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 Dutch bounced back from their draw in their opening match by thumping Sweden 5-1 in Houston to take command of Group F.
Striker Brian Brobbey relished the opportunity to start his first World Cup match by scoring twice in the first half.
Liverpool forward Cody Gakpo matched that feat by also scoring twice early in the second half, before Sweden's Anthony Elanga netted a consolation goal.
Crysencio Summerville added a fifth for the Oranje, who recorded their biggest World Cup victory since 2014.
The Netherlands move top of Group F on four points, while Sweden are likely to need a result against Japan in their final group match to reach the knockout stage.
Substitute Deniz Undav scored twice as Germany came from behind to beat Ivory Coast in Group E and secure their place in the knockout stage.
Ivory Coast impressed early on and took the lead in Toronto when Franck Kessié opened the scoring on the half-hour mark.
Germany had two goals disallowed in the first half, but it took until the 68th minute for them to draw level through Undav's volley.
The striker struck again in stoppage time to seal victory and send Germany into the knockout stage for the first time since winning the World Cup in 2014.
Curaçao claimed their first-ever World Cup point as goalkeeper Eloy Room produced a remarkable display to deny a wasteful Ecuador side.
The 37-year-old made 15 saves, setting a record for a 90-minute World Cup match, as he kept out relentless pressure from the South Americans.
"The team fought like lions," Curaçao coach Dick Advocaat said. "The people of Curaçao have supported us from the outset, and for people whose lives are not always easy, I hope they celebrate this success."
Japan cruised to victory over Tunisia in the historic 1,000th FIFA World Cup match.
Daichi Kamada opened the scoring after just four minutes, before Ayase Ueda doubled Japan's lead in the 31st minute with a fierce low drive into the far corner.
Ueda all but sealed the result when he set up Junya Ito for Japan's third goal, before heading home his second to complete the scoring.
Tunisia were playing their first match under new coach Hervé Renard, but it was not enough to prevent the North African side from becoming the latest team to exit the tournament, following Türkiye and Haiti.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to res...
Afghanistan and Belarus have agreed to advance joint industrial projects, investment and technical cooperation following talks in Minsk, as Kabul s...
Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan are drawing up a new programme aimed at boosting bilateral trade to $1 billion by 2030, as the two countries move to deep...
The collective-defence agreement between Türkiye, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan signals that regional powers no longer want to rely solely on external security guarantees. Whether it becomes a stabilising deterrent or another axis of rivalry remains unresolved.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz has slowed, according to the latest data, as uncertainty over the waterway’s reopening kept most shipowners away. Six commodity vessels crossed the strait on Tuesday, down from nine the day before and below the 10-day daily average of 11.
Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until the U.S. fulfils the terms of an interim deal, including lifting the maritime blockade and sanctions and releasing Iran’s frozen assets.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 19th of August, covering the latest developments.
Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains limited on Thursday, with no increase in vessel crossings as U.S.-Iran talks to resolve the conflict remained stalled. Nine commodity vessels transited the key waterway on Wednesday, unchanged from the previous day, according to Kpler data.
Australia on Thursday condemned Israel’s decision to close its criminal investigation into the deaths of Australian aid worker Zomi Frankcom and six World Central Kitchen colleagues killed in Gaza in April 2024.
North Korea has fired more than 10 short-range ballistic missiles after U.S. President Donald Trump reduced American participation in joint military exercises with South Korea in an effort to revive dialogue with Pyongyang.
Georgia’s foreign trade data for January-July 2026 shows Kyrgyzstan, China and Russia as its top three export markets, highlighting its Middle Corridor ambitions and complex economic ties with Moscow.
Kazakhstan will vote on 23 August in its first parliamentary election under the new Constitution, choosing 145 members of the new Kurultai under a fundamentally changed electoral system based entirely on party lists.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment