ParsaKgvr/socce_report_analysis · Datasets at Hugging Face

1,800

France won the World Cup for the second time after beating Croatia 4-2 in a pulsating final in Moscow that included a controversial use of VAR

A Mario Mandzukic own goal (18) set France on their way in Sunday's incident-packed showdown, only for Ivan Perisic to fire home an equaliser 10 minutes later

But seven minutes before half-time, referee Nestor Pitana contentiously awarded a spot-kick for a handball by Perisic after consulting pitch-side replays, which Griezmann converted

Second-half goals from Paul Pogba (59) and Kylian Mbappé (65) took the game away from Croatia, who did score a comical consolation through Mandzukic after a Hugo Lloris error

The victory means France boss Didier Deschamps becomes only the third person to lift the trophy as a player and manager, following Mario Zagallo and Franz Beckenbauer

Deschamps' risk-averse tactics allowed Croatia to boss the opening stages in terms of possession but it was France that struck first, with their first meaningful attack

Griezmann whipped in a free-kick with his left-foot and, in a desperate attempt to clear, Mandzukic flicked the ball past his own goalkeeper and became the first player to score an own goal in a World Cup final

Croatia were not to be deterred by falling behind for the third time in the knockout stages and Perisic drew them deservedly level

The Inter Milan forward seized the ball on the edge of the box and took a touch with his right foot to take him past N'Golo Kante before rifling a left-footed shot past Lloris, via a minor deflection off Raphael Varane

France maintained their timid approach and had yet to register a shot on goal when the referee stepped in to gift them an opportunity to regain the lead

A corner from the right was flicked on by Blaise Matuidi and the ball struck Perisic's hand, although he seemed to know little about it

Initially, Pitana signalled for just a corner but a VAR review was initiated and after watching numerous replays, Pitana overturned his original decision and awarded the penalty, which Griezmann rolled home

Deschamps' side increased their intensity after the break with Mbappe finding more space on the counter-attack and the 19-year-old played a part as France extended their lead on 59 minutes

Pogba started the move with a sensational half-volleyed through ball for the Paris Saint-Germain striker, who then found Griezmann

The ball was laid back to Pogba and on his second attempt, fired a left-footed shot that completely wrong-footed Danijel Subasic

Six minutes later, France wrapped up the game

As Croatia pushed on, Mbappe found space about 25 yards out and hit a low effort that once again caught out Subasic, who seemed to be struggling to dive to his left

Croatia were given a lifeline in the 69th minute when Lloris unsuccessfully attempted to dribble around Mandzukic on his six-yard line, the striker's block sending the ball into the bottom corner of the net

But despite their efforts, Croatia were unable to muster another comeback as France saw out the final 20 minutes to be crowned for the first time since Deschamps captained the class of 1998 to glory

A frustrating domestic campaign will be all-but-forgotten about now for France's midfield maestro

Big players have the ability to peak at the right time and Pogba has certainly found his best form in the latter stages of this tournament

As others around him were being overrun in a one-sided first-half, Pogba kept his discipline and got his team playing further forward in the second-half

His ball to release Mbappe for the third goal, which he finished off, was the highlight of the match

A force of nature when he's in this mood

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Lloris

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Mbappe

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Lovren

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Strinic

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1,801

Croatia overcame World Cup hosts Russia 4-3 on penalties following a 2-2 draw after extra-time to set up a semi-final showdown with England

Ivan Rakitic struck the crucial spot-kick after Fedor Smolov and Mario Fernandes failed from the spot for Russia to settle a gritty quarter-final in Sochi on Saturday evening

Denis Cheryshev's stunner (31) had earned Russia a first-half lead in front of a boisterous home crowd, but that was cancelled out eight minutes later when Andrej Kramaric headed in

Domagoj Vida (100) headed Croatia in front in extra-time only for Fernandes to equalise five minutes from the end to take the game to penalties, but Stanislav Chercheshov's players were unable to replicate their shootout success over Spain and exit their own tournament at the quarter-final stage

Cheryshev had earlier sent the host nation into raptures with a stunning opening goal on 31 minutes, which will be remembered as one of the best of the 2018 World Cup

The midfielder started the move himself in the centre circle, playing a one-two with striker Artem Dzyuba before taking a touch and unleashing a curling left-footed shot from the edge of the area which sailed into the top corner

But the lead barely lasted eight minutes as Russia were undone by some sloppy defending

Mario Mandzukic found time and space on the left to drift into the penalty area and tee up an unmarked Kramaric to power home a header from the edge of the six-yard box

There were precious few chances in a cagey second half, but Ivan Perisic should have won the game after an hour when he struck the inside of the post from eight yards after Sergei Ignashevich and Fyodor Kudryashov failed to deal with Mandzukic's crossHowever, Croatia's second goal arrived from an unlikely source 10 minutes into the extra-time period when Vida rose highest to head Luka Modric's corner down and past Igor Akinfeev

But with five minutes left on the clock, Russia responded with a dramatic equaliser as Fernandes rose to head in Alan Dzagoev's free-kick and take the game to a penalty shootout

Danijel Subasic saved Russia's first kick - a chipped effort from Smolov - but Mateo Kovacic saw Croatia's second effort saved after Roman Zobnin and Dzagoev both converted

Russia's Fernandes put the next kick wide and there was to be no respite this time as Luka Modric, Vida and then Rakitic all scored to earn Croatia a second straight shootout win at this tournament and end the fairytale run of the unfancied hosts

This was a game full of drama, but lacking in quality

With Russia content to sit deep for long periods and Croatia's main outlet the overlapping runs of their right-back Sime Vrsaljko, they turned - as they so often do - to the creativity of their midfield duo

Luka Modric created the second Croatia goal, but was outshone by his partner Rakitic who produced an endless supply of raking passes and stepped up to nervelessly score the final kick of the shootout

Don't be surprised to hear plenty about him in the run-up to Wednesday night's semi-final

Croatia will now face England at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow at 7pm on Wednesday evening for the chance to play either Belgium or France in the World Cup final the following Sunday

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1,802

Croatia will face France in their first World Cup final after coming from behind to dash England's dreams with a 2-1 extra-time victory at the Luzhniki Stadium

Mario Mandzukic scored the goal that broke English hearts on 109 minutes as Croatia emulated their heroes of 1998 by securing their place in football's greatest game for the very first time

It all started so promisingly or England who took the lead through Kieran Trippier's wonderful fifth-minute free-kick but Ivan Perisic forced extra-time with Croatia's equaliser on 68 minutes

Juventus striker Mandzukic then capitalised on a brief lapse in the English defence to put Croatia ahead for the first time, and there was no way back for Gareth Southgate's tiring side

The defeat ends England's hopes of a first world title since 1966, but they have the chance to salvage bronze in Saturday's third-place play-off against Belgium

England would have been forgiven for feeling nervous ahead of their first World Cup semi-final in 28 years, but, to the contrary, Southgate's youthful side got off to the perfect start as Trippier curled a delightful 20-yard free-kick into the Croatian net with just five minutes on the clock

England would go on control the first period against a lethargic Croatian outfit, who took 19 minutes to register their first attempt, Perisic dragging two shots wide having cut in from the left

England remained composed and in control and should have doubled their lead on the half-hour mark, but Danijel Subasic denied Harry Kane from a Jesse Lingard through pass and before the Tottenham striker struck the rebound against the post

That kicked Croatia into gear and England needed a last-gasp block from John Stones to cut out an Ante Rebic's cross before the full-back fired a follow-up straight down Jordan Pickford's throat

England responded but a second goal remained out of reach as Lingard fired a glorious chance wide after Dele Alli's clever square on 36 minutes

England's inability to convert their dominance into goals nearly came back to bite them when Dejan Lovren went down in the area under a Harry Maguire challenge, but a VAR review after the half-time whistle had sounded proved inconclusive

Croatia improved after the interval but still needed some fine defending from Lovren to prevent a Lingard volley from finding the target and a Trippier cross from reaching Kane on 58 minutes

But England invited more and more pressure on themselves and Croatia finally made them pay on 68 minutes as Perisic - a minute after Kyle Walker brilliantly blocked his goal-bound strike - stole a march on the Manchester City defender to poke Sime Vrsaljko's whipped cross beyond Pickford

Things nearly went from bad to worse for England four minutes later as Perisic nipped in between Stones and Pickford to gather the loose ball and rattled a low drive against the post

Nerves began to take their toll on Southgate's men for the first time, and errors began to creep into their game as Mandzukic and Perisic were both presented with a sight of the England goal in the closing 10 minutes

Kane had the chance to send England through in stoppage-time but he headed a presentable chance wide from a Trippier free-kick

Vrsaljko headed a goal-bound Stones header off the line nine minutes into extra-time before a stunning point-blank save from Pickford prevented Mandzukic from putting Croatia ahead

But when Stones and Walker let a ball bounce in their area, Mandzukic finally got the better of Pickford with a low drive into the bottom corner

Few would have had Trippier down as first goalscorer

The Tottenham full-back had not scored since February 2016 and never in an England shirt

But Trippier needed only five minutes to become the third Englishman to score in a World Cup semi-final, following in the illustrious footsteps of Sir Bobby Charlton and Gary Lineker

Trippier does not take free-kicks at Spurs with Christian Eriksen around, and is known as the 'Bury Beckham' because of his delivery from the right rather than his set-piece ability

But after his Moscow masterpiece, it might be a case of Beckham now being known as the 'Walthamstow Trippier'

Croatia will remain in Moscow for Sunday's World Cup final against France while England travel to Saint Petersburg for Saturday's third-place play-off against Belgium

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Perisic

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Mandzukic

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1,803

Headers from Harry Maguire and Dele Alli gave England a 2-0 win over Sweden as they reached their first World Cup semi-final in 28 years

England dominated the ball in Samara and were good value for the victory, but did have goalkeeper Jordan Pickford to thank for avoiding a nervous ending

After a laboured start, England took the lead through Maguire's header from a corner (30), his first international goal and England's fifth from a set-piece at this World Cup, more than any other side

Alli doubled England's lead on 58 minutes with another header, creeping in at the back post to convert Jesse Lingard's cute delivery

Pickford was indomitable in the England net, making three fine saves in the second half to keep Sweden at bay, as England kept a clean sheet for the first time in the tournament

Sweden slowed the tempo early on as the game got off to a dull start, but the first half-chance fell to England as Harry Kane flashed wide from 20 yards after good running from Raheem Sterling

Set-pieces have played an integral part in England's success so far at the World Cup, and the dead-ball delivery came up trumps again on 30 minutes as Maguire piled in 12 yards out to head Ashley Young's drilled cross past Robin Olsen

Sterling then had a golden chance to double England's lead before the break from Jordan Henderson's fine through-ball, but he failed to take on Olsen, dwelling too long on the ball before his rebounded shot was blocked

Sweden hardly had a sniff in the first half, but nearly levelled early in the second as Marcus Berg rose above Young at the far post from Ludwig Augustinson's cross, but Pickford did brilliantly to tip it away

England regained control, however, and were 2-0 up just before the hour mark as Alli scored just his third international goal, nodding home six yards out from Lingard's cross from the right

Sweden reacted well and should have halved the deficit but for Pickford's superb save, diving low to his right to keep out Viktor Claesson's effort, and the Everton man was again at his best moments later to tip over Berg's shot on the turn

But England saw out the final stages with professionalism, reaching their first tournament semi-final since Euro 96 and their first at the World Cup since Italia 90

Fresh from his heroics on Tuesday night in Moscow, the Everton stopper was at his best again on Saturday to extinguish any potential second-half anxiety

His three saves - from Berg, Claesson and Berg again late on - were brilliant reaction stops, and though his distribution was scratchy at times, he finally got the clean sheet he had been craving at this tournament

England will now play either Russia or Croatia in the World Cup semi-final on Wednesday evening in Moscow

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1,804

France reached the World Cup semi-finals for the first time since 2006 and ended Uruguay's dream with a 2-0 win in Nizhny Novgorod

Raphael Varane converted a clever Antoine Griezmann free-kick five minutes before half-time and the provider then profited from Fernando Muslera's goalkeeping howler (61) as Didier Deschamps' men booked a last-four showdown with Brazil or Belgium

France, out to emulate the triumphant 1998 team captained by Deschamps, were thankful for several fine Hugo Lloris saves but his counterpart's blunder took the edge off the contest as Luis Suarez - without injured partner Edinson Cavani - toiled in vain

Oscar Tabarez's team had almost taken an early lead during a ragged passage of play, Cavani's replacement Cristhian Stuani failing to connect as France neglected to clear, before Lloris was forced into a low diving punch under pressure from Jose Gimenez

Olivier Giroud - on the receiving end of one of a string of robust challenges - teed up Kylian Mbappe soon after but the teen who terrorised Argentina watched his header loop harmlessly onto the roof of the net

France had struggled to find space as their opponents hustled and harried but the breakthrough came from a set-piece when Griezmann, disguising his delivery with a stuttering run-up, curled in for Varane to glance into the far corner

That had been the first time Muslera had been threatened and France were indebted to opposite number Lloris for a brilliant diving stop moments before the interval to deny Martin Caceres

Muslera thwarted Paul Pogba with a strong punch as France returned with intent but they were gifted a further advantage when the Uruguay goalkeeper let Griezmann's potshot through his grasp

Uruguay needed cool heads but instead a melee erupted when Mbappe's flamboyant flick drew a reaction from Christian Rodriguez and Pogba, angered by Nahitan Nandez, needed to be calmed by his coach

Tabarez's side were tiring, the cause looking lost, and though Griezmann sent another free-kick high into the crowd, France controlled the ball with ease in the closing stages to seal a Tuesday showdown in Saint Petersburg

Hugo Lloris made big stops at key moments before Uruguay's threat diminished but Antoine Griezmann gets the nod after another influential, if not top-gear display

He has now scored seven goals in his last six appearances in the knockout stages of major tournaments, though he turned away sheepishly after this one

There was no fortune in the opener - a goal finely crafted and finished - and several other key passes came from the Atletico Madrid man

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1,805

Kevin De Bruyne's stunning strike booked Belgium's place in the World Cup semi-finals with a 2-1 win over Brazil

A first-half double, courtesy of a Fernandinho own-goal (13) and a rasping De Bruyne (31) finish, gave Belgium a big enough cushion in order to repel a Brazilian onslaught in the second period

Renato Augusto (76) set up a grandstand finish but Belgium, spearheaded by Eden Hazard and a fantastic performance by Thibaut Courtois, held on to make the last four, which means a European team will be winning this year's tournament

Roberto Martinez had been criticised for deploying De Bruyne too deep in previous encounters, but pushed him higher up the pitch against Brazil

His positioning just behind Hazard and Romelu Lukaku - who ran riot in the opening stages - was the catalyst for Belgium's fast start

However, the story of the match could have been different had Thiago Silva not bundled an effort against the post on nine minutes and Paulinho not fired wide from Willian's corner two minutes later

Belgium were given a helping hand to grab the lead on 13 minutes

Nacer Chadli's corner from the left was clumsily flicked into his own net by Fernandinho, who was under pressure from Vincent Kompany

The opening goal was lucky, the second was sheer quality

Lukaku drove at the heart of the Belgium defence which caused chaos in the Brazilian backline

He offloaded the ball to De Bruyne on the right who was strangely invited onto his right foot by a lacklustre Marcelo

The Manchester City star took a touch and fired straight into the far corner

Brazil went for broke in the second half which left huge space for Hazard and Lukaku to exploit

Substitute Roberto Firmino almost flicked home a Marcelo cross while Gabriel Jesus had a penalty claim turned down by VAR after Kompany went to ground inside the area

Brazil's goal did eventually come after a spell of prolonged pressure with 14 minutes to go

Augusto's run into the box was not tracked and Philippe Coutinho picked him out with a stunning clipped pass that was headed home by the Beijing Guoan midfielder

Neymar failed to light up the game but he did burst in behind with eight minutes left before cutting the ball box inside the penalty area, but Coutinho's effort from 12 yards was wayward

There was one last chance for Neymar for take it to extra-time but Courtois produced a sensational one-handed save to flick a 20-yard curling effort over the crossbar

This stage was made for Hazard, who was at the heart of all of Belgium's forays into Brazilian territory

His close control dazzled and the way he glided past players on the counter attack was a joy to behold

Martinez's decision to play him off the left-wing was a tactical masterstroke

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1,806

England beat Colombia 4-3 on penalties after an ill-tempered 1-1 draw in Moscow to set up a World Cup quarter-final with Sweden

Carlos Bacca missed the all-important spot-kick as England reached the quarter-finals for the first time since 2006 with their first ever World Cup shootout victory

Harry Kane's sixth goal of the tournament from the penalty spot gave Gareth Southgate's men the lead after 57 minutes but Yerry Mina's 93rd-minute header sent the game to extra-time

A gripping match ended in dramatic fashion as after Jordan Henderson and Mateus Uribe missed from the spot, Jordan Pickford kept out Bacca's attempt before Eric Dier kept his cool to send England through

It was they who created the first opportunity after 16 minutes as Kieran Trippier combined with Jesse Lingard down the right to cross for Kane to head over at the far post

The main flashpoint of the first period came with five minutes remaining as Wilmar Barrios appeared to bump his head into Henderson's chin inside the box as England prepared for a free-kick, but American referee Mark Geiger brandished only a yellow card

Lingard blazed over when well placed in first-half stoppage time before a tense half ended with Raheem Sterling being barged as he left the pitch by Colombia's fitness trainer Julio Urtasun

But just eight minutes into the second half, England were handed a glorious chance to break the deadlock as Carlos Sanchez was penalised for wrestling Kane to the ground inside the box

After a wait of almost four minutes and clear attempts by Johan Mojica to scuff up the penalty spot, the country's talisman coolly lifted the ball down the middle beyond the dive of David Ospina

England should have doubled their lead when Dele Alli headed over from Trippier's cross eight minutes later before Juan Cuadrado blazed over from an acute angle after Bacca dispossessed Kyle Walker

Pickford made a brilliant save to deny a speculative shot from Uribe in the third minute of stoppage time but Mina rose above Harry Maguire to head in the resulting corner to send the game to extra-time

Colombia grew in stature during the first half of extra-time with Falcao heading wide from Mojica's cross, but England found a second wind as Danny Rose dragged a shot wide before Dier headed over when unmarked

But the match went to penalties, with Falcao scoring the opening spot-kick before Kane drilled in his attempt

Cuadrado restored Colombia's advantage before Marcus Rashford slotted home but Luis Muriel made no mistake to keep the South Americans in front

Ospina saved Henderson's penalty to put Colombia on the brink but Uribe blasted his effort against the underside of the bar before Trippier restored parity

A big left hand from Pickford then kept out Bacca's fierce effort - leaving the unflappable Dier to stroke past the outstretched glove of Ospina to spark emotional scenes

From the moment the Barcelona defender dwarfed over Raheem Sterling in the opening stages to concede a free-kick, England knew they were in for a sizeable physical battle with this streetwise Colombian side

Alongside Davinson Sanchez, Mina was an imperious presence throughout as he won countless aerial battles and forced Kane to come deep in order to get involved

Colombia had hardly threatened before the third minute of stoppage time, but having withstood England's best efforts, Mina showed his threat in the opposition penalty box to level with a trademark header

The 23-year-old scored three headed goals at the 2018 World Cup; the most by a player in a single tournament since Miroslav Klose for Germany in 2002 (5), and was unfortunate to end on the losing side

England progress to face Sweden in the quarter-finals on Saturday afternoon in Samara (3pm UK time)

Colombia, meanwhile, face Venezuela in a friendly on September 6

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1,807

Emil Forsberg's deflected strike booked Sweden a place in the World Cup quarter-finals after a 1-0 win over Switzerland on Tuesday afternoon

A disappointing last-16 match was settled by a scruffy winning goal in the 66th minute, as defender Manuel Akanji accidentally steered the ball past Yann Sommer to set up a clash with either Colombia or England on Saturday

The result means Sweden have reached their first quarter-final since 1994 and are just two victories away from their second World Cup final, while Switzerland, who had Michael Lang sent off for denying Martin Olsson a clear goalscoring opportunity in injury time, are on their way home after a flat display

But while the Swedes secured their third clean sheet in four matches at Russia 2018, the goal came from one of only three shots on target and neither Colombia nor England will have seen much to concern them in an attacking sense

A tight first half was punctuated by poor finishing from both sides

Sommer produced a sharp save to his right to keep out Marcus Berg's bouncing volley and Albin Ekdal blasted over when he seemed destined to volley home Mikael Lustig's right-wing cross as Sweden wasted the best of the chances

Switzerland's best opportunity in the opening 45 minutes fell to Blerim Dzemaili, but he blasted over the bar from just inside the area and the profligacy from both teams continued after the break as Ola Toivonen smashed a presentable chance well over

After a tepid first hour, a huge slice of fortune was required to give Sweden the lead in the 66th minute

Toivonen engineered a shooting opportunity for the lively Forsberg who shimmied on the edge of the area before striking a low shot which would have been comfortably gathered by Sommer before the unfortunate Akanji stretched out a leg to deflect it into the top corner

Even after the goal, Switzerland failed to carve out significant goalscoring chances

Their best came in the 80th minute when Breel Embolo's header was hacked away by a combination of Forsberg and Andreas Granqvist as Sweden's resolute defence stood firm

Substitute Haris Seferovic's header finally forced a save from Robin Olsen in injury-time and a bad day for the Swiss was capped in the 93rd minute when Lang was sent off for a professional foul on Martin Olsson as he ran clean through on goal

Referee Damir Skomina initially awarded a penalty before awarding a free-kick on the edge of the area after a VAR review, but while Switzerland's wait for a first World Cup quarter-final since 1954 goes on, Sweden continued to exceed expectations with Samara the next stop on their journey

This was a match of little quality, but Sweden's goalscorer was the one player who looked capable of unlocking the opposition's defence

While Switzerland's star man Xherdan Shaqiri struggled for impact, Forsberg's shimmy before his goal was a rare moment of class and he earned the slice of luck that came with his finish

He ran gamely and regularly looked to play the ball forward until his withdrawal on 81 minutes as Janne Andersson sought to close the game out

Sweden will now await the winner of Tuesday evening's final last-16 tie between England and Colombia

That quarter-final clash is scheduled for Saturday afternoon in Samara (3pm UK time)

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1,808

Samuel Umtiti was the hero for France as his second-half header sealed a 1-0 victory over Belgium and a place in the World Cup final

The Barcelona defender rose high at the near post on 51 minutes to divert an Antoine Griezmann corner beyond Thibaut Courtois as France edged a tense, tactical semi-final in Saint Petersburg

Sensational saves from Hugo Lloris and Courtois prevented the game from setting alight in the first half before Umtiti's header and a resilient defensive unit proved too tough an obstacle for Roberto Martinez's men to overcome

The result means it will be bronze at best for Belgium's golden generation at Russia 2018 while France can set their sights on Moscow and a third World Cup final, where either England or Croatia stand between them and football's greatest prize

Kylian Mbappe set pulses racing with a dart into Belgium territory inside the first minute, but if France thought that would herald in a period of first-half dominance they were quickly proven wrong by a classy Belgian outfit, not overawed by their first World Cup semi-final since 1986

Eden Hazard nearly capped an electric start to the game with a crisp strike into the top corner after 19 minutes, but an excellent defensive header from Raphael Varane rescued France

When Lloris was called upon he proved up to the task, launching himself to his right three minutes later to tip Tottenham team-mate Toby Alderweireld's shot on the turn behind

As much as Belgium dictated play and created the better chances, France remained dangerous in attack and ended the half the stronger of the two sides

Olivier Giroud should have done better when Griezmann and Mbappe combined to present him with a sight of the Belgian goal on 34 minutes

When France did manage to find the target, they found Courtois in inspired form, the Chelsea goalkeeper thwarting Benjamin Pavard with a sprawling save at the end of an intricate attack on 40 minutes

Romelu Lukaku had the chance to put a subdued first half behind him when Axel Witsel's cross landed perfectly for him within two minutes of the restart, but he headed over the bar

After Giroud had seen a shot blocked behind for a corner off Vincent Kompany, Manchester United striker Lukaku was made to pay as Umtiti stole a march at the near post to power a header beyond Courtois

France pushed for a quick-fire second as brilliance from Mbappe set up Blaise Matuidi and Giroud for chances, both of which were blocked, before the introduction of Dries Mertens brought Belgium back into contention

But there was no way through the French defence for Belgium - Lloris parrying away Witsel's long-range effort - as their World Cup hopes fizzled out at one end, and fine saves from Courtois to deny Griezmann and Corentin Tolisso kept the scoreline respectable at the other

