Curacao firmly on the map after global stage heroics

Mon, 22 Jun, 2026

Curacao firmly on the map after global stage heroics

Kansas City: Curacao arrived at the FIFA World Cup 2026 as quirky no-hopers, but their remarkable exploits have captured the hearts of fans and put the tiny Caribbean island firmly on the map.

Dick Advocaat's men, against all the odds, still have a chance to reach the knockout phase after holding Ecuador to a 0-0 draw in Kansas City on Saturday.

Goalkeeper Eloy Room proved an impregnable last line of defence, making 15 saves as Curacao held a team ranked more than 50 places higher than them to a stalemate.

Fans, vastly outnumbered by yellow-clad Ecuador supporters, celebrated wildly in a stadium that can hold nearly half of Curacao's population of around 160,000.

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Japan's Ueda ready to fire against Sweden

Mon, 22 Jun, 2026

Japan's Ueda ready to fire against Sweden

Monterrey: Ayase Ueda warned Sweden his confidence was sky-high after the red-hot striker scored a classy FIFA World Cup brace to put Japan on the cusp of the knockout rounds.

Japan defeated Tunisia 4-0 on Saturday to join the Netherlands at the top of Group F and all but seal their place in the last 32 with a game to spare.

That game is against Sweden, who sit third after being beaten 5-1 by the Dutch in Houston.

Group G: Belgium 0-0 IR Iran

Mon, 22 Jun, 2026

Group G: Belgium 0-0 IR Iran

Inglewood: Belgium were held to a goalless draw by Islamic Republic of Iran in an absorbing encounter on Sunday that saw the European side reduced to 10 men and facing the possibility of group-stage elimination for a second straight FIFA World Cup.

A star-studded though ageing lineup including Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku was - if anything -fortunate to leave Los Angeles with a point, controlling possession yet ceding the game's best chances to a resolute Iran team.

Group H: Spain 4-0 Saudi Arabia

Mon, 22 Jun, 2026

Group H: Spain 4-0 Saudi Arabia

Atlanta: Saudi Arabia's hopes of advancing to the knockout stage of the FIFA World Cup 2026 suffered a setback after they fell to a 4-0 defeat against former champions Spain on Sunday.

The loss means Saudi Arabia must beat Cabo Verde in their final Group H match to stand a chance of progressing to the Round of 32.

Lamine Yamal kickstarted Spain's campaign as he returned to the starting line-up to open the scoring after just 10 minutes, before a Mikel Oyarzabal brace and a Hassan Al Tambakti own goal ensured Luis de la Fuente's side took a big step towards the last 32 following a shock goalless stalemate in their opening group match against Cabo Verde.

Mbappe ready for special 100th cap

Mon, 22 Jun, 2026

Mbappe ready for special 100th cap

Philadelphia: Kylian Mbappe has already reached one major landmark at this year's FIFA World Cup by becoming his country's all-time top scorer, and on Monday he will hit another when the France skipper wins his 100th international cap against Iraq.

He will become the 10th French player to reach a century of caps, but is still a long way away from the record of 145 appearances held by his former teammate, goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.

Timeless Messi eyes record as Argentina face Austria

Mon, 22 Jun, 2026

Timeless Messi eyes record as Argentina face Austria

Dallas: The Lionel Messi show rolls into Dallas with the Argentine maestro on the cusp of more footballing history when the FIFA World Cup holders face Austria on Monday.

Messi, who turns 39 on Wednesday, scored a hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Algeria to pull level with Miroslav Klose's all-time FIFA World Cup record of 16 goals.