2026 — The Tournament Of A Lifetime

World Cup News

Close00Switzerland seal their place in the first knockout round of the World Cup by beating co-hosts Canada to top Group B. Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated topicsSwitzerlandFollow Switzerland close panelYou are now following SwitzerlandUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.FootballFollow Football

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Inverted wingers were unable to adjust their game, even when they kept running down the same dead end street After the high: the comedown. You could probably have seen this coming. If only that rush after half-time in Dallas, where England surged with such alluring creative energy, hadn’t been quite so much of a buzz. It turns out, however, that this is still an England tournament team. Nothing comes easily. The world will not bend to you. We can’t have nice things. Or only some nice things sometimes. By the end watching England struggle in Boston against a gristly and indigestible Ghana was like having your will, hope, sense of fun slowly sucked out of your body through a surgical drainage catheter. The moment that might have been the moment came right at the death. With 86 minutes gone England finally found a strange green substance opening up between the yellow shirts that had jounced and jostled and suffocated them to that point. This, it turns out, was open grass, space, air to breathe. They did something useful with it, Reece James picking out Nico O’Reilly with a fine right-footed cross. His header twanged the bar. The rebound fell to Harry Kane, at a decent height, with space to shoot, the target yawning in front of him. And for a moment the game seemed to stop, the day stretching out. As a kid Kane will have dreamed of place-kicking in this stadium, home of the Patriots, and one of the open, homely old cathedrals of the NFL. He took his chance here, punting the ball between the posts, miles over the bar, and off down the open concrete space behind the goal, bouncing off up the highway towards Salem. A 0-0 draw is hardly a fatal blow to England’s hopes. Ghana were a horrible prospect for much of the time, set up in a triple headlock defensive line overseen by the master of doom, Carlos Queiroz, who has not yet been asked to do a turn as one of the promotional faces of this product-shifting World Cup, but could perhaps do a good turn for concrete fencing, non-drying paint, or some deep product of the inner bowel, the ultra blocker. Either way Queiroz and Ghana did a number on England, understood what those tactics would or could do to them. For a while at the start England were bright, or semi-bright, then steady, cautious, then they just seemed to lose their creative will completely. Does this matter? The game here had almost no bearing on what a knockout game might look like, or a meeting with the kind of team that comes wanting to play, to have the ball, rather than putting you in a 90-minute sleeper hold. But there were things that will concern and frustrate Tuchel, not to mention those who have already questioned his slightly rigid round-headed selection. And really, it is the moment to talk about England’s starting wingers. Anthony Gordon and Noni Madueke, who were exposed here as rigidly functioning parts, following the same series of movements every time, outside to in, unable to find a new pattern even when they kept running down the same dead end street. For all the talk of a great golden hand of talent, England’s two starting wingers here have six goals in 48 England games between them, with no sense that this is an oversight, or an unfair reflection or that there are other gears to come. And no doubt there will be much talk of players who aren’t here, Cole Palmer and Phil Foden perhaps. But the fact is neither deserved it. Neither made a case for selection. Foden, at least, has never really had a good game for England. Creativity is a multi-headed thing in any case. It relies on movement, on team play, rather than individual inspiration. But England can and must be better than this, can have more craft, more devil, more sense of playing outside the system occasionally too, rather than following the same paths and blind alleyways. Teams that win tournaments will eventually surprise you. Here Boston was chilly, damp, misty and green with a feeling of a kind of oversized Shire, Middle Earth with clapboard houses and enormous cars. The England fans gathered in shorts and plastic ponchos in the far flung eaves, draping their banners and flags with the names of old England. Sunderland, Salford Wolverhampton. The Boston Stadium is home of the New England Patriots, a wide, low slung place and open to the sky, like a giant upturned Stetson. The whole complex has a slight showground feel, the kind of place for a rally or a march past, pompoms, homecoming queens, Uncle Sam on a giant tractor. It was a lovely spectacle before kick-off with its turrets and planes and swooping angles. And England looked perky enough at the start, keeping the ball for a full three minutes, before finally working an overload on the right for Madueke. At which point, the pattern began to set itself. Madueke doesn’t like to use his right foot. Instead he spurned the pocket of space, went backwards, was surrounded by three players instantly. It’s an odd one. You’re a brilliantly talented footballer on the right for England at a World Cup. Why not just experiment with putting a cross in? With 14 minutes gone England had taken 86% of possession and made 138 passes to Ghana’s 13. Ghana were like a thick, gloopy footballing custard, yellow shirts melding together, swamping you, sticking to your feet. England had one obvious problem. Against a low block the use of two inverted wingers, or at least two wingers this inverted, can become a structural issue. The space you’re always coming into is the space where everyone else is. The first half, Hydration Break x2, was frustratingly barren. This was total passivity from Ghana, possum-ball, play dead, effect a state of rigor mortis in the hope your opponent wanders off or falls asleep. But England had no surge this time, had no adrenal shift of gears. So the game simply slid past. With 65 minutes gone Tuchel brought on Bukayo Saka, who would, in his best form, be a clear upgrade on the basic quality of England’s constant cutting inside. England will move on, with a little more knowledge of what they need to do in the US to make any impression, but without any real sense of moving closer towards it.