"It was a close game and it was very tight and it was going to be decided by that bit of luck in front of goal

The attitude of the players was brilliant and we couldn't ask for anymore

We have to understand one team wins and the other loses, and we did what we could

"France head to Moscow for Sunday's World Cup final while Belgium remain in Saint Petersburg for Saturday's third-place play-off

null

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1,809

Igor Akinfeev was the hero as Russia reached the World Cup quarter-finals in dramatic fashion with a 4-3 penalty shootout win over Spain

Akinfeev saved spot-kicks from Koke and Iago Aspas during a nerve-jangling finale at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium as the delirious hosts ousted the 2010 champions and booked a last-eight showdown with Croatia or Denmark

Sergei Ignashevich had unwittingly handed the 2010 champions a 12th-minute lead after tussling with Sergio Ramos, only for Artem Dzyuba to cancel out the own goal with a well-struck penalty (41) after Gerard Pique was punished for handball

But stalemate ensued between a defensively-minded Russian side and a Spanish one whose prolonged possession was slow-paced and short on risk, Fernando Hierro's men eventually paying the price

Long before the fevered finale, Russia - who have reached the quarter-finals for the first time since the break-up of the Soviet Union - were set for containment but they broke quickly when the chance came, Golovin with a promising early dart down the right that raised the volume

Space squeezed, set-pieces looked a likely way through and when Marco Asensio swung in from the right-hand edge of the box, Ignashevich was too busy wrestling Ramos to clear the danger, the ball bouncing into the net off his calf

Spain played keep-ball in low gear as white shirts chased without reward but Golovin curled just wide (37) as a long Dzyuba ball snapped the monotony and then came the provider's big moment

Pique protested but had left an arm raised when Dzyuba headed goalwards and the burly Zenit forward lashed the resultant spot-kick low into the bottom corner for his third goal of the tournament

Isco stayed busy with the contest intriguingly poised but opted to dribble in the box when a shot was on and Spain, needing inspiration where it mattered, finally called for Andres Iniesta midway through the second half

Yet their play remained sluggish and though Iniesta called Akinfeev into action when Aspas cushioned a ball into his path, the threat was all-too fleeting and an extra half-hour came

Fyodor Smolov, who surprisingly replaced Dzyuba on 65, curled well wide in the final moments of regular time and though Spain marginally upped the tempo when play resumed, Koke lashed wildly from range and Aspas was crowded out

Hierro threw on Rodrigo Moreno and suddenly there was zip, the one-time Bolton loanee with a feint and sprint down the left, before striking straight at Akinfeev from an angle

Tensions high as the rain fell, a flashpoint came late in extra-time when Ignashevich grappled with Pique in the box, but appeals were waved away after a VAR review and spot-kicks would be decisive

Smolov, Ignashevich, Golovin and Denis Cheryshev held their nerve in the shootout and while Iniesta, Ramos and Pique converted their kicks, Akinfeev parried Koke's effort and then diverted Aspas' away with his leg as crowds in Moscow celebrated wildly

Isco showed flashes of brilliance but Spain were lifeless as an attacking force for long spells, their possession football devoid of intent or urgency

Akinfeev stayed alert in the closing stages of extra-time to deny lively substitute Rodrigo but saved his biggest saves for the shootout

While Spain, who were forced to replace Julen Lopetegui with Hierro on the eve of the tournament, head home, Russia's adventure continues

Croatia or Denmark await in Sochi on July 7

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1,810

Second-half goals from Neymar and Roberto Firmino saw Brazil beat Mexico 2-0 to advance to the World Cup quarter-finals in Samara on Tuesday

The world's most expensive player opened the scoring six minutes into the second half after excellent approach play by Willian, the Paris Saint-Germain forward's second of the tournament and sixth overall in World Cup history

Substitute Firmino then wrapped up the win with a simple last-minute finish as Tite's side advanced to their seventh straight World Cup quarter-final, where they will face either Japan or Belgium in Kazan on Friday night

After Mexico had spurned an early half chance when Miranda got in the way of Hirving Lozano's goalbound strike, it was Brazil who then created the better openings before the break

Midway through the first period Neymar's quick feet saw the playmaker get free to the left-hand byline, only for Guillermo Ochoa to save the day for Mexico by making an excellent block with his legs

Twelve minutes before half-time and Gabriel Jesus worked himself some space in the area, but shot too close to Ochoa, before Jesus Gallardo was on hand to clear the Manchester City forward's follow-up shot off the line

With Brazil appearing to gain the upper hand as the first half wore on, Mexico coach Juan Carlos Osorio opted to bring on fresh legs in the form of Miguel Layun, who replaced Rafael Marquez at the interval

The Mexico captain, at 39 years and 139 days, had become the oldest outfield player to start a World Cup knockout match since England's Stanley Matthews against Uruguay in 1954

Not that the switch slowed down the five-time world champions, though, with Coutinho almost breaking the deadlock three minutes into the second half with a well-struck effort that Ochoa was forced to beat clear to safety

Minutes later, however, Brazil did take the lead after a lovely team goal involving Neymar, whose impudent back heel released Willian down the left side of the area

The Chelsea forward's driven centre across the six-yard box was touched home from close range by Neymar for his 57th international strike

Brazil could have added further goals thereafter, only for the increasingly busy Ochoa to deny both Paulinho and Willian with smart stops

Meanwhile, Layun was also lucky to escape a red card after stamping on Neymar's ankle 19 minutes from time, but Italian referee Gianluca Rocchi decided not to take any action against the former Watford defender

However, Brazil did manage to double their score late on when Neymar broke the offside trap, before squaring for Firmino to tap home from two yards out

The shaggy-haired forward was Brazil's standout performer at the Samara Arena on Tuesday, setting up Neymar for his side's crucial opener with an inviting cross

And the 29-year-old - who has reportedly been linked with a summer move to either Barcelona or Manchester United - was unlucky not to score himself with a rasping drive midway through the second half, only for Ochoa to deny him with an excellent tip over

Belgium or Japan await Brazil in the last eight in Kazan on Friday night, while Mexico go home having fallen at the round of 16 for the seventh time in a row at the World Cup

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1,811

Ivan Rakitic was the matchwinner as Croatia beat Denmark 3-2 on penalties to book a World Cup quarter-final showdown with Russia

Just hours after the hosts had sealed their place in the last eight on spot-kicks, Croatia followed suit in Nizhny Novgorod as the last-16 round continued to thrill, Rakitic holding his nerve after Nicolai Jorgensen saw his effort saved

Kasper Schmeichel - roared on by watching father Peter in the stands - had denied Luka Modric from the spot deep into extra-time (116) after Mathias Jorgensen had lunged in on Ante Rebic with the game tied at 1-1

But Rakitic and Croatia goalkeeper Danijel Subasic spared their team-mate in the shootout as Zlatko Dalic's side reached the last eight for the first time since 1998

Mathias Jorgensen had bundled Denmark ahead with just 57 seconds gone, before Mario Mandzukic hit back (4) inside a breathless opening five minutes but a tactical shift from Denmark snuffed out Croatia's threat until the dramatic denouement rendered their efforts in vain

There had been but here it came during a breathtaking start

Jonas Knudsen's long throw caused a scramble but Thomas Delaney stayed calm to shield the ball and Jorgensen's shot rolled over the line via the leg of Subasic and then the post

Less than a minute had passed but Croatia were quickly level after a comedic passage of play, Henrik Dalsgaard's clearance knocking colleague Andreas Christensen to the turf and allowing Mandzukic to pounce

Croatia were now in the groove, repeatedly threatening down the right, and though VAR snuffed out appeals for a penalty when Mandzukic went down under pressure, Rakitic had chances and Dejan Lovren glanced a Modric delivery just wide

Christian Eriksen slid through a clever ball for Martin Braithwaite and then watched a cross-shot clip the bar but his team-mates had worked tirelessly in the heat and Age Hareide called for fresh legs in Lasse Schone at half-time, as well urging his full-backs on

With wide threats forced back, Croatia's rhythm suffered and Braithwaite had a fine opportunity for an increasingly confident Denmark side when he dinked a loose ball beyond his marker only to shank, off-balance, into the crowd

Substitute Nicolai Jorgensen, teed up by Yussuf Poulsen, shot tamely before Eriksen followed suit but though Rebic fired a reminder after a string of stepovers and Perisic nodded just over, a flat half failed to yield a winner in normal time

A further barrage of Knudsen balls into the box were unconvincingly repelled as Denmark maintained extra-time momentum and after Schone curled just wide, another Hareide substitute, Pione Sisto, did the same

Heart-thumping drama came in the closing stages of the added half-hour when Modric played a defence-splitting pass for Rebic and watched referee Nestor Pitana point to the spot when Jorgensen lunged in, but then fired his spot-kick straight at Schmeichel

Eriksen and Milan Badelj saw their opening spot-kicks saved in the shootout but though Modric made amends, Schone and Jorgensen fluffed their lines and Rakitic had the last word, Croatia underwhelming but reprieved

Danijel Subasic was the winning goalkeeper, deniying Eriksen, Schone and Jorgensen in the shootout but though it will be little consolation, Schmeichel just gets the nod

Epitomising Denmark's fighting spirit, he held his nerve to thwart Modric deep into extra-time and pulled off his own heroics in the shootout, even if they proved in vain

Croatia go head-to-head with Russia in Sochi on Saturday (7pm kick-off) for a place in the semi-finals

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1,812

Edinson Cavani scored twice as Uruguay booked a quarter-final date with France and sent Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal home after a 2-1 win in Sochi

Cavani opened the scoring just seven minutes into the keenly-fought contest when he finished off a stunning cross-field one-two with Luis Suarez

Pepe equalised with a towering 55th-minute header but Cavani hit back with a stylish first-time strike (62) to send Oscar Tabarez's men through to the last eight for the first time since 2010

Ronaldo, thwarted at set-pieces and restricted to potshots, struggled to inspire the European champions and bows out of the tournament on the , two headline acts whose World Cup time may be up

Portugal's familiar hero had looked predictably up for it, performing a theatrical flick on the left flank before taking aim for the first time of the night, only to fire straight at Fernando Muslera

But Cavani headed Uruguay in front with thrilling simplicity just moments later, launching a diagonal ball to Suarez, charging into the box and rising at the back post when his team-mate whipped a cross back in

Portugal responded well to the setback but Ronaldo was denied a bullet header by Jose Gimenez's intervention and when Rodrigo Bentancur's foul presented a free-kick chance, the Ballon d'Or holder smashed into the wall

The imperious Diego Godin had marshalled Uruguay's mean defence as attacking team-mates hustled and harried upfield but Portugal returned from the break with renewed intent and when Raphael Guerreiro crossed after a short corner, Pepe leapt unmarked to draw his side level

Portugal had fresh faith but Uruguay took just seven minutes to reassert their authority, Bentancur rolling a ball that Cavani swept into the far corner without breaking stride

Uruguay's matchwinner hobbled off shortly after, ice packs applied to his shin, but Bernardo Silva wasted a good chance as Ronaldo lashed from range in desperation as time ticked down

Tabarez's men were tiring but in a frantic finale, they survived a string of late balls into the box and Ronaldo - whose late yellow card would have ruled him out of the next round had his side got there - trudged off stony-faced

Cavani and Suarez linked up brilliantly on the Black Sea coast but Uruguay's two-goal hero gets the nod

He scored with both his shots on target, taking his international tally to 45 goals, and the first - even though his cheek took the impact - finished a breathtaking move

A nation will hope he can quickly shake off that knock in time to face PSG team-mate Kylian Mbappe

While Ronaldo's World Cup dream is over, Uruguay can relish a quarter-final clash with France on Friday afternoon (3pm kick-off) in Nizhny Novgorod

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1,813

Kylian Mbappe eclipsed Lionel Messi as France reached the World Cup quarter-finals after a thrilling 4-3 win over Argentina in Kazan

The Paris Saint-Germain teenager won a 13th-minute penalty for Antoine Griezmann with a storming 75-yard run and scored two goals in five minutes (64, 68) after the break as Didier Deschamps' side overcame the setback of going behind to claim a convincing victory

Argentina had hit back through a 30-yard Angel di Maria strike (41) and a fortuitous flick from Gabriel Mercado three minutes after the restart but they were outplayed for prolonged periods in a game that could be Messi's last on the global stage

Benjamin Pavard's 57th-minute half-volley - his first France goal - sparked a second-half surge and though substitute Sergio Aguero threatened a late twist with an injury-time header, Mbappe's double proved decisive, setting up a last-eight tie against Uruguay

Messi, a peripheral figure still without a knockout goal at a World Cup, had earned a free-kick chance just three minutes in but it came to nothing and when Mbappe was felled at the other end, Griezmann curled his dead-ball effort against the crossbar

Griezmann would soon go one better from the spot, sending Franco Armani the wrong way with a low strike, but the opportunity came from Mbappe's explosive run near the edge of his own area, the teenager rounding Marcos Rojo with one final, fearless touch before being shoved to the turf

The impressive Paul Pogba found him again with a raking ball over the top as France threatened with each break against an Argentina side that dominated the ball to little effect, Messi forced to drop deep

Jorge Sampaoli's side had not had a shot on target but when one came, it took the breath, Di Maria taking a square pass, nudging the ball onto his left foot and finding the top corner as a watching Diego Maradona punched the air

Momentum had suddenly shifted and despite the first-half mismatch, Argentina were ahead three minutes after the restart

Messi recycled a free-kick back into the box and Mercado, back to goal, instinctively stuck out a left boot

The game bristled with promise of further drama and France were level when Lucas Hernandez whipped in a ball that Pavard struck on the half-volley, generating spin and slice that gave Armani no chance

It was fitting that Mbappe, breathtaking in the first half-hour, changed the mood again, pouncing when another Hernandez broke loose to fire a ball that squeezed through Armani's grasp

And he grabbed his second of the game minutes later, finishing a sweeping move after Olivier Giroud slotted into his path

Messi scuffed a late shot straight at Hugo Lloris and though a fine deep cross allowed Aguero to beat the Tottenham goalkeeper (90+3), there was not enough additional time for a final twist that would have been ill-deserved

Pace, power, direct running and serenity in front of goal, young Mbappe starred on a afternoon old maestro Messi bowed out

The 19-year-old France forward became the first teenager to score multiple goals in a World Cup tournament since Michael Owen for England in 1998 - and the first to score twice in a World Cup game since Pele netted a double for Brazil against Sweden in 1958

France head to Nizhny Novgorod for a Friday afternoon clash against Portugal or Uruguay, with the semi-finals at stake

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1,814

Belgium showed their fighting qualities as Nacer Chadli's 94th-minute strike completed a thrilling 3-2 comeback victory over Japan in their World Cup last-16 clash in Rostov

Roberto Martinez's side were overwhelming favourites to progress to the quarter-finals after pipping England as winners of Group G but two goals in four minutes from Genki Haraguchi (48) and Takashi Inui (52) gave Japan a shock 2-0 lead

Jan Vertonghen's looping header (69) gave Belgium hope before substitute Marouane Fellaini's trademark finish (74) from Eden Hazard's cross brought the scores level

With the last kick of the game, a sweeping counter-attack was finished off with Chadli at the far post as Belgium progress to face Brazil in the last eight on Friday at the Kazan Arena

The Belgians booked a third successive quarter-final spot at a major tournament despite a resolute performance from Japan, whose quest to reach the last eight of a World Cup continues after seeing their valiant efforts come to nothing

Akira Nishino's men crawled into the last 16 via a superior fair-play record to Senegal, and Shinji Kagawa fired a warning sign inside a minute after dragging a left-foot shot a yard wide

Yuya Osako almost embarrassed Thibaut Courtois when his loose touch initially squirmed through the legs of the Chelsea 'keeper before he pounced on the ball before it crossed the line, but it was only until the second period that the game sparked into life

Gaku Shibasaki's sliding pass beyond Vertonghen was swept into the bottom corner by Haraguchi and, after Dries Mertens' cutback was volleyed against the post by Hazard, a thunderbolt from Inui left Belgium staring down the barrel of defeat

Sublime control from Kagawa set up the Real Betis-bound midfielder, and he had time and space to pick his spot as he curled a right-footed shot low to the right of Courtois' desperate dive

But after Romelu Lukaku headed wide from five yards out, Belgium were handed a lifeline as Inui's failed clearance landed on the head of Vertonghen, and the Tottenham defender's looped header back into the box fortuitously found the far corner

Fellaini's close-range header from Hazard's cross five minutes later restored parity before Eiji Kawashima did well to tip over another aerial attempt from Lukaku, but just as the game appeared to be drifting towards extra time, Belgium broke Japanese hearts in devastating fashion

Within 10 seconds of defending a corner, Kevin De Bruyne broke at pace to combine with Thomas Meunier down the right and after Lukaku dummied the wing-back's cross, substitute Chadli made no mistake in stroking the ball under Kawashima

Yoshida epitomised Japan's dogged resilience having kept Lukaku subdued throughout a pulsating 90 minutes at the Rostov Arena

The Southampton defender has not always enjoyed coming up against the big striker during their Premier League tussles, but Lukaku's failure to continue his hot streak of form owed largely to Yoshida's refusal to afford him space

This was a colossal performance from the 29-year-old, who threw his body at countless shots as Belgium began their bombardment of Japan's goal, but his efforts proved in vain as one of the pre-tournament favourites found a way to win

Brazil await Belgium in the last eight in Kazan on Friday night, while Japan's wait to reach the World Cup quarter-finals goes on having matched their previous best-ever finish at the tournament in South Africa 2014

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1,815

Japan squeezed into the last 16 at the World Cup despite suffering a 1-0 defeat to Poland in their final Group H game

They progressed at the expense of Senegal, , after finishing in second place in the group ahead of the African side due to picking up fewer bookings during the group stage, with the two level on four points, goals scored and goal difference

Japan needed just a point to ensure qualification for the knockout rounds, but were undone by a Jan Bednarek header in the 59th minute at the Volgograd Stadium

They will now play Group G winners Belgium on Monday, while Poland bow out of the competition on a high following the win

Japan had the first chance of a mostly uneventful first half in the 13th minute, as Bednarek's poor pass allowed Yoshinori Muto to glide across the top of the box to the left corner, before picking out Yuto Nagamoto on the wing

His cross into the area was nearly met by the head of Shinji Okazaki, but Bednarek put him under pressure to see the ball wide

Poland went very close to taking the lead just after the half-hour mark

Bartosz Bereszynski whipped a lovely cross into the area, which met the head of Kamil Grosicki, but his effort was brilliantly saved down low by the fingertips of Eiji Kawashima

A goal-line technology replay showed it was inches away from being all the way over

Two minutes later and Lukasz Fabianski was called into action in the Poland goal after an effort from Takashi Usami on the angle was pushed away by the West Ham goalkeeper

He got a measure of good fortune too with the rebound coming off his defender, Kamil Glik, before landing safely into his hands

Poland made the breakthrough in the 59th minute as they scored their second goal of the tournament

Rafal Kurzawa lofted a great free-kick into the box, which was turned home by the outstretched foot of Bednarek which piled the pressure on Japan

They could have made it 2-0 in the 74th minute, as Grosicki fired another superb ball into the area from the left but under pressure from Maya Yoshida, Robert Lewandowski could only fire the ball high over the crossbar

The game dwindled in the final 10 minutes with neither side pushing for another goal as they knocked the ball between their own players when in possession with no defensive pressing or attacking moves

There were a nervous few minutes after the full-time whistle for Japan, but their qualification was eventually confirmed

The Hull City forward was superb for Poland on the wing and was their main attacking threat in a game with few chances

He was a menace to Japan and constantly delivered quality balls into the area, although the remainder of the Polish attack could not always convert

Japan will play the winners of Group G - Belgium - in Rostov-on-Don on Monday July 2

null

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1,816

Colombia qualified for the World Cup knockout stage as Group H winners after a 1-0 win over a Senegal side who crashed out of the competition in dramatic fashion on fair play points

Aliou Cisse's side, denied a first-half penalty when VAR judged that Tottenham's Davinson Sanchez had made a legal lunge on Liverpool's Sadio Mane, had looked set to finish behind Japan, with their opponents facing an early exit

In a thrilling group climax, a Poland goal in Volgograd was sending both teams in Samara to the last 16, but Yerry Mina's 74th-minute header provided a decisive twist, ensuring Jose Pekerman's men triumphed and Senegal, by virtue of their yellow-card tally, were ousted

Colombia, who overcame the premature exit of injured James Rodriguez, will now play Group G's second-placed side - England - in Moscow on Tuesday, with Japan facing Belgium in Rostov-on-Don a day earlier

It is the first time in World Cup history that two teams have been separated by the amount of cautions they had accrued - Senegal punished for their six to Japan's four - but the African nation will rue their impotency in front of goal, as well as their discipline, in a game they dominated

An open start had seen deliveries at either end wasted but Senegal's Khadim Ndiaye was the first goalkeeper worked when Juan Quintero's 13th-minute free-kick needed pushing round the post

The first flashpoint came soon after when Sanchez stretched in the box to thwart Mane, referee Milorad Mazic pointing to the spot but then overturning the decision when replays revealed a fine recovery tackle

Senegal's competitive edge increased despite the setback, Keita Balde and Ismaila Sarr taking aim as Mane's pace repeatedly threatened, and a second-best Colombia were then dealt an injury blow when Rodriguez was forced off (30), thumping the turf as he made way for Luis Muriel

Colombia's travelling hordes raised the volume in an attempt to inspire their side but though they saw more of the ball after the break, Radamel Falcao remained ineffective and Senegal retained menace on the break as gaps appeared

Mane slipped while taking a free-kick, yellow-shirted fans afforded further cheer as news from Volgograd came in, and Rodriguez, back pitchside, turned motivator as a Salif Sane slice proved a Senegal let-off

But from a precarious position, Mina propelled Colombia to the top of the group when he rose highest at a corner as Senegal reshuffled following a substitution

Desperate late Senegal attacks failed to yield a goal that would have kept them alive and as Colombia legend Carlos Valderrama celebrated, Mane and his team-mates were stunned

Yerry Mina scored in a 3-0 drubbing of Poland but here he was the most dramatic of matchwinners, powering a textbook downwards header past Khadim Ndiaye to turn Group H on its head

The Barcelona defender won seven aerial duels, made the same number of clearances and had a 91 per cent pass completion rate, too

null

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Sane

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Koulibaly

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Gueye

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Mane

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Balde

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Niang

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Konate

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Wague

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Arias

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DSanchez

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Mina

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Mojica

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Uribe

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CSanchez

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Quintero

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Rodriguez

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Falcao

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Muriel

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Lerma

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<PAD>

1,817

England qualified as runners-up in Group G and booked a World Cup last-16 date with Colombia as Adnan Januzaj earned a 1-0 win for Belgium on a curious night in Kaliningrad

With qualification to the knockout stage already assured, two second-string sides laboured in a low-key encounter where three points to seal top spot - and a seemingly tougher route through the tournament - appeared a dubious prize

A superior disciplinary record had meant stalemate was always likely to see Gareth Southgate's men finish at the summit but though Belgium racked up further bookings, they found the back of the net through Januzaj's fine 51st-minute strike

England will now face Colombia in Moscow on Tuesday - Sweden or Switzerland looming in the quarter-finals if they can clear that hurdle - while Belgium tackle Japan in the top half of a draw where heavyweights Brazil, France, Argentina, Uruguay and Portugal still lurk

The merits of finishing second, as opposed to first, had dominated the pre-match talk and though Southgate matched Roberto Martinez with a raft of changes, England made a brisk start, Jamie Vardy pouncing on Thorgan Hazard's back-pass with Thibaut Courtois forced to stretch out a leg

Belgium showed fleeting early intent of their own and after Youri Tielemans called Jordan Pickford into action, a familiar Marouane Fellaini knockdown sparked a scramble, Gary Cahill sliding to clear off the line after the ball slipped from the Everton goalkeeper's grasp

But the contest degenerated amid frustrated jeers and Mexican waves

Tielemans and then Leander Dendoncker clattered Danny Rose, bookings boosting England's fair-play points advantage, and attempts from Hazard and Januzaj were wayward

Ruben Loftus-Cheek headed wide under pressure as England showed set-piece threat once more, while Trent Alexander-Arnold made another fine clearance at the other end, but more keep-ball brought boos as the half-time whistle came

Marcus Rashford had sight of goal soon after the restart, opening up yet failing to generate enough bend, but Januzaj soon went better up the other end, rolling studs over the ball to deceive Rose before curling high into the net

Though increasingly disjointed in midfield, England should have equalised midway through the half when Vardy slipped Rashford through again, only for the Manchester United forward to fire wide via the fingertips of Courtois

