分类： sports

The 2026 FIFA World Cup has moved past the group stage, with the full schedule for the knockout round of 32 now finalized, kicking off Sunday with an opening matchup between South Africa and Canada at Los Angeles Stadium in California.

This opening fixture marks just the second ever meeting between the two sides. Their only previous encounter was a 2007 friendly held in Durban, where South Africa (nicknamed Bafana Bafana) secured a 2-0 victory. For Canada, the matchup presents an opportunity to break an unfortunate historical trend: the North American side has lost both of its previous official matches against African opponents, falling 2-0 to Cameroon at the 2001 Confederations Cup and 2-1 to Morocco at the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Despite this history, bookmakers and analysts currently favor Canada to claim a win in regulation. If the two sides cannot be separated after 90 minutes, the match will advance to extra time followed by a penalty shootout if needed to determine a winner.

The full confirmed schedule for the remainder of the round of 32 is as follows:
Monday, June 29: Brazil vs Japan at Houston Stadium, Texas (14:00 local time); Germany vs Paraguay at Boston Stadium, Massachusetts (17:30 local time); Netherlands vs Morocco at Monterrey Stadium, Mexico (22:00 local time)
Tuesday, June 30: Ivory Coast vs Norway at Dallas Stadium, Texas (14:00 local time); France vs Sweden at New York/New Jersey Stadium (18:00 local time); Mexico vs Ecuador at Mexico City Stadium, Mexico (22:00 local time)
Wednesday, July 1: England vs DR Congo at Atlanta Stadium, Georgia (13:00 local time); Belgium vs Senegal at Seattle Stadium, Washington (17:00 local time); USA vs Bosnia and Herzegovina at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium, California (21:00 local time)
Thursday, July 2: Spain vs Austria at Los Angeles Stadium (16:00 local time); Portugal vs Croatia at Toronto Stadium, Ontario (20:00 local time); Switzerland vs Algeria at BC Place Vancouver, British Columbia (00:00 Friday local time)
Friday, July 3: Australia vs Egypt at Dallas Stadium (15:00 local time); Argentina vs Cape Verde at Miami Stadium, Florida (19:00 local time); Colombia vs Ghana at Kansas City Stadium, Missouri (22:30 local time)

Off the pitch, one major late development from the group stage saw Iran eliminated from the tournament, knocked out in dramatic fashion on the final matchday. Iran’s hopes of advancing depended on the result of Group J’s closing fixture between Austria and Algeria: Iran would only miss out on the cut for best third-placed teams if the match ended in a draw. The fixture finished 3-3, pushing Algeria into the final available round of 32 spot with four points as one of the eight best third-placed finishers, eliminating Iran from the competition.

The biggest story of the 2026 World Cup group stage is the historic breakthrough by African nations, which have set a new tournament record for progression. A total of 10 African teams qualified for the expanded 48-team 2026 World Cup, and nine of those have advanced to the round of 32 – the highest number of knockout-stage qualifiers from any single continent in World Cup history. The nine advancing sides are Algeria, Cape Verde, DR Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Morocco, Senegal and South Africa, with Tunisia the only African nation to exit at the group stage.

This milestone builds on the growing strength of African men’s football, which began with Morocco’s historic run to the 2022 World Cup semi-finals. As more African sides consistently challenge traditional football powerhouses, the continent has secured its strongest ever showing at the men’s World Cup.

For football fans around the globe, one highly anticipated storyline remains alive: a final showdown between global superstars Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo is still possible, should both captains lead their nations all the way to the July 19 final. With the knockout bracket now finalized, Argentina (led by Messi) and Portugal (captained by Ronaldo) are on opposite halves of the draw, which rules out the widely hoped-for quarter-final meeting between the two icons. That leaves the final as the only possible stage for the legendary rivals to face off in what would be one of the most iconic matches in football history.

Kansas City hosted one of the most thrilling group stage matches in recent tournament memory on June 28, as Algeria and Austria battled to a chaotic 3-3 draw that secured both nations a spot in the knockout round, eliminating Iran in heartbreaking fashion.

The entire contest carried high stakes from kickoff: the two sides went into the final group fixture locked in a direct battle for second place, where a loss for either would end their tournament run. A draw, however, would see both advance – Austria as group runners-up courtesy of a superior goal difference, and Algeria locking in third place.

