute - the last of the match.

<p>FIFA 2026 Day 11 Results | Cape Verde stunned two-time winners Uruguay 2-2, Spain beat Saudi Arabia 4-0, Iran draw Belgium 0-0 and Egypt beat New Zealand 3-1.</p>

FIFA 2026 Day 11 Round-up | Cape Verde slay another giant, Iran fight hard for draw and more results

<p>The defending champions Argentina have looked strong in their only outing in the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026, beating Algeria 3-0 with superstar Lionel Messi scoring his first-ever World Cup hattrick. Argentina are strong contenders of winning the world cup 2026 and defend their title - something only two teams have been able to do in 96-year-long history of the tournament. The Messi-led side, however, would have to be at their absolute best if they are to join Brazil and Italy in elite list of FIFA title defenders.</p><h2>Which teams have successfully defended their FIFA World Cup title?</h2><p>Only two teams in the FIFA World Cup tournament history which started back in 1930. Uruguay won the maiden World Cup at home in 1930 but did not play the next world cup hence were not table to defend the title. In 1934, Italy won the World Cup for the first time then they next won the title in 1938 - becoming the first team to successfully defend their title.</p>

Watch FIFA World Cup 2026 Live on Zee5

<p>There was no World Cup from 1938 to 1950 because of the World War 2. In 1950, Uruguay won the World Cup in 1950 - becoming the second team after Italy to win two FIFA World Cup title. In 1954, West Germany won their first World Cup before Brazil's era started.</p><p>The South American nation won its first of five World Cups in 1958 and then again in 1962, becoming only the second team in history to successfully defend the title. England were the winners in 1966 - their only title till date - before Brazil won it again in 1970 - making them the first team to win three FIFA World Cup title.</p><p><strong>Also Read</strong> - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/fifa-2026-argentina-tv-host-news-crew-member-lose-job-for-falsely-reporting-death-of-messi-s-father-1781929837774">FIFA 2026 | Argentina TV host, news crew member lose job for falsely reporting death of Messi's father</a></p><p>Ever since Brazil's successful title defence in 1962, no other team has been able to do it but a few have come close including France, which had won the 2018 FIFA World Cup before losing to Argentina in 2022 FIFA final.</p><p>Apart from France, it was Brazil once again which came to close defending title once more in the 1990s. They had won their fourth trophy in 1994 and were in the final in 1998 edition as well but lost to France. In 2002, however, Brazil once again won the title - making them the first nation to lift five FIFA World Cup title.</p><h2>Will Argentina be able to win their second title?</h2><p>Argentina have won three World Cup titles so far - 1978, 1986, 2022. In 1982, they could not reach the final before winning the title again in 1986. In 1990 edition, however, they had reached the final once again but lost to West Germany in the final - who they had beaten in the final the previous edition.</p><h2>Argentina schedule in FIFA World Cup 2026</h2><p>The defending champions have played only one group-stage match so far, against Algeria on June 16 at Kansas City Stadium, which they won 3-0. They next take on Austria on June 21 at Dallas Stadium before finishing their Group J fixtures against Jordan on June 27, also at Dallas Stadium.</p><h2>Where to watch and stream Argentina's FIFA World Cup 2026 matches live in India?</h2><p>Argentina's FIFA World Cup 2026 group-stage and knock out matches can be watched and streamed live on WION"s sister company Zee5 website and app. (Link: https://www.zee5.com/)</p>

FIFA 2026 | Argentina had come close to defend their title in 1990 but failed. Only Brazil and Italy are the only teams to defend the FIFA World Cup title in the history of the tournament.

The defending champions Argentina have looked strong in their only outing in the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026, beating Algeria 3-0 with superstar Lionel Messi scoring his first-ever World Cup hattrick. Argentina are strong contenders of winning the world cup 2026 and defend their title - something only two teams have been able to do in 96-year-long history of the tournament. The Messi-led side, however, would have to be at their absolute best if they are to join Brazil and Italy in elite list of FIFA title defenders. Which teams have successfully defended their FIFA World Cup title? Only two teams in the FIFA World Cup tournament history which started back in 1930. Uruguay won the maiden World Cup at home in 1930 but did not play the next world cup hence were not table to defend the title. In 1934, Italy won the World Cup for the first time then they next won the title in 1938 - becoming the first team to successfully defend their title.