England sent on Danny Welbeck with 12 minutes to go - sacrificing Alexander-Arnold and shuffling the backline - but though Rashford seized set-piece duty, his late free-kick flew over the bar

Belgium pushed to stretch their lead in the closing stages but Pickford parried a Dries Mertens effort and Fellaini lashed into the side-netting, group fates finally sealed after all the talk

Trent Alexander-Arnold deserves credit on his World Cup debut, even if his performance level dipped, and Danny Rose staked a claim but in a much-changed England side, Ruben Loftus-Cheek gets the nod

He headed wide from a corner, made a couple of promising runs and continued showing for the ball when Belgium's grip tightened in the second half

England face Colombia in a 7pm kick-off on Tuesday at Moscow's Spartak Stadium, in a game Gareth Southgate has described as the "biggest in a decade"

Belgium take on Japan at the same time a day earlier in Rostov-on-Don

null

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Pickford

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Cahill

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Jones

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Dendoncker

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Boyata

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Vermaelen

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Fellaini

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Dembele

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Tielemans

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Chadli

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THazard

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Januzaj

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Kompany

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1,818

Tunisia bowed out of the World Cup with a 2-1 win against Panama in the final Group G game, coming from behind to claim victory

Both sides entered the game without a win in the tournament and Panama went ahead in the 33rd minute as Jose Luis Rodriguez's shot deflected in off the body of Yassine Meriah

But Tunisia levelled in the 50th minute as Fakhreddine Ben Youssef slotted home from a Wahbi Khazri cross, before the latter netted 16 minutes later to seal the three points for Tunisia

The two teams will now head home from Russia, with Tunisia picking up their first World Cup win in 40 years, while Panama were unable to register a point in their first appearance at the competition

There were not too many chances in the first half, but Jamie Penedo was forced into a good save in the 20th minute

Khazri's cross into the box met the head of Rami Bedoui but the Panama goalkeeper got down low to get a hand onto the ball

But Panama scored their second World Cup goal in the 33rd minute, although it was a cruel one to concede for Tunisia

Roman Torres' shot was initially blocked, but the ball rebounded to the feet of Rodriguez

He hammered an effort towards goal but it deflected off Meriah on the way through and nestled into the back of the net

Tunisia had the better chances as the game headed towards half-time, with Ben Youssef heading wide of the post before Khazri fired well over the crossbar

The Sunderland forward had two efforts in quick succession in the first minute of two added on, but both were blocked by Roman Torres

Tunisia got themselves level five minutes after the restart

Naim Sliti picked out Khazri on the right before he in turn whipped a superb ball into the box, which Ben Youssef duly slotted home past Penedo

The Panama goalkeeper was called into action again not long after as Ben Youssef and Khazri linked up once again

The latter powered towards goal but was pulled back by Harold Cummings, allowing the loose ball to fall at the feet of Ben Youssef but his attempted strike was saved well by Penedo

Tunisia went ahead in the 66th minute, with Khazri getting his name on the scoresheet

It was a similar goal to the first, with Oussama Haddadi and Anice Badri playing a neat give-and-go on the left before the former flashed a ball across the face of goal that was tapped home by Khazri at the back post

Panama thought they had superbly equalised in the 73rd minute when Edgar Yoel Barcenas curled home a lovely effort, but the referee had already blown for a foul and they were unable to hit the back of the net again as Tunisia saw out their victory

The talisman for Tunisia and superb in Saransk, he was involved in both comeback goals for Tunisia - setting up one and scoring the other - and was constantly trying to push his team forward as they won their first World Cup game in 40 years

He was the first player to register two goals and two assists at the competition and had more touches in the opposition box (eight), created more chances (four), had more shots (five) and more shots on target (three) than any other player in this game

He has shown what he can do at this World Cup, and now needs to translate this form into his club career

null

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Penedo

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Escobar

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RTorres

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Gomez

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Barcenas

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GTorres

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Machado

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Ovalle

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Avila

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Godoy

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JRodriguez

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Cummings

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Tejada

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Arroyo

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Mathlouthi

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Meriah

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Haddadi

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Bedoui

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FBenYoussef

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Khazri

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Sassi

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Skhiri

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Chaaleli

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Naguez

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Sliti

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Badri

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Khalil

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1,819

Holders Germany were dumped out of the World Cup after a late 2-0 defeat by South Korea, with VAR again playing a part

The Germans lost their opening game to Mexico before a late win 2-1 against Sweden on Saturday, but they could not muster the same performance at the Kazan Arena and were punished for their lacklustre showing

With six minutes of added time indicated, Young-Gwon Kim (90+2) bundled home from a corner and although the goal was initially ruled out for offside, a VAR review showed the ball coming off the foot of Toni Kroos just before and the decision was reversed

Five minutes later, South Korea dealt the killer blow as Se-Jong Ju rounded Manuel Neuer - who was high up the field - before setting Heung-Min Son away, and he slotted home into an open net to send Germany crashing out at the World Cup group stage for the first time

Sweden and Mexico have progressed from Group F , while South Korea also exit the competition alongside Germany

South Korea had the two best chances of the opening period, the first coming in the 19th minute as Neuer was nearly made to pay for a terrible error

Woo-Young Jung delivered a superb free-kick that was spilled by the Germany captain, but he was able to get a fist to the loose ball and take it out of the path of the incoming Son at the near post

Son was involved again six minutes later

A lovely diagonal pass found Young-Joon Lee on the right, and his cross was met by the head of Jae-Sung Lee

However, he was smothered by two Germany defenders and the loose ball landed to Son, but the Tottenham forward fired high over the crossbar

Germany began the second period strongly, and Hyun-Woo Jo was called into action three minutes after the restart

Joshua Kimmich put a lovely cross into the area, allowing Leon Goretzka to have a free header in the middle, but it was kept out by a leaping save from the goalkeeper

Germany kept seeing chances come their way, with Timo Werner flashing a volley wide in the 51st minute before a Mario Gomez header went straight into the hands of Jo 17 minutes later

Mats Hummels also should have scored in the 87th minute, but he mistimed his header from Mesut Ozil's cross and saw his effort go agonisingly wide

But there were goals to come at the other end, and the first was awarded with the help of VAR

Son played a corner into the area, with Hyun-Soo Jang flicking the ball on - past Kroos - before Young-Sun Yun's touch put it into the path of Kim at the back post, who tapped home

The offside flag was initially raised, but after some discussions between referee Mark Geiger and his team in Moscow, VAR replays showed the ball took a touch off Kroos on the way through, meaning Kim was onside and the goal was given

The frantic finish continued five minutes later as South Korea added their second

Neuer was high up the field as Germany pressed for a goal, but was rounded by Ju before his long field pass was caught by the pacey run on Son, who slotted home into an empty net to seal the win and send Germany out

Germany are the fourth defending champions to be eliminated from the group stage at the World Cup in the last five tournaments (also France 2002, Italy 2010, Spain 2014)

South Korea have been eliminated from the group stage at consecutive World Cup tournaments for the first time since they failed to progress from this stage in each of their first five appearances at the World Cup (1954, 1986, 1990, 1994 & 1998)

Germany's tally of two goals scored at this World Cup is the second fewest managed by a defending champion in the competition, only ahead of France's zero in 2002

This was Germany's first-ever defeat against an Asian nation in a World Cup match in what was their sixth such match

There was plenty of pressure on the shoulders of the South Korea captain heading into the tournament, and his final performance at the 2018 competition was one he and his country should be proud of

While South Korea cannot say they had the better of the possession, they certainly had their fair share of chances - and of course the pick of the goals - and Son was involved for much of the attacking play

null

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Hyeon-WooJo

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YongLee

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ChulHong

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Young-KwonKim

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Seon-MinMoon

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Hyun-SooJang

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Heung-MinSon

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Ja-CheolKoo

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Hee-ChanHwang

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Se-JongJu

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Yo-HanKo

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Neuer

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Hector

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Hummels

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Sule

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Kimmich

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Khedira

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Kroos

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Ozil

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Reus

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Goretzka

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Werner

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Gomez

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Muller

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Brandt

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<PAD>

1,820

Sweden produced a sensational 3-0 win over Mexico as both sides progressed to the last 16 of the World Cup at the expense of Germany

The Swedes started the day in third place in Group F, but Ludwig Augustinsson's volley (50), Andreas Granqvist's penalty (62) and Edson Alvarez's calamitous own goal (74) saw them leap to top spot with a tremendous display in Yekaterinburg

That put Mexico in serious danger of elimination, but two late goals for South Korea to defeat Germany 2-0 meant that the six points they picked up in their opening two matches were enough to see them into the knockout stages

Mexico knew before kick-off that a draw would see them progress as group winners, but aside from Carlos Vela's 17th-minute shot which flashed narrowly wide, Sweden dominated the first-half chances

Emil Forsberg forced an early save from Guillermo Ochoa and blasted a close-range shot over the bar (18), before Argentine referee Nestor Pitana was invited by the VAR to consider a penalty appeal in the 28th minute when Javier Hernandez appeared to control a bouncing ball inside the area with his arm

After watching replays on the pitch-side monitor, the official decided the action was not deliberate - to the frustration of the raging Sweden manager Janne Andersson - and from the resulting corner Ochoa made a point-blank save to turn Marcus Berg's volley over the bar

However, Sweden found the breakthrough five minutes after half-time when Viktor Claesson's mis-hit shot looped into the path of left-back Augustinsson and he volleyed in from close range to score his first international goal

The second followed 12 minutes later when Hector Moreno rashly dived in on Berg inside the area and Granqvist lashed a brilliant penalty into the top-left corner to put Mexico in big trouble

Their day got even worse when Isaac Thelin flicked Viktor Claesson's throw into the path of the unfortunate Alvarez, who steered the ball past his own goalkeeper from a yard out, meaning one Germany goal would eliminate Mexico

Fans around the stadium barely watched the final 10 minutes as they waited for news from Kazan, which duly arrived in the form of two late South Korea goals to see Mexico into a last-16 tie with the winners of Group E - possibly Brazil - on Monday

But while Mexico's fans and players had an anxious wait, the full-time whistle prompted raucous celebrations from Sweden's players, who can look forward to a knockout clash in St Petersburg on Tuesday afternoon

Toni Kroos' dramatic winner for Germany on Saturday night was a body blow for Sweden, but their resilience in recovering from that huge setback here was remarkable

Their captain and centre-half Granqvist personified that resolve, producing a brilliant defensive display to keep out Mexico's dynamic forward players and then nervelessly smashing the second-half penalty that put his side 2-0 ahead

Sweden will now play the second-placed side in Group E - currently Switzerland - in St Petersburg on Tuesday afternoon

Mexico will play winners of that group in Samara on Monday afternoon

null

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Hernandez

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Fabian

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Corona

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Olsen

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Lustig

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Lindelof

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Granqvist

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Augustinsson

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Larsson

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Ekdal

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Forsberg

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Claesson

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Berg

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Hiljemark

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1,821

Brazil eliminated Serbia and secured their place in the second round of the World Cup after a comfortable 2-0 victory in Moscow

Brazil were at risk of becoming the second World Cup heavyweight to crash out on Wednesday following Germany's shock exit, but Paulinho's lob settled the nerves on 36 minutes and Thiago Silva's second-half header (68) confirmed their passage as Group E winners

The victory means Tite's side will play Mexico in Samara on Monday afternoon and could then potentially face the winner of England's group in a quarter-final

Serbia will fly home after picking up only three points in Group E with Switzerland joining Brazil in the last 16 following their 2-2 draw with Costa Rica

Gabriel Jesus had already forced a close-range block from Serbia goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic when Marcelo limped off the field after a back spasm on 10 minutes, but the early setback did not prevent Brazil seizing control of Group E nine minutes before half-time

Philippe Coutinho was the architect in central midfield, lofting a long ball into the path of Paulinho who broke the offside trap and let the ball bounce once before lifting it over the onrushing Stojkovic into the goal

Serbia needed to win to qualify and rocked their opponents with a flurry of second-half chances

After Miranda had almost steered an Adem Ljajic ball into his own net, Aleksandar Mitrovic missed with two headers, the first striking Thiago Silva after Alisson's flap and the second straight at the goalkeeper from close range

Those misses were promptly punished in the 68th minute when Neymar sent in a corner from the left and Thiago Silva rose at the front post to beat Nikola Milenkovic to the ball and power home a header

The goal burst Serbia's momentum and the only question in the closing stages was whether Neymar would get on the scoresheet

He bounced a Willian cross over the bar and Stojkovic swatted away a late effort as Brazil's talisman was frustrated

Stojkovic recovered to deny him once more in stoppage time and despite his individual disappointment, the five-time World Cup winners can now celebrate qualification for the knock-out stage with Serbia left to rue the controversial late defeat to Switzerland in their second match that proved so costly

This was a comfortable evening for Brazil and while much of their attacking play inevitably revolved around Neymar - who failed with three late opportunities - the star man, as he has been for much of the World Cup, was Coutinho

His brilliant ball for Paulinho created the opening goal and his wise passing from the middle of the park ensured his team was always in control of this game

Brazil will play Mexico in Samara on Monday afternoon (3pm kick-off), while Switzerland travel to St Petersburg to face Sweden on Tuesday afternoon (3pm kick-off)

null

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Stojkovic

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Rukavina

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Kolarov

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Veljkovic

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Tadic

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Kostic

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Milinkovic-Savic

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Matic

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Ljajic

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Mitrovic

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Zivkovic

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Alisson

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ThiagoSilva

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Miranda

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Fagner

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Casemiro

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Jesus

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Willian

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1,822

Switzerland booked their place in the last 16 despite being held to a late 2-2 draw by Costa Rica in their final game of Group E

The Swiss went into the game needing a draw to qualify for the knockout rounds and Blerim Dzemaili fired Switzerland ahead in the 31st minute before Costa Rica scored their first goal of the 2018 World Cup as Kendall Waston's header got them level

There was more late drama at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium as Josip Drmic swept Switzerland back into the lead with two minutes of normal time to play

But after having a penalty appeal turned down following a VAR review in the 89th minute, Costa Rica were awarded a spot-kick two minutes later, with Bryan Ruiz's effort heading goalwards via the back of goalkeeper Yann Sommer, who takes the unwanted credit of an own goal

Switzerland now head into the last 16 as the second place team in Group E, two points behind group winners Brazil,

Costa Rica will head home with a point to show for their stay in Russia

Costa Rica began strongly, and forced three saves from Sommer in the sixth minute

He initially saved a curling shot from Joel Campbell before Celso Borges powered a header towards goal that forced a leaping, fingertip save from the goalkeeper

Finally, Cristian Gamboa tried his luck, but his effort landed straight into Sommer's hands

Five minutes later, and it was another glorious chance missed for Costa Rica

Daniel Colindres muscled Xherdan Shaqiri off the ball on the left before taking a few strides to the top of the area to strike, but his effort hammered off the underside of the crossbar before going wide

Switzerland grew into the half, and broke the deadlock just after the half-an-hour mark

Stephan Lichtsteiner - who will miss the round-of-16 game after picking up a second yellow card of the tournament, along with Fabian Schar - put a great cross into the area, which Breel Embolo headed down at the back post

The ball then fell to a waiting Dzemaili in the middle who fired home

Costa Rica deserved to be level and got their reward - and their first goal of the 2018 World Cup - 11 minutes after the restart

Campbell delivered a corner and it was Waston who rose above the pack to bullet a header into the back of the net, sparking wild celebrations with the bench and in the stands

The rest of the second half was a mostly quiet affair until Switzerland retook the lead in the 88th minute thanks to a fine Drmic strike

Denis Zakaria fired a lovely cross into the area after being picked out by Granit Xhaka, with the ball expertly swept home by the waiting Drmic

But a minute later and Costa Rica were awarded a penalty by referee Clement Turpin after Bryan Ruiz was caught by Ricardo Rodriguez in the box

However, following a VAR review, Ruiz was found to be offside as Waston headed the ball on and the decision was reversed

However, they were awarded another penalty in the first minute of four added on, with Zakaria fouled Campbell in the area and no VAR needed this time

Ruiz - who is expected to retire after the World Cup - stepped up but his effort hit the underside of the crossbar before coming off the body of Sommer and going into the back of the net, handing Costa Rica a deserved point

After a year of injury heartbreak, Embolo had a fine performance in Nizhny Novgorod, setting up the opening goal for Dzemaili and producing a number of other knockdowns for his team-mates to score, although the final product was lacking somewhat

He put a good case together for his inclusion in Switzerland's last 16 game against Sweden and was a bright spark for his country

Switzerland will now play Sweden in their last 16 game on Tuesday 3 July in St Petersburg

null

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Sommer

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Akanji

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Schar

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Lichtsteiner

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Behrami

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Embolo

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Dzemaili

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Shaqiri

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Gavranovic

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Zakaria

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Drmic

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Lang

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Navas

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Acosta

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Gonzalez

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Oviedo

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Gamboa

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Waston

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Borges

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Colindres

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Ruiz

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Campbell

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Wallace

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1,823

Australia's World Cup last-16 hopes were ended by a 2-0 defeat to Peru, who finished their tournament with a historic win

The South Americans, who were yet to score in the tournament, went ahead from their first attack when Watford loanee Andre Carrillo's textbook volley beat Mathew Ryan from 15 yards after 18 minutes

Australia's relentless pressure failed to forge any major openings before Peru doubled their lead, when a wild deflection found Paolo Guerrero in the Australia box, and another from his shot wrong-footed goalkeeper Ryan (50)

Australia forced a couple of half-chances from corners, with Tim Cahill seeing a volley blocked, but the Socceroos' tournament ended with a whimper - - while Peru were left wildly celebrating their first World Cup win since 1978

Needing a win to have any chance of progressing, Australia's urgency was clear from the off, keeping Peru camped in their half in the early minutes

A half-chance for Mile Jedinak was scooped over from 20 yards, but their lack of ideas in open play continued from their opening two games - and Peru showed them how to do it with their first sight of goal

Guerrero found some space on the left of the Australia area, and spotted the late run of Carrillo

Having picked the Benfica winger out with a perfect pass, the finish was equally impressive and left Ryan scrambling

Celtic's Tom Rogic bundled his way beyond three challenges as Australia sought an immediate response, but was thwarted by Pedro Gallese's low dive

That was it in terms of clear chances until Peru doubled their advantage five minutes into the second half - when Flores' shot took a wicked deflection off Jedinak to reach Guerrero, and his shot beat Ryan with the help of a touch off Mark Milligan

Two Aaron Mooy corners in quick succession found Aziz Behich and Cahill, who both saw goalbound efforts deflected away, as Australia's hopes of progression slipped rapidly from their grasp

At the final whistle, players from both sides sunk to their knees in tears but for very different reasons, with Peru's 14,625-day wait for a World Cup win finally over, and Australia's disappointing tournament ending on a sour note

Aside from being Peru's first World Cup goalscorer in 36 years, Carrillo has arguably been their player of the tournament, and was lively down the right, winning four of his six duels

And his goal was one to savour, the winger's technique timed perfectly as he caught Guerrero's cross first time to beat Ryan with a brilliant finish

null

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Ryan

False

Risdon

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Sainsbury

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Milligan

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Behich

True

Leckie

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Jedinak

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Rogic

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Mooy

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Kruse

False

Juric

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Cahill

False

Arzani

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Irvine

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Gallese

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Advincula

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Ramos

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Santamaria

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Trauco

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Carrillo

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Tapia

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Cueva

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Yotun

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Guerrero

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Aquino

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Hurtado

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Cartegena

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<PAD>

1,824

France topped Group C while Denmark secured qualification to the last 16 of the World Cup with a dour 0-0 draw on Tuesday

With Peru beating Australia in the other final Group C game, neither side overexerted themselves in Nizhny Novgorod, with the crowd regularly jeering the pedestrian nature of play

The result brought the first goalless draw of the tournament in the 37th game, and France will now play their last 16 game in Kazan on Saturday against the second-placed side in Group D

Denmark are likely to face Croatia - favourites to top Group D - on Sunday in Nizhny

Defences were on top during a first half with just one shot on target, Antoine Griezmann's curling effort collected easily by Kasper Schmeichel

Christian Eriksen did have a chance at the other end from Andreas Cornelius' centre, but Lucas Hernandez and Steve Mandanda combined to snuff it out from 12 yards

The second half followed a similar trend initially as Eriksen sprayed a half-volley a yard wide from the edge of the box, while sub Nabil Fekir hit the side-netting from an angle for France

Fekir, whose move to Liverpool from Lyon broke down earlier this summer, saw his curling effort bound for the far corner beaten away by Schmeichel

But the game was a victim of circumstance, with Peru going 2-0 up against Australia early in the second half

That meant Denmark were all but guaranteed a second-place finish, but remained unwilling to force a winner to finish top

The jeers at the full-time whistle from the frustrated Nizhny crowd were abundantly clear, but Denmark celebrated the result and progression to the knockout stage for the first time since 2002

This award should really be going to the fans in Nizhny for sitting through the 90 minutes without leaving (though I'm sure a handful did

null

), but the Middlesbrough man did at least show some energy for Denmark in the opening stages

He kept running in the second half and attempting to make space and stretch France's backline, but Denmark's midfielders were happier to sit without the ball and pass laterally with it

null

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Schmeichel

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Kjaer

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Christensen

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Dalsgaard

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Delaney

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Braithwaite

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Cornelius

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Sisto

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Fischer

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Mandanda

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Kimpembe

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Varane

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Sidibe

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Kante

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Nzonzi

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Griezmann

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Lemar

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Giroud

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Dembele

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Mendy

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1,825

Iceland's World Cup dream was ended by Ivan Perisic's late winner in a 2-1 defeat to Croatia, who themselves topped Group D

Iceland came close to leading before the break but Birkir Bjarnason had two shots from corners blocked, and Lovre Kalinic pulled off a fine flying save to keep out Aron Gunnarsson

Shortly after half-time though, Milan Badelj put Croatia in front with a textbook half-volley from Perisic's cross

Iceland continued to press and were rewarded with 15 minutes to go when Bjarnason's cross was handled by Liverpool defender Dejan Lovren and Gylfi Sigurdsson, who missed from the spot in his previous game, stepped up to smash a penalty into the top corner

Needing only one more goal to progress after Argentina regained the lead against Nigeria, Iceland pressed for a winner but were caught out in injury time when Perisic brought the ball down on the left of the area and fired beyond Hannes Halldorsson to give them a perfect record in Group D

Iceland were far the better side before the break, and not for the first time found set pieces their likeliest source of joy

Hordur Magnusson, fresh from a move to CSKA Moscow from Bristol City, nodded a Sigurdsson delivery beyond the post from a corner, before doing likewise from a tougher angle from the kind of long throw that gave England nightmares two years ago

Sigurdsson also forced Kalinic into a save from a free-kick, but it was Cardiff midfielder Gunnarsson whose curling drive from the edge of the area had him at full stretch just before the break

Croatia improved from a display which had failed to register a convincing effort in the first half, with Badelj striking the bar before going one better a minute later, half-volleying into the ground and beyond Halldorsson from eight yards

But Iceland responded with intensity and intent, with Sverrir Ingason's effort touched over, and moments later he too smacked the crossbar

And they found a way through when Lovren moved his arm towards Bjarnason's cross, and Sigurdsson showed his bravery by planting his penalty in the same direction as the one he missed against Nigeria - albeit inside the posts this time

Iceland threw men forward in search of a winner which looked increasingly like it would send them through

But they were left in tears at the final whistle when, in the first minute of added time, Perisic - who had been so wasteful during the game - fired a powerful shot goalwards which Halldorsson could only palm into the top corner

Iceland might not be known for their passing but he showed his range of short and long deliveries all evening, enjoying the best pass completion rate of anyone in a white shirt (80

6%) - and the highest number of passes too (36)

He did the dirty work too, winning half of his duels (7/14) and both of his tackles as well as recovering the ball more than anyone else on the pitch

null

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Kalinic

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Modric

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Perisic

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Kovacic

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Kramaric

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Bradaric

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Halldorsson

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Saevarsson

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Ingason

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RSigurdsson

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Magnusson

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Gunnarsson

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Hallfredsson

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Bjarnason

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Sigurdarson

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1,826

Argentina squeezed into the World Cup last 16 after Marcos Rojo's fine late volley gave them a 2-1 win over Nigeria in St Petersburg

With Nigeria heading through in Group D with four minutes remaining, the Manchester United defender popped up to convert Mercado's cross and send Jorge Sampaoli's side through in dramatic fashion

Needing a win to stand a chance of qualifying, Argentina went ahead through Messi (14), turning home from 10 yards at a slight angle after Ever Banega superbly found him from deep