Austria controlled possession in the opening exchanges, pressing high and probing Algeria’s defensive block for early gaps, though clear-cut chances remained elusive. In the 9th minute, Xaver Schlager tried his luck from long range, but his effort lacked both power and placement to trouble Algerian goalkeeper Abderrahmane Benbot. Two minutes later, veteran striker Marko Arnautovic picked up an early yellow card that kept him on thin ice for the rest of the match.

For the opening 15 minutes, Austria maintained sustained ball control, but Algeria’s backline held firm to block every attempted breakthrough, forcing a mid-quarter hydration break amid the intense Kansas City conditions with the score still locked at 0-0.

The deadlock finally broke in the 28th minute, when Arnautovic ran onto a perfectly weighted through ball, kept his cool under pressure, and slid the ball calmly under Benbot to put Austria 1-0 up. At that point in the virtual table, Austria looked set to advance, while Algeria sat on the brink of elimination.

Algeria responded quickly to going behind. After Rafik Belghali wasted an early equalizing chance, the North African side found the net just before halftime. A clever passing sequence down the right flank sent the ball bouncing off the corner flag back into play, and Belghali cut inside before unleashing a powerful left-footed strike into the near corner to level the score at 1-1.

After four minutes of stoppage time, Austria pushed one last time for a halftime lead, but Algeria held firm, and the two sides went into the break level – a result that all but guaranteed both would move on to the knockout stage.

Austria made three substitutions to start the second half, while Algeria opted to keep its starting XI on the pitch. The pace of the match slowed considerably, as a draw remained a mutually acceptable result for both camps.

That lull was broken in the 56th minute, when Konrad Laimer delivered a pinpoint cross to Marcel Sabitzer, who struck a controlled, firm finish past the goalkeeper to put Austria back in front 2-1. Once again, Algeria slipped into a virtual elimination spot.

Just as they did in the first half, Algeria fought back immediately. Five minutes after falling behind, Riyad Mahrez – the team’s star playmaker – scored a clinical equalizer after a clever build-up from Houssem Aouar, firing an unstoppable shot into the near corner to make the score 2-2.

Play settled back into a steady rhythm after the second equalizer, though Algerian substitute Rayan Ait-Nouri created several dangerous moments down the left flank. A second hydration break was called halfway through the second half to let players recover from the heat.

As the match entered its final minutes, both sides began pushing for a winning goal that would secure a higher knockout stage seeding, and it looked like the game would end with the score level – until Mahrez struck in the third minute of stoppage time. Combining once again with Aouar, Mahrez slotted home his second goal of the game to put Algeria ahead 3-2. The late strike sent Algeria’s fans into delirium, as the result would have eliminated Austria and sent Iran through to the knockout round in their place.

Algeria’s joy lasted less than three minutes. In the 96th and final minute of stoppage time, Austrian substitute Saša Kalajdžic rose above the defense to power a header into the back of the net, leveling the score at 3-3 and capping off one of the most dramatic finishes in tournament history. The late equalizer secured advancement for both Algeria and Austria, sending Iran home.

Mahrez was named Man of the Match for his two-goal performance that dominated the entire contest. Following the result, Austria will face Spain in their upcoming knockout round fixture, while Algeria will take on Switzerland.

DALLAS — World Cup debutant Jordan faced off against defending champion Argentina in a packed Dallas stadium on matchday three of Group J play. Heading into the fixture, Argentina had already secured back-to-back wins in their first two group matches, sitting comfortably atop the group standings with six full points. For Jordan, the encounter offered little at stake: the side had failed to pick up any points across their earlier two outings, and were playing just to fulfill their final group stage obligation.

Looking ahead to the knockout round, Argentine manager Lionel Scaloni opted to field a completely changed starting lineup, giving his star core much-needed rest after two intense opening matches. With talisman Lionel Messi having been responsible for almost all of Argentina’s goals in the tournament to date, many pundits and fans questioned whether the rotated side would still find the back of the net. Another storyline heading into kickoff was Argentina’s unbroken defensive record: the defending champions had not conceded a single goal through the first two matches, and Jordan was determined to become the first side to breach that line. Romanian referee Istvan Kovacs took charge of the contest.