<p>FIFA 2026 | Argentina had come close to defend their title in 1990 but failed. Only Brazil and Italy are the only teams to defend the FIFA World Cup title in the history of the tournament.</p>

FIFA 2026 | Argentina failed to defend title in 1990. Will they be able to join Brazil and Italy in elite list this time?

<p>Several members of a news crew including a TV host lost their jobs after falsely reporting death of Argentina superstar Lionel Messi' father Jorge. It happened after the Messi <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/fifa-2026-messi-father-jorge-under-medical-supervision-but-recovering-confirms-family-1781848395189">family issued a statement</a> on Jorge's medical status to put a rest on rumours. The news outlet in question is Luzu TV - a popular new source in Argentina since starting in 2020. Luzu TV news host Florencia Pena had announced that Messi's father had died and also suggested that the footballer will not take part in the upcoming matches of the ongoing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/fifa-2026">FIFA World Cup 2026</a>.</p><h2>TV host, crew members lose job after reporting death of Messi's father</h2><p>After the Messi family clarified in a statement that Jorge is under medical supervision and recovering, Pena issued an apology to the family and blamed the news crew for feeding her wrong information.</p><p>"I apologise to the Messi family for the awful moment I imagine they are going through,” Pena wrote on social media in Spanish. “I am deeply ashamed ⁠to have been the vehicle for this pain. I must clarify that this false information was provided to me during the live broadcast as verified ​by the production team of the show, and I trusted ‌it.</p><p><strong>Also Read</strong> - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/fifa-2026-day-9-results-usa-beat-australia-to-advance-to-round-of-32-brazil-come-alive-in-time-and-more-results-1781923818120">FIFA 2026 Day 9 Round up | USA advance to R32, Brazil come alive &amp; more results</a></p><p>"Even so, I take responsibility for ‌being part of the mistake, and that’s why I decided to step aside and end my participation in Luzu. I apologise again ‌from the heart; I was wrong."</p><p>Luzu "too issued a statement, also in Spanish, on the incident and said: "We deeply regret the incident that occurred on air during the programme. For our channel, broadcasting sensitive information without proper prior verification is unacceptable. Consequently, Luzu TV management has decided to part ways with all those responsible, and Florencia Peña has decided to step aside. We reaffirm our commitment to responsible, respectful, ‌and rigorous communication."</p>

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<p>Messi was also emotional after scoring his first of his three goals against Algeria and revealed after the match that the reason was not related to football.</p><h2>Argentina schedule in FIFA World Cup 2026</h2><p>The defending champions have played only one group-stage match so far, against Algeria on June 16 at Kansas City Stadium, which they won 3-0. They next take on Austria on June 21 at Dallas Stadium before finishing their Group J fixtures against Jordan on June 27, also at Dallas Stadium.</p><h2>Where to watch and stream Argentina's FIFA World Cup 2026 matches live in India?</h2><p>Argentina's FIFA World Cup 2026 group-stage and knock out matches can be watched and streamed live on WION"s sister company Zee5 website and app. (Link: https://www.zee5.com/)</p>

FIFA 2026 | The Messi family issued a statement against all the rumours after which Florencia Pena of Luzu TV lost her job for wrongly reporting death of Messi's father.

Several members of a news crew including a TV host lost their jobs after falsely reporting death of Argentina superstar Lionel Messi' father Jorge. It happened after the Messi family issued a statement on Jorge's medical status to put a rest on rumours. The news outlet in question is Luzu TV - a popular new source in Argentina since starting in 2020. Luzu TV news host Florencia Pena had announced that Messi's father had died and also suggested that the footballer will not take part in the upcoming matches of the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026. TV host, crew members lose job after reporting death of Messi's father After the Messi family clarified in a statement that Jorge is under medical supervision and recovering, Pena issued an apology to the family and blamed the news crew for feeding her wrong information. "I apologise to the Messi family for the awful moment I imagine they are going through,” Pena wrote on social media in Spanish. “I am deeply ashamed ⁠to have been the vehicle for this pain. I must clarify that this false information was provided to me during the live broadcast as verified by the production team of the show, and I trusted ‌it. Also Read - FIFA 2026 Day 9 Round up | USA advance to R32, Brazil come alive & more results "Even so, I take responsibility for ‌being part of the mistake, and that’s why I decided to step aside and end my participation in Luzu. I apologise again ‌from the heart; I was wrong." Luzu "too issued a statement, also in Spanish, on the incident and said: "We deeply regret the incident that occurred on air during the programme. For our channel, broadcasting sensitive information without proper prior verification is unacceptable. Consequently, Luzu TV management has decided to part ways with all those responsible, and Florencia Peña has decided to step aside. We reaffirm our commitment to responsible, respectful, ‌and rigorous communication."

