South Africa’s 1-0 win over South Korea hardly resembled perfection. Certainly not their football. They had 31.5% possession – the lowest ever for a team at a World Cup. A goal in itself is rarely perfect. Goalscorer, Thapelo Maseko’s first touch was much heavier than ideal. His shot was full of venom and spite, but could have been saved if the goalkeeper had positioned himself correctly. Yet, for all their imperfections, South Africa have qualified for the knockout stages of the 2026 FIFA World Cup — a statement you wouldn’t have believed if it had been made so soon after

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The move started with an easy 1-2 on the right between Kaishu Sano and Junya Ito. Receiving a pass under pressure, Sano slipped just wide and curled a cross into the box. Ayase Ueda attacked the space between two defenders and headed into the net. It was a simple goal. That is why she was beautiful. over the years, Japan’s football story It is told by its soft edges. Fans who stay in clean stadiums again after matches. Players who leave the dressing room spotless. Nation key Fell in love with football through manga. Even now, mention Japanese football and

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Before Guillermo Ochoa went on, Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca stadium asked him. Mexico was 2-0 up against Czechia, the group already won, with 12 minutes left. Somewhere in the upper levels the chanting started and spread. “Ochoa, Ochoa, Ochoa.” More than 80,000 voices, singing as one, begged for a last look at the man with the curls and headband — known throughout Mexico simply as Memo, and San Memo after one afternoon in Fortaleza in 2014. Coach Javier Aguirre left him on the bench for the first 78 minutes. The crowd was patient. Now it wasn’t. Then the board went

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Read 3 minutes25 Jun 2026 12:06 PM IST Seconds after the final whistle blew in Monterrey, Mexico, people took to the streets thousands of kilometers away under dark skies in South Africa as their soccer team advanced to the group stages of the FIFA World Cup for the first time. The victory was made even sweeter by the fact that they beat South Korea, who are 26 places above Bafana Bafana in the world rankings. Thapelo Maseko scored in the 63rd minute to give South Africa the lead. After that, South Korea had most of the ball but struggled to

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One of the early assessments made by Swiss coach Murat Yakin Johan Manzambi How happy the 20-year-old is to be with the national team. Make no mistake – Switzerland were capable of being as dull and pensive as hosts Canada in the first half of a forgettable lateral pass in Vancouver. But Manzambi resurrected football. And then they brought out ‘Mango Utsav’. After another assist and goal against Switzerland – this time in a 2-1 win – the Geneva-born talent was courted by Man Utd and PSG, taking his tally to 3 strikes and 3 ‘celli’ (celebrations) as they are

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Read 4 minutes25 Jun 2026 06:35 AM IST Brazil made short work of Scotland The mercurials made it 3-0 courtesy of a brace from Vinicius Jr. and a solitary strike from Mathews Cunha. The result saw the Selecao top the group stage for the 12th consecutive World Cup. One of the biggest things to come out of this match is Neymar Jr’s return to Brazil colors from October 2023. The 34-year-old has been recovering from a calf strain and last played for Santos in Brazil’s top flight on May 17. The Brazilian superstar checked in in the 76th minute to

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The cameras panned to Vinicius Jr. in the tunnel at halftime. He turned around with a strange smile and held up three fingers. He had scored two goals, but the video assistant referee unfairly awarded him a goal that irritated him. Before he headed for the tunnel, he stopped by the assistant referee and waved his index finger with a sardonic smile. A disallowed goal for a controversial tackle on defender Jack Hendry when he stole the ball was playing on his mind in the snake-hip gyration that followed the second goal. Brazil’s third goal eventually arrived, but from Mateusz

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The expanded 48-team World Cup has changed the dynamics of the group stage. Gone are the days when finishing outside the top two meant automatic elimination. In the new format, the top two teams from each of the 12 groups are joined by the eight best third-placed teams, meaning two-thirds of the field will advance to the knockout stages. As we enter the final match day of the group stage, the race for those eight third place spots is starting to take shape. Four points should be enough for most teams. Three points may still be enough, but only with

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Read for 5 minutesUpdated: June 24, 2026 03:24 PM IST Goals have names. There are stories in the save. With Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Cristiano Ronaldo dominating the headlines, the Golden Boot race is well and truly underway. But while superstars chase goals, little-known goalkeepers are stealing their moments. Cape Verde have 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha, who is making his World Cup debut, to thank for two draws against European champions Spain and Uruguay. Curaçao also made their first appearance, drawing 0-0 with Eloy Roome against Ecuador. The 37-year-old entered the record books with 15 saves, the joint-most

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Read 4 minutesUpdated: June 24, 2026 07:40 PM IST Ante Budimir was six months old when his family fled Ozimica. The Croat-Bosniak war had reached the village and they moved to Velika Gorica, near Zagreb, with what they could carry. Shortly after their arrival, his father died in a car accident. His mother raised him alone in a country that was not their own. He doesn’t remember any of it. He remembers what happened next. Being ten years old and visiting his grandmother in Bosnia for the first time since the war. Looking at houses. “When you’re young you don’t

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