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Footage shows defender keeping hand in pocket Partey denies allegations of rape and sexual assault Djed Spence appeared to be the only England player not to shake Thomas Partey’s hand before the World Cup game against Ghana in Boston. There had been doubts over whether Thomas Tuchel’s squad would snub the former Arsenal midfielder in the pre-match ritual. Partey is scheduled to go on trial next year at Southwark crown court after he was charged with five counts of rape and one of sexual assault last year. He was later charged with two further counts of rape. Partey has denied all the charges, with his lawyer insisting that he welcomes the chance to clear his name. Television coverage cut away at the crucial moment but footage appeared to show Spence kept his hand in the right pocket of his tracksuit top when Partey, whose contract at Villarreal expires next week, walked past. That seemed to surprise Partey, who briefly glanced back towards the Tottenham player before carrying on. Partey missed Ghana’s first game of the World Cup, against Panama in Toronto, after he was denied entry to Canada by immigration officials. A judge rejected Partey’s appeal.

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Close00Cristiano Ronaldo becomes the first player to score in six World Cups as his double helps Portugal thrash Uzbekistan. Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated topicsPortugalFollow Portugal close panelYou are now following PortugalUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.UzbekistanFollow Uzbekistan close panelYou are now following UzbekistanUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.FootballFollow Football

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Jorge Chipi Vera launches TV rant after Almirón red card Paraguay winger covered mouth in win over Turkey A football commentator has been stripped of his World Cup credentials by ⁠Fifa after an expletive-laden tirade against the organisation and match officials during Paraguay’s 1-0 victory over Turkey when ⁠Miguel Almirón was sent ⁠off. Jorge ​Chipi Vera lost his composure on live television when Paraguay’s Almirón became the first player sent off at the ⁠tournament for violating a strict new rule that forbids covering mouths during on-field confrontations. Almirón was dismissed by the Salvadorian referee Iván Barton for remarks made to ⁠Turkey’s Mert Muldur with his hand covering his mouth in first-half stoppage time. The ​furious broadcaster called the Fifa president, ‌Gianni Infantino, and the ‌referee “thieves”, accusing them of “killing football” as Paraguay were reduced to 10 men, but ‌he later apologised and said on X late on Monday that his accreditation had been cancelled. “During the broadcast of the match between Paraguay and Turkey, I had an outburst,” Vera said in the lengthy apology. “In the midst of my frustration over the expulsion of a player from my ‌country, and feeling that my national team was being harmed, I used offensive and unacceptable expressions against the referee, Fifa, ​and its authorities.“ Vera said the sanction meant he can no longer participate in World Cup coverage “either inside the stadiums or outside them” and it covers “any type of participation or coverage related to the World Cup”. Vera, who works for ABC Cardinal and ABC ​TV, also apologised ​to sponsors that support the ​platforms’ coverage and said he had sent a letter of ​apology to Fifa, ‌taking full responsibility ​for his actions. “Questioning ​a rule or disagreeing with a refereeing decision never justifies losing control the way I did,” he added. “I failed you in something fundamental: maintaining the composure and respect that this profession requires.”

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Jason Geria says students and employees should be able to watch Paraguay match kicks off 12pm Friday with last 32 spot on the line In calling for schools to show Australia’s crucial World Cup game against Paraguay on Friday, Socceroos defender Jason Geria’s message was simple: “Let them watch it.” Only needing a draw to progress, Australia are in a good position to make it out of the group stage for the second World Cup in a row. Even if the Socceroos lose, they can still finish above Paraguay in Group D and would have a chance to make the last 32 as one of the top eight third-placed teams. The teams have met five times – Australia winning two and drawing three – with the most recent a 1-0 friendly win in 2010. But result aside, Geria was adamant that school students should be able to turn the game on at 12pm this Friday. “Let them watch it,” he said. “If they could wheel some TVs into classrooms … I think they’ve all got iPads anyway, so just chuck it on the iPad.” “We love the support that we’ve seen so far at the fan sites around Australia and the clips of people in their living rooms or with their friends and family, wherever, at the pubs. It’s been amazing. “12pm on a Friday, it doesn’t get much better than that leading into the weekend. So if they could let their employees or let their students watch, I think that would be amazing.” The final group game in the 2022 World Cup delivered a memorable moment when Mat Leckie scored the winner against Denmark, sending the Socceroos through to the last 16 where they lost to eventual champions Argentina. Not wanting anyone to miss out on such a moment in 2026, SBS pundit and former Matildas goalkeeper Lydia Williams also called for students and teachers to have the chance to watch the game live. “It’s a rare opportunity to get all teachers and students together to witness such an amazing moment in World Cup history,” Williams said in an SBS post on Instagram. “Let’s get behind our Socceroos boys as they take on Paraguay in what is a crucial match, especially in order to move into the next stage.” Victorian public schools can screen the match if they want to, according to the department of education. Interest in the Socceroos’ crunch match is not limited to schools, though, as workplaces around the country brace for a lunchtime staff exodus ahead of Friday’s noon kick-off. A survey commissioned by SBS found that three in four Australians planned to watch the World Cup – with 71% saying they should be able to watch at work – suggesting employers also face the dilemma of whether to down tools or continue with business as usual. If your boss is a football fan, there is a good chance you will be enjoying the afternoon off. For others it might be convincing your manager to let you work from home, or taking leave. While Geria and Williams focused on schools, former Socceroos captain Paul Wade believes employers should allow their staff to watch the game at work . “If I was a small business owner, which I am, I don’t want my staff nicking off to watch a game of football,” he said on Sunrise. “You should see the technology that they have now. No way in the world you should have a day off.” Although not everyone may be able to skip work or school for football, they may share the spoils if the Socceroos book a spot in the last 32, with a petition for a public holiday to be issued if they progress gaining thousands of signatures.

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Some staff in Fifa’s US office favoured different strategy A number of Fifa’s US-based staff advised against the use of dynamic pricing at the World Cup but were overruled by the world governing body’s leadership, according to multiple sources involved in delivering the tournament. The Guardian has been told that some staff in Fifa’s US office, which is based in Miami, initially favoured a different ticketing strategy to the one that has been used this summer, with the emphasis on more affordable pricing in general admission areas. However Fifa is understood to have ruled that the 2026 World Cup finals tournament was a once-in-a-generation opportunity to maximise revenues due to the strength of demand and the wealth of the American market in particular. It is unclear whether the ultimate decision on ticket pricing was taken by the Fifa president’s office, but it was approved by the organisation’s executive committee. In a statement to the Guardian, Fifa insisted that all elements of the organisation are aligned on pricing strategy. The official bid book submitted to Fifa by the Canadian Soccer Association, the Mexican Football Association and the United States Soccer Federation in 2018 mentioned dynamic pricing but the would-be hosts said at the time that they were not pursuing it. The bid book also indicated that Fifa had previously instructed them not to charge huge prices for higher-end tickets. “North America is a sophisticated market for ticketing and new models are currently being developed across the sports and entertainment space,” the bid book stated. “We have not factored in dynamic ticket pricing, which could have a positive impact on revenue, nor, per instruction, have we applied any premium on hospitality or other high-quality seats.” Despite high prices that range from $60 to $2,735 at the group stage, increasing to $2,020 to $7,875 for the final, the vast majority of matches have sold out with Fifa giving an occupancy rate of 99.54% for the first 36 games of the tournament. A number of those tickets will have been sold for even higher prices on the secondary market, which is legal in the US, with a place at the final being listed at prices up to $28,500. A Fifa spokesperson said: “Fifa’s ticketing policy followed extensive consultation and agreement with all areas of the organisation,” it said. “No alternative plans were ever presented, so there is no substance to these claims. We are enjoying record attendances, with more than 99% capacity across all games, and we thank supporters for contributing towards the growth of football around the world.” In his press conference on the eve of the tournament the Fifa president, Gianni Infantino, claimed that lower prices would have led to more tickets being sold on the secondary market, and lower revenues for Fifa, who reinvests its income into funding the global game, minus operational costs. Infantino said: “If you sell it at a lower price point in this particular market it would have gone to secondary markets at much, much, much higher prices and where would the money go then? Well, to those who organise secondary markets or black market activities and not to football.” Infantino also said that the average World Cup ticket price was below $500 for the tournament, which he claimed was comparable to other US sports during their playoffs. Infantino’s claim is true when prices for US events on secondary markets are included, but does not appear to be entirely accurate when it comes to initial prices, which was the direct comparison. Major League Baseball’s average World Series ticket price has been $350 to $400 in recent years, while NFL playoff prices last season averaged $230 for the wildcard round, $320 for divisional games, $450 for conference championships and $3,300 for the Super Bowl.

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Both teams could progress with a draw in final Group D game Not in Australia’s nature to ‘take foot off gas’, says Jason Geria Socceroos defender Jason Geria insists there will be no “truce” made with Paraguay in their final World Cup pool match in San Francisco on Thursday (Friday AEST). Both nations will almost certainly progress with a draw, a result that would place Australia second in Group D behind the USA. Paraguay would also be likely to progress to the knockout round as one of the best third-placed teams. Geria, who came on at half-time against the USA to help steady the ship, said although the Socceroos know that a point will be enough to progress, they will not go into the match seeking that result. “I think you’re cheating the game in a way if you’re looking to just call a truce with 10 minutes to go, that doesn’t seem right in my opinion,” he said. “Yeah, we could both progress with a point, that’s evident, but I don’t think it’s in us to just concede or just take the foot off the gas.” According to mathematical simulations of the tournament, a loss for Paraguay increases their chance of elimination more than an Australian loss does for the Socceroos. Geria, however, said the team is not looking deeply at the permutations. “We want to win every game, regardless of who the opponent is or what the situation is,” he said. “I don’t think if it is 1-1 with five minutes left, or 50 seconds left, it’s going to be us taking our foot off the pedal.” The Socceroos were stunned early by the intensity of the USA. Geria said the team wanted to start better against a “tough” opposition who are going to “leave everything out there”. Geria said he knows the stakes are high, and that the final group match at the World Cup has provided some significant Socceroos moments, such as Harry Kewell’s goal against Croatia in 2006 and Mat Leckie’s winner against Denmark in 2022. He urged school principals and bosses to show the match, even if it means an interruption to class or work. “Let them watch it,” he said. “12pm on a Friday [AEST], it doesn’t get much better than that leading into the weekend, so if they could let their employees or let their students watch, I think that would be amazing.” The Socceroos met 400 travelling fans, family and friends at training in Oakland on Monday, after the players were also afforded time with their loved ones the previous day. Gianfranco Circati, father of Socceroos defender Alessandro and a former professional player from Italy who played for Perth Glory, said he was proud of his son. Circati junior was born in Fidenza, near Parma, but chose to represent Australia, where he grew up. “Ale was born in Italy, but he lived all his life in Australia, so he’s Aussie,” Circati senior said. “He’s been having the mullet [haircut] for the last six or seven years, so I’m not very happy with that, but it doesn’t matter.” Thousands of Australian supporters have been streaming into San Francisco ahead of the clash against Paraguay. Many will frequent the Bay Area’s bars and beer gardens. Circati and his wife have a different approach. “I don’t go to the pub because I don’t drink, but it’s myself and my wife. We just go around, we look at the history of the city, we do tours, we do galleries, we do the theatre, we basically learn a bit of the history of the city that we visit.” Former Socceroo Josip Skoko is in the United States with a traveling group. He played with coach Tony Popovic the last time Australia played Paraguay in a 2006 friendly, but admitted he could not remember much from the game. Skoko said he has had “general chit chat” with Popovic during the tournament, without going into deep discussions about the players or tactics, but is optimistic about their chances. “I feel that they’re in a really good position,” Skoko said. “I think they can get to the next round even without a result. Not that we’re looking for that.”

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Comments It is fast becoming a Golden Boot race for the ages. Lionel Messi leads the way with five goals from two games. Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland are second in the standings with four goals each. This is only the second time in World Cup history where three players have scored four or more times after two matches - and the first since since 1954. It was another extraordinary few hours of goalscoring from some of the best forwards football has seen. Messi was up first - breaking the World Cup goals record with a double for Argentina against Austria. Mbappe responded in kind with two goals in France's weather-delayed victory against Iraq on his 100th international appearance. And it was Haaland's turn soon after, scoring twice as Norway beat Senegal to qualify for the last 32. Not a bad start to his own World Cup career. Anything one can do, the others can do better. It has that feel about it at the moment - and this is before England's Harry Kane has the chance to add to his opening-day double against Ghana on Tuesday. There is a growing sense we are seeing something special as the world's best set records tumbling on the sport's biggest stage. French football expert Julien Laurens told BBC Sport: "With the big stars, they want the ball all the time. "I guess part of it is that they're not just chasing the Golden Boot, a handful of them are chasing the all-time record too." This tournament started with Germany's Miroslav Klose top of the all-time World Cup goalscoring charts with 16 goals. Two games in and 38-year-old Messi now leads the way with 18 goals from 28 World Cup games, having scored all five of Argentina's goals so far at this edition. The Frenchman has pulled level with Klose, scoring 16 goals in as many matches, and will have his sights set on becoming the first striker to win multiple Golden Boots - as will Kane - and eclipsing Messi's total. Laurens said: "We thought it could be the Kylian Mbappe show again because of the incredible record he is chasing, now owned by Lionel Messi." And how long before we are talking about Manchester City's scoring phenomenon Haaland with the record in his sights? It won't be by the end of this tournament - but if he keeps up his current rate he will be in the mix in the future. The 25-year-old is just the sixth player to score multiple goals in each of his first two World Cup appearances - and has a remarkable tally of 59 goals in 52 Norway appearances. Former Scotland striker Ally McCoist told ITV: "In terms of natural footballing ability, Messi is out in front, with Kylian Mbappe probably in second. But in front of goal Haaland is as good as it gets. "It is impossible to compare these players. Harry Kane is a better all-round footballer than Haaland as well. "But in terms of putting the ball in the back of the net, Haaland is probably the best out there. When it comes to finishing, he takes some beating." Ex-England midfielder Karen Carney added on ITV: "It was a superstar day. Messi stole the show, but what performances from Mbappe and Haaland as well. Let's hope Harry Kane can get in on the act on Tuesday." Two-goal Haaland fires Norway into last 32 with win over Senegal Mbappe double as France beat Iraq after two-hour delay Record-breaking Messi scores twice as Argentina progress 'They're so inevitable'Records have been falling from day one for the game's most feared forwards. Messi now leading the all-time World Cup list has taken a lot of the headlines, and rightly so. But he isn't the only one who has been setting records this tournament. Mbappe now tops France's goalscoring charts, Haaland is Norway's leading World Cup scorer - after just two games - while Kane has equalled Gary Lineker's World Cup record for England. And all of them will have their sights set on France's Just Fontaine's 1958 record of 13 goals scored in one tournament. 958. Only three players - Fontaine, Gerd Muller for Germany in 1970 and Hungary's Sandor Kocsis in 1954 - have ever hit double figures at a single World Cup. It would not be a surprise if that select list has grown by the end of this tournament. The new 48-team format certainly looks to have increased the potential for goals. With more lower-ranked teams, the world's best attackers have prospered. The World Cup winners will also have to play one extra round than ever before - again increasing the chances of scoring goals. Former France defender Gael Clichy told BBC Sport: "Kylian Mbappe is part of the generation which [has] that fearless factor. "I remember when I started you had to give respect to the older generation when you came in, and you were not trying to do a nutmeg to the old men. "This generation, they have respect, but differently. Don't talk about age, talk about performance." So, back to the small matter of the race for the Golden Boot. "It's not something I'm thinking about right now," said Mbappe. "Leo always scores. He always has and always will. "If I start watching him, I'll feel like I have to do even more, so no, I don't watch what he's doing. I'm only thinking about helping my team - by helping the team, I score goals and get closer to that kind of level." Norway boss Stale Solbakken has, perhaps unsurprisingly, pushed Haaland's cause. "He is the best striker - he is not playing for France or Argentina, he scores for Norway. He's scored four goals now, two braces on the biggest stage," he said. "It's easier to win the Golden Boot when you play for France and Argentina, but we'll try to give Erling more games, and more help also in the next games. So he's on fire and I'm very happy for him that he can score on the biggest stage." USA striker Folarin Balogun has made a decent enough start to the tournament himself, with two goals in his first two games. But he probably summed it up the best, when he joked: "I think it's annoying. Seeing players like Messi, Mbappe, Haaland - they're so inevitable. I think they're scoring a goal a game, sometimes more. "For me, it's just about trying to get to that level - to be inevitable as well." What information do we collect from this quiz?Related topicsFootballFIFA World Cup 2026ArgentinaFranceNorwayEngland Men's Football TeamMessi becomes World Cup all-time leading scorer - how has he stayed at the top? A defender's view on how to stop the World Cup's best strikers Why Kane is different at this World Cup - Shearer Everything you need to know about the World Cup

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Even a narrow defeat against Paraguay in their final group game should be enough to earn a place in the last 32, where Belgium may await Cowards, pragmatists or stoic idealists: the Socceroos must decide this week how much they dare anger the footballing gods. They approach their final group match on Thursday (Friday AEST) against Paraguay in the box seat to progress to the knockout round, but also with a chance to negotiate with their opponents to do a sensible if unseemly deal that mutually benefits them both. In almost 94% of simulations of the World Cup by sports data agency Opta, Australia will progress to the round of 32. At the start of the tournament, Opta assessed Australia’s chances of progressing at 59%, underscoring just how important the three points against Turkey were. Results in other groups have made the Socceroos’ World Cup knock-out path clearer as the days count down to the match against Paraguay. Currently in second in Group D, Australia still remain likely to progress, given they need just a draw to secure an automatic berth in the knock-out round as one of the top two. According to Opta’s simulations, that likelihood is 61%. The figures – which include, for example, that Spain win the World Cup in almost 14% of simulations – are produced by Opta’s so-called “supercomputer”, which uses betting market odds and additional variables including recent performances to simulate the tournament thousands of times. After each match, the supercomputer simulates the rest of the tournament again, updating its projections based on previous results. The Socceroos’ quality gives them a strong chance of securing a win or draw against the lower-ranked Paraguay. The chances of a draw, however, are especially high given a point for Paraguay would also certainly take them to the knockout rounds as one of the best third-placed sides. They would finish with four points, a total that almost guarantees progression. If the score is level in the second half between Australia and Paraguay, there is the possibility that neither team finds the motivation to chase an extra goal at the risk of conceding one at the other end. Running out the clock to each secure a point would, however, expose each team to criticism for failing to pursue victory. A loss for Australia would leave them on three points. If it is only by a single goal then they have a 96% chance of progressing according to mathematical simulations site Football Meets Data, as one of eight best third-placed sides across the 12 groups. But if Paraguay become stretched in seeking victory and concede, they will be more exposed to elimination. With a loss by a single goal, they would finish on three points with a goal difference of minus three. The chance to progress drops to 73%, and could go lower based on what happens in other groups. Under the Socceroos’ most likely outcome of finishing second in Group D they would play their last-32 match against the second-placed team in Group G – either Egypt, Belgium, Iran or New Zealand in Dallas on Friday 3 July. Egypt’s 3-1 victory over New Zealand makes them clear favourites to finish first in the group, as a point against Iran in their final match is likely to be enough. Second place is most likely to go to Belgium, who face New Zealand. Opta has the veteran-laden team led by Youri Tielemans, Thibaut Courtois and Kevin de Bruyne finishing second in 58% of simulations. If Australia were to lose against Paraguay, finish third and still qualify as one of the best third-placed teams, they face the winners of groups E, I or K. That means a possible clash against contenders Germany, France and Portugal.

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Rade Bogdanovic made comments on public broadcaster Questioned over the remark, former player doubled down The former Yugoslavia and Atlético Madrid striker Rade Bogdanovic has sparked controversy on Serbian TV after saying that “Black players lack concentration beyond 60 to 80 minutes” during the Belgium v Iran World Cup match. Bogdanovic, 56, made the comment on a World Cup programme aired by Serbia’s public broadcaster (RTS) late on Sunday night while discussing the 66th-minute red card shown to the Belgium defender Nathan Ngoy. “I have always said those players – and I’m really not racist – but Black players lack the concentration to last more than 60 to 80 minutes,” Bogdanovic said. “When we played, we sometimes had to protect our own players to stop them making mistakes,” he added. The host challenged Bogdanovic over the remark, but the former international forward doubled down, insisting that “the majority lack concentration”. His comments drew widespread attention and condemnation on social media. RTS, however, has not commented on nor apologised for Bogdanovic’s remarks, and a day later had him back in the studio as an analyst for the Argentina v Austria match. Bogdanovic began his career in his home town of Sarajevo, now the capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, for Zeljeznicar, before moving to South Korea and then Japan. He later returned to Europe, briefly playing for Atlético and later joining Werder Bremen, in Germany. He made three appearances for Yugoslavia in 1997. Belgium and Iran drew 0-0 in their Group G match in Los Angeles, leaving Iran second and Belgium third as both sides battle to reach the next phase.

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The flags of Saudi Arabia and Iraq have not been laid on the ground during World Cup pre-match ceremonies because they include religious wording. Giant flags of each nation are displayed on the pitch before every match. Most are laid on the ground as the teams enter the pitch and are then rolled up and taken away by volunteers. There have been exceptions, though. Some flags have been carried above the ground and the common denominator is that these games have either featured Saudi Arabia or Iraq. Their flags are treated with stricter care and the reason lies in religious script. Saudi Arabia's flag carries the Shahada - the Islamic declaration of faith ("There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is His messenger") - written above a sword. Iraq's flag carries the Takbir, the Arabic phrase "Allahu Akbar", meaning "God is greatest", a phrase Muslims use in daily prayer, at moments of celebration, and in the Islamic call to prayer. It is shorter than the wording on Saudi Arabia's flag, but it is the same principle - sacred religious wording rendered permanently into the national flag. Because both flags contain words used in Islamic prayer and worship, treating them like ordinary cloth - laying them on the ground, sitting on them, using them as towels, or balling them up - is considered disrespectful in Islamic tradition. It is not the same as objecting to a flag being burned or trampled as a national insult - it is specifically about protecting the sanctity of the words themselves. Letting religious text touch the ground or get dirty is seen as an insult to the faith, not just the country. For Saudi Arabia, this goes further. The Saudi flag must never touch the ground or water, and is not lowered to half-mast, because doing so would be seen as lowering the Shahada itself. For fans, players and broadcasters covering both nations, it is a reminder that these flags carry a dual meaning - national and religious - and are treated accordingly. Play BBC Sport's new World Cup predictor game Everything you need to know about the World Cup