<p>FIFA 2026 | The Messi family issued a statement against all the rumours after which Florencia Pena of Luzu TV lost her job for wrongly reporting death of Messi's father.</p>

FIFA 2026 | Argentina TV host, news crew member lose job for falsely reporting death of Messi's father

<p>The FIFA World Cup 2026 Day 9 saw five-time champions Brazil coming into form just in time to win their second group-stage match on Friday (Jun 19). Co-hosts USA also beat Australia for their second consecutive win which has all but ensured a place in the knockout stage for them. In another match, Scotland lost to Morocco as the African nations continues on path of a berth in Round of 32. Below are the complete FIFA World Cup 2026 results from the day:</p><h2>USA beat Australia 2-0 in Group D</h2><p>Played at Seattle Stadium, USA got the lead thank to an own goal by Australia's Cameron Burgess in the 11th minute. Australia did well after that to stop any scoring until Alex Freeman doubled the USA's lead just before half-time in the 43rd minute. No further goals were scored in the match as USA cruised to their second win of the tournament by a 2-0 margin. The co-hosts were better than Australia in all aspects including ball possession. USA had the football 63 percent of the time while Australia managed with just 37 percent. The co-hosts also made 494 passes with 87 percent accuracy while Australia could only pass the ball 249 time with just 77 percent accuracy.</p>

<h2>Morocco beat Scotland 1-0 in Group C</h2><p>Scotland suffered a crushing 1-0 loss against Morocco at Boston Stadium in the second match of the day an were down to third place in their group. Ismael Saibari put Morocco ahead in the second minute only and held on the lead for the rest of the match. The ball possession was divided 40-60 in favour of Morocco but their 666 passes at 91 percent accuracy in comparison to Scotland's 441 at 87 percent accuracy were the reason for the favorable outcome of the match.</p><p><strong>Also Read</strong> - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/achraf-hakimi-to-stand-trial-over-2023-rape-allegation-says-at-last-i-ll-be-able-to-speak-1781879680455">Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi to stand trial over 2023 rape allegation</a></p><h2>Brazil beat Haiti in Group C</h2><p>After drawing the first game against Morocco, Brazil needed a win and the players delivered. Matheus Cunha scored in the 23rd minute and again in 36th minute as Brazil went 2-0. Real Madrid star Vini Junior then scored just before half-time in 45+3rd minute to take Brazil 3-0 up heading into the break. Both teams did not score any more goals in the second half but Brazil still ended up on the top of the group with four points in two matches.</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

FIFA 2026 | USA beat Australia 2-0 to advance to Round of 32, Morocco beat Scotland 1-0 and Brazil showed signs of revival in time with 3-0 win against Haiti.

The FIFA World Cup 2026 Day 9 saw five-time champions Brazil coming into form just in time to win their second group-stage match on Friday (Jun 19). Co-hosts USA also beat Australia for their second consecutive win which has all but ensured a place in the knockout stage for them. In another match, Scotland lost to Morocco as the African nations continues on path of a berth in Round of 32. Below are the complete FIFA World Cup 2026 results from the day: USA beat Australia 2-0 in Group D Played at Seattle Stadium, USA got the lead thank to an own goal by Australia's Cameron Burgess in the 11th minute. Australia did well after that to stop any scoring until Alex Freeman doubled the USA's lead just before half-time in the 43rd minute. No further goals were scored in the match as USA cruised to their second win of the tournament by a 2-0 margin. The co-hosts were better than Australia in all aspects including ball possession. USA had the football 63 percent of the time while Australia managed with just 37 percent. The co-hosts also made 494 passes with 87 percent accuracy while Australia could only pass the ball 249 time with just 77 percent accuracy.

<p>FIFA 2026 | USA beat Australia 2-0 to advance to Round of 32, Morocco beat Scotland 1-0 and Brazil showed signs of revival in time with 3-0 win against Haiti.</p>

FIFA 2026 Day 9 Round up | USA beat Australia to advance to Round of 32, Brazil come alive in time and more results

<p>Iran football team has decided to raise objection with the FIFA, global body of sports, about their travelling arrangements for the ongoing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/fifa-2026">FIFA World Cup 2026</a>. The World Cup up is being co-hosted by the USA, Canada, and Mexico and Iran was recently at war with the USA - the venue of their all three group-stage games. Amid the tensions, it was agreed by two countries that Iran will shift base from US to Tijuana in Mexico and would travel back and forth for the matches in the USA. Now, however, Iran is not happy about being allowed to come to the LA - host city of their games - 24 hours before their second Group G game against Belgium on Sunday (Jun 21).</p><h2>Why Iran decided to lodge complaint with FIFA against travel arrangements?</h2><p>For their first match against New Zealand at LA Stadium in Ingelwood, California, the Iranian team were allowed to fly in 48 hours before the match which had a kick off time at 6 pm local time. They were, however, asked to leave the coutry as soon as match was over instead of the next day following a recovery session. Iran coach had called out the arrangement and termed his team as 'most oppressed' at the ongoing World Cup.</p><p>Now, the US authorities have said that the team isn't allowed in the country 24 hours before the match - which is Sunday (Jun 21), but with a midday local time kick-off. The arrangement leaves Iran little time to do practice and get used to to the city and environment.</p>

<h2>What did Iran say about it?</h2><p>In a statement released on Friday (Jun 19), the Football Federation Islamic Republic of Iran (FFIRI) said: "The football federation of Iran believes that such restrictions are inconsistent with the principle of providing equal conditions for all participating teams and may negatively affect teams’ preparation processes.</p><p><strong>Also Read</strong> - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/fifa-2026-messi-father-jorge-under-medical-supervision-but-recovering-confirms-family-1781848395189">FIFA 2026 | Messi's father Jorge 'under medical supervision' but recovering, confirms family</a></p><p>“Consequently, the federation will formally express its dissatisfaction and lodge an official complaint with FIFA through the appropriate channels. Despite these limitations, Iran’s national team will continue its preparation program and remain fully focused on its upcoming match against Belgium.”</p><h2>Where does Iran stand in FIFA World Cup 2026?</h2><p>Iran drew their opening group-stage match against New Zealand 2-2 and they now face Belgium in their second match. In the last group-stage match, Iran face Egypt on June 26 at Seattle Stadium.</p><h2>Where to watch and stream Iran's FIFA World Cup 2026 matches live in India?</h2><p>Iran's FIFA World Cup 2026 group-stage and knock out matches can be watched and streamed live on WION"s sister company Zee5 website and app. (Link: https://www.zee5.com/)</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

Iran is not happy about being allowed to come to the LA - host city of their games - 24 hours before their second Group G game against Belgium on Sunday (Jun 21).

Iran football team has decided to raise objection with the FIFA, global body of sports, about their travelling arrangements for the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026. The World Cup up is being co-hosted by the USA, Canada, and Mexico and Iran was recently at war with the USA - the venue of their all three group-stage games. Amid the tensions, it was agreed by two countries that Iran will shift base from US to Tijuana in Mexico and would travel back and forth for the matches in the USA. Now, however, Iran is not happy about being allowed to come to the LA - host city of their games - 24 hours before their second Group G game against Belgium on Sunday (Jun 21). Why Iran decided to lodge complaint with FIFA against travel arrangements? For their first match against New Zealand at LA Stadium in Ingelwood, California, the Iranian team were allowed to fly in 48 hours before the match which had a kick off time at 6 pm local time. They were, however, asked to leave the coutry as soon as match was over instead of the next day following a recovery session. Iran coach had called out the arrangement and termed his team as 'most oppressed' at the ongoing World Cup. Now, the US authorities have said that the team isn't allowed in the country 24 hours before the match - which is Sunday (Jun 21), but with a midday local time kick-off. The arrangement leaves Iran little time to do practice and get used to to the city and environment.

