Curacao keeper Room jokes he deserves statue after heroics

Mon, 22 Jun, 2026

Curacao keeper Room jokes he deserves statue after heroics

Kansas City: Curacao goalkeeper Eloy Room joked that he deserves a statue on the Caribbean island after a jaw-dropping display that earned the team their first-ever FIFA World Cup point.

The 37-year-old shot-stopper made 15 saves in the Group E match against Ecuador on Saturday to keep alive Curacao's hopes of progressing to the knockout stages.

His tally is the most on record - since 1966 - by any goalkeeper in a FIFA World Cup match that did not feature extra-time.

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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.

Group F: Tunisia 0-4 Japan

Sun, 21 Jun, 2026

Group F: Tunisia 0-4 Japan

Guadalupe: Japan marked the 1,000th game in the history of the FIFA World Cup with a 4-0 defeat of Tunisia on Saturday to close in on a place in the last 32.

Ayase Ueda scored twice while Daichi Kamada and Junya Ito were also on target as Japan - who registered the biggest win ever on the global stage by an Asian side - joined the Netherlands on four points at the top of Group F.

Tunisia, who were beaten 5-1 by Sweden in their first game of the tournament, can no longer hope for a place in the knockout rounds.

Preview - Group I: France v Iraq

Mon, 22 Jun, 2026

Preview - Group I: France v Iraq

Philadelphia: Head coach Graham Arnold has promised that his Iraq team will try to take the game to tournament favourites France when the sides clash in Group I of the FIFA World Cup 2026 on Monday.

Iraq opened their campaign with a 4-1 defeat to Erling Haaland-led Norway, a result that left the Lions of Mesopotamia bottom of the group and under pressure to respond.

Now they must find a way of handling France's superstar attack, led by skipper Kylian Mbappe who scored twice as Les Bleus beat Senegal 3-1 in their first match.

Preview - Group J: Jordan v Algeria

Sun, 21 Jun, 2026

Preview - Group J: Jordan v Algeria

Santa Clara: Jordan will be fighting to keep their FIFA World Cup 2026 dreams alive when they face Algeria in Group J at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium on Monday.

Jordan were beaten 3-1 by Austria in their opening fixture, while Algeria also conceded three goals to Argentina, making this a match neither can afford to lose.

Victory would revive qualification hopes, but defeat would leave either side in serious danger of an early exit before the final round of group matches.

Australia failed to match USA, admits Popovic

Sat, 20 Jun, 2026

Australia failed to match USA, admits Popovic

Seattle: Head coach Tony Popovic admitted Australia were below par in their 2-0 defeat to the United States in their FIFA World Cup 2026 tie on Friday.

While the win confirmed the US' spot in the knockout stage, defeat left Australia with work to do against Paraguay in their concluding Group D tie on Thursday.