Messi then hit the post with a free-kick, but Nigeria were allowed a path into the game as Victor Moses slotted home a penalty (51) from Javier Mascherano's tug on Leon Balogun from a corner

But Argentina won it, meaning they'll play France in Kazan on Saturday, while Croatia will play Denmark on Sunday

In their third and final group game, Sampaoli went for five changes and 4-4-2, his third different formation of the World Cup, but it worked early on

Banega, one of the incoming midfielders, played a fine ball from deep over the Nigeria defence for Messi, whose touch was superb before finishing past Francis Uzoho with his weaker right foot

Messi's fine through ball gave Gonzalo Higuain the chance to double their lead before the half-hour mark, but the Juventus striker couldn't dink the ball over the out-rushing Uzoho

Messi, who had been criticised in Argentina's first two games for looking out of sorts, was in the mood in St Petersburg, hitting the post with a 20-yard free-kick, though Uzoho can be credited again for getting the slightest touch on his effort

Early in a dramatic second half, Mascherano first gave away a needless corner before grappling with Balogun from the resulting cross, with Turkish referee Cuneyt Cakir going to VAR before awarding the spot-kick

Victor Moses duly converted, meaning Nigeria were through as it stood

Odion Ighalo then missed a clear chance to put Nigeria ahead as the ball dropped kindly to him 10 yards out, while at the other end Higuain blazed over unmarked in the box from Rojo's centre

But Argentina got their vital winner shortly after, as Rojo met Gabriel Mercado's cross from the right superbly, slamming low past Uzoho from 12 yards and sparking jubilant scenes on and off the pitch

Brought in as one of five changes, Banega's quality on the ball put Argentina in control in the first half

Though his influence reduced after the break, his ball for Messi for the opener was world class; from deep, his lofted pass over the defence left the forward with a clear sight at goal

He won all of four of his attempted tackles, and recovered the ball more than any other Argentina player

"It's a big disappointment because my team gave their best, they made a very good second half and missed qualifying by a few minutes

So I am proud of my players because they played well in the second half

We are missing a little bit of experience, we have a young team and I think this kind of matches are building the character of the team and in four years they will be very strong

": "My players put their hearts out, with a lot of courage, in a very difficult moment

They have achieved a triumph which is very important for the future and that will strengthen us going further

"Argentina will now play France in Kazan on Saturday, having finished second in Group D

Winners Croatia face Denmark on Sunday

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Omeruo

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Ighalo

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Armani

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Rojo

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Otamendi

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Tagliafico

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Mascherano

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Messi

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Pavon

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1,827

Uruguay beat 10-man Russia 3-0 in Samara to secure top spot in Group A and end the hosts' perfect start to their home World Cup

Luis Suarez opened the scoring in the 10th minute with a low free-kick and Denis Cheryshev deflected a Diego Laxalt shot into his own net (23) before Igor Smolnikov was sent off for a second yellow card nine minutes before half-time

Both sides had already qualified for the last 16 and Edinson Cavani poked home Uruguay's third in injury-time to seal a victory which means his side will now face Portugal in Sochi on Saturday

Meanwhile, after comprehensive wins over Saudi Arabia and Egypt, Russia will face Spain in Moscow next Sunday after Fernando Hierro's side held onto top spot in their group

The opening goal came when Yury Gazinsky fouled Rodrigo Bentancur on the edge of the area and Suarez stroked a low free-kick into the bottom corner beyond the despairing left hand of Igor Akinfeev

Goalkeeper Fernando Muslera denied Cheryshev three minutes after the goal and Artem Dzyuba bounced a header over the bar before Uruguay scored a fortunate second mid-way through the first half

Dzyuba headed clear Lucas Torreira's corner to the feet of Laxalt on the edge of the area and his shot took a wicked deflection off Cheryshev, completely wrong-footing Akinfeev, and nestling in the corner

On a sweltering afternoon in Samara, Russia's hopes diminished further when Smolnikov was shown a second yellow card in the 36th minute

The full-back, already on a booking for a foul on Cavani, recklessly took down the rampaging Laxalt on the left wing to become the third player sent off at this World Cup

Dzyuba sliced Russia's best second-half chance wide of the post in the 76th minute and they almost conceded further when Akinfeev was forced to make fine late saves from Giorgian De Arrascaeta and Cristian Rodriguez

But Cavani did add the third goal in injury-time when Diego Godin's powerful header after an Arrascaeta corner forced another sprawling stop from the Russia goalkeeper and the PSG forward was alert to prod home

In truth, there was not an outstanding performer on either side in a game which had a testimonial feel to it in the second half, but Lucas Torreira was effective in midfield for the winning side

He boasted the best pass completion of any Uruguay player and also made the joint-most interceptions (3), to help his team control the game for long spells

His corner also led to the Cheryshev own goal which ultimately secured top spot in the group

Russia and Uruguay had to wait for the conclusion of Monday evening's Group B fixtures to discover who they would face

Group winners Uruguay will play Portugal in Sochi at 7pm on Saturday evening, while Russia face the Group B winners Spain at 3pm on Sunday in Moscow

null

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Miranchuk

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Dzyuba

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Fernandes

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1,828

Salem Al-Dawsari's late goal secured Saudi Arabia a first World Cup win in 24 years with a 2-1 victory over Egypt in Volgograd

In what was a dead-rubber game in Group A after both teams lost their opening two games, Mohamed Salah, who was not initially named in Egypt's starting line-up, gave his side the lead in the 22nd minute, scoring his 50th goal in 58 appearances for club and country since July 2017

Essam El-Hadary, who become the oldest player to feature in a World Cup aged 45 years and 16 days, saved Fahad Al Muwallad's 41st-minute penalty but he could not keep out Salman Al Faraj's spot-kick deep into first-half injury time as Saudi Arabia drew level

The game was seemingly heading for a draw when Al-Dawsari struck to spark wild celebrations from Saudi Arabia as they ended their World Cup campaign with victory, while Egypt, who finished fourth in group A, became the first side since Honduras in 2014 to lose all three group games at a World Cup

There was confusion before kick-off when Salah was initially left out of Egypt's starting line-up

The Liverpool star was eventually included in the line-up minutes after an earlier tweet was published with a list omitting the 26-year-old's name

Salah's presence had been the subject of speculation following media reports he was on the verge of quitting international football but he put all that behind him in the 22nd minute, bringing down Abdalla El Said's long ball before lofting it over the onrushing Yasser Al Mosailem and into the back of the net for his second goal of the tournament

It was Egypt's first goal from open play at a World Cup since 1934 and Salah, who converted a penalty against Russia in their second group game, should have doubled the advantage minutes later

He broke clear on goal but, after drawing Al Mosailem, uncharacteristically dinked wide of the right-hand post

The other major story was the inclusion El-Hadary, who smashed the record set by Colombia goalkeeper Faryd Mondragon - who was aged 43 years and three days when he played against Japan in Brazil in 2014 - to become the oldest player to feature at a World Cup

He justified his inclusion in the 41st minute, flying to his right to push Al Muwallad's powerful penalty onto the crossbar after Yasser Al-Shahrani's cross had hit Ahmed Fathy's arm

However, he could not do anything to preserve his side's lead when Saudi Arabia were awarded a penalty deep into first-half stoppage time as Fahad appeared to pull the shirt of the covering Ali Gabr before going down in a heap

But after a VAR-induced review that took almost five minutes to complete, Colombian referee Wilmar Roldan decided to stick with his original decision

It was second time lucky from the spot as Salman Al-Faraj took responsibility from 12 yards and El-Hadary could not repeat his heroics as the first-half clock ticked past 51 minutes

After the break, El-Hadary made an acrobatic save to keep out Housain Al-Moqahwi's header but chances were few and far between as the game looked to be heading for a draw

However, in the fifth minute of second-half injury-time, Al-Dawsari popped up in the box to volley past El-Hadary with the last kick of the match to secure a famous Saudi win

The Al-Hilal man was key to Saudi Arabia's victory

Always available for the ball, the 28-year-old dictated the game for Pizzi's side with his penetrative passing and accurate crossing

He also stepped up in dramatic circumstances to draw his side level deep into injury time at the end of the first half

He had to wait over five minutes while VAR checked the award of the penalty but it didn't bother him one bit as he buried the spot-kick with the minimum of fuss at what was a crucial point in the game

null

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1,829

A remarkable late turnaround saw Spain top Group B after they drew 2-2 with Morocco in Kaliningrad on Monday night

Iran's last-minute leveller against Portugal, paired with Iago Aspas' stoppage-time equaliser for Spain, helped by VAR, mean Spain will now play hosts Russia in the last 16 on Sunday, while Portugal face Uruguay on Saturday in Sochi

Khalid Boutaib put Morocco ahead early on (14), finishing low after a mix-up on halfway from Spain, but Isco equalised (19) following a classic Spain move

With just nine minutes remaining, substitute Youssef En Nesyri rose highest to head home a corner, but in stoppage time Aspas' superb flick finish found the far corner, despite initially being ruled out for offside, before Iran equalised against Portugal moments later

There was controversy early on as Gerard Pique's two-footed challenge on Boutaib went unpunished, but Morocco took the lead after a mix-up at the back between Andres Iniesta and Sergio Ramos, allowing Boutaib to race through on goal and slot under David de Gea

Spain showed their quality five minutes later to equalise as Isco finished off a superb team move from close range, created by Iniesta at the byline

Boutaib was allowed through on goal shortly after, but this time De Gea stood tall to block from eight yards, while at the other end Sergio Busquets sent an unmarked header from a corner over the bar

Nordin Amrabat came within inches of a goal-of-the-tournament contender as his effort from 25-yards crashed off the bar, while at the other end Isco's header back across goal was cleared off the line by Romain Saiss

With Spain in second place and Portugal winning against Iran, En Nesyri further compounded Spain's misery and looked to be ending their 22-game unbeaten run after a superb header from Faycal Fajr's corner

But in stoppage time, Aspas' flick from Dani Carvajal's right-wing cross found the net, and after deliberation with the VAR, the goal was correctly awarded with the former Liverpool man just onside

Iran then equalised to complete the most unlikely of turnarounds, giving Spain a clash with the hosts, avoiding Uruguay, who have won all three group games without conceding

Though he stuck in a few nasty fouls, Amrabat harried the Spain midfield and front line from minute one to 90

He could have shared MOTM with five of his team-mates, but the former Watford man just stood out, and could have gone down in history had his superb long-range effort been two inches lower

: "Obviously we can improve, there are things that definitely need to be worked on, and we will definitely be self-critical

Five goals in three matches is not the way forward, I've told the players that

But they are professionals and understand

": "We would have loved to beat Spain

We should be proud of what we've done, of the team and proud of the Moroccan public too

We've shown we were able to take on two of the best teams in the world in Spain and Portugal

"Spain now face Russia in the last 16 on Sunday in Moscow at 3pm

null

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Iniesta

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Isco

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Costa

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Aspas

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Hakimi

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DaCosta

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Saiss

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Ziyach

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ElAhmadi

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Boutaib

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Boussoufa

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EnNesyri

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<PAD>

1,830

Harry Kane scored a hat-trick as England swaggered to the World Cup knockout stage with a game to spare after routing Panama 6-1 in Nizhny Novgorod

A record World Cup haul had come in a remarkable first half as John Stones scored twice from set-pieces (8, 40), Kane lashed two penalties (22, 45+1) and Jesse Lingard found the top corner with a curling strike (36)

Kane knew little about his 62nd-minute third, diverting Ruben Loftus-Cheek's shot in via his heel, but a World Cup treble takes him top of the goalscoring charts in Russia, as well as putting him in illustrious England company alongside Gary Lineker and Sir Geoff Hurst

Panama were as naive as they were robust in the sweltering heat, but the first-timers were afforded some consolation cheer when 37-year-old substitute Felipe Baloy pounced 12 minutes from time

The eye-catching scoreline was one to further raise home hopes and bolster goal difference ahead of a showdown with Belgium on Thursday to decide top spot in Group G, although disciplinary records will be needed to separate the sides in the event of a draw

Panama had warned England they would "play hard" and Lingard had taken a Gabriel Gomez elbow to the face inside the opening minutes, before danger came at the other end when Edgar Barcenas found Anibal Godoy in space, only for the midfielder to horribly miscue

But England seized early initiative from another set-piece as Kieran Trippier swung in and Stones found himself free, powering a downwards header past Jaime Penedo as red shirts grappled instead with Kane and Harry Maguire

Barcenas cut inside and curled narrowly wide (16) as Panama looked to profit down the right flank, but more meaty defending soon gave England the chance to double their lead

Fidel Escobar barged Lingard to the turf and Kane's conversion - into the top-left corner - was emphatic

Lingard had carried his menace with clever movement and he struck a brilliant third after a give-and-go with Raheem Sterling, England's travelling supporters now loud in the sunshine

A fine training-ground routine brought a fourth, Stones following up after Sterling's close-range header was parried, and when Godoy was penalised for arms tightly wrapped around Kane, the Tottenham striker lashed another spot-kick the same way

England's intensity dropped in the high temperatures after the break, their work long done, but Sterling might have opened his account had Kane's pass been better placed

Kane instead completed his hat-trick unwittingly, before being replaced by Jamie Vardy, as Gareth Southgate took the chance to call for fresh legs

A barely-worked Jordan Pickford kept out Michael Murillo's dink and a lunging Roman Torres went close at the back post, but the moment to remember for Panama finally came when Beloy slid in to meet Ricardo Avila's corner, England left level with Belgium on goal difference, as well as points

England's indefatigable leader left the pitch with the match ball and pole position in the Golden Boot race but Manchester United's Jesse Lingard, off cue against Tunisia, deserves ample praise

Targeted for some rough treatment in the opening stages, he hit back by winning the first penalty and then summoned a blockbuster finish from the edge of the area

England and Belgium face off in Kaliningrad at 7pm on Thursday, with Tunisia and Panama - both now ousted from the tournament - meeting at the same time in Saransk

null

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Pickford

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Stones

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Henderson

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Young

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Sterling

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Kane

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Rose

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Vardy

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Delph

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Murillo

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RomanTorres

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Escobar

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Davis

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Barcenas

True

Cooper

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Gomez

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Godoy

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JoseLuisRodriguez

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Perez

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Arroyo

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Avila

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Baloy

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<PAD>

1,831

Portugal reached the last 16 of the World Cup as Group B runners-up after a controversial 1-1 draw with Iran in Saransk

Ricardo Quaresma scored a sublime goal in the 45th minute and Cristiano Ronaldo had a penalty saved in the second half as Portugal appeared to be cruising through as group winners

But Ronaldo was perhaps fortunate to avoid a red card following an 80th-minute VAR review and Iran equalised through a dubious injury-time penalty from Karim Ansarifard - awarded with the use of VAR for a handball by Cedric Soares - before Mehdi Taremi missed a gilt-edged chance late on to knock Portugal out

The result, combined with Spain's late equaliser in their 2-2 draw with Morocco - means Portugal will play Uruguay in the next round on Saturday evening, while Iran are eliminated

A win would have taken Iran through, but after frustrating their opponents for 45 minutes Quaresma struck on the stroke of half-time

He swapped passes with Adrien Silva on the right, before striking sweetly with the outside of his right foot from the edge of the area, giving Ali Beiranvand no chance in the Iran goal

Portugal were given a penalty eight minutes after half-time when Ronaldo skipped past a pair of defenders and went down under a challenge from Saeid Ezatolahi

Paraguayan referee Enrique Caceres initially waved away the appeals, but eventually awarded the spot-kick after the VAR recommended he review the incident

However, Ronaldo's penalty was well saved by Beiranvand, who dived to his left and gathered the ball at the second attempt, frustrating the Real Madrid star's hopes of catching England's Harry Kane at the top of the Golden Boot standings

The second half became increasingly ill-tempered and Ronaldo avoided a red card when VAR asked the referee to review his off-the-ball swing of the arm at in the direction of Morteza Pouraliganji 10 minutes from full-time

After watching replays at the side of the pitch, Caceres decided a booking was sufficient

However, Portugal were frustrated by a VAR decision in injury-time when Sardar Azmoun headed a corner onto the arm of Soares at close range

After a three-minute delay, the referee controversially awarded a penalty which was lashed into the roof of the net by Ansarifard (90+3)

And there was further drama when Taremi looked certain to score the winner that would have taken Iran through a minute later, but hit the side netting from six yards instead of scoring what would have been the most famous goal in his nation's history

Portugal, who were top of the group going into injury-time, survived a chaotic climax and must now re-focus ahead of their knock-out clash in Sochi on Saturday

This was a match full of drama and controversy - in which the key figure was the Paraguayan referee and his assistants in Moscow

However, the one moment of quality in the match came from the right foot of Quaresma

Portugal had been frustrated by a well-disciplined Iran side for 45 minutes and had barely had a shot at goal before the Beskitas forward struck a sublime curler that turned the match on its head and prompted the second-half drama

Quaresma was substituted after a running battle with Saeid Ezatolahi after the break, but the veteran's goal on his first World Cup start will live long in the memory

Iran's World Cup is now over, while Portugal will face Uruguay in Sochi on Saturday evening (7pm kick-off) as they bid to reach the quarter-finals

null

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Beiranvand

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Hajsafi

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Pouraliganji

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Hosseini

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Rezaeian

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Ezatolahi

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Ebrahimi

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Amiri

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Taremi

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Jahanbakhsh

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Azmoun

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Mohammadi

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Ghoddos

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Ansarifard

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RuiPatricio

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Soares

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Pepe

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Fonte

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AdrienSilva

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Mario

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Quaresma

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BernardoSilva

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<PAD>

1,832

Colombia got their World Cup campaign firmly back on track with a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Poland in their Group H clash

Opening defeats for both sides in Group H meant it was a must-not-lose scenario at the Kazan Stadium and Yerry Mina's first-half goal (40) sent Colombia on their way

A first World Cup goal for Radamel Falcao (70) and Juan Cuadrado's third (75) put the gloss on a scintillating performance as Colombia boosted their chances of reaching the knockout stage

Jose Pekerman's side now know a victory over Senegal, , in their final group game on Thursday will secure a place in the last 16 where they could face either England or Belgium, while Poland will only have pride to play for when they face Japan

Backed by a large number of travelling supporters, Colombia dominated the early stages

James Rodriguez was pulling the strings for Peckerman's side and it was his pass that released Falcao in the 25th minute but the striker's backheel for Cuadrado was cut out by Lukasz Piszczek

Colombia lost Abel Aguilar to injury but it didn't knock them off their stride as Cuadrado danced his way through the Poland defence, but the Juventus winger's shot was saved by his club team-mate Wojciech Szczesny

They eventually made the breakthrough five minutes before the break with a well-worked corner routine

Rodriguez started the move with a short corner to Cuadrado, who in turn laid the ball off for Juan Quintero

His reverse pass put Rodriguez in space and the Bayern forward picked out Mina at the far post with an inch-perfect cross for the defender to head home from close range

Colombia came out after the break and resumed their dominance as Cuadrado, who held the ball up well, set up Falcao for a first-time drive that rose high over Szczesny's crossbar

Poland's golden opportunity fell to Robert Lewandowski in the 58th minute but Arsenal goalkeeper David Ospina raced off his line to block the Bayern Munich striker's shot

It proved to be a crucial moment in the game and Colombia made Lewandowski pay for the missed opportunity when Juan Quintero's pass sliced Poland's defence apart and Falcao did the rest, finishing expertly past Szczesny with the outside of his right boot

Five minutes later Colombia extended their lead as Rodriguez produced a pass to better Quintero's

The Bayern forward somehow threaded a through ball from the left wing through several Poland players to pick out Cuadrado, who finished emphatically

Poland sought a late consolation, but Ospina preserved Colombia's clean sheet with saves from both Grzegorz Krychowiak and Lewandowski as Adam Nawałka's side became the first European nation to crash out of the tournament

Every time the Bayern Munich star touched the ball the noise levels rose inside the Kazan Stadium

He came off the bench in his side's opening defeat but against Poland, he dictated proceedings from the start, setting up two of Pekerman's side's three goals with sublime passes

The 26-year-old, who won the Golden Boot at the 2014 World Cup, has been directly involved in 10 goals in seven World Cup appearances for Colombia, scoring six and assisting four

Across the last two World Cup tournaments, no player has scored more or provided more assists than the Colombian star, who will be a real threat to any side that could come up against Colombia later in the tournament

Next up for Colombia is their crucial clash with Senegal at 3pm on Thursday

At the same time, Poland will take on Japan before making their exit from the tournament

null

<PAD>

Szczesny

False

Pazdan

False

Bednarek

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Bereszynski

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Piszczek

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Goralski

False

Krychowiak

False

Rybus

False

Zielinski

False

Lewandowski

False

Kownacki

False

Grosicki

False

Teodorczyk

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Ospina

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Arias

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Mina

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Mojica

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Sanchez

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Barrios

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Aguilar

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Rodriguez

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Cuadrado

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Quintero

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Falcao

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Uribe

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Lerma

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Bacca

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<PAD>

1,833

Romelu Lukaku and Eden Hazard both scored twice as Belgium sent out a message about their World Cup credentials with a 5-2 win over Tunisia on Saturday

Hazard opened the scoring from the penalty spot (6) before Lukaku doubled their lead (16) with a tidy finish

Dylan Bronn headed Tunisia back into the game (17) but Belgium always carried a huge threat in attack and Lukaku finished off a counter-attack to re-establish the two-goal cushion (45+3) with his fourth goal of the tournament

Hazard added another (51) following a wonderful Kevin De Bruyne pass and Belgium could afford substitute Michy Batshuayi to miss a hatful of late chances before he finally score in injury time (90), as his side all-but guaranteed their spot in the last 16

Whabi Khazri scored a consolation (90+3) for Tunisia, who, barring a minor miracle, are out of the World Cup following two straight defeats

One potential sour note for Roberto Martinez was Lukaku hobbling off with an ankle problem early in the second-half

Belgium play England on Thursday in their final Group G encounter

Belgium flew out of the traps in Moscow as Hazard won a free-kick with just 15 seconds gone, and won another foul in the penalty area on six minutes when he was tripped on the line of the penalty box

The decision survived a VAR review and Hazard stroked home the spot kick

Dries Mertens then released Lukaku in behind on 16 minutes

The Manchester United striker drove down the left and reversed a clever shot into the far corner

Tunisia would have been fearing a thrashing at that point but got themselves back in the game 60 seconds later when Bronn took advantage of a poor offside line by Belgium to head home from a Khazri set-piece

With Tunisia pressing on, Belgium were a constant threat on the break and Lukaku and De Bruyne wasted a couple of good openings

Lukaku kept on making runs in behind and was found just before the break by Thomas Meunier

This time, Lukaku found the killer finish to lift the ball over the goalkeeper to restore Belgium's two-goal cushion

De Bruyne came to the party in the second half with a spectacular raking pass that released Hazard through on goal

From there, the Chelsea man rounded the goalkeeper to make it 4-1

That goal knocked the stuffing out of Tunisia, who threw the towel in during the final quarter

Lukaku - who limped off - and Hazard were both withdrawn by Martinez to save their legs but the chances still came for the Europeans

Batshuayi smacked the crossbar from five yards out and missed a further four guilt-edge opportunities before finally tucking one away in stoppage time

Khazri scored with the last kick of the game but this was all about Belgium, who laid down the first real marker of the tournament with this convincing victory

It's hard to find a standout player as Lukaku, De Bruyne and Mertens were all at their top of their game

However, Hazard just gets the nod due to his involvement in the all-important opening goal where his trickery won the penalty

As per, his dribbling and use of the ball were sensational

A gem of a player

Both teams play their final games on Thursday evening

Belgium play England while Tunisia take on Panama

null

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Hazard

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Batshuayi

False

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Bronn

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SBenYoussef

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Meriah

False

Maaloul

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Skhiri

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Sassi

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Khaoui

False

Badri

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FBenYoussef

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Khazri

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Naguez

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Sliti

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Benalouane

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<PAD>

1,834

Keisuke Honda was Japan's hero once again as he rescued a 2-2 draw with Senegal as the two teams remained joint-top of World Cup Group H

In a game of goalkeeping errors, Senegal took an early lead when Eiji Kawashima turned Youssouf Sabaly's shot into the body of Sadio Mane for a goal he knew little about after 11 minutes

Senegal had the better of the first half, and Japan offered little until Takashi Inui's curler beat Khadim Ndiaye 34 minutes in

The Asian side would go onto enjoy their best spell of the game just after half-time, but it was cut short when Moussa Wague fired Sabaly's low cross high into the net from a tight angle (71)

