Read 3 minutes22 Jun 2026 05:22 PM IST The FIFA World Cup Group I match between France and Iraq could be disrupted as severe thunderstorms are forecast for the Philadelphia region on Monday night during the clash. According to Accuweather, the weather forecast is for “rain and strong T-storms, gusts, then rain; damaging winds, lightning and thunderstorms with hail may affect the soccer game and related events.” In that case, A match may take more than 90 minutes to complete FIFA regulations state that play must be stopped and suspended if lightning is detected within 8 miles of the stadium.

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Read 4 minutesKolkata22 Jun 2026 02:18 PM IST On October 13 last year, the Cape Verde government announced a half-day holiday so the country could watch their team play Iswatini. Cape Verde won 3-0. They haven’t stopped since. José María Silva, National Director of State Protocol, said qualification for the World Cup was the third defining moment in Cape Verde’s history, after Independence Day and the first multiparty elections in 1991. On Sunday in Miami, they drew Uruguay, the two-time world champions, 2-2. They have not lost a single match in this World Cup. They may not be complete. It

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Read 3 minutes20 Jun 2026 08:48 AM IST After a 3-0 defeat by Brazil on Saturday, Haiti became the first team to officially withdraw From the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Haiti lost their first match against Scotland 1-0 and after the defeat against Brazil they have 0 points from 2 matches. They play their last match against Morocco and even if they pull off an upset, they can reach a maximum of 3 points which is not enough to qualify them as the best third placed team. In the match, Brazil forward Matheus Cunha rewarded the support of manager Carlo

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Read for 2 minutesUpdated: June 22, 2026 10:32 AM IST Cristiano Ronaldo’s lackluster start to his record sixth World Cup against DR Congo last week has intensified criticism of the Portugal superstar’s waning abilities. Ronaldo endured a forgettable night in the Group K opener against Congo after playing the full 90 minutes in a 1-1 draw with just three shots. The 41-year-old soon became the face of criticism, with pundits and ex-footballers decrying Ronaldo’s contribution, without becoming obsessed with the idea of ​​scoring goals from the box. Ronaldo’s disappointing performance was in stark contrast to the hat-trick his long-time rival

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Read 4 minutes22 Jun 2026 08:33 AM IST Messi’s hat-trick in the defending champions’ 3-0 win over Algeria contrasted with the Portuguese superstar’s woeful figure in their 1-1 draw with the Democratic Republic of Congo.With two veterans nearing the end of their careers, we analyze this. 1. Productivity in attack Messi attempted six shots in his first game, four of which were on target, for a conversion rate of 66.7 percent. Interestingly, three of those attempts came from outside the penalty area. In comparison, Ronaldo attempted three shots – all from the box – and failed to test the goalkeeper

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Read for 5 minutesNew York22 Jun 2026 07:13 AM IST The Belgium forward would hit the broken mat with two big gloved fists from Iran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand. It was as if his fists were flexible, stretchable, bendable and reliable for his team. The look of wonder on Kevin De Bruyne’s face when he saved Maxime De Cuper’s shot from close range and captured the amazing flexibility of his limbs. When De Kuper took the shot, from the deflection at his feet, he was moving in the opposite direction, the speed of the expected shot before the path of the

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For ninety minutes and more, football united a divided nation. On either side of that nervous but exciting passage, fans waved two versions of the national flag, pre-revolutionary and post-revolutionary; Some held their fists to their chests as the AE Iran national anthem played in the arena; Some chanted and shouted slogans. Football, once Iran’s balm and beat, is now a symbol of the struggles that grip the country. The twin worlds of cheers and chatter then resumed Goalless remove Fans, regardless of their affiliation, whether they think of the players as statesmen or eleven proud footballers, how could they

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Read 3 minutes20 Jun 2026 10:57 AM IST Before the Socceroos, World Cup debut went down for Felix Zwayer. The heat and sweltering atmosphere was already too much for Australia at Seattle Stadium on Friday afternoon against the hosts United States. Their grief knew no bounds as German referee Zweier collapsed on the pitch in excruciating pain, prolonging the wait for the final whistle. Down 0-2 in six minutes of stoppage time, Australia had to wait as the 45-year-old referee fell to the ground and injured his leg. Also read | It’s a curse that teams don’t put jerseys or

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Japanese football is excited about the dawn of what is called ‘egoism’. A 4-0 win over Tunisia was evidence of a tectonic shift. Muneyuki Kaneshiro, creator of the hit anime series Blue Lock, said last month, “We’re looking forward to serious egos aiming to win the World Cup.” Yusuke Nomura, the artist who portrayed him, went a step further. “I’m the best striker in the world!’ We are waiting for applications from all the arrogant people who believe this!” It is clear that a striker must be obsessed with scoring goals. That’s the operative currency – the neo-egos of Japan’s

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Read 4 minutesNew Delhi22 Jun 2026 12:28 AM IST Few could have dealt a more crushing blow to a Goliath-esque Spain than Cape Verde’s Sacha David kept at bay. Coach Luis de la Fuente said as much ahead of the World Cup favourites’ meeting with Saudi Arabia. “The team is shocked and sometimes criticism is motivating. Players read things, they get angry and tomorrow’s game will be very different.” Six nights after failing to break down Cape Verde’s resistance at the same Atlanta stadium, La Rosa improved in style. Lamine Yamal’s first World Cup begins thrashed their Asian rivals ruthlessly

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