The opening half got off to a fast start, with Giovani Lo Celso seeing an early goal ruled out for offside. The Tottenham midfielder did not let the setback slow him down, and in the 19th minute, he converted a perfectly placed free kick to put Argentina ahead 1-0, earning a nod of approval from Messi watching from the bench. In the 28th minute, Julian Alvarez was struck in the face after looping a header over Jordan’s goalkeeper, and a VAR review awarded Argentina a penalty. Inter striker Lautaro Martínez stepped up and buried the spot kick to double Argentina’s lead to 2-0 heading into halftime. Controversy struck before the break, however: VAR failed to award Jordan a penalty for a handball by Lo Celso inside his own penalty area, leaving Jordan trailing at the break without the chance to pull a goal back.

After halftime, Jordan emerged reinvigorated, carving out several clear scoring chances that failed to find the mark in the final third. In the 55th minute, Musa Al-Taamari became the first player at the 2026 World Cup to beat Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, slotting home a consolation goal to cut the deficit to 2-1. Just over five minutes later, with the game still in the balance, Messi was brought off the bench to steady the ship and bring control back to Argentina’s play. In the 80th minute, after being fouled just outside Jordan’s penalty area, Messi stepped up to take the resulting free kick. He curled a clinical effort past goalkeeper Yazeed Abulaila to restore Argentina’s two-goal lead, extending his historic record by becoming the first player in men’s World Cup history to score in seven consecutive tournament matches.

The full-time whistle left Argentina with a 3-1 win and a perfect three wins from three group stage matches, securing their place in the knockout round where they will face World Cup underdog Cape Verde. The result confirms that even without Messi starting every match, Argentina has enough depth in attack to pick up results, with other talented players stepping up to contribute goals in the star’s rested absence. For Jordan, Al-Taamari’s goal proved that Argentina’s previously unbeatable defense is not unbreachable, giving the debut nation a historic milestone to take home from their first ever World Cup campaign.

A tense, tightly-contested Group K World Cup clash between Colombia and Portugal at Miami Stadium ended in a scoreless 0-0 draw on June 27, locking in both teams’ knockout stage positions: Colombia finished the group stage undefeated to claim the top spot, while Portugal settled for second place and will face Croatia in their upcoming round of 16 matchup.

The match kicked off with immediate attacking pressure from Colombia, who produced the first dangerous chance of the game just two minutes in, firing a shot over Portugal’s goal. Portugal responded quickly, with Ruben Neves testing the Colombia defense with a long-range attempt that went off target. João Félix played a cross toward Pedro Neto at the far post, but the ball rolled past the byline before Neto could connect. After a frantic opening 10 minutes, the pace of the game settled slightly as both teams adjusted to the intense heat and physicality of the contest.

Colombia remained a constant offensive threat, with striker Jhon Córdoba and winger Luis Díaz stretching Portugal’s backline with repeated runs into dangerous areas. In the 17th minute, Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa pulled off a spectacular save to deny a powerful close-range effort from Córdoba, keeping the game scoreless. Midway through the first half, Portugal earned a well-placed free kick just outside the 18-yard box, but Cristiano Ronaldo’s strike was comfortably caught by Colombia goalkeeper Camilo Vargas.

A mandatory hydration break brought a pause to the action halfway through the first half, and it was during this stoppage that a notable milestone was highlighted: Colombia captain James Rodríguez was playing his 11th World Cup match, a remarkable achievement for the veteran playmaker. The atmosphere inside the packed stadium was heavily influenced by a raucous crowd of Colombian supporters, who brought loud, vibrant South American energy to every attacking moment.

In the 32nd minute, Ronaldo was played through on goal by a long pass, but the offside flag went up – marking the 22nd time the Portuguese star had been caught offside in World Cup matches, an unusual record for any player at the tournament. The two sides remained deadlocked through the remainder of the half: just before halftime, Bruno Fernandes saw his close-range effort saved by Vargas, while Ronaldo missed the target with an acrobatic bicycle kick attempt. Ruben Neves launched another long-range shot in stoppage time, but it sailed over the crossbar to keep the score 0-0 at the break.

Portugal made two attacking adjustments at halftime, bringing on João Neves and Diogo Dalot to replace Ruben Neves and João Cancelo, while Colombia opted to keep their entire starting lineup on the pitch, content with how their first-half performance had shaped up. Portugal immediately pushed for an opening goal after the restart, but Ronaldo struggled for early rhythm, giving away possession in a promising attacking position. Dalot delivered a pinpoint cross to João Félix minutes later, but the winger’s header went just over the crossbar.