<p>Iran is not happy about being allowed to come to the LA - host city of their games - 24 hours before their second Group G game against Belgium on Sunday (Jun 21).</p>

FIFA 2026 | 'Equal conditions for all': Iran to lodge complaint with FIFA regarding travel arrangements

<p>Lionel Messi was visibly emotional after completing his first ever football World Cup hattrick during the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/fifa-2026">FIFA 2026</a> group-stage match against Algeria. The reason, as Messi said on Tuesday (Jun 16) after the match, was completely unrelated to football. Now, his family has confirmed that the star footballer's father, Jorge, is facing medical issues. The statement from family, sent to ESPN, comes amid various news and versions circulating about Messi's father which the statement attempts to put at rest.</p><h2>What has happened to Messi's father?</h2><p>In the statement issued, the family revealed that Jorge is "currently under medical supervision, recovering, and progressing favorably within his current condition," but did not reveal the ailment.</p><p><strong>Also Read</strong> - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/fifa-2026-bench-could-hear-it-canada-coach-marsch-on-kone-s-leg-being-broken-vs-qatar-1781843150492">FIFA 2026 | 'Bench could hear it': Canada coach on Kone's leg injury vs Qatar</a></p><p>"Given the versions, rumors, and speculation that have circulated in recent hours, the family wishes to express its deep displeasure at the lack of sensitivity, respect, and scruples with which some people have treated a strictly private and family matter," the statement added.</p><p>Messi was asked after Argentina beat Algeria about being emotinal and had said: "It was something completely unrelated to football. I went through some difficult days, but I'm grateful to the entire delegation and my teammates because they were always by my side, giving me a lot of strength to help me get through it."</p>

<h2>Where does Argentina stand in FIFA World Cup 2026?</h2><p>The defending champions have played only one group-stage match so far, against Algeria on June 16 at Kansas City Stadium, which they won 3-0. They next take on Austria on June 21 at Dallas Stadium before finishing their Group J fixtures against Jordan on June 27, also at Dallas Stadium.</p><p>With three goals in first match itself, Messi now is on the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/fifa-2026-messi-and-mbappe-create-history-in-respective-world-cup-opening-wins-for-argentina-and-france-1781669761849">top of goal scoring list in FIFA World Cup history</a>, albeit jointly, alongside German great Miroslav Klose with both players having 16 goals apiece.</p><h2>Where to watch and stream Argentina's FIFA World Cup 2026 matches live in India?</h2><p>Argentina's FIFA World Cup 2026 group-stage and knock out matches can be watched and streamed live on WION"s sister company Zee5 website and app. (Link: https://www.zee5.com/)</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

FIFA 2026 | The Messi family issued a statement to confirm that footballer's father is having medical issues, the reason behind's Messi's emotions after hattrick vs Algeria on Tuesday (Jun 16).

Lionel Messi was visibly emotional after completing his first ever football World Cup hattrick during the FIFA 2026 group-stage match against Algeria. The reason, as Messi said on Tuesday (Jun 16) after the match, was completely unrelated to football. Now, his family has confirmed that the star footballer's father, Jorge, is facing medical issues. The statement from family, sent to ESPN, comes amid various news and versions circulating about Messi's father which the statement attempts to put at rest. What has happened to Messi's father? In the statement issued, the family revealed that Jorge is "currently under medical supervision, recovering, and progressing favorably within his current condition," but did not reveal the ailment. Also Read - FIFA 2026 | 'Bench could hear it': Canada coach on Kone's leg injury vs Qatar "Given the versions, rumors, and speculation that have circulated in recent hours, the family wishes to express its deep displeasure at the lack of sensitivity, respect, and scruples with which some people have treated a strictly private and family matter," the statement added. Messi was asked after Argentina beat Algeria about being emotinal and had said: "It was something completely unrelated to football. I went through some difficult days, but I'm grateful to the entire delegation and my teammates because they were always by my side, giving me a lot of strength to help me get through it."

<p>FIFA 2026 | The Messi family issued a statement to confirm that footballer's father is having medical issues, the reason behind's Messi's emotions after hattrick vs Algeria on Tuesday (Jun 16).</p>

FIFA 2026 | Messi's father Jorge 'under medical supervision' but recovering, confirms family