Honda, Japan's record World Cup goalscorer, would have the final word, netting from close range (78) after goalkeeper Ndiaye had missed a cross completely, for his fourth goal in a World Cup finals

With a win all-but securing a rare last-16 appearance for either of the sides, it was Senegal who flew out of the blocks in Ekaterinberg, and Mane was denied an opening goal inside two minutes when Hiroki Sakai's slide-tackle robbed him 12 yards out

Mane was handed his first goal of the tournament with a big slice of luck soon after, though, when Sabaly picked up the pieces from Wague's cross, firing goalwards before Kawashima turned the ball into the Liverpool forward, who inadvertently touched it over the line

After that, Senegal continued to control proceedings in the opening half-hour, but when Japan found their confidence, a goal soon followed

Yuto Nagatomo was spotted over the top and when the Senegal defence caught up with him on the left, Inui took over and bent the ball on his favoured right foot inside the far post

After half-time, Japan continued improving, and should have found themselves in front

Yuya Osako somehow failed to connect with Gaku Shibasaki's cross eight yards out, and Inui struck the bar with a wonderful effort from wide on the left

But it was at that point where Senegal looked to have broken Japan's hearts, as Wague's well-placed finish put the African side back in front

That lead would only last for eight minutes, though, with Japan refusing to crumble - and Honda fired in Inui's cut-back after Ndiaye had got himself in a real mess from a cross

Japan continued to press in the closing stages but were forced to settle for a point, leaving Group H still finely poised at the top

null

Eibar winger Inui was brilliant for Japan and perhaps unlucky not to get a second goal on the night, but grabbing one, plus an assist for the second, was a fine return from a committed performance

He lost the ball less than any of Japan's starters, only eight times, and only Gen Shoji (82

6 per cent) had a higher rate of pass completion in the Senegal half (82

4 per cent)

Not always in the game, attempting only 26 passes in 87 minutes, his contribution was nonetheless vital to the result, and when he did have the ball, he generally came up with something

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Kawashima

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Osako

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Sane

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Kabaly

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PNdiaye

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BNdiaye

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Gueye

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Sarr

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Niang

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Mane

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Kouyate

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<PAD>

1,835

Javier Hernandez scored a milestone goal as Mexico marched towards the World Cup knockout stages with a 2-1 win over South Korea in Rostov-on-Don

Arsenal outcast Carlos Vela had put Germany's surprise conquerors ahead with a 26th-minute penalty and West Ham forward Hernandez sealed a second successive victory for Mexico in the 66th minute, reaching 50 international goals in the process

Tottenham's Heung-Min Son struck back in injury-time for South Korea, finding the top corner with his left boot (90+3), but it proved a mere consolation with both sides' fate close to being sealed

Mexico were later denied a guaranteed place in the last 16 after Germany beat Sweden in injury time in Group F's evening encounter, a result which also kept South Korea - now beaten in both their games - still in the competition, albeit only just

Juan Carlos Osorio resisted the urge to tinker too much after a famous opening victory that had left Hernandez in tears, but Mexico were shackled by a string of robust challenges in a scrappy start

Hernandez headed high and wide from a 12th-minute free-kick but, just moments later, South Korea were denied by a crucial defensive intervention from Mexico's match-winner against the world champions

Hee-Chan Hwang broke down the right but as Yong Lee shaped to meet his cross at the back post, Hirving Lozano threw his body in the way

Son was thwarted three times - by desperate blocks and then a deflection - as the pace picked up, but Mexico seized advantage from the spot when Hyun-Soo Jang went to ground with his arm raised as Andres Guardado centred

Son's pace continued to cause problems as his team-mates launched balls over the top, but goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa was rarely tested and Lozano, dropping his shoulder to drift between red shirts, might have doubled Mexico's lead by the break

Lozano struck wildly again soon after the restart, while up the other end, South Korea's calls for a penalty when Seon-Min Moon's shot struck Carlos Salcedo were given short shrift

Guardado forced Hyeon-Woo Cho into a diving save and Vela went close again, the game increasingly stretched as South Korea sought an equaliser, but breathing space finally came midway through the second half

Lozano drove goalwards following a swift break and Hernandez, beautifully balanced, cut inside to leave Jang on the turf before finding the back of the net

Ochoa and substitute Rafael Marquez might have gifted South Korea a lifeline as they carelessly swapped short passes with Son lurking, but the damage had been done in the other box and Mexico's travelling hordes danced with joy

The game had meandered towards its end but Son's quality finally showed at the death, even if it counted for nothing

Hernandez reached a landmark total, the busy Lozano provided a key assist and Carlos Salcedo made a string of vital blocks but Vela deserves credit for a fine all-round display

He held his nerve from the spot but relished his free role, frequently switching with Miguel Layun and even dropping deep before getting a deserved breather inside the final 15 minutes

The group picture will become clearer after Germany's clash with Sweden but Mexico will seek to clinch top spot when they face the Swedes in Ekaterinburg on Wednesday, with South Korea tackling Germany at the same time of 3pm in Kazan

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Cho

False

YongLee

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Jang

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Min-WooKim

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Moon

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Ju

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Ki

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Hwang

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Jae-SungLee

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Son

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Lee

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Hong

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Jung

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Ochoa

False

Alvarez

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Salcedo

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Moreno

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Gallardo

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Layun

True

Herrera

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Guardado

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Vela

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Hernandez

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Lozano

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Marquez

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Jesus

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DosSantos

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<PAD>

1,836

Germany breathed new life into their World Cup defence after Toni Kroos' dramatic injury time winner secured a 2-1 comeback victory over Sweden in Sochi

Knowing anything but victory would make it difficult for them to qualify from Group F, the defending champions found themselves behind after Ola Toivonen's 32nd-minute strike

Germany were back on level terms immediately after the restart through Marco Reus (48) but three points were seemingly slipping away from Joachim Low's side, especially after Jerome Boateng was sent off in the 82nd minute after two bookable offences

However, Kroos produced a moment of magic in the final minute of stoppage time to get Germany's World Cup defence back on track and break Swedish hearts

Victory leaves Germany knowing a win over South Korea in their final group match will almost certainly see them progress with Sweden facing Mexico, who won earlier in the day

Germany started like a side with a point to prove following their 1-0 defeat to Mexico last weekend and they created an early opening as Timo Werner's cross picked out Reus, but the Borussia Dortmund forward's shot was blocked by Sebastian Larsson

Low's side were dominating the ball in the early stages but just as against Mexico, they were given an early warning on the counter-attack as Marcus Berg raced away from Jerome Boateng, but the striker, who was seemingly pushed by the Bayern Munich defender, saw his shot saved by Manuel Neuer

Sweden were adamant they should have had a penalty but Polish referee Szymon Marciniak waved away the appeals and refused to consult VAR

It was a warning Germany, who replaced the injured Sebastian Rudy with Ilkay Gundogan in the 30th minute, didn't heed as Sweden took the lead

Viktor Claesson's inch-perfect ball over the top picked out Toivonen, who brought the ball down on his chest before lifting it over a stranded Neuer

Germany, who were now staring down the barrel of an early exit, almost hit back straight away but Robin Olsen pulled off a superb double save to keep out Gundogan's deflected shot and Thomas Muller's rebound

However, it could have been even worse for Low and his side with Neuer needing to be at his best to keep out Berg's powerful header on the stroke of half-time

With their World Cup hopes slipping away Mario Gomez replaced Julian Draxler at half-time and within 90 seconds Germany were level when Reus bundled Timo Werner's cross into the back of the net for his first international goal in more than three years

Reus went close to a second, missing an attempted backheel by inches after being picked out on the six-yard box by Joshua Kimmich's cross

Germany started to sense their opportunity, pinning Sweden back but a second yellow card for Boateng saw them play the last eight minutes with 10 men

Olsen then produced a brilliant save to tip Gomez's header over the bar and substitute Julian Brandt's long-range strike crashed against the post, but Kross stepped up at the death to revive Germany's World Cup hopes

There were plenty of heroes for Sweden and but for a late world-class strike, the accolade could have been going to one of Janne Andersson's players

However, with Germany's grip on the World Cup loosening, Kroos stepped and produced just when his side needed it

In the second half, the Real Madrid midfielder was the heartbeat of his side's performance, dragging his team forward at every opportunity

Then, right at the death, the 28-year-old, who has been involved in five goals in his last five World Cup games (three goals, two assists), produced a moment of sheer brilliance, scoring the latest goal by Germany in World Cup history (excluding extra-time) to keep his side's chances of back-to-back successes alive

Next up for Germany is a clash against South Korea on Wednesday at 3pm

Meanwhile, Sweden will play Mexico at the same time as Group F draws to a close

null

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Neuer

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Kimmich

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Rudiger

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Hector

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Reus

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Draxler

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Muller

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Werner

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Gundogan

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Gomez

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Brandt

False

Olsen

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Lustig

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Granqvist

True

Lindelof

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Augustinsson

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Claesson

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Larsson

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Ekdal

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Forsberg

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Berg

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Toivonen

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Durmaz

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Guidetti

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Thelin

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<PAD>

1,837

Ahmed Musa scored twice on his return to the starting line-up as Nigeria kept their World Cup knockout hopes alive and dealt Iceland's chances a blow with a 2-0 win in Volgograd

The Leicester forward, on loan at CSKA Moscow last season, struck a volleyed opener four minutes after the restart and further repaid boss Gernot Rohr's faith with a fine second 15 minutes from time

Gylfi Sigurdsson looked set to give Iceland a late lifeline when Alfred Finnbogason earned a VAR-awarded penalty, but the Everton playmaker ballooned his 83rd-minute effort over the bar

The result boosts beleaguered Argentina's hopes as well as the Super Eagles', but victory for Nigeria against Lionel Messi and co on Tuesday would see Rohr's side through alongside Croatia

Iceland, who could still progress themselves but must win, started briskly as Sigurdsson saw a free-kick pushed away before curling straight at teenage goalkeeper Francis Uzoho from open play

Nigeria were feeling their way into the contest as action in the stands - a Mexican wave soon followed by the booming Viking Thunderclap - caught the eye instead, but though Kelechi Iheanacho and Victor Moses were busy, they failed to muster a first-half shot

Iceland were content to sit back against ineffective opponents but Aston Villa's Birkir Bjarnason had chances from a flurry of balls into the box, volleying over after a long throw and swiping through air when when Birkir Saevarsson drilled a dangerous diagonal across goal

The game had been short on quality where it mattered but when the breakthrough came, it was in style

Moses was set free, ironically, by a familiar long Iceland throw but Musa stretched brilliantly to control his cross, before readjusting and lashing home

Wilfred Ndidi's effort was well saved by goalkeeper Hannes Halldorsson as Iceland were rocked and Musa was soon in the mood again

Moments after rattling the crossbar with a curling effort, he raced onto Leon Balogun's ball down the left, darting inside Kari Arnason and then rounding Halldorsson before tucking into an empty net

Iceland were handed a way back when Tyronne Ebuehi was adjudged to have caught Finnbogason, referee Matthew Conger consulting with VAR before pointing to the spot, but though he had confidently clutched the ball in anticipation, Sigurdsson's aim was off

Iheanacho fired wide for Nigeria in the closing stages and Finnbogason's angled drive was saved by Uzoho at the other end but time ran out for Iceland, their hopes of progress now in peril

Musa had to settle for coming off the bench in an opening defeat to Croatia but how he made his point here

Agility and quick feet were key to his first goal while pace and trickery delivered the second

With four goals, he is now his country's all-time top scorer in World Cup games; only Asamoah Gyan (six for Ghana) and Roger Milla (five for Cameroon) have scored more for an African nation

Nigeria take on Argentina in a crunch St Petersburg clash at 7pm on Tuesday, while Iceland face already-through Croatia at the same time in Rostov-on-Don knowing only victory will do

Three sides remain in the hunt to qualify but goal difference could come into play

null

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Uzoho

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Omeruo

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Troost-Ekong

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Balogun

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Moses

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Etebo

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Mikel

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Ndidi

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Idowu

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Musa

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Iheanacho

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Ebuehi

False

Halldorsson

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Saevarsson

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Arnason

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RSigurdsson

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Magnusson

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Gislason

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Gunnarsson

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GSigurdsson

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Bjarnason

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Bodvarsson

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Finnbogason

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Ingason

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Sigurdarson

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<PAD>

1,838

Xherdan Shaqiri's 90th-minute goal gave Switzerland a vital 2-1 victory over Serbia in a thrilling World Cup Group E encounter in Kaliningrad

The Stoke midfielder broke clear over halfway and went through on goal with Serbia at the other end of the pitch, slotting brilliantly under Vladimir Stojkovic after the Swiss had earlier been 1-0 down

Serbia were fastest out of the traps and went ahead through Aleksandar Mitrovic's header (5), but could have been further ahead before the break as Dusan Tadic and Dusko Tosic went close

Switzerland equalised after the break (52) as Granit Xhaka ran onto a loose ball to produce a superb 25-yard drive into the far corner, before Shaqiri's winner at the death

Mitrovic's header forced a fine save from Yann Sommer early on from Tadic's cross from the right, but that exact combination was successful seconds later as the Newcastle striker got the better of his marker Fabian Schar to nod home from six yards

Serbia were more energetic in the first half but did concede chances; Haris Seferovic should have scored after Blerim Dzemaili's superb threaded ball, but Stojkovic tipped the poked effort wide from eight yards

Serbia should have gone into half-time 2-0 up as Tosic mistimed his jump, unmarked in the six-yard box from a Tadic corner, before Tadic himself saw a fine long-range effort fly inches over

Switzerland equalised against the run of play seven minutes after the break as Xhaka's long-range effort flew past the unsighted Stojkovic, and Shaqiri then hit the post with a superb fine shot from an acute angle on the edge of the box

Mitrovic was furious he did not receive a penalty as both Stephan Lichtsteiner and Schar hauled him down in the box, with no VAR used and German referee Felix Byrch unmoved

And Switzerland stole it as the game became stretched late on, with Tosic inexplicably looking to play offside with Shaqiri just inside his own half from Mario Gavranovic's through ball

Shaqiri had 60 yards to bear down on goal, but he produced a lovely finish under Stojkovic to round off one of the best games of the tournament so far

The Stoke man struggled to get into the game in the first half as Serbia dominated, but his match-winning knack came through in the second as Switzerland produced an unlikely turnaround

Shortly after Xhaka's equaliser, Shaqiri hit the post with an effort that would have been a contender for goal of the tournament, and after racing through on goal from halfway, he showed the full package to win it; strength, pace and the finish

Plenty of top clubs will be after Shaqiri later this summer, but for now until the plane home, he is Switzerland's maestro

: "We were equal to them, maybe they had more possession, but at 1-1 we tried to go on the attack

We substituted a defensive midfielder for an attacking midfielder but unfortunately we conceded in the 90th minute on the break

This is football

We did not convert some of our chances

I believe the lads have given their all

": "We had a roller-coaster ride

They went 1-0 up and we found our balance in the second half

"Serbia now face Brazil in their final Group E game on Wednesday at 7pm, with Switzerland playing Costa Rica at the same time

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<PAD>

Stojkovic

False

Ivanovic

False

Milenkovic

False

Tosic

False

Kolarov

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Matic

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Milivojevic

False

Tadic

True

Milinkovic-Savic

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Kostic

False

Mitrovic

True

Ljajic

False

Sommer

False

Lichtsteiner

False

Schar

False

Akanji

False

Rodriguez

False

Behrami

True

Xhaka

False

Shaqiri

True

Dzemaili

True

Zuber

True

Seferovic

False

Gavranovic

True

Embolo

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<PAD>

1,839

Another VAR penalty decision helped Australia to a 1-1 draw with Denmark in their World Cup Group C clash in Samara on Thursday afternoon

Denmark took the lead on seven minutes through Christian Eriksen's superb half volley, before VAR came into play as Yussuf Poulsen was adjudged to have handled from Mathew Leckie's header

Mile Jedinak stepped up to score his second of the tournament (38), and despite Australia impressing in the second half, it stayed 1-1

Australia must now win their final group game to stand a chance of qualifying for the knockout stage, with France facing Peru at 4pm in Group C's other clash on matchday two

Denmark, knowing a win would secure qualification to the knockout stages, started well, and took the lead in superb fashion

Nicolai Jorgensen's spin and assist was slammed home by Eriksen from 15 yards as the ball rose difficulty on the half volley

Jorgensen should have made it 2-0 midway through the half, but he headed wide from Henrik Dalsgaard's right-wing cross from close range

Then came the controversy as Leckie's header hit the flailing hand of his marker Poulsen; Spanish referee Antonio Mateu Lahoz went to VAR as the ball went out of play upfield, before awarding the spot kick

Jedinak, who scored in a similar circumstance in Saturday's 2-1 defeat by France, made no mistake, slotting home after Kasper Schmeichel had attempted to put him off

Australia upped the ante in the second half, and went closest through the commanding Aaron Mooy, whose 25-yard effort whistled just high and wide of Schmeichel's goal

Schmeichel then made two saves at the death to deny Australia, first from Daniel Arzani's angled effort, before Leckie's volley into the ground was superbly held by the Leicester goalkeeper

Premier League fans know what the Huddersfield man can do, and, on Thursday, Mooy proved what a commanding figure he can be in midfield

Alongside the impressive Tom Rogic and Jedinak, Mooy got stuck in, constantly looked forward as the match became end-to-end early on, and was nearly rewarded as his stunning long-range effort whistled inches wide

: "We lost too many balls in midfield and that caused us problems

We need to get better with our passing and get more rhythm in our play

Many of our choices today were not good enough and that was the problem

" "We had chances to win and we deserved to win, so I'm disappointed

I fully agree we should have won

Against France we also deserved more, I think

We have one point and we deserve four points from these two games

"Denmark face France on Tuesday in their final Group C game, while Australia face Peru, both at 3pm

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<PAD>

Schmeichel

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Kjaer

True

Christensen

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Dalsgaard

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Stryger

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Delaney

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Eriksen

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Schone

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Jorgensen

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Poulsen

False

Sisto

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Braithwaite

False

Cornelius

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Ryan

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Risdon

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Sainsbury

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Milligan

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Behich

True

Jedinak

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Mooy

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Rogic

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Leckie

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Kruse

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Nabbout

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Arzani

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Juric

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<PAD>

1,840

Kylian Mbappe's first World Cup goal was enough to send France into the last 16 with a 1-0 win against Peru in Group C on Thursday

The striker slotted home from a deflected Olivier Giroud cross in the 34th minute and became France's youngest ever goalscorer at a major tournament in the process, overtaking David Trezeguet's previous record (vs Saudi Arabia in 1998)

Peru impressed again with their attacking play - particularly in the second half - but once again could not find the breakthrough and will exit the competition at the group stages after their final game against Australia next week

France, who top Group C with six points after matchday two, will continue on to the knockout rounds

It was an even opening in Yekaterinburg, but France had two good chances in quick succession after quarter of an hour

Raphael Varane headed an Antoine Griezmann corner just wide before the striker forced a good save from Peru goalkeeper Pedro Gallese, hitting a nod-down from Giroud into the goalkeeper's legs

Peru had a few good chances in the first half, but their best came in the 31st minute as captain Paulo Guerrero rounded Samuel Umtiti in the area before striking, but it was well saved by the legs of Hugo Lloris

Not long after, Gallese denied Mbappe at the other end, saving from the striker's scrambled backheel effort

A minute later, Mbappe beat the goalkeeper

A cross from Giroud on the left took a big deflection off the legs of Alberto Rodriguez, with the loose ball landing to Mbappe in the six-yard box, and he made no mistake in slotting home

Peru could have got the equaliser six minutes after the restart but were denied by the upright

Half-time substitute Jefferson Farfan laid the ball off to Pedro Aquino and he hit a thunderous effort from 25 yards, but it pinged off the corner of the crossbar and went wide

The South Americans continued to try their luck from range, with Luis Advincula letting fly from just outside the area in the 68th minute, but his curling effort also went over the crossbar

Not long after, the impressive Andre Carrillo fired a cross into the area but it ran just too long for Farfan, who could only poke it into the side of the net

But despite late calls from the Peru bench to pile everyone forward with every attack and set-piece, they could not find their way through as France squeezed through into the last 16 with another unconvincing performance

Peru may not have won the game, but they have certainly won a number of new fans and Carrillo was particularly impressive on Thursday

He caused plenty of problems from the outset on the right wing, and continuously tried to put balls into the box

He also tried his luck on an occasion - firing over the crossbar from 20 yards in the 61st minute - and also put a shift in defensively when called upon

Group C will play their final group games on Tuesday 26 June at 3pm, with France taking on Denmark before they move onto the knockout stages while Peru take on Australia at the Fisht Olympic Stadium

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<PAD>

Lloris

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Pavard

False

Varane

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Umtiti

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Hernandez

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Kante

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Pogba

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Mbappe

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Griezmann

False

Matuidi

False

Giroud

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Dembele

False

Fekir

False

Gallese

True

Rodriguez

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Trauco

False

Ramos

False

Advincula

True

Cueva

False

Carrillo

True

Yotun

False

Flores

False

Aquino

True

Guerrero

True

Farfan

True

Santamaria

False

Ruidiaz

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<PAD>

1,841

Philippe Coutinho saved Brazil in stoppage time after they struggled to break down Costa Rica, with Tite's side eventually winning 2-0

After a stodgy first-half showing, Brazil, who drew their opening match with Switzerland, wasted numerous chances before Coutinho (90+1) netted his second goal of the tournament to rescue his side

Neymar (90+6) added gloss with a further goal in added time

The PSG man was at the heart of the game throughout, including winning a penalty which was sensationally overturned by VAR and at full time he was in tears, presumably with relief that Brazil had avoided a damaging result

Cristian Gamboa gave Brazil an early fright with a scorching run down the left

His cross found Celso Borges but his effort from 12 yards out scuffed wide of the far post

Gabriel Jesus had the ball in the net on 26 minutes, however, the linesman's flag correctly cut short the celebrations and Neymar cut a frustrated figure off the left flank as Brazil failed to find any rhythm to their play down his side

But the substitution of Douglas Costa, who replaced Willian at the break, sparked life into Brazil's attacks

First, Jesus rose highest from a right-wing cross only for his his effort on 50 minutes to come crashing back off the crossbar

Neymar then swept an effort from 12 yards at goal which was flicked over the crossbar from Keylor Navas who could only stand and watch minutes later when the same player curled an effort inches wide

The Brazilian skipper was seen badgering the referee in the tunnel over an alleged lack of decisions go his way in the first-half but he thought he'd won a penalty with 12 minutes left

He cut inside Oscar Duarte, who left an arm on his chest

Neymar deemed this contact strong enough to send him theatrically to the ground but the VAR overturned the call to the frustration of the Brazilian, who was booked moments later for dissent

Brazil were running out of ideas and time - but when Roberto Firmino bravely headed a cross back across goal, Jesus flicked the ball into Coutinho's path and the Barcelona man toe-poked the ball through the legs of Navas, sparking jubilant scenes

Neymar then wrapped up the points late on with a simple finish after a clever break by Costa

Neymar has played second fiddle to Coutinho in this tournament thus far

The former Liverpool man curled home a stunning opening goal against Switzerland and he was in game-changing mood again

When his team needed him, he stepped up with a huge goal that could just spark Brazil into major contenders for this tournament

Both these two nations play their final Group E games on Wednesday, with Brazil taking on Serbia and Costa Rica playing Switzerland

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Acosta

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González

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Duarte

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Venegas

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Borges

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1,842

Croatia are through to the last 16 of the World Cup after a stunning 3-0 victory in Nizhny Novgorod which leaves Argentina in serious danger of exiting at the group stage

Ante Rebic made the most of a Willy Caballero howler to open the scoring in the 53rd minute before Luka Modric curled in a sensational second (81) and Ivan Rakitic stroked in an injury-time third to secure his side's passage to the knockout stages

But after their opening 1-1 draw with Iceland, Argentina go into their final Group D game with Nigeria with only one point and their hopes of staying in Russia beyond the group stage are hanging by a thread

Both sides wasted glorious chances as the first half somehow remained goalless

First, Enzo Perez missed a near-open goal for Argentina on 30 minutes when the ball deflected off the boot of Domagoj Vida into his path, but he struck wide from 12 yards with goalkeeper Danijel Subasic stranded

Three minutes later, Mario Mandzukic missed an even clearer chance at the other end

Sime Vrsaljko curled an inch-perfect ball onto the head of the Juventus striker, but he headed wide from four yards

Rebic was perhaps lucky to only receive a yellow card for a challenge on Eduardo Salvio five minutes before half-time, but capitalised on a shocking mistake from the Argentina goalkeeper to open the scoring on 53 minutes

