Jun 18, 2026
The World Cup’s three hosts are all unbeaten, and the real tests start now
Mexico, the United States and Canada have all come through their opening games unbeaten, and the World Cup’s first three-nation home advantage looks r...
World Cup 2026
129 articles tagged with "World Cup 2026"
Jun 18, 2026
Messi and Diaz aside, South America’s World Cup openers raised more questions than answers
One round of group games in, only Argentina and Colombia have truly delivered for South America. Brazil and Uruguay were held, Ecuador and Paraguay be...
Jun 18, 2026
Luis Diaz inspires Colombia past debutants Uzbekistan on their World Cup return
Luis Diaz scored and set up another on his World Cup debut as Colombia saw off tournament newcomers Uzbekistan at the Estadio Azteca, though a histori...
Jun 17, 2026
Kane levels Lineker’s record as England beat Croatia 4-2 in a wild opener
Harry Kane’s brace took him level with Gary Lineker’s England World Cup goals record, but it took second-half strikes from Jude Bellingham and Marcus...
Jun 17, 2026
Arnautovic’s stoppage-time penalty caps Austria’s first World Cup win in 36 years
Austria returned to the World Cup with a hard-fought 3-1 win over debutants Jordan in Santa Clara, settled by Marko Arnautovic’s penalty deep into sto...
Jun 16, 2026
Mbappe’s record-breaking brace sends France past Senegal at the World Cup
Kylian Mbappe scored twice to become France’s all-time leading goalscorer as they recovered from a sluggish start to beat Senegal 3-1 in their World C...
Jun 16, 2026
Six games, no defeats: Asia’s strong start to the World Cup
From holding Uruguay and Switzerland to beating Turkey and Czechia, Asia’s footballers have come through the World Cup’s opening round without a singl...
Jun 16, 2026
Vozinha and Al-Owais turned Group H into goalkeeping theatre at the World Cup
Spain could not beat a 40-year-old debutant and Uruguay needed 80 minutes to break Saudi Arabia. The opening week of World Cup 2026 has belonged to th...
Jun 15, 2026
Lukaku’s arrival forces the own goal that rescues Belgium against Egypt
Emam Ashour’s first international goal had Egypt dreaming of a famous win, but Romelu Lukaku’s introduction forced a late own goal to rescue Belgium a...
Jun 15, 2026
Vozinha defies Spain as Cape Verde mark their World Cup debut with a famous point
Cape Verde marked their World Cup debut by holding European champions Spain to a goalless draw in Atlanta, with 40-year-old goalkeeper Vozinha produci...
Jun 15, 2026
The 48-team World Cup’s opening round belonged to the sides nobody expected
Germany’s 7-1 rout of Curacao was the nightmare the expansion’s critics predicted. The rest of the opening round told a more encouraging story.
Jun 15, 2026
Amad Diallo’s late strike sends Ivory Coast past Ecuador on their World Cup return
Amad Diallo’s 90th-minute finish settled a tight Group E opener in Philadelphia, giving Ivory Coast a 1-0 win over Ecuador on their first World Cup ap...
Jun 14, 2026
Havertz double leads Germany’s seven-goal rout of debutants Curaçao
A brief first-half wobble aside, Germany overwhelmed World Cup debutants Curaçao 7-1 in Houston, Kai Havertz scoring twice. Livano Comenencia’s equali...
Jun 14, 2026
Kamada strikes late as Japan hold the Netherlands in a 2-2 World Cup thriller
Japan came from behind twice in Dallas, Daichi Kamada bundling in a leveller two minutes from time, to draw 2-2 with the Netherlands in their World Cu...
Jun 13, 2026
Thomas Partey will miss Ghana’s World Cup opener after Canada refuses him entry
Canada has refused Thomas Partey a visa, ruling the Ghana midfielder out of their World Cup opener against Panama in Toronto.
Jun 13, 2026
The USA look the part, but their two co-hosts have work to do
Mexico, the United States and Canada have all opened their home World Cup. One of the three hosts looked a class above the other two.
Jun 13, 2026
England begin their World Cup against the Croatia side that knocked them out in 2018
Eight years after Croatia ended their run in Moscow, England open their World Cup against the same opponent in Arlington, with Luka Modric chasing a f...
Jun 13, 2026
Türkiye return to the World Cup after 24 years to face Australia in Vancouver
A talented Türkiye, back among the elite for the first time since 2002, run into a stubborn Australia in Vancouver. Neither can afford to lose with th...
Jun 13, 2026
Qatar open their World Cup against Switzerland, two years after ending India’s qualifying run
The reigning Asian champions, who knocked India out of qualifying, return to the World Cup for the first time on merit. Switzerland, in the round of 1...
Jun 11, 2026
Quiñones and Jiménez sink South Africa as three red cards mark the World Cup opener
Mexico opened the 2026 World Cup with a 2-0 win over South Africa at a heaving Estadio Azteca, on a night that ended with three players sent off.
Jun 11, 2026
Forty-eight teams, three hosts and four debutants: the 2026 World Cup has arrived
The 2026 World Cup is the biggest ever, with 48 teams, three host nations and 104 matches. It has also opened the door to four first-time countries, f...
Jun 9, 2026
The injuries that have reshaped the World Cup before a ball is kicked
The 2026 World Cup is here, but Brazil, the Netherlands, Japan and Germany all arrive without a player they had built plans around. A look at the abse...
Jun 9, 2026
Can Argentina become the first side to retain the World Cup since 1962?
No team has retained the World Cup since Brazil in 1962, and three of the last four holders went out in the group stage. Lionel Messi’s Argentina arri...
Jun 9, 2026
Netherlands lose Timber to a groin injury on the eve of the World Cup
Jurrien Timber has been ruled out of the 2026 World Cup with a groin injury, and Lutsharel Geertruida comes into the Netherlands squad in his place.