<p>Canada won their first group-stage match in the ongoing <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/fifa-2026">FIFA World Cup 2026</a>, beating a 9-man Qatar team 6-0 in Vancouver on Thursday (Jun 18). The win, however, came at a cost as Canada's Ismael Kone suffered a horrific a leg injury. Kone was eventually stretchered off in the second half of the match, and Qatar's Assim Madibo, who made the play which caused the injury, was given the red card and sent off the pitch - Qatar's second of the match which left them with only nine men for the remainder of the game.</p><h2>What exactly happned to Kone?</h2><p>The Canada player was caught in a hard tackle by Madibo and went down hard after that. His teammates immediately waved to the sidelines for help before surrounding him with concern. Kone was eventually taken off the field on a stretcher - a sight no team wants to see for their teammate or even opposition. Madibo was rightfully given the red card after the VAR review and was sent off the pitch.</p><p><strong>Also Read</strong> - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/fifa-2026-day-8-round-up-co-hosts-canada-mexico-win-and-other-results-1781837528860">FIFA 2026 Day 8 Round-up | Co-hosts Canada, Mexico win and other results</a></p><p>Canada coach Jesse Marsch said that the player is in hospital and preparing for surgery, saying: "He will prepare for a surgery. I'm going to go see him after this press conference. We'll see exactly what we decide to do for him. His family is with him at the hospital, so his mother's there and his family. Look, it happened right in front of the bench. We could all hear it. I knew right away it was similar to when Tajon [Buchanan] got hurt in training [in 2024]."</p>

<h2>Canada's schedule in FIFA World Cup 2026</h2><p>Canada have played two matches in the group-stage out of three and will last play against Switzerland on June 24 at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver. In the two matches played, Canada drew one - 1-1 against Bosnia and Herzegovina - before demolishing Qatar. They currently are atop the Group B with four points from two matches played. Switzerland, another Group B team, also has four points but less goals to and for, hence on second place.</p><h2>Where to watch and stream Canada's FIFA World Cup 2026 matches live in India?</h2><p>Canada's FIFA World Cup 2026 group-stage and knock out matches can be watched and streamed live on WION"s sister company Zee5 website and app. (Link: https://www.zee5.com/)</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

FIFA 2026 | Canada's Ismael Kone broke his leg during the second half when hard tackled by Qatar's Assim Madibo during Group B fixture on June 18. Canada won the match 6-0.

Canada won their first group-stage match in the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026, beating a 9-man Qatar team 6-0 in Vancouver on Thursday (Jun 18). The win, however, came at a cost as Canada's Ismael Kone suffered a horrific a leg injury. Kone was eventually stretchered off in the second half of the match, and Qatar's Assim Madibo, who made the play which caused the injury, was given the red card and sent off the pitch - Qatar's second of the match which left them with only nine men for the remainder of the game. What exactly happned to Kone? The Canada player was caught in a hard tackle by Madibo and went down hard after that. His teammates immediately waved to the sidelines for help before surrounding him with concern. Kone was eventually taken off the field on a stretcher - a sight no team wants to see for their teammate or even opposition. Madibo was rightfully given the red card after the VAR review and was sent off the pitch. Also Read - FIFA 2026 Day 8 Round-up | Co-hosts Canada, Mexico win and other results Canada coach Jesse Marsch said that the player is in hospital and preparing for surgery, saying: "He will prepare for a surgery. I'm going to go see him after this press conference. We'll see exactly what we decide to do for him. His family is with him at the hospital, so his mother's there and his family. Look, it happened right in front of the bench. We could all hear it. I knew right away it was similar to when Tajon [Buchanan] got hurt in training [in 2024]."

<p>FIFA 2026 | Canada's Ismael Kone broke his leg during the second half when hard tackled by Qatar's Assim Madibo during Group B fixture on June 18. Canada won the match 6-0.</p>

FIFA 2026 | 'Bench could hear it': Canada coach Marsch on Kone's leg being broken vs Qatar