Caballero scuffed a simple back-pass from Gabriel Mercado and the Croatia player watched the ball drop before lashing in a smart volley from 10 yards

While the first goal was comical the second was classy

As Argentina chased an equaliser, Modric received the ball from Marcelo Brozovic 20 yards from goal and took two touches before curling a sensational right-footer beyond Caballero

The excellent Rakitic struck the crossbar with a free-kick five minutes from time, but would deliver the final blow in injury-time

The Barcelona midfielder forced a superb save from Caballero but Mateo Kovacic returned the ball into his path and he stroked into an unguarded net

The result means Croatia have a maximum six points and are in pole position to top the group, while Argentina and the near-anonymous Lionel Messi are left to hope results go their way if they are to survive in this tournament

Croatia could lay serious claim to having the best central midfield at this World Cup

Rakitic and Modric were exceptional once again, ably supported by the willing Marcelo Brozovic

It would be tempting to give the award to Modric, especially after stunning goal, but Rakitic's quality and consistency was rewarded with an injury-time tap in and he just edges a close contest

The final games in Group D take place at 7pm BST on Tuesday evening

Argentina will surely need a victory against Nigeria in St Petersburg, while Croatia face Iceland in Rostov-on-Don at the same time, looking to clinch top spot in the group

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Strinic

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Lovren

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Vida

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Perisic

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Rebic

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Kramaric

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Kovacic

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<PAD>

1,843

Cristiano Ronaldo proved the difference for Portugal as his early header condemned Morocco to a 1-0 defeat in Group B at the World Cup

After his hat-trick against Spain, Ronaldo was yet again in headline-grabbing mood and headed Portugal into a fourth-minute lead

His 85th goal for his country means he's now scored more international goals than any other European player in history and puts Portugal in a strong position to qualify for the last 16 with four points from their first two games

Morocco created ample opportunities but a mixture of poor finishing, most notably from Mehdi Benatia and a strong display from new Wolves goalkeeper Rui Patricio denied them and equaliser and means Hervé Renard's men can't qualify for the last 16 after two straight defeats

Much like in their defeat to Iran, Morocco were fast out of the blocks

However, they were punished by a lapse in defence by Ronaldo with just four minutes on the clock

A recycled corner was pumped back into the danger zone which allowed the Real Madrid man to get a run on Manuel Da Costa and thump his fourth goal of the tournament home

Morocco responded like a team that knew their World Cup was on the line

Benatia planted a header straight at Patricio from eight yards on 12 minutes while Nordin Amrabat had a penalty appeal turned down when Raphael Guerreiro hauled him down

Portugal survived another penalty appeal and VAR review when Jose Fonte crashed into the back of Khalid Boutaib

Goncalo Guedes then squandered a brilliant chance when put through by Ronaldo as Morocco goalkeeper Munir Mohamedi stood strong

Morocco so nearly gained their reward on 57 minutes, when Patricio produced a fantastic save to deny a Benatia header

Benatia blazed another chance over four minutes later and the same man had two more decent chances as the clock ticked down, but failed to hit the target

It wasn't as destructive as his performance against Spain but it was no less important

Morocco's only severe lapse of concentration was punished by the goal machine, who will be hard to stop in the Golden Boot race now

Ronaldo has also become the first Portuguese player since José Torres in 1966 to score a goal with his right foot, left foot and head in a single World Cup tournament

Fernando Santos, Portugal manager: Herve Renard, Morocco manager: Portugal require just a point against Iran on Monday to guarantee their spot in the next round while Morocco take on Spain

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Pepe

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Dirar

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Benatia

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Boussoufa

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ElKaabi

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1,844

Uruguay booked their place in the last 16 of the World Cup after a 1-0 win over Saudi Arabia in Rostov-on-Don on Wednesday afternoon

The victory, which also confirms Russia's place in the knockout stage and eliminates both Saudi Arabia and Egypt, was secured through a close-range goal from Luis Suarez (23) on his 100th appearance for his country

Uruguay now need to beat Russia in Samara next Monday to top the group, while Saudi Arabia will head home following their final Group A game against Egypt

Saudi Arabia were humbled 5-0 by Russia in their opening match, but performed much more admirably in Rostov, dominating first-half possession and carving out two early opportunities for Hatan Bahbir, who hit a long-range shot at Fernando Muslera and volleyed wide from close range

But their hard work was undone by some poor marking in the 23rd minute as Suarez became the first Uruguayan to score in three successive World Cup finals with the opening goal

Carlos Sanchez swung in a corner which sailed to the far post where the unmarked Barcelona forward volleyed home with his left foot from the edge of the six-yard box

Both sides appeared to struggle in the Rostov heat for much of the game and Sanchez wasted the first big opportunity of the second half when he headed Edinson Cavani's inswinging cross over the bar

Cavani himself almost inadvertently doubled the lead with 10 minutes to go when substitute Lucas Torreira struck a wild shot from distance which deflected off his face and went narrowly wide of the post

He had an even better chance four minutes before the end when he bullied Ali Al-Bulayhi and forced a smart stop from Mohammed Al-Owais

Saudi Arabia rarely threatened to equalise and while Uruguay's organised football was hardly eye-catching, their veteran boss Oscar Tabarez will care little after securing a passage to the knockout stages on the back of a pair of 1-0 wins

In a game of precious few chances, the central defenders from both sides emerged with the most credit

Osama Hawsawi and Ali Al-Bulayhi saw their copybook blotted by Suarez's sloppy winner, but Godin and Jose Gimenez hardly put a foot wrong in 90 minutes

Atletico Madrid defender Godin showed class throughout, dealing with crosses into the box and executing a precise slide tackle on Hatan Bahbir in the first half

Tabarez has clearly built this Uruguay side on a solid foundation

Uruguay will play hosts Russia in Samara at 3pm next Monday to determine which side will top the group, while Saudi Arabia will face Egypt at the same time in Volgograd with both eliminated sides looking to pick up their first points of the tournament

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<PAD>

1,845

Diego Costa struck again for Spain to seal a 1-0 win over World Cup Group B opponents Iran, who had a goal disallowed for offside

Costa, who scored twice for Spain during their 3-3 draw against Portugal on Friday, added his third goal of the tournament when Ramin Rezaeian's clearance cannoned off the Atletico Madrid striker's leg and into the net

Iran thought they had levelled things up 10 minutes later, but Saeid Ezatolahi's goal was ruled offside by the referee's assistant, a decision then backed up by VAR

The result puts Spain top of Group B ahead of Portugal - who beat Morocco 1-0 earlier in the day - on the 'fair play' rule, with both having four points and the same goal difference, but Spain receiving fewer bookings

Iran are a point behind in third and could still make the knockout stages

The first half lacked clear-cut chances, with Karim Ansarifard firing a speculative effort wide in the 14th minute before David Silva struck a fierce drive five minutes later, but it hammered into the body of Majid Hosseini

Silva had the best chance of the opening period on the half-hour mark

Spain took a short corner and after Gerard Pique and Sergio Ramos headed the ball back across the face of goal from Andres Iniesta's cross, Silva went for the overhead kick at close range, but saw it fly over the crossbar

The second half started at a great pace, with Alireza Beiranvand forced into two great saves just six minutes after the restart, denying Pique on the line before a great leaping save to keep out a thunderous effort from Sergio Busquets

Iran went close at the other end not long after, but Ansarifard's strike could only skim the side of the net

Costa put Spain ahead in the 54th minute, although there was a touch of luck to the goal

Iniesta slipped the ball through the middle for the Atletico Madrid striker, who turned as he made his shot, which took a deflection off the legs of Ramin Rezaeian and himself before nestling into the back of the net

Ten minutes later, Iran thought they had nabbed the equaliser, but they were denied by an offside flag

Rezaeian pumped a free-kick into the box, which found Ezatolahi at the back post and he slotted home past De Gea

However, as he celebrated wildly with his team-mates, the referee had his arm up to signal he would be reviewing the goal, which after a tense few minutes, was ruled out for offside in the build-up

Iran continued to have the better of the efforts as the half wore on, with Mehdi Taremi missing two glorious chances

The first in the 76th minute saw him just miss a cross into the area from Vahid Amiri by mere inches, before he powered a header high over the crossbar from close range with Iran unable to capitalise on their late pressure

Another man-of-the-match performance from the Real Madrid forward, who was once again a key part of Spain's attacking play

He delivered a number of set-pieces and crosses into the area - with varying degrees of success - and continues to show his importance and quality for Spain

Iran can still mathematically make it through to the knockout stages, and take on Portugal in their final group game on Monday 25 June, with Spain also playing Morocco on the same in Kaliningrad

Both games kick off at 7pm

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Alba

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<PAD>

1,846

Japan secured their first World Cup victory on European soil as Yuya Osako's header earned a 2-1 win over 10-man Colombia in Saransk

Jose Pekerman's side suffered the worst possible start after Carlos Sanchez was sent off for handling Osako's goalbound shot with Shinji Kagawa on hand to calmly slot the resulting penalty (6)

But Colombia responded well to the setback to deservedly equalise through Juan Quintero's clever free-kick under the wall (39)

Japan were the dominant side in the second period and after David Ospina had twice been forced into good saves, Osako rose to head in the winning goal (73) to spark emotional scenes both on the bench and in the stands of the Mordovia Stadium

Japan's opening World Cup game in Group H was played against a sombre backdrop following the strong earthquake in Osaka that has killed at least three people and injured more than 200, but Akira Nishino's side will now be hopeful of qualifying for the knockout stages following this courageous display

Japan were handed a slice of good fortune after Sanchez was correctly dismissed for using his arm to keep out Osako's shot after Ospina had done well to initially deny Kagawa

Referee Damir Skomina didn't hesitate in brandishing the first red card of this World Cup - the second fastest in the tournament's history - and Kagawa showed composure to handle the long delay and send the Arsenal goalkeeper the wrong way

Takashi Inui and Osako both missed glorious chances to extend Japan's lead as both were off target with right-footed shots, and Colombia made them pay for such wastefulness as Quintero embarrassed Eiji Kawashima with his free-kick that trickled under his wall and over the line despite his desperate attempts to keep it out

Colombia, having wrestled a foothold in the game, rarely threatened in the second half as Japan took control

Osako forced Ospina into another save low to his left after rolling Davinson Sanchez before Hiroki Sakai was denied by another sprawling save from the Colombian keeper

From the ensuing corner, Osako rose above Santiago Arias to flick his header in off the far post

Colombia brought on James Rodriguez and Carlos Bacca in a desperate bid to salvage a point but Japan held on for a first win at the World Cup since beating Denmark in 2010

Osako was handed a start after Shinji Okazaki was unable to fully shake off a calf problem, and despite missing an excellent chance in the first-half, he was involved in both of Japan's goals, including his fine match-winning header

The striker is joining Bundesliga outfit Werder Bemen from Cologne this summer, and having caused Davinson Sanchez plenty of problems all afternoon, they will be happy to have already got that piece of business over the line

Okazaki may have to wait for his start

Japan continue their quest for qualification from Group H when they travel to the Central Stadium in Yekaterinburg to face Senegal on Sunday (4pm BST kick-off)

Colombia play Poland on the same day at the Kazan Arena at 7pm BST

Follow all the games live on SkySports

com

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<PAD>

1,847

Senegal claimed their first World Cup win since 2002 with a shock 2-1 victory over Poland in Group H

In a tightly-fought contest, Thiago Cionek's unfortunate own goal (37) handed Senegal the lead before their advantage was doubled through M'Baye Niang (60), who capitalised on a poor backpass from Grzegorz Krychowiak to score his first international goal after running on from the sideline having received treatment

Krychowiak pulled a goal back for Poland with a powerful header four minutes from time, but Senegal held on for victory

Senegal started the stronger team with Aliou Cisse's men keen to break down the wings at any given opportunity

Their first chance landed to former Watford forward Niang, whose attempted squared ball towards the far post skidded narrowly wide before, at the other end, Piotr Zielinski directed his bullet header over the bar

In the 37th minute, Senegal broke the deadlock as Idrissa Gueye's strike from the edge of the box took a heavy deflection off Cionek, sending goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny the wrong way

A corner from Niang then reached Salif Sane, but he smashed his free header into the ground and over the bar

Poland responded brightly in the second half as Robert Lewandowski tested Khadim N'Diaye in the 52nd minute, but the Senegal goalkeeper did well to parry his effort away

Though Adam Nawałka's side were growing into the game, Senegal scored on the hour mark following a dreadful error from Krychowiak

The PSG midfielder's bizarre hoof back to Szczesny was intercepted by the onrushing Niang, allowing for a simple tap-in

Arkadiusz Milik hit a first-time effort wide from close range in the 70th minute and four minutes from time, Poland pulled a goal back through Krychowiak as he rose highest to meet Kamil Grosicki's free-kick and power in his header

Senegal were able to hold on in the final few minutes, despite some late Poland pressure, to get their World Cup campaign off to a dream start

Niang was a constant threat to Poland's backline as he caused Lukasz Piszczek and Cionek plenty of problems on the left side

He sparked numerous Senegal attacks and capped off an impressive performance with a goal on the hour-mark

Poland continue their quest for qualification against Colombia at 7pm on Sunday

Senegal, meanwhile, take on Japan earlier on the same day at 4pm

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<PAD>

1,848

Hosts Russia roared to a 3-1 win over Egypt in St Petersburg on Tuesday evening to put themselves on the brink of the World Cup last 16

Ahmed Fathi's calamitous own goal (47) broke the deadlock, before Denis Cheryshev (59) and Artem Dzyuba (61) struck twice in three minutes to settle the Group A clash and move Russia onto a maximum six points after two games

Mo Salah, who was included from the start, pulled a goal back from the penalty spot with 17 minutes left, but it will take an unlikely series of results to prevent the hosts from progressing while Egypt's tournament is probably over after two straight defeats

After a pedestrian first half in which each side managed only one shot on target, Russia's breakthrough came in farcical circumstances within two minutes of the restart

Mohamed El Shenawy needlessly opted to punch instead of catch Aleksandr Golovin's cross and Roman Zobnin's follow-up shot from the edge of the area was sailing wide until Fathi put out a leg and steered the ball across his own goalkeeper and into the goal

The referee put his finger to his ear to ask VAR to check for a push by Dzyuba on Fathi, but there was no reprieve for the full-back and the goal stood

The second followed 12 minutes later when Alexandr Samedov found the overlapping run of full-back Mario Fernandes, who reached to the byline and pulled the ball back to Cheryshev eight yards out to strike his third goal of the tournament

Cheryshev was one of the heroes of Russia's opening 5-0 win against Saudi Arabia and another, Dzyuba, rattled in the third three minutes later

The striker chested down a high ball on the edge of the area, bullied his way past Ali Gabr with ease and tucked the ball into the corner

Salah struck back for Egypt when he earned and scored a penalty in the 73rd minute

Referee Enrique Caceres initially awarded a free-kick when Zobnin tugged the Liverpool forward, but VAR confirmed the foul continued into the area and Salah lashed the spot kick high into the net

Salah now has little hope of demonstrating his talents in the knockout stage, unlike Russia's players whose progress from Group A is virtually guaranteed with maximum points and a commanding goal difference

Cheryshev was Russia's hero in the opening win against Saudi Arabia and the home fans roared his every touch, almost as loudly as Egypt's cheered Salah

His second-half goal was the key moment in this match and moved him joint-top of the World Cup scoring charts, along with Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo

After a quiet first half, he was at the heart of Russia's best play in this match and is now establishing himself as the poster boy of this competition

Russia's final game in Group A is against Uruguay in Samara next Monday afternoon (3pm, UK time)

Egypt face Saudi Arabia in Volgograd at the same time

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<PAD>

1,849

Sweden opened their World Cup campaign with a 1-0 victory over South Korea in Group F thanks to Andreas Granqvist's penalty, which was awarded after the use of video technology

Janne Andersson's side were awarded a penalty in the 64th minute when VAR helped overrule referee Joel Aguilar's original decision for a challenge on Viktor Claesson by Yong-Joon Lee inside the penalty area, from which Swedish captain Granqvist fired home (65)

It proved to be the only goal of the game as Sweden won their opening game at a World Cup for the first time since 1958 to move level with Mexico at the top of Group F following their shock 1-0 win over Germany on Sunday

The two sides looked evenly matches in the opening stages of what was a tight affair, but Sweden eventually began to dominate proceedings, taking control of the midfield battle

The first chance of the game fell to Sweden and indecision in the South Korea defence saw the ball drop to Marcus Berg on the edge of the six-yard box, but the striker's poor finish was saved by Hyun-Woo Cho

The ball fell for Berg again on the half-hour mark and he was denied again, this time by an excellent last-ditch block from Young-Gwon Kim

South Korea rarely threatened as an attacking force but talisman Heung-Min Son showed his threat on the break, using his pace to get to the byline but his cut back was intercepted by Sweden captain Andreas Granqvist

Both sides came out with more attacking intent after the break as Emil Forsberg's shot flashed over the crossbar and Ja-Cheol Koo's header hit the side netting

Sweden were then presented with the opportunity to break the deadlock midway through the second half, courtesy of VAR

The referee initially played on following Lee's challenge on Claesson before halting play with South Korea on the attack and pointing to the penalty spot after being given advice from VAR and watching the replay on the pitchside screen

Granqvist took full advantage, rolling the ball into the bottom corner to score Sweden's first goal in 402 minutes of international football and secure a crucial three points

When Sweden needed a match winner, the captain, Granqvist, stepped up and delivered for Andersson's side

It had been 402 minutes since Ola Toivonen scored Sweden's last international goal against Chile back in March

And after VAR intervention, they were handed the chance of breaking that run and a nervous looking Granqvist stepped up, tucking the ball into the bottom to score his side's first goal at a World Cup since 2006

He also made a couple of crucial interventions at the other end of the pitch to cap an excellent captain's display as Sweden got their campaign off to a winning start

Sweden play Germany on Saturday at 7pm while South Korea face Mexico, also on Saturday at 4pm

null

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Olsen

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Lustig

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Jansson

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Larsson

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Claesson

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Forsberg

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Toivonen

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Berg

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Hiljemark

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KooJa-Cheol

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HwangHee-Chan

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Heung-MinSon

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Min-WooKim

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Seung-WooLee

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<PAD>

1,850

Harry Kane scored a dramatic injury-time winner as England beat Tunisia 2-1 in their World Cup opener in Volgograd on Monday evening

The England captain, who had volleyed his side into an early lead, headed home after Harry Maguire had flicked on a Kieran Tripper corner in the 91st minute to secure a vital three points in their bid to qualify from Group G

A controversial penalty looked to have denied them the win when Kyle Walker was harshly penalised for an elbow on Fakhreddine Ben Youssef 10 minutes before half-time and Ferjani Sassi coolly slotted home

But Kane's late intervention means Gareth Southgate's young side move level with Belgium - who beat Panama 3-0 earlier in the day - at the top of the group and start their World Cup campaign in positive fashion

England's rampant start was capped by a sharp volleyed goal from their captain in the 11th minute

Tunisia goalkeeper Mouez Hassen brilliantly palmed away John Stones' header from Ashley Young's corner, but Kane was alert to smash home from close range

By the time Hassen left the field in tears on 15 minutes, he had already made three excellent saves - including the third-minute outstretched foot which denied Jesse Lingard and saw the goalkeeper pick up the injury that would ultimately end his night early

Lingard, Jordan Henderson and Maguire wasted opportunities as England remained in total control until the 35th minute when Colombian referee Wilmar Roldan pointed to the penalty spot to allow Tunisia back into the game

Walker's trailing arm, which caught Ben Youssef in the face as the duo challenged for a high cross, was judged to be a foul and after the VAR opted not to overturn the call, Sassi brilliantly slotted home, despite Jordan Pickford diving the right way

Moments later, England were denied a penalty of their own when Sassi wrestled with Kane in the area, though Stones miskicked a simple chance from eight yards when the ball broke to him seconds later - and there was still time for Lingard to prod a Kieran Trippier through-ball onto the outside of the post before an incident-packed first half ended

The referee did not penalise a further hold on Kane by Yassine Meriah early in a second half which lacked the intensity of the first and was devoid of clear opportunities, despite the introductions of Marcus Rashford and Ruben Loftus-Cheek for the ineffective Raheem Sterling and Dele Alli

Indeed, there was only one genuine chance in the second half and Kane was alert to convert it, losing his marker and nodding home from three yards at the back post to sink the valiant Tunisians and spark England's World Cup campaign into life

This was only the Tottenham full-back's eighth appearance in an England shirt, but he performed like a seasoned professional and was England's most creative outlet throughout

His set-piece deliveries caused Tunisia problems all night - the winning goal was the perfect example of that - but his running as a right wing-back was fundamental to the success of Southgate's system

England continue their quest for qualification from Group G when they travel to Nizhny Novgorod to face Panama on Sunday lunchtime (1pm BST kick-off)

Tunisia play Belgium a day earlier in Moscow, also at 1pm BST

null

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Khazri

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Walker

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Stones

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Maguire

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1,851

Two goals from Romelu Lukaku and a stunning volley from Dries Mertens saw Belgium win their opening World Cup game 3-0 against debutants Panama in Sochi on Monday

After a goalless opening period which lacked clear-cut chances, it took Mertens just two minutes to open the scoring in the second half

Manchester United striker Lukaku (69, 75) then netted twice in six minutes to seal an ultimately comfortable win for Roberto Martinez's men, who top Group G ahead of England's match with Tunisia

Panama - who were playing their first World Cup game - did not offer too much in reply, and will face Gareth Southgate's side in Nizhny Novgorod on Sunday

Belgium began the game well, and had their first effort in the seventh minute with Yannick Ferreira Carrasco hammering a shot into the hands of goalkeeper Jamie Penedo before the Panama stopper was forced to push Mertens' half-volley over the crossbar

Captain Roman Torres, who scored the goal that sent Panama to the World Cup, nearly made a big mistake to concede the opening goal not long after

A ball was played over the top for Eden Hazard, but Torres got there first and attempted to pass back to his goalkeeper

However, Hazard latched onto the poor pass but could only send a shot into the side netting

But Torres did well in the 21st minute to prevent Belgium from scoring, making a superb block to put Kevin De Bruyne's pass behind ahead of the waiting Lukaku

17 minutes later, Penedo was in action again as he made a fine, leaping save to push a fierce Hazard shot around the post

Belgium took the lead in the 47th minute through a lovely goal from Mertens

A cleared ball landed to the Napoli man at the top right edge of the box and he struck a first-time volley which flew past Penedo and into the far corner

Panama's best chance of the game came in the 55th minute, with Thibaut Courtois forced into a smothered save as Michael Amir Murillo latched onto a fine pass over the top, but could not get a shot away with Courtois pouncing on the ball

Belgium doubled their lead in the 69th minute with Lukaku's first goal as he met De Bruyne's superb outside-of-the-foot cross with a powerful header

Lukaku wrapped up the victory six minutes later

It was a great break from the Red Devils as Witsel set Hazard away through the middle of the park before picking out Lukaku to his left who then made no mistake in slotting the ball home past Penedo

Mertens was the bright spark in an otherwise dull first half, often making crosses into the box from the wing even if the final product in the area lacked somewhat

He also scored a fabulous opening goal for Belgium, hammering the ball home from the corner of the area, and will be pleased with his performance in Sochi

Next up for Belgium is Tunisia on Saturday 23 June at 1pm while Panama will take on England on Sunday 24 June, also at 1pm

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EHazard

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THazard

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1,852

Aleksandar Kolarov's brilliant second-half free-kick saw Serbia beat Costa Rica 1-0 in their opening Group E contest on Sunday afternoon

The Serbs won the game thanks to Kolarov's wonderful strike 11 minutes into the second half, the third direct free-kick already at this World Cup

Mladen Krstajic's side held out comfortably thereafter in Samara to get their campaign off to a winning start, with Costa Rica lacking the cutting edge to really threaten their opponents

In a tight and evenly-matched first half, it was Costa Rica who created the best opening before the break, only for unmarked centre-back Giancarlo Gonzalez to head wastefully over the bar after a nicely worked short corner

Serbia controlled large parts of the opening 45 minutes, although the closest they came to actually breaking the deadlock was an acrobatic overhead kick from Aleksandar Mitrovic a minute before the interval

Mitrovic's effort produced a smart reaction stop from Costa Rica goalkeeper Keylor Navas and despite the flag going up for offside, the Newcastle United forward's audacious effort would in fact have stood had it gone in and been referred to VAR

Serbia really should have opened the scoring five minutes after the break, only for Mitrovic to fluff the chance, having been played clean through by Sergej Milinkovic-Savic's astute pass

