Read for 2 minutesJune 27, 2026 06:47 PM IST After Spain’s clinical 1-0 win over Uruguay was overshadowed by injury concerns, the reigning European champions now anxiously await updates on the fitness of Jeremy Pino and Nico Williams. Luis de la Fuente’s side topped the Group H table at the 2026 FIFA World Cup and will now face the Group J runners-up in the round of 32 on July 2, thanks to a goal from Alex Baena. However, they could be without two key attackers for that encounter. Williams had already arrived at the tournament with a hamstring problem that

Read more

Read 4 minutesJune 27, 2026 05:16 PM IST Iran are currently without a win at the FIFA World Cup as they were held to a 1-1 draw against Egypt in Group G in Seattle on Saturday. The team, led by Mehdi Taremi, was originally supposed to be based in Tucson, Arizona for their World Cup campaign, after the US government stopped the country’s football team from setting up a base in the country during the US-Iran war, forcing the Iranian football team to leave the US city on the night of World Cup matches. Iran captain Mehdi Taremi has called

Read more

Read 3 minutesJun 27, 2026 01:11 PM IST Two-time champions Uruguay suffered yet another group exit from the FIFA World Cup after losing 1-0 to Spain on Saturday. It was the second time in a row that they had been knocked out in the first round of the competition and head coach Marcelo Bielsa was scathing in his self-assessment. “I am responsible for this disappointment. Of course, I don’t need to define this performance… If you ask me how my time (with the national team) will be remembered, it is a tenure that left nothing behind. What will I leave

Read more

Read 4 minutesJune 27, 2026 01:43 PM IST Going into their final group match, Belgium were the most dismal top-10 team on display. It took him four games and seven hours to open his 2026 World Cup goal tally – his strike against Egypt was an own goal. But Leandro Trossard opened the floodgates when it was needed most. The Arsenal forward finally turned his excellent form into a final-third success as Belgium beat New Zealand 5-1 in Vancouver. Rudy Garcia’s men advanced to the round of 32 as the top team in Group G following a 1-1 draw between

Read more

Read 4 minutesUpdated: June 27, 2026 12:35 PM IST “After review.” Two words from Polish referee Zymon Marciniak and the heart of the entire country broke. Moments earlier, Shoje Khalilzadeh had fired a shot into the roof of the net from the edge of the six-yard box, stripped off his shirt and slid onto the touchline on his knees. Someone gave him a pair of sunglasses. A member of Iran’s backroom staff collapsed flat on the turf. Another leaned in and kissed Khalilzadeh on the forehead. The bench was vacated. Seven World Cups. never So far he thought. Offside. Goal

Read more

The village of Povoacao Velha on the island of Boa Vista had a television set. Not every street has one. one. On the night of the World Cup, neighbors gathered around and a boy named Pedro Leitao Brito saw Maradona and Matthaus. His mother made footballs out of socks. Pedro Leitao Brito rose to captain Cape Verde for 11 years. He is now known as Bubista, the Creole name of the island where he was born. On Friday night in Houston, at the age of 56, he stood on the touchline and watched his country reach the knockout stages of

Read more

Before the 1984 European Championship, French manager Michel Hidalgo had a problem. He had four virtuoso playmakers, but no centre-forward. An idea born, he formed a midfield square with his talented playmakers, led by the impeccable Michel Platini. This became known as the Magic Square or Le Carré Magic and inspired their first championship victory. Decades later, Hidalgo’s distant successor Didier Deschamps – whose France beat Norway 4-1 to top World Cup Group I – also had problems. He had so much wealth that he couldn’t configure the perfect cheat code. Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele, both wingmen, were repositioned

Read more

Read for 2 minutesUpdated: June 27, 2026 07:34 AM IST The final whistles blew within moments of each other in Guadalajara and Houston on Friday night. As Uruguay lost 0-1 to Spain, the expanded 48-team World Cup field enjoyed a historic result over Saudi Arabia at the Houston Stadium after strong resistance from Cape Verde. Cape Verde, an archipelago of 10 volcanic islands off the coast of West Africa, qualified for the World Cup knockouts at the first attempt by finishing second in Group H. The 56-year-old Bubista’s side, by size and population, became the smallest nation to qualify for

Read more

A step to his left; Another push to his left, a pause, a swing of his left foot and just like that, Ousmane Dembele scored the World Cup’s most frictionless hat-trick. It took him just three shots for three goals and only 32 minutes were on the clock when he hit his third. It was all about the match-ups with his strike partner Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland. But Dembele, as minimalistic in his expressions as his movements, gave a gentle reminder in Norway’s 4-1 defeat that the Ballon d’Or is safely tucked away on his shelf. He might not

Read more

Spain vs Uruguay FIFA World Cup 2026 Football Match Live Score: ESP must win match against URU. (AP) Spain vs Uruguay FIFA World Cup 2026 Football Match Live Score: Current Group H leaders Spain will look to stay on top as they take on second-placed Uruguay in Guadalajara in one of the tightest groups ever at the 2026 World Cup. All four teams have a chance to progress with Spain on 4 points, Uruguay on 2, Cape Verde on 2 and Saudi Arabia on 1. For Spain to comfortably qualify, they need a win against Uruguay, which would take them

Read more