Group B: Qatar 1-1 Switzerland

Sun, 14 Jun, 2026

Group B: Qatar 1-1 Switzerland

Santa Clara: Qatar's Boualem Khoukhi stunned Switzerland with a late equaliser as the sides played out a 1-1 draw in their opening Group B match at the FIFA World Cup 2026 on Saturday.

A Breel Embolo penalty had broken the deadlock for Switzerland early in the first half in the San Francisco Bay Area, before the wasteful favourites were made to pay as Qatar earned their first ever point at a FIFA World Cup.

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Preview - Group F: Netherlands v Japan

Sun, 14 Jun, 2026

Preview - Group F: Netherlands v Japan

Arlington: Ko Itakura will lead Japan into their FIFA World Cup 2026 opener against the Netherlands in Group F on Sunday after the Ajax Amsterdam defender was handed the captain's armband by head coach Hajime Moriyasu.

Itakura takes over from Wataru Endo following the Liverpool midfielder's withdrawal from the squad and his subsequent retirement from international football having failed to fully recover from a foot injury.

Hong: Intensive preparations paid off for Korea Republic

Sat, 13 Jun, 2026

Hong: Intensive preparations paid off for Korea Republic

Zapopan: Hong Myung-bo attributed Korea Republic's high altitude training for the thrilling 2-1 win against Czechia in their opening FIFA World Cup Group A tie on Thursday.

The East Asian side fought back after going behind with goals from Hwang In-beom and Oh Hyeon-gyu securing their first opening match win on the global stage since 2010.

Aguirre says Mexico beat cramps and stage fright in opener

Fri, 12 Jun, 2026

Aguirre says Mexico beat cramps and stage fright in opener

Mexico City: Mexico head coach Javier Aguirre revealed his team had overcome a bout of stage fright before clinching their first victory in a FIFA World Cup opener with a 2-0 defeat of South Africa on Thursday.

Mexico had never won their opening FIFA World Cup match in seven attempts, registering five defeats and two draws during their previous appearances at the tournament.

But Aguirre’s side were always in control against a poor South African team at the Estadio Azteca and bagged three points that puts them firmly on course for the knockout rounds from Group A.