However, that miss was soon forgotten as Kolarov - who almost did not make the game after picking up a leg injury in the warm-up - beat Navas from distance

Serbia could have further extended their lead, but first substitute Filip Kostic somehow failed to make proper contact with Dusan Tadic's centre, before Mitrovic again failed to hit the target after being released by Milinkovic-Savic's through ball

And the low-key contest ended with drama when Malang Diedhiou used VAR to decide if Nemanja Matic and then substitute Aleksandar Prijovic should be sent off, but the Senegalese official deemed neither worthy of a red

All eyes were on the Serbia midfielder at the Samara Arena after he was reportedly linked with a big-money move to Man Utd next season

However, the Lazio star did not disappoint with an enterprising display against Costa Rica, and Serbia would have won this contest far easier, and earlier, had they taken any of the chances he laid on for his team-mates

In particular, it was Mitrovic who spurned the two best openings after the break, both of which were laid on a plate for the misfiring Newcastle forward by the 23-year-old's inch-perfect through balls

Costa Rica take on Brazil in St Petersburg on Friday lunchtime, while Serbia face Switzerland in Kaliningrad later that day

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Gonzalez

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Urena

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Matic

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1,853

Croatia sit top of World Cup Group D after a comfortable 2-0 win over Nigeria in Kaliningrad on Saturday evening

Zlatko Dalic's side took the lead in fortunate circumstances when Mario Mandzukic's 32nd-minute header from a Luka Modric corner was deflected into his own net by the unfortunate Oghenekaro Etebo

Modric secured the win from the penalty spot 19 minutes from time after William Troost-Ekong needlessly fouled Mandzukic at a corner

The result leaves Croatia in a strong position after the opening fixtures following Argentina's 1-1 draw with Iceland earlier on Saturday

Ivan Perisic's 14th-minute sighter from the edge of the area fizzed over the bar and set the tone for a solid first-half display from Croatia which saw them dominate possession without creating chances - with their 32nd-minute lead arriving in fortuitous circumstances

Modric's left-wing corner was flicked on by Ante Rebic and headed on by Mandzukic

The ball looked to be heading wide, but cannoned off the back of the leg of Stoke City's new £6m signing Etebo and into the net

The own goal came despite there being no shots on target from either side in the first half, though the impressive Andrej Kramaric headed narrowly over the bar from an Ivan Rakitic ball shortly before half-time

Croatia should have doubled their lead when Rakitic played a sublime first-time pass to Perisic on the left and he found an unmarked Rebic in the six-yard box, but the forward volleyed high and wide when he looked certain to score

However, the second goal came on 71 minutes when Ekong put both arms around Mandzukic from a Modric corner and the referee correctly pointed to the spot

Modric struck low to the right of goalkeeper Francis Uzoho, who dived the wrong way, to settle a disappointing match and yet give Croatia the perfect start to their World Cup campaign

In a game of little quality, the Real Madrid midfielder stood out throughout

Sitting in a deep midfield role, he spread long passes to his team-mates with stirring precision throughout the first half and calmly struck home the second-half penalty which put the game beyond Nigeria

If Croatia are to go deep in this tournament, their captain will surely be at the heart of things

Croatia's next test is against Argentina in Nizhny Novgorod on Thursday evening (7pm, UK time), while Nigeria's second Group D clash is on Friday afternoon against Iceland in Volgograd at 4pm (UK time)

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Mandzukic

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Brozovic

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Idowu

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Troost-Ekong

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Balogun

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Shehu

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Ndidi

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Etebo

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Mikel

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Moses

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Iwobi

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Ighalo

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Musa

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1,854

Lionel Messi missed a second-half penalty as Iceland secured a famous 1-1 draw with Argentina in their Group D clash on Saturday

Sergio Aguero opened the scoring after just 19 minutes with a brilliant finish, the Manchester City striker's first goal at the World Cup in his third tournament

Iceland were soon level though through Alfred Finnbogason's close-range finish, his country's first-ever goal in the World Cup finals

However, it still took an excellent save from Hannes Halldorsson to keep out Messi's 64th-minute penalty, the first time the Barcelona playmaker had ever missed a spot-kick for his country

Thereafter, Jorge Sampaoli's team had to settle for a draw in Moscow, while Iceland - the smallest nation to ever qualify for the global showpiece event - hung on for what was their first-ever point at the World Cup,Argentina were up and running within 19 minutes, although their opener had an element of luck about it

Marcos Rojo lined up a shot from distance that fell straight to Aguero, who still had a lot to do

However, the forward earned himself some space with a lovely piece of close control, before firing an unstoppable shot into the roof of the net - not that his side were ahead for long

It took Iceland less than five minute to equalise after a scramble in the Argentina box, with the ball eventually falling to the unmarked Gylfi Sigurdsson at the far post

And the Everton forward's low driven shot then fell kindly at the feet of Finnbogason, with the Augsburg striker keeping his cool to side-foot the rebound into the gaping goal

There were two VAR calls before the break for possible Argentina penalties, both of which were turned down, but referee Szymon Marciniak did not need any help in deciding Hordur Magnusson had pulled down Maximiliano Meza in the box midway through the second half

Up stepped Messi, only for the five-time Ballon d'Or winner to see Halldorsson guess correctly and dive full length to his right to keep out the penalty - the fourth time he has missed a spot-kick in his last seven efforts for club and country

There was more controversy, however, when the Polish official opted not to use VAR to decide if Cristian Pavon had been tripped as he drove to the left byline with 13 minutes to go - even though it appeared as though Birkir Saevarsson had made contact with the sub

The new Randers FC goalkeeper would have been expecting a busy afternoon at the Otkrytie Arena, and that is exactly how the contest panned out in the Russian capital

The 34-year-old had to twice be alert to deny Messi in the first half, before reading the playmaker's mind to palm his second-half spot kick aside

However, the Iceland No 1 saved his best for last when reacting brilliantly to keep out substitute Cristian Pavon's cross-cum-shot with just three minutes to go

Argentina take on Croatia at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium on Thursday evening, before Iceland then face Nigeria at the Volgograd Arena on Friday afternoon

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1,855

Germany's defence of the World Cup started with defeat as Mexico secured a pulsating 1-0 victory in Moscow on Sunday

Hirving Lozano finished off a flowing counter-attack with a low close-range strike in the first half to put his team in command of Group F and settle a thriller at the Luzhniki Stadium

Germany have only ever lost the opening match of a World Cup once before - to Algeria in 1982 - and must now bounce back against Sweden and South Korea if they are to reach the knock-out stages

Meanwhile, there were wild celebrations from the Mexican players as they enjoyed their first ever competitive victory over Germany

Mexico's success was built upon a super first-half display

A last-ditch tackle from Jerome Boateng was required to deny Lozano a second-minute opener and their three vibrant forwards were a constant threat on the break

Their 35th-minute goal was well deserved

Javier Hernandez and Andres Guardado exchanged passes before finding Lozano in space on the left of the area and the PSV forward cut inside Mesut Ozil in the right-back position, took a touch and drilled low past Manuel Neuer

Toni Kroos might have levelled four minutes later, but his free-kick was pushed onto the bar by goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa and Mexico could have extended their lead 12 minutes after half-time, but Hernandez failed to pick out Vela in a two-on-two counter-attack

Both Vela and Lozano were substituted and 39-year-old Rafael Marquez came on to appear in his fifth World Cup as Mexico adopted a more defensive approach in the final 30 minutes of the game, and Germany piled on the pressure late on

Joshua Kimmich's overhead kick, Timo Werner's far-post volley and Kroos' long-range strike tested the nerves of the Mexican supporters before substitute Mario Gomez headed wide a simple chance with two minutes to play

Julian Brandt clipped the outside of the post in the final minute of a wonderfully tense encounter, but Mexico held on for a famous win which leaves the world champions, who would likely face Brazil in the last 16 if they finish second in the group, battling to qualify and keep alive their hopes of winning back-to-back World Cups

The PSV striker was heralded as a potential World Cup breakout star before the tournament and his dynamic and positive display on the left of Mexico's front three will have earned him more admiring glances from Europe's biggest clubs

While Javier Hernandez put in the hard yards and Carlos Vela was a willing runner throughout, Lozano provided the classy touches - and his fine finish in the first half proved to be the crucial moment of the match

The only shame was that he was withdrawn with 30 minutes to play as Mexico adopted a more defensive approach

Germany head to Sochi for their second game of Group F and a meeting with Sweden next Saturday (7pm, UK time)

Mexico are also in action on Saturday when they play South Korea in Rostov-on-Don at 4pm UK time

null

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1,856

Brazil made a stuttering start to their World Cup campaign as Switzerland dug in for a 1-1 draw in their Group E opener

The Brazilians looked to be in full control of their opener when Phillipe Coutinho spectacularly fired home from range in the 20th minute

However, some suspect defending allowed Steven Zuber to nod home from a corner five minutes into the second half - and the goal survived a VAR review for an alleged push on Brazil defender Miranda

Brazil came on strong in the closing stages as Neymar, Roberto Firmino and Miranda all went close but the resolute Swiss held on

In their first World Cup game since famously losing 7-1 to Germany in the semi-final in Rio four years ago, Brazil took their time to warm up

Marcelo was the only survivor from that Germany defeat that started - and it was down his left side where Brazil looked dangerous

They took the lead on 20 minutes when Neymar's run down that flank left space for Coutinho to work in

He took aim from 25 yards and the ball curled perfectly into the net, via the inside of the post

Switzerland saw plenty of the ball after the goal but lacked quality in the final third

The five-time World Cup winners from South America looked comfortable - almost too comfortable at times - and the Swiss made them pay after the break

Xherdan Shaqiri whipped a sensational corner into the six-yard box which found Zuber in space despite five Brazilian defenders being within yards of him

He headed home, although Brazil were aggrieved as the Swiss scorer had seemingly pushed his marker Miranda in the back

However, the VAR deemed there was nothing wrong with the goal

Despite Neymar's best efforts, Brazil lacked a spark in the final third until the closing stages where they should have bagged a winner

Firmino's close-range header was clawed away by Yann Sommer before Miranda fired inches wide after a long ball had caused problems in the Swiss defence

Hard to pick a standout individual, but the Barcelona man provided a world-class moment that should have sent Brazil on their way to victory

At times, he linked encouragingly with Neymar, which bodes well for the remainder of the tournament

Brazil have Costa Rica next up on Friday while Switzerland take on Serbia, who opened their campaign with a 1-0 win over Costa Rica and top Group E

null

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GabrielJesus

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Firmino

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Augusto

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1,857

Denmark took advantage of some sloppy Peru finishing - including a missed penalty - to win their opening World Cup Group C clash 1-0

Yussuf Poulsen got the decisive goal (59) but Peru only had themselves to blame as they squandered a plethora of chances, most notably when Christian Cueva blazed over a first-half penalty, which was awarded after a VAR review

The disciplined Danes were also indebted to goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, who made six saves and now hasn't conceded a goal in international football for 534 minutes

The result leaves Denmark joint-top of Group C with France, who beat Australia 2-1 earlier on Saturday

Andre Carrillo set the tone for a spell of early Peru pressure with a rasping 20-yard drive that was pushed clear by Schmeichel

Denmark were keen to soak up pressure but were struggling to get Christian Eriksen into the game

Peru kept on probing and, with the help of VAR, won a penalty on the stroke of half-time

Poulsen dangled a leg which tripped Cueva and initially the appeals were waved away by the referee but, after contacting his video assistants and his pitch-side TV, he awarded the penalty

Cueva stepped up but his adrenaline got the better of him as he spanked the penalty way over the crossbar

Denmark enjoyed their best spell of the match after the break and struck gold on 59 minutes

With Peru out of their defensive shape, Eriksen conjured up a moment of quality to release Poulsen, who kept his cool and finished into the bottom corner

Paolo Guerrero was introduced by Peru on 62 minutes, which triggered a response

The striker nearly produced a leveller on 79 minutes but his cheeky back-heel spun wide of the post before Schmeichel took centre stage to deny Carrillo and Jefferson Farfan as the Danes held on

"I think Peru is an outstanding team

They probably deserved more, but that's football

"Sometimes that happens, and today we were on the lucky side

Next game, Peru can be on the lucky side

"Schmeichel is fast on his feet and his goal line play is probably the best in the world when he is in form

"Today he had a fantastic performance and it is needed when you get as hard pressure on you as Peru did in the second half

" "My players did their best, so I really can't complain

We had an enormous amount of fans who came to support us, and it's sad

"They came from very far to see us win this match, or at least a draw

I think that would have been fair

"I really believe Peru didn't deserve to lose, but football is about effectiveness

We can't cry over spilt milk, we have to recover as soon as possible

"After a below par season - in terms of his usual high standards - with Leicester, the Premier League winner was back to his brilliant best here

He did not allow Peru to pass his goal-line as he made some important stops to deny the South Americans as shots flew in from all angles

The pick of saves came late on when he clawed away Farfan's effort from 15 yards

Peru have the tricky task of trying to keep their World Cup campaign alive against France on Thursday while Denmark will look to guarantee their spot on the last 16 with a win over Australia

null

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Tapia

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Carrillo

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Farfan

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Schmeichel

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Kjaer

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Kvist

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Sisto

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Eriksen

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Jorgensen

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1,858

France stuttered to a 2-1 win over Australia in their opening Group C World Cup clash as the use of video technology came to the fore for the first time in the tournament

France were awarded a penalty when VAR helped overrule the referee's original decision for a challenge on Antoine Griezmann by Josh Risdon inside the area, from which Griezmann fired home (58)

However, Samuel Umtiti inexplicably handled inside the area and Mile Jedinak converted from the penalty spot (62) to level the scores

France struggled to break down Australia's stern defence but gained a huge slice of luck when Paul Pogba's deflected effort looped over Mat Ryan and bounced off the underside of the crossbar with goal-line technology confirming the ball had crossed the line for an own goal

It was a very underwhelming performance by one of the pre-tournament favourites as, apart from the opening eight minutes, France only managed two shots on target, both of which went in

They began with intent and Australia goalkeeper Ryan was kept busy inside the opening minutes but stood strong

The Socceroos then almost opened the scoring when Hugo Lloris reacted quickly to prevent Corentin Tolisso scoring an own goal

France went into their shell and struggled to create opportunities before they were presented with a perfect chance to break the deadlock after the break, courtesy of video technology

The referee initially played on following Risdon's challenge on Griezmann before pointing to the penalty spot after being given advice from VAR and watching the replay himself on the pitchside screen

Griezmann seized the opportunity, smashing the ball into the top corner

Australia were level four minutes later when Umtiti inexplicably handled a free-kick in the box, allowing Jedinak to calmly roll home

Despite bringing on Olivier Giroud, France rarely looked capable of breaking down their opponents but there was another unfortunate moment for Australia to come nine minutes from time

Aziz Behich's challenge of Pogba was strong and well-timed but the ball looped over Ryan and narrowly crossed the line having bounced down off the underside of the crossbar

Job done for France but improvement will be required

It was difficult to be impressed with any of the French players, who looked uncomfortable and restricted for their national team

One man that looked right at home was Huddersfield's Mooy, who was everywhere for the Aussies and showed great awareness and skill when in possession

: "It was not easy, but winning the first match is very important

It was complicated today with a team who gave us a hard time

It's hard to explain everything

We missed a change of pace, a little juice

": "I hoped that maybe one time there would be a very honest referee, and in that moment, that he wouldn't go to the video screen

I saw him standing there

The body language was that he didn't know, from my position

And then you have to take a decision - France or Australia

I got a lot of reactions, let's say that out of 10 people seven said it was a penalty and three said no penalty

"Australia play Denmark on Thursday at 1pm while France can qualify for the knockout stages with a win over Peru also on Thursday at 4pm

null

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Varane

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Umtiti

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Hernandez

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Kante

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Tolisso

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Mbappe

False

Griezmann

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Dembele

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Giroud

False

Fekir

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Matuidi

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Ryan

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Risdon

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Milligan

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Sainsbury

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Behich

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Jedinak

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Mooy

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Kruse

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Leckie

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Rogic

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Nabbout

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Irvine

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Juric

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Arzani

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1,859

Jose Gimenez headed a 90th-minute winner as Uruguay beat Egypt 1-0 in their opening Group A game at the World Cup in Yekaterinburg

The Atletico Madrid defender rose highest for Carlos Sanchez's free-kick to head past Mohamed El Shenawy and break Egypt hearts after a largely sluggish show from the Uruguayans

Luis Suarez had missed three fine chances and Edinson Cavani hit the post as Egypt looked to have survived without their talisman Mo Salah, due to his shoulder injury

Uruguay started slowly as Egypt's defence stayed compact, but Suarez had the first clear chance at the far post after Diego Godin flicked on a corner, scuffing his effort from six yards into the side-netting

Half-time could not come soon enough for Oscar Tabarez's side, with Suarez, in particular, looking unlike himself, but he had another fine chance within a minute of the second half to put Uruguay ahead

After Cavani's through ball, Suarez did well to get goal-side of Ahmed Hegazi at close range, but goalkeeper Mohamed El-Shenawy spread himself wide enough to deflect wide with an outstretched leg

Egypt began to retreat and were nearly punished as Cavani set up Suarez again, but the Barcelona forward dwelled on the ball, attempted to round El-Shenawy, before the ball was taken from his feet

Cavani saw a 20-yard volley from Suarez's set-up brilliantly saved by El-Shenawy, before his free-kick came crashing off the post, but Uruguay won it as the game headed for injury time

After Egypt gave away a needless free-kick on the right flank, sub Sanchez found the head of Gimenez, who did superbly to find the far corner with his header

Match-winner Gimenez could not ask for a better partner at club and country than Diego Godin

Though Egypt attacks were rare, the Atletico Madrid defender dealt with everything thrown at him in Yekaterinburg

His statistics will take some beating in this tournament; 100 per cent take-ons completed, 100 per cent tackles won, five clearances, five interceptions and four duels won

He even took the game by the scruff of the neck in an attacking sense, seen regularly on the ball in the attacking third

Uruguay now face Saudi Arabia in Group A on Wednesday in Volgograd at 4pm, while Egypt face Russia on Tuesday evening at 7pm in St Petersburg

null

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ElShenawy

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Abdelshafy

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Hegazy

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Gabr

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Fathy

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Elneny

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HamedWarda

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Elsaid

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Trezeguet

False

Mohsen

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Morsy

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Kahraba

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1,860

Cristiano Ronaldo scored a dramatic late free-kick to complete his first World Cup hat-trick and rescue a point for Portugal after a thrilling 3-3 draw against Spain in Sochi

Spain, who lost their manager Julen Lopetegui on the eve of the tournament, were seemingly heading towards victory after coming from behind twice to lead 3-2 with just minutes remaining, but Ronaldo, who became the first player to score in eight consecutive major tournaments, denied them right at the death on Friday night

Earlier, the Real Madrid forward opened his Russia 2018 account from the penalty spot in the fourth minute before Diego Costa fired Spain level in the 24th minute

David de Gea's error just before half-time handed Ronaldo (44) his second of the match and Portugal the lead at half-time but after the break, Spain hit back again through Costa (55) before Nacho's thunderbolt (58) gave his side the lead

Fernando Hierro, who took over from Lopetegui, was seemingly heading for a winning start to his reign until Ronaldo once again grabbed all the headlines

The news from the Spain camp had dominated the build-up to this game but Ronaldo shifted the attention back onto him as early as the fourth minute as his stepover drew a foul from Nacho to win a penalty

The Real Madrid striker got up to convert emphatically past De Gea from the spot

Spain responded well to going behind and they hit back through Costa, who created a yard for himself ahead of Jose Fonte before firing past Rui Patricio and into the bottom corner from the edge of the penalty area

Minutes later, Isco was inches away from giving Spain the lead

His powerfully struck shot beat Patricio but the ball crashed off the underside of the crossbar and down onto the goal line, with technology showing it had not crossed the line

Hierro's side were starting to dominate the ball, with Isco their main threat

The Real Madrid midfielder pulled the ball back for Andres Iniesta but his shot flashed just wide of the far post

Despite Spain's dominance, Portugal remained a threat on the counter-attack with Ronaldo leading the line, and the 33-year-old grabbed his second of the game thanks to De Gea's error

Goncalo Guedes teed up his captain, whose shot was straight at the Manchester United goalkeeper, but Spain's number one could only help it into the back of the net

Hierro's words at the break roused Spain as they regrouped to draw level in the 55th minute

David Silva's cross was headed back across goal by Sergio Busquets and Costa was on hand to tap in from close range

Three minutes later and Spain were in front thanks to Nacho's thumping half-volley as the ball flashed past Patricio and into the net off the post

Spain were on course for what would have been a morale-boosting win but it was left to Ronaldo to have the final say, as he curled his 88th-minute free-kick over the wall and into the top corner to round off a night which saw Russia 2018 burst into life

Who else could it be? The Real Madrid forward continues to write his own scripts with another superb performance, which single-handedly earned Portugal a point against Spain

By his own admission, Ronaldo's World Cup record is not the greatest but he put that right in Russia, scoring as many goals at the Fisht Olympic Stadium as he has done in his past three tournaments

The records continue to tumble for Ronaldo, who became the oldest hat-trick scorer in World Cup history, with the Portuguese star aged 33 years and 130 days

It beats the previous record, which was Rob Rensenbrink in June 1978 for the Netherlands against Iran (30y 335d)

It was also the Portuguese forward's 51st hat-trick for club and country, while it was also the 51st hat-trick scored in the history of the World Cup

Portugal now face Morocco in Group B on Wednesday in Moscow at 1pm, while Spain face Iran also on Wednesday, with a 7pm kick-off at the Kazan Arena

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1,861

World Cup hosts Russia kicked off their Group A campaign in style with a 5-0 win over Saudi Arabia on Thursday

No host team has lost a World Cup opening match and Russia kept up that tradition with goals from Yury Gazinsky (12), Denis Cheryshev (43, 90+1), Artem Dzyuba (71) and Aleksandr Golovin (90+3)

It leaves Stanislav Cherchesov's men with confidence ahead of testing fixtures against Egypt and Uruguay as they aim to uphold the record of hosts at major international tournaments - 20 of 21 host teams have progressed from their group

For Saudi Arabia, there was not much to cling to as they looked very lightweight and tactically naive - it could be a long few weeks for The Green Falcons, who did not register a shot on target

After an opening ceremony with Robbie Williams, it was Russia that heeded his words and entertained the home crowd

Golovin recycled a half-cleared corner on 12 minutes and curled a clever ball towards the back post

There were three Russians waiting against Yasser Al-Shahrani, and Gazinskiy had the simple task of heading home for his first international goal

Alan Dzagoev then hobbled off with what looked like a hamstring injury - but his replacement took his opportunity with both hands

Cheryshev showed sublime awareness just before the break to flick the ball over his marker, who slid in recklessly, and rifled home into the net

Saudi Arabia looked devoid of belief the longer the match went on and Roman Zobnin conjured up Russia's third goal

Zobnin found space just outside the area and his delivery was headed home by another substitute Dzyuba, who had only been on the pitch 90 seconds

Russia sensed the opportunity to boost their goal difference and scored two more in added time as the visitors wilted

Cheryshev popped up with another moment of magic - this time with the outside of his left boot - while Golovin curled in a free-kick from 25 yards

The Russian winger showed why he was once on the books of Real Madrid with a performance dripping in quality

After being called from the bench following Alan Dzagoev's hamstring injury, the Villarreal man showed impeccable awareness and clinical finishing to fire Russia into a 2-0 lead before bending home a sumptuous second late on

: "There are no words to express what I'm feeling right now

I'm happy we won and happy I could help my team," said Cheryshev

"I could never have dreamed of anything like this

I felt very happy when I knew I would be here in the squad but I never dreamed of anything like this

"Saudi Arabia coach : "The opposing team really didn't have to make a huge effort to win this game

"We have now to forget this feeling of shame and start thinking about the next match

"Elsewhere in Group A, Egypt take on Uruguay on Friday at 1pm

Up next for Russia is Egypt on June 19 at 7pm while Saudi Arabia need to avoid defeat against Uruguay on June 20 to keep their World Cup bid alive

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1,862

Lionel Messi led Argentina to a stunning World Cup victory, beating defending champions France 4-2 on penalties after an enthralling 3-3 draw over 120 minutes

In a game that will go down in history as one of the greats, France twice came from behind to send the game to penalties

Although Messi will take the headlines, Kylian Mbappe was the first player to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final since Sir Geoff Hurst for England in 1966

Argentina dominated for the opening 80 minutes and looked to be cruising to their first World Cup title since 1986