<p>The ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026 produced some dominating performances from a couple of teams on Day 8, Thursday (Jun 18) with Switzerland beating Bosnia and Herzegovina, co-hosts Canada beating last edition's hosts Qatar, and South Africa fighting valiantly to keep theit dream aliver with a draw against Czechia. This was the second group-stage match for all the team's involved with one more game left before the knockout teams are decided for Round of 32. Below are the complete results of all matches on Day 8 of football World Cup:</p><h2>South Africa hold Czechia at 1-1 in Group A</h2><p>Michal Sadilek scored in the sixth minute of the match for Czechia as South Africa played catch up for larger part of the game at Atlanta Stadium. It was only in 83rd minute that Teboho Mokoena scored on a penatly kick to bring them at par. South Africa, despite being behind most of the time, were the better team with 61 percent possesion of the ball and 541 passes with 90 percent accuracy compared to Czechia's 39 percent possession, 300 passes with 82 percent accuracy.</p><p><strong>Also Read</strong> - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/forget-football-world-cup-fans-are-obsessed-with-taco-bell-waffle-house-and-texas-bbq-what-s-happening-1781795929096">Why Taco Bell, Waffle House and BBQ are becoming World Cup tourist attractions</a></p><h2>Switzerland beat Bosnia and Herzegovia 4-1 in Group B</h2><p>The 20-year-old Swiss prodigy, Zohan Manzambi, scored a double in a match which saw all five goals being scored after the 73-minute mark. After Manzambi scored opened for Switzerland in the 74th minute at LA Stadium, Ruben Vargas added one more in the 84th minute. Manzambi scored another one in the final minute of regulation time before Ermin Mahmic scored three minutes into the injury time for Bosnia but it was too little too late. Granit Xhaka then capped off a perfect night for Switzerland with a successful penalty kick in the 90+7th minute.</p>

<h2>Canada beat Qatar 6-0 in Group B</h2><p>In the second Group B match, co-hosts Canada were clinical in their win against Qatar, hosts of the last World Cup edition in 2022. Cyle Larin opened for Canada in the 16th minute before Jonathan David scored twice - in 29th and 45+3rd minute to give his team 3-0 lead before half-time. For Qatar, Homam Ahmed was sent off in the 33rd minute, leaving them wit only 10 men on the pitch.</p><p>Come second half, Nathan Saliba scored for Canada in 64th minute after Qatar's Assim Madibo was also sent off in the 53rd minute, leaving them only with nine men on the pitch. Mohammed Manai then scored anown goal as Canada went up 5-0 before David completed his hattrick with third goal in the 90+2nd minute.</p><h2>Mexico beat South Korea 1-0 in Group A</h2><p>Just like Canada, Mexico - also a co-host, won their Group A match against South Korea 1-0 at Guadalajara stadium. Luis Romo was the only scorer in the match, finding the net in 50th minute for the home team as they won their second consecutive football World Cup 2026 match.</p><h2>Where to watch and stream FIFA World Cup 2026 matches live in India?</h2><p>The FIFA World Cup 2026 group-stage and knock out matches can be watched and streamed live on WION"s sister company Zee5 website and app. (Link: https://www.zee5.com/)</p><p>&nbsp;</p>

FIFA 2026, June 18 results | South Africa held Czechia at 1-1 draw, Switzerland beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 4-1, Canada beat Qatar 6-0, and Mexico beat South Korea 1-0.

The ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026 produced some dominating performances from a couple of teams on Day 8, Thursday (Jun 18) with Switzerland beating Bosnia and Herzegovina, co-hosts Canada beating last edition's hosts Qatar, and South Africa fighting valiantly to keep theit dream aliver with a draw against Czechia. This was the second group-stage match for all the team's involved with one more game left before the knockout teams are decided for Round of 32. Below are the complete results of all matches on Day 8 of football World Cup: South Africa hold Czechia at 1-1 in Group A Michal Sadilek scored in the sixth minute of the match for Czechia as South Africa played catch up for larger part of the game at Atlanta Stadium. It was only in 83rd minute that Teboho Mokoena scored on a penatly kick to bring them at par. South Africa, despite being behind most of the time, were the better team with 61 percent possesion of the ball and 541 passes with 90 percent accuracy compared to Czechia's 39 percent possession, 300 passes with 82 percent accuracy. Also Read - Why Taco Bell, Waffle House and BBQ are becoming World Cup tourist attractions Switzerland beat Bosnia and Herzegovia 4-1 in Group B The 20-year-old Swiss prodigy, Zohan Manzambi, scored a double in a match which saw all five goals being scored after the 73-minute mark. After Manzambi scored opened for Switzerland in the 74th minute at LA Stadium, Ruben Vargas added one more in the 84th minute. Manzambi scored another one in the final minute of regulation time before Ermin Mahmic scored three minutes into the injury time for Bosnia but it was too little too late. Granit Xhaka then capped off a perfect night for Switzerland with a successful penalty kick in the 90+7th minute.

