Group L: Panama 0-1 Croatia

Wed, 24 Jun, 2026

Group L: Panama 0-1 Croatia

Toronto: Panama were eliminated from FIFA World Cup 2026 contention after Croatia kept their hopes of progressing to the last 32 alive with a hard-fought 1-0 win on Tuesday.

Croatia, who made it to the last four of the 2018 and 2022 tournaments, were looking to bounce back after their opening Group L match, a 4-2 defeat to England in Dallas.

 

In the end, Ante Budimir's 54th minute goal proved enough to see off the spirited Central Americans.

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Mbappe's focus on France, not records

Wed, 24 Jun, 2026

Mbappe's focus on France, not records

Philadelphia: Kylian Mbappe said he was not paying too much attention to FIFA World Cup scoring records after getting two more goals on what he described as a draining night in Philadelphia, as France beat Iraq 3-0 in a game interrupted by a two-hour storm delay on Monday.

Mbappe's strikes came either side of half-time on his 100th appearance for France, and Ousmane Dembele the other goal in a game which was held up at half-time as torrential rain lashed the city.

Haaland realistic about Norway's chances

Tue, 23 Jun, 2026

Haaland realistic about Norway's chances

East Rutherford: Erling Haaland said Norway must be realistic about what they can achieve at the FIFA World Cup 2026 after qualifying for the last 32 on Monday with a 3-2 win over Senegal.

Haaland followed up his brace in the opening 4-1 victory over Islamic Republic of Iran with two more goals as Norway won consecutive games at the FIFA World Cup for the first time.

Norway have lost just one of their past 18 matches and will take on 2022 runners-up France in Boston on Friday to determine the winners of Group I.

Arnold confident Iraq can still progress

Tue, 23 Jun, 2026

Arnold confident Iraq can still progress

Philadelphia: Graham Arnold refused to accept that Iraq's dream was dashed despite their 3-0 defeat to France in the FIFA World Cup 2026 on Monday.

A second consecutive loss means Iraq's hopes are hanging by a thread in Group I, with even victory against Senegal on Friday may not be enough to take them into the Round of 32.

Group L: England 0-0 Ghana

Wed, 24 Jun, 2026

Group L: England 0-0 Ghana

Foxborough: England suffered a FIFA World Cup 2026 setback on Tuesday as Thomas Tuchel's side were held to a 0-0 draw by Ghana, leaving them with work still do as they bid to progress to the knockout stage as Group L winners.

Nico O'Reilly came closest to scoring with a late header for England that hit the bar, but after the promise of their opening 4-2 win over Croatia, this was a performance that will raise doubts as to their chances of going all the way and winning the tournament.

They dominated possession and had 19 shots to their opponents' two, yet rarely looked like scoring past Ghana's stand-in goalkeeper Benjamin Asare in a match watched by 63,983 fans.

Both teams have four points with one game still to play in Group L, with progression to the next round all but assured but their final positions still in the balance.

Spain's Oyarzabal happy to play through pain

Wed, 24 Jun, 2026

Spain's Oyarzabal happy to play through pain

Chattanooga: Mikel Oyarzabal said a minor knee injury will not put his FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign at risk after kickstarting Spain's challenge by scoring twice in a 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia on Sunday.

Oyarzabal also set up La Roja's opening goal for Barcelona superstar Lamine Yamal as the European champions made amends for a disappointing 0-0 draw against Cabo Verde in their first match in North America.

Spain boss Luis de la Fuente revealed after the match that the Real Sociedad forward had been struggling with a knee problem, but insisted he was fit to start.