Colombia continued to create chances of their own, with Jefferson Lerma and Jhon Arias both testing Costa from outside the box, but the Portugal goalkeeper held firm to keep the clean sheet intact. Portugal had a golden opportunity to break the deadlock when Ronaldo found himself one-on-one with Vargas, but the five-time Ballon d’Or winner pushed his shot just wide of the far post, and a later attacking run from the forward was ruled out for offside.

Colombia made their first two substitutions just past the hour mark, bringing on Richard Rios and Luis Suárez to replace Lerma and Córdoba. Suárez made an immediate impact, getting a shot off in the penalty area that was blocked by the Portugal defense before it could reach the goal. Portugal responded with two substitutions of their own, bringing on Samu Costa and Rafael Leão to freshen up their midfield and attack. Later in the half, Colombia appealed for a penalty after Suárez went down under a challenge from Nuno Mendes inside the box, but the referee correctly waved away the calls after a quick on-pitch check.

In the final 10 minutes of regulation, Diogo Dalot fired a long-range effort that went just inches wide of Vargas’ goal, leaving the packed crowd roaring as they waited for a late winner. Tension built steadily through the five minutes of stoppage time, with both teams throwing players forward in search of a late goal that would earn them the group’s top spot.

Colombia came closest to a dramatic late winning goal in stoppage time, with Suárez forcing two outstanding saves from Diogo Costa in quick succession. A late header from defender Davinson Sánchez appeared to give Colombia the win, but after a lengthy VAR review, the goal was disallowed by the narrowest of offside calls, keeping the scoreline intact.

When the final whistle blew, the 0-0 result confirmed Colombia’s undefeated run in the group stage to finish top of Group K, while Portugal will advance to the knockout stage as group runners-up, set to face Group J winners Croatia in the first knockout round.

In a dramatic Group K World Cup clash on June 27, the Democratic Republic of Congo pulled off a spectacular second-half comeback to defeat Uzbekistan 3-1, keeping their knockout stage qualification dreams alive while eliminating their Central Asian opponent.

Uzbekistan got off to a flying start in the first half, capitalizing on DR Congo’s lack of attacking sharpness to take a 1-0 lead into the halftime break. At that point, the Asian side looked on course to pull off a major upset against their Central African opponent, with their first-half performance putting them in a strong position to claim their first points of the group stage.

But DR Congo emerged from the locker room a transformed side after the break. upping their pressing intensity, showing greater attacking courage, and introducing more dynamic movement up front that gradually pushed Uzbekistan deeper and deeper onto the back foot. The turnaround was fully deserved: where the Congolese side had wasted their few first-half openings, they converted their chances clinically in the second 45 minutes, turning a one-goal deficit into a comfortable 3-1 win. Uzbekistan could not cope with the sustained pressure, watching their halftime advantage slip away to a defeat that ended their tournament.

The final Group K standings confirm Colombia as group winners with seven points, followed by Portugal in second place on five points. DR Congo finishes third with four points, while Uzbekistan closes out the group winless and point less, bowing out of the competition.

For DR Congo, the third-place finish puts them firmly in the race to advance as one of the best third-placed teams across all group stages. With four points and a positive goal difference, the Leopards hold a strong position ahead of final group results from other pools, as many other third-placed sides currently sit below DR Congo on points or goal difference.

Uzbekistan’s World Cup campaign ends in disappointment, with the side falling to three defeats from three group matches despite entering the final fixture with a chance to pick up points. Still, their participation at this World Cup marks a key milestone for the development of football in Central Asia. The country has invested heavily in youth development and gaining international experience for its players over recent years, though this tournament has shown that the squad still needs further improvement to compete consistently at the highest global level.

DR Congo’s comeback, by contrast, reaffirms the strength and resilience that modern African football has become known for. The Leopards boast a mix of physical power, pace, and experience gained from players plying their trade across top European leagues. After an opening defeat to Colombia and a hard-fought draw with Portugal, their knockout stage hopes looked hanging by a thread heading into the final group match – but they delivered when it mattered most.

This 3-1 victory is far more than just three points for DR Congo. It is a lifeline in one of the tournament’s toughest groups, drawn alongside two European and South American heavyweights. While DR Congo is not yet guaranteed a spot in the knockout round, their current standing puts them in pole position to advance as one of the best third-placed teams.

A decisive Group L World Cup clash between Croatia and Ghana at Philadelphia Stadium delivered late drama, as Croatia held on for a 2-1 victory that sealed their second-place finish in the group, behind already-confirmed winners England. The result also sees Ghana progress to the knockout stage as one of the best third-placed teams, bringing an early end to Scotland’s tournament, as the side failed to qualify for the elimination round.

The match kicked off in a low-tempo fashion, with neither side creating clear-cut goal-scoring chances in the opening exchanges. Croatia gradually asserted control of possession, patiently building attacks up the pitch, while Ghana set up in a deep defensive block, circulating the ball in their own half to avoid turning over possession early. The first major opportunity of the game fell to Croatia in the 16th minute: after Ghana lost the ball in a dangerous area, Nikola Vlašić found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but his effort crashed off the woodwork, denying Croatia the opening goal.

Croatia continued to probe the Ghana defense, with veteran playmaker Luka Modric – earning his 201st international cap, while defender Josip Gvardiol surprisingly started the match on the bench – orchestrating play from deep. Forward Ante Budimir appealed for a penalty after going down in the box, but the referee waved away the appeals. Shortly after, Modric delivered another dangerous set piece into the 18-yard box, with Ivan Perisic rising to head goalwards, only for Ghana goalkeeper Jojo Asare to make a sharp save to keep the score level. Remarkably, Ghana had still not registered a single shot on target by this point of the contest.

Just after the 30-minute mark, Croatia finally broke the deadlock. Petar Sucic unleashed a powerful low strike from more than 30 yards out, curling the ball into the bottom left corner beyond the reach of Asare. This goal marked the first goal that Ghana had conceded in the entire tournament up to that point, and temporarily pushed Croatia above England into top spot in Group L.

After falling behind, Ghana began to push further up the pitch, and Antoine Semenyo tested the Croatia defense with a shot that drifted just wide of the post, but the side still failed to create sustained attacking pressure. Before halftime, Croatia created another dangerous chance with a whipped cross into the box, but could not convert, and the score remained 1-0 at the break. Croatia went into the interval holding a deserved lead thanks to their controlled, clinical play, while Ghana struggled to find attacking inspiration.

Ghana made two substitutions at the start of the second half, bringing on Abdul Fatawu and Kojo Peprah Oppong to inject fresh energy into their attack. The change worked immediately, as Ghana put sustained pressure on the Croatia defense, pushing the European side back into their own half. Semenyo found space to deliver several promising crosses into the box, but his teammates could not convert the chances, and Croatia saw much less of the ball in the opening 20 minutes of the half.

After Ghana’s early storming spell, the pace of the game dropped again, returning to the slow, low-chance pattern of the first half. Croatia made their own change, replacing Budimir with Igor Matanovic, while Perisic was shown a yellow card for a foul. Ghana responded with two more substitutions, swapping Jordan Ayew and Kamaldeen Sulemana for Brandon Thomas-Asante and Ernest Nuamah to keep the pressure coming.

In the 78th minute, Ghana got the equalizer their sustained pressure deserved. From a well-delivered free kick, Derrick Luckassen powered a header into the back of the net. A potential offside against Kwasi Sibo was ruled out by VAR, after officials confirmed Sibo was not involved in active play when the ball was played in, so the goal stood.

Croatia responded swiftly to the equalizer with a substitution of their own, bringing on Mario Pašalić for Mateo Kovacic. Pašalić immediately tested Asare with a sharp effort, but the Ghana keeper pulled off an outstanding save to keep the score level. Just moments later, however, Asare could not stop Croatia from retaking the lead. From a Modric corner, Vlašić headed the ball goalward, which hit the post before bouncing over the goal line to put Croatia 2-1 up. The goal confirmed Croatia’s hold on second place in the group, pushing them ahead of England temporarily before the final group standings were confirmed.

Ghana made one late change, bringing on Sibo for Caleb Yirenkyi in a final push to find an equalizer, but Croatia’s defense held firm through seven minutes of stoppage time. When the final whistle blew, Croatia held on for a 2-1 win.

The final Group L standings confirm England as group winners, with Croatia finishing second to advance. Ghana’s third-place finish is enough to see them through to the knockout stage, but the result eliminates Scotland from the tournament, as the side did not finish among the best third-placed teams across all groups.