<p>FIFA 2026, June 18 results | South Africa held Czechia at 1-1 draw, Switzerland beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 4-1, Canada beat Qatar 6-0, and Mexico beat South Korea 1-0.</p>

FIFA 2026 Day 8 Round-up | Co-hosts Canada, Mexico win and other results

<p>Portugal suffered a shocker in FIFA World Cup 2026 opener as DR Congo held them to a 1-1 draw on Wednesday (Jun 17) at Houston Stadium and their star Cristiano Ronaldo is being called out for pooer performance. Ronaldo failed to score a goal for his side, a streak which reaches as back as FIFA World Cup 2022 when he last scored a goal for Portugal via a penalty against Ghana. Former France star Thierry Henry called out Ronaldo for trying too hard to score and denying teammates the chance to do so.</p><h2>Henry calls out Ronaldo for running interference for own team</h2><p>Ronaldo was criticised by Henry for coming into the path of Bruno Fernandes and while speaking on Fox Sports after the match: “The team needs to score, not you need to score. Because he wants to score, he goes into the path of Bruno Fernandes.”</p><p><strong>Also Read</strong> - <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/fifa-world-cup-2026-week-1-review-stunners-shockers-and-comebacks-lionel-messi-cristiano-ronaldo-spain-portugal-cape-verde-cura-ao-1781766906018">FIFA World Cup 2026 Week 1 Review: Stunners, shockers and comebacks</a></p><p>"If you make that run here, you make the defender take a decision to crash the six-yard box. But because he wants to score, he goes into the path of Bruno Fernandes. If he goes into that six-yard box, you've been in that situation. You would have had to follow him, and then it would have been a tap-in for Bruno Fernandes," Henry added.</p>

<p><h2>How DR Congo stopped Ronaldo?</h2><p>Both the goals of the match came in first half with Joao Neves scoring for Portugal in 6th minute and Yoane Wissa scoring the equalizer in 45+5th minute.</p><p>Congo defenders did very well to stop the Portgal defence despite the European side made 769 passes with 93 per cent accurace in comparison to DR Congo's 222 passes with 81 per cent accuracy</p><p>"We know that Ronaldo isn't the same as before," Congo defender Ngal'ayel Mukau said. "So we know that he runs less, less efforts. So yeah, it was up to our defence to stop him, and they did a great job."</p><h2>Portugal schedule in FIFA World Cup 2026</h2><p>Portugal next play against Uzbekistan on June 22 at Houston Stadium before taking on Colombia on June 27 in their final Group K fixture at Miami Staidum.</p><h2>Where to watch and stream Portugal's FIFA World Cup 2026 matches?</h2><p>Portugal's group-stage matches in FIFA World Cup 2026 will be aired across WION's sister company Zee5 app and website.</p></p>

Ronaldo failed to score a goal for his side, a streak which reaches as back as FIFA World Cup 2022 when he last scored a goal for Portugal via a penalty against Ghana. Former France star Thierry Henry called out Ronaldo for trying too hard to score and denying teammates the chance to do so.

Portugal suffered a shocker in FIFA World Cup 2026 opener as DR Congo held them to a 1-1 draw on Wednesday (Jun 17) at Houston Stadium and their star Cristiano Ronaldo is being called out for pooer performance. Ronaldo failed to score a goal for his side, a streak which reaches as back as FIFA World Cup 2022 when he last scored a goal for Portugal via a penalty against Ghana. Former France star Thierry Henry called out Ronaldo for trying too hard to score and denying teammates the chance to do so. Henry calls out Ronaldo for running interference for own team Ronaldo was criticised by Henry for coming into the path of Bruno Fernandes and while speaking on Fox Sports after the match: “The team needs to score, not you need to score. Because he wants to score, he goes into the path of Bruno Fernandes.” Also Read - FIFA World Cup 2026 Week 1 Review: Stunners, shockers and comebacks "If you make that run here, you make the defender take a decision to crash the six-yard box. But because he wants to score, he goes into the path of Bruno Fernandes. If he goes into that six-yard box, you've been in that situation. You would have had to follow him, and then it would have been a tap-in for Bruno Fernandes," Henry added.

<p>Ronaldo failed to score a goal for his side, a streak which reaches as back as FIFA World Cup 2022 when he last scored a goal for Portugal via a penalty against Ghana. Former France star Thierry Henry called out Ronaldo for trying too hard to score and denying teammates the chance to do so.</p>

FIFA 2026 | 'He goes into the path of Bruno Fernandes': Ronaldo gets called out by Henry for DR Congo performance