The Netherlands and Japan moved level on points at the top of Group F after convincing wins, while Germany progressed to the knockout stage and Curaçao claimed their first World Cup point with a draw against Ecuador.
The United States will continue reviewing Iran's travel arrangements at the 2026 World Cup, but current restrictions remain in place despite Tehran's plans to lodge a complaint with FIFA, a White House official said.
Paraguay kept their World Cup hopes alive with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Türkiye, but the celebrations were tempered by a costly red card for veteran forward Miguel Almirón.
Türkiye's World Cup campaign came to a painful end on Friday as they suffered a 1-0 defeat to Paraguay despite dominating large parts of their Group D clash.
Canada lit up their World Cup campaign with a thrilling, at times troubling night in Vancouver, while across the tournament, Mexico marched on, Scotland battled bravely in defeat, and the United States and Brazil underlined their growing intent.
Jorge Messi, the father of football star Lionel Messi, is under medical supervision and is "progressing favourably" while recovering from an undisclosed health condition, according to a family statement.
World Cup action delivered impressive wins and late drama on 18-19 June. Mexico booked their place in the knockout stage as Group A winners, while Jonathan David's hat-trick inspired Canada to a 6-0 thrashing of Qatar.
Uzbekistan’s first-ever FIFA World Cup match ended in a 3-1 defeat to Colombia on June 18, but the game still delivered a historic moment as Abbosbek Fayzullaev scored the national team’s first goal at a World Cup.
Caleb Yirenkyi’s stoppage-time goal secured a 1-0 win for Ghana over Panama as World Cup action delivered a mix of late drama and key results. Colombia and England also began their campaigns with victories, while DR Congo held Portugal in a historic 1-1 draw and Austria beat Jordan 3-1.
Lionel Messi matched the all-time World Cup scoring record as Argentina began their title defence with a 3-0 win over Algeria. Austria, France and Norway also secured opening victories in Group J and Group I matches on Tuesday.
Iran’s World Cup campaign has been overshadowed by travel disruption, organisational problems and a shortage of key support staff, with players and coaches openly criticising conditions around the team.
Tunisia have appointed Hervé Renard as head coach after dismissing Sabri Lamouchi following the team's 5-1 defeat to Sweden.
The FIFA World Cup 2026 produced drama and surprises on 14-15 June, with Iran fighting back to draw 2-2 with New Zealand, Ivory Coast scoring a stoppage-time winner over Ecuador, Sweden thrashing Tunisia 5-1, and debutants Cape Verde holding Spain to a goalless draw.
Curaçao celebrate first World Cup goal despite heavy defeat against Germany, Sweden move to top of Group F with five-goal display and Japan fight back twice to hold Netherlands.
Iran's national team received an emotional send-off from supporters in Tijuana on Sunday,14 June as they departed for Los Angeles ahead of their World Cup opener against New Zealand.
Australia put on a defensive masterclass as they beat Türkiye 2-0 in Vancouver in the final opening Group D match.
As the 2026 World Cup kicked off on 11 June across North America, U.S. visa restrictions and travel policies have made it impossible for supporters, football officials and even a FIFA-appointed referee to attend. It's raised a lot of questions about access to such a high-profile global event.
The United States began their World Cup campaign in commanding fashion with a 4-1 victory over Paraguay, delivering an emphatic performance that underlined its ambitions in Group D.
Legions of security officers and police are being deployed for the 2026 FIFA World Cup as organisers prepare for what officials describe as an unprecedented security challenge to protect fans, players and venues across North America.
Authorities in Hong Kong have seized suspected counterfeit World Cup merchandise worth an estimated HK$156 million (US$19.91 million), including jerseys and footballs, in one of the city's largest recent crackdowns on fake sports goods.
