Gakpo savours 'freedom' to fire Dutch in title bid

Mon, 22 Jun, 2026

Gakpo savours 'freedom' to fire Dutch in title bid

Houston: Cody Gakpo faced flak from Liverpool fans as their Premier League title defence imploded but at the FIFA World Cup 2026 he is proving to be the man for the big occasion with his country.

The forward set up Brian Brobbey for the opening goal and grabbed two himself in the second half as the Netherlands dismantled Sweden 5-1 in Houston on Saturday.

After being held 2-2 by Japan, it gave Ronald Koeman's side liftoff at the tournament in North America and put them on the brink of the last 32.

In a Group F encounter packed with top Premier League attacking talent, including Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres for Sweden, Gakpo topped the billing.

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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.

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.