Messi fired his side ahead from the penalty spot in the 23rd minute after Ousmane Dembele was judged to have tripped Angel Di Maria - although it looked to be a soft decision

Juventus winger Di Maria added Argentina's second after a fine sweeping move - spearheaded by Brighton's Alexis Mac Allister - as France looked to be suffering from the effects of illness in camp during the week

But Les Bleus came roaring back into the tie when they were handed a lifeline in the 79th minute as the impressive substitute Randal Kolo Muani was tripped by Nicolas Otamendi

Mbappe scored from the spot for his first of the evening, before adding a stunning second just 90 seconds later to take the game to extra-time

Messi thought he had won it for his side as his rebounded strike was given by goal-line technology in the 108th minute

But, with mere minutes to play, France were awarded another penalty after Gonzalo Montiel was penalised for handball

Mbappe stepped up for a second time and once again beat Emiliano Martinez, hauling France back into the tie for a second time and sending the game to penalties

The 23-year-old took the first kick of the shootout - netting his third of the evening - before Messi replied

But Kinsgley Coman and Aurelien Tchouameni both missed their spot kicks for France as Argentina scored each of their remaining three, with Montiel firing home the winning penalty to win the 2022 World Cup

"This squad, these players, play for their people

They play for the Argentina fans," said an emotional Lionel Scaloni after the game

"That's what I have always seen

There are no rivalries, everyone pulls in the same direction

"It is the greatest pride to play for your own country

The players broke their backs, have achieved this title because they understood what they had to do on the pitch

We are very very happy and proud

"Today we are World Cup champions

Although we went to a penalty shoot-out, we deserved the win because of our great performance

Only some moments they made trouble for us

"When asked about Messi, Scaloni added: "First of all, we need to save him a spot for the next World Cup in 2026 if he wants to keep playing

If he wants to keep playing, he'll be with us

"He's more than entitled to decide if he wants to keep playing for Argentina or not, and what he wants to do with his career

"It's such a huge pleasure for us to coach him and his team-mates

Everything that he transmits to his team-mates is something unparallel, that I've never seen before

A player, a person who gives so much to his team-mates

"France were second best for almost 80 minutes of the game, but will have questioned the awarding of Argentina's penalty in the 21st minute

Di Maria dinked easily past Dembele and into the area, with the Frenchman barely grazing his foot before the Juventus winger went tumbling to ground

There was no VAR review of the referee's decision to award the penalty

There was little doubt who would take the spot kick

It was lined up and expertly dispatched by Messi - rifling the ball past Hugo Lloris - as the blue and white shirts dominating the stands were sent into raptures

Argentina continued to dominate against a sluggish France, and it was a special goal to make it 2-0

Messi started the move, flicking the ball to Julian Alvarez on the halfway line

He then spotted the run of Brighton's Mac Allister, who drove forward with plenty of space, before squaring to Di Maria on his left

The winger then made no mistake in slotting home

That was all Didier Deschamps needed to see from his side

Olivier Giroud and Dembele were both hooked in the 41st minute, replaced by Marcus Thuram and Kolo Muani, and were out far earlier than Argentina for the second half

Argentina continued to see the better of the chances after the break, with Alvarez and Mac Allister linking up nicely going forward

France finally registered their first effort on goal in the 67th minute with Kolo Muani nodding a corner wide

But the drama was yet to really get started as France were handed a lifeline with a penalty in the 79th minute

Kolo Munai was fouled by Otamendi, who was the wrong side of his man and brought him down

As with Argentina's penalty, there was only one man for the job as Mbappe stepped up

Emiliano Martinez - who had not needed to make a save in the game until that point - did get a hand to it, but the penalty had too much power

In echoes of the quarter-final against the Netherlands, Argentina were pegged back to 2-2 mere seconds later

It was a stunning finish from Mbappe, playing a quick one-two with Kolo Muani before sending a stunning volley home to complete France's turnaround

Messi could have won it for Argentina in the seventh of eight added minutes

He hit a swerving effort goalwards, but a leaping Lloris pushed the ball over the crossbar as the game headed into extra-time

Argentina went the closest to taking the lead during the added period

At the end of the first half, Lautaro Martinez's strike was sensationally blocked by Dayot Upamecano before Montiel's effort from range was nodded over

Lautaro Martinez tried his luck again soon after, but he poked the ball wide

Lautaro Martinez was involved again as Messi fired Argentina back in front in the second half of extra-time

The Inter Milan forward forced a sublime save from Lloris, but Messi was lurking for the rebound

He fired goalwards, with Jules Kounde clearing from deep inside the net

There were a few seconds of nerves as the referee consulted his goal-line technology watch before awarding the goal

But in a game the epitomised the drama of football, France were awarded a second penalty with four minutes of extra-time to play

Mbappe let fly from the edge of the area, but a jumping Montiel blocked it with an outstretched arm

The France forward lined the spot kick up once again, dispatching past Emiliano Martinez, as the game went to a penalty shootout

The two stars of the show - Mbappe and Messi - scored the first two penalties

But Martinez denied Coman before Tchouameni sent his effort wide

Paulo Dybala and Leandro Parades had scored theirs in between, before Kolo Muani also found the net for France

Montiel stepped up to take Argentina's fourth and ultimately final penalty to see them win their first World Cup title in 36 years, immortalising Messi in football history

Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez says he remained calm during the penalty shootout as he helped his country to World Cup victory

"It was a game where we suffered," he said

"Two poor shots and they levelled

They give them another penalty, they scored

Thank God later I did my thing, what I dreamed of

"There could not have been a World Cup that I have dreamed of like this

I was calm during the penalties

"For Scaloni, it was a nail-biting finish to a turbulent tournament and he could not hold back his tears following the final whistle

"I cannot believe that we have suffered so much in a perfect game

Unbelievable, but this team responds to everything," Scaloni added

"I am proud of the work they did

It is an exciting group

With the blows we received today, with the draws, this makes you emotional

I want to tell people to enjoy, it's a historic moment for our country

"We who live for this and who have been through the good and the bad are used to these things

null

Above all it is an incredible enjoyment

Being at the top as we are now is something unique

"France manager Didier Deschamps praised the stunning comeback from his side, even though they fell short at the final hurdle

He said: "If you look at the match as a whole and see that in those first minutes, we were playing a very aggressive and dynamic opponent and we just weren't up to the same level for a number of reasons

"But nevertheless, we managed to come back from the dead and we made a magnificent comeback

We have some regrets about the first part of the match

"We have to congratulate Argentina because they showed great quality, great aggression, experience and some very cunning football out there

I don't want to take anything away from them because they put in a good performance

"I went through a lot of different emotions tonight and there are some regrets because we were so close to winning

There were a number of reasons for that and why we weren't quite as good as we should've been

"We had a very strong opposition and we were perhaps lacking a little bit of energy

Some of our key players were lacking that energy but we had some younger players who came on and bought some freshness and quality

"They managed to get us back into the match and keep the dream alive but at the end of the game, we couldn't achieve that dream

"The whole of the squad has been facing a tricky situation for a while now and maybe that had a physical and psychological impact

"I had no concerns about the players who started the match tonight

They were 100 per cent fit, but we only had four days since the last match so there is some tiredness perhaps, but not an excuse

We just didn't show the same energy that we showed in previous matches

That's why for the first hour or so, we weren't in the match

"When asked about his future as national team manager, he replied: "Even if we had won the match, I wouldn't have been able to answer that question tonight

"I'm very sad for my players and staff, but I have a meeting with the president next year and then you'll find out

""Messi should be the centre of attention and it feels right that he has won a World Cup

It feels like destiny was there for him and he's contributed enormous amounts during this tournament

"During his whole career, he's lit up every game he's played in

If you've watched Lionel Messi play live you are truly blessed

The passion, emotion, fight and spirit of Argentina - their nastiness to the very end with Emi Martinez in goal - was absolutely amazing

"You can just feel the emotion through the stadium

That was one of the greatest things I've ever seen in my life that game

"When we were watching the clips of Maradona back in '86 before the game and I was young watching it in my childhood

"The kids who were my age back then will be watching this tonight thinking they want to become a footballer and become engrossed and embedded in the culture of football

"It's had a massive impact on me that game tonight, but it will have a massive impact on everyone

""It was an amazing game, enthralling, nerve-wracking

There were real moments of quality, desire and spirit

This is why it's the greatest game on the planet

"You can't begrudge them

This is years and years and years of hard work from being kids and wanting to win the World Cup with Argentina

"They deserve all the credit in the world

They had to win the game three times, and they had to do the same against the Dutch

"For all their quality, they've shown great spirit and fight

"If you got a coaching job and you look at your squad and you have a player like Lionel Messi in your group, you've got a bit of a chance

"He's got to manage him and manage the egos, he had to make changes from the first game

But when Messi is on the pitch and you are doing a bit of coaching, you've got a chance of winning some football matches

"I look at it the other way

France couldn't get going and we should give Argentina credit for that

"They've lost one game in the last 40-odd

So they were imposing their style and their physicality on them and they couldn't get going

"They eventually got going, that's the sign of a really good team

They showed why they're champions today

"I wouldn't be too critical of France, it took them a while to get going but in football you can only have one winner

"France take your medicine, both teams were outstanding

"It's hard to believe that Mbappe is just 23

He has already featured at two World Cup finals and his hat-trick on Sunday was the first treble in a final in 56 years

Mbappe could not have done more to win it for his country, but does come away with the tournament's Golden Boot

Both theand fixture calendars have already resumed, while the returns to this week with Man Utd vs Burnley on Wednesday evening and Man City vs Liverpool on Thursday

The schedule is set to restart on when Brentford host Tottenham, kick-off 12

30pm

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1,863

Superb goals from Josko Gvardiol and Mislav Orsic helped Croatia beat Morocco 2-1 to finish in third place for the second time at a World Cup

The victory also sees Croatia captain Luka Modric end what is likely to be his last World Cup with a bronze medal, although the 37-year-old has not called time on his international career yet after committing to next summer's Nations League finals

"About my future? I don't know if I will be (playing) until the Euros in Germany," he told when asked about Euro 2024

"We will see

I need to go step by step

I am enjoying the national team

I feel happy

"I still think I can perform on a high level and I want to continue until at least the Nations League

"Then after, there will be more time to think about the Euros

Now it is go step by step and continue at least until Nations League and then we will see

"Croatia's win clinched their third top-three finish at the World Cup after ending as runners-up to France four years ago, while defeat for Morocco saw them miss out on the chance to become the first African nation to pick up a medal at the tournament

Croatia took a seventh-minute lead through a stunning diving header from Gvardiol to cap off a fine tournament for the impressive 20-year-old centre-back

But Morocco responded immediately as Achraf Dari nodded home from close range just two minutes later

Croatia restored their lead, though, in the 42nd minute with a wonderful curling winner from Orsic as his first-time effort inside the box bent past Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou and went in off the far post

Morocco came close to a late equaliser but Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic denied Youssef En-Nesyri to ensure they claimed their second World Cup bronze medal after achieving the feat in 1998

If Modric, who was making his 162nd appearance for his country, is about to call time on his international career then a potential new captain in Gvardiol has emerged in Qatar

A well-worked Croatia free-kick saw Lovro Majer clip the ball into Ivan Perisic, who headed across goal for the diving Gvardiol to power past Bounou

But the lead lasted just one minute and 49 seconds as Majer's headed clearance from Hakim Ziyech's free-kick fell into the path of Dari who nodded home from close range in the ninth minute

Three minutes before half-time Croatia restored their lead as Marko Livaja set up Orsic, who bent a first-time right-footed effort past Bounou

Croatia appealed for a second-half penalty when Gvardiol was tackled by Sofyan Amrabat but Qatari official Abdulrahman Al Jassim refused to award one

En-Nesyri came close twice to levelling in the dying minutes as he was first denied by Livakovic before heading over in stoppage time as Croatia held on to ensure a European nation won the third-place play-off for an 11th consecutive tournament

If this is the end for Luka Modric and the World Cup, it has been some romance

The talk around the final itself will be that this relationship is all or nothing - you win or you lose

Modric's contribution shows that this is not true

We have the memories

Modric made his international debut in 2006, in the same game that Messi scored his first international goal

Four of his five Champions League wins came alongside - or perhaps that should be - Cristiano Ronaldo

Those outsized icons left little room for others

But Modric, eventually, has earned his place at the head of that next rank of heroes

His achievements in Russia in 2018 won him the World Cup's Golden Ball and helped him to become the only other man to claim a Ballon d'Or in that decade

Four years on, his legacy is enhanced, the appreciation now unanimous

Modric has added another Champions League win, while Messi and Ronaldo have not

He has carved out his own space and, as the end nears, those moments of quality are more cherished

The outside-of-the-boot passes, the peripheral vision to pick out the runs of others, that ability to control rhythm and tempo, slowing games down and speeding them up

All of it was here

Modric has loved the World Cup

And the World Cup has loved him

Croatia head coach Zlatko Dalic is hopeful Modric will play on until 2024 having praised his performances in Qatar

"He's our captain, he's our big boss," he said

"He played fantastic this tournament

He's 37 years but he played like a 20/25 year old

He's our leader

Everyone follows him

"I'm very happy for Luka Modric, this trophy is for him

He did a fantastic job

Some people think this is the end but I think he will stay with Croatia for a long time

"We did a great job tonight and all through the World Cup

For us bronze is a gold medal

We played a tough tournament

Morocco did similar to what we did in Russia

"I am very proud and happy

Maybe nobody expected us to do this again

We are a small country but we have a big dream

"Morocco boss Walid Regragui said: "We wanted to bring joy to our fans but we're still happy, we're among the four best teams in the world

"We provided everyone with a good show, we never gave up

Congratulations to Croatia, they deserve their third place

We are a young team that is still learning

"Sure, I am a little disappointed by this second consecutive defeat, but we did everything that we could

"Physically it was difficult, our players got tired, it was very intense

We wanted to make the fans more proud than they already were, that's it

"I think we showed our strength, we showed that African football is prepared to face the top teams in the world with efficiency and playing at the highest level

"We probably will only realise what we accomplished in Qatar after four years, in the next World Cup

The pressure will also be greater, there will be expectation around us

It's natural

"We made a great achievement but we want to do it again

It will not be easy but that's the objective

"Through experience you get stronger and I hope we learn and grow and build in our children in Africa a football DNA that lasts

"We have now allowed children to dream, dream of being footballers and going to the World Cup

That is priceless

As for the impact in our country, we have set the bar high

"I'm sure that in 15 years an African team will win the World Cup

"

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1,864

Lionel Messi gave himself one last shot at World Cup glory as he and Julian Alvarez scored for Argentina in a 3-0 win over Croatia at the Lusail Iconic Stadium to reach the final

They will face either France or Morocco, who play in Wednesday's semi-final, on Sunday

Messi fired into the top corner from the penalty spot (34) against the run of play to open the scoring after Man City striker Alvarez earned a debatable penalty following a collision with Croatia goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic

With that strike, the 35-year-old surpassed Gabriel Batistuta to become Argentina's top scorer at World Cup finals on 11 goals

Croatia collapsed after the opener and conceded another five minutes later from an Argentina counter-attack after comical defending as Alvarez doubled their lead (39) having carried the ball from his own half

Messi took matters into his own hands to ensure the game was out of reach, producing a moment of magic down the right to beat Josko Gvardiol before putting it on a plate for Alvarez to score Argentina's third

Argentina last reached the World Cup final in 2014 in Brazil and were beaten by Germany, but have not lifted the trophy since Diego Maradona led his nation to victory in Mexico in 1986

Croatia bossed the opening half an hour and Messi was largely anonymous as he walked across the field at the Lusail Iconic Stadium, waiting for his team-mates to spring to life

The game was turned on its head when Alvarez won a penalty just after the half-hour mark

Croatia were caught out at the back by a simple ball over the top from Argentina and Alvarez was brought down by Livakovic after he pushed the ball past the goalkeeper

pundit Gary Neville was adamant the decision was wrong, arguing the goalkeeper did very little wrong

"The goalkeeper just stops," he told

"He has to make that motion to try and save the ball, he plants his feet

I don't know how that's a penalty

"If I'm a defender and the striker is about to have a shot and I go to block, he then shoots, goes past me and runs into me, that can't be a foul

You have to block the shot!"Messi stepped up to the spot, as he did against the Netherlands in the round before, and gave Argentina the lead with an emphatic strike into the top corner

Having looked so strong before, Croatia appeared to lose their heads and suffered another blow five minutes later as Alvarez rode two challenges in the area after carrying the ball from his own half before poking a composed finish beyond Livakovic to make it 2-0

Celtic right-back Josip Juranovic was perhaps unlucky to see the ball ricochet off him and back into Alvarez's path, but Borna Sosa crumbled under the pressure and allowed the 22-year-old through on goal leaving out a flailing leg to no avail

Croatia brought on Bruno Petkovic, who scored an extra-time equaliser in stoppage time in last week's quarter-final against Brazil, in an attempt to turn the game, but Messi had other ideas

The Paris Saint-Germain forward, intent on ensuring he gave himself one more chance to win the only trophy that has eluded him, rolled back the years against Gvardiol down the right flank as he turned the 20-year-old inside out with a mesmerising run before cutting it back to Alvarez from the byline

Alvarez made no mistake from just outside the six-yard box as he became the youngest player to score twice in a World Cup semi-final or final since Pele in 1958

Messi now has the chance to win the only trophy missing from his collection on Sunday, in his final World Cup appearance

Speaking after the match, Messi said: "I am enjoying this a lot

I am feeling really good, I feel strong enough to face every match

The previous match was a big sacrifice

"Today we were tired, but we pulled out strength to earn the victory

We played very well, we preferred to play this way because we knew they would not have the ball

We knew we would have to run

We prepared in a very good way

"I feel very happy in this World Cup

I am able to help the squad

"He added: "I would say the first match [the defeat against Saudi Arabia] was a hard blow because we had been unbeaten in six matches

To start in such a way in a World Cup, we did not think we would lose to Saudi Arabia

"It was an acid test of the whole squad but we proved how strong we are

We won the other matches and it was very difficult what we did

Every match was a final and we were aware if we did not win things would be complicated for us

"We have won five finals and I hope this is the case for the final on Sunday

We lost in the first match due to fine details but it helped us to be stronger

""Argentina have got 10 fighters and a genius up front

They've got the best fans in the tournament as well

They've grown in the tournament

"It's a mission

One he [Messi] is delivering on his own at the moment

"Croatia head coach Zlatko Dalic said: "Perhaps this is the end of the generation of the World Cups, a couple have reached an age and have to see what happens in 2026

"We have had a great team and this generation will finish off their career at Euro 2024

We have the National League and an excellent generation who reached two semi-finals

"Asked about his own future, Dalic said: "I will continue, my contract is until 2024

We have the Nations League then the World Cup qualifications too

My plan and objective is to take Croatia to Euro 2024

"Asked about Messi, he added: "Nothing much needs to be said about Messi

The best player in the world and very good and very dangerous today

It is the true Messi we expected to see

"

<PAD>

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<PAD>

1,865

Harry Kane blazed a late penalty over the bar as England's World Cup dreams ended with a 2-1 defeat in the quarter-finals to defending champions France

The England captain had already converted from 12 yards earlier in the game to level after Aurelien Tchouameni's thunderbolt had put France ahead and he was given a golden opportunity to equalise for a second time after Olivier Giroud's header when Theo Hernandez recklessly barged into Mason Mount

His first penalty had taken Kane level with Wayne Rooney's England scoring record of 53 goals and meant he'd scored more penalties in normal time at World Cups than any player ever

But with six minutes to play, and the pressure huge, he smashed his second spot kick high over the bar

Kane looked devastated

There was no way back and at the final whistle, he was inconsolable

Referee Wilton Sampaio had initially overlooked the foul on Mount before VAR advised him to check the pitchside monitor and England were frustrated throughout this enthralling contest by decisions from the officials, with a challenge on Bukayo Saka not given as a foul in the build-up to the opener and a penalty shout from Kane overlooked in the first half

Jude Bellingham, at 19-years-old and England's youngest player to start a quarter-final, Saka, 21, and Phil Foden, 22, were all exceptional as Gareth Southgate's side duelled with France

Harry Maguire clipped a post with a header at 1-1 and Marcus Rashford lifted a last-gasp free-kick onto the roof of the net

But ultimately it was a penalty that caused England World Cup heartbreak again

What next for Gareth Southgate? Will he continue with his contract running through to the next European Championships for one more shot at glory with this group? That is the debate for the days to come

As for France, they go on to play Morocco in the World Cup semi-finals on Wednesday at 7pm, again at the Al Bayt stadium after Morocco became the first African nation to reach the final four with a 1-0 win over Portugal earlier on Saturday, which left Cristiano Ronaldo in tears

It was a dramatic ending to this epic first-ever knockout clash between these sides

It had begun with England looking nervy after the big build-up and the fear of France star Kylian Mbappe was plain to see when he was able to stretch his legs in the lead-up to the opener

After a desperate challenge from Declan Rice, England retreated rapidly to their own area and there was then space for Antoine Griezmann to roll across for Tchouameni to crash an excellent strike into the bottom corner

England complained there should have been a foul given for a challenge from Dayot Upamecano on Saka at the start of the move and there was more frustration with the officials and VAR when no penalty was awarded when Kane rolled the defender for a second time in the space of five minutes and tumbled on the edge of the area

Kane tested Tottenham team-mate Lloris from close range and from distance as he led England's response but the threat of France was always there, with Mbappe firing over after a free-kick was worked into the box

England had never won a World Cup match they were losing at half-time, while France had won 24 of the 25 they'd led after 45 minutes - but Bellingham showed no respect for such records, driving England forward early in the second period before providing the wall pass for Saka when the Arsenal man was floored in the box by Tchouameni

Kane, after being made to wait, eventually slammed home the penalty to match Rooney's milestone

It was a huge moment in his career and his fourth goal from the spot in World Cups - but one which would be overshadowed by another penalty to come

The equaliser sparked a frantic few minutes, with Adrien Rabiot almost catching England asleep seconds after the restart when he forced a stop from Jordan Pickford and Mbappe turned on the afterburners to charge away from Walker, but the Three Lions refocused and were inches away when Maguire grazed a post with a header from Jordan Henderson's free-kick

Giroud had become France's record goalscorer himself earlier in this tournament and after heading wide and seeing Pickford push away a volley, he beat Maguire to Griezmann's cross to head his country back in front

There were emphatic celebrations from the French and it was a hammer blow to England - but incredibly they were given a chance to save their World Cup just a couple of minutes later thanks to Hernandez's thoughtless foul

This time, though, Kane got it all wrong

Uncharacteristically so

The miss knocked the stuffing out of England and the prospect of mounting a grandstand finish

They were able to muster one more chance - but Rashford was just off target as he looked to fire in a second free-kick of this World Cup

There was to be no late twist

England's big chance had come and gone

And so had their hopes of glory in Qatar

"I'm always someone who prepares for getting one or two penalties in a game, I always have an idea for what I want to do

I can't fault my preparation or anything like that, it was just the execution on the night

"The first pen was great, the second one I didn't quite hit it how I wanted to

I have to take it on the chin, it will hurt for sure, the whole game will hurt

As the captain, I'll take that, but I couldn't be prouder of the boys

"It comes down to a small detail I'll take responsibility for

I'm not worried about the team and how it will impact them

We have some great talent

""The performance did [live up to expectation]

In the end, goals are decisive

I've just said to the players, they couldn't give any more

Fine margins

Things at both ends that have decided the game

I'm proud of the way they've been through the tournament

""Pointless me going into that

I'd rather talk about our players

Congratulations to France

They know they've been in a hell of a game

I don't think we could have done any more

"For me, we win and lose as a team

We let two [goals] in and missed chances

Harry [Kane] has been incredible for us

So reliable

We wouldn't be here if not for the goals he's scored for us

"It's key moments

In most of the big moments we were in the right place

It's a game of fine margins

We were here to try to win the tournament - we had belief we could

We've got a team that could have done that

" "After every tournament we've sat down and reviewed and reflected

So we need a bit of time to make sure everyone makes the right decisions

""England's players dropped to the turf, many in tears, as France celebrate

The English fans were silent

Stunned

Heartbreak for England, who crashed out in Qatar

"For much of this quarter-final, they were the better side

They had more possession, created more chances than the world champions

But the England captain will need some time to process the unthinkable - that he missed, at a crucial time, from 12 yards

"That's so bittersweet for Kane, who equalled Wayne Rooney's goalscoring record earlier, with nerves of steel

"England will bemoan the referee, who did them no favours and missed some key decisions but ultimately, as we feared from the very start of the tournament, it was England's defence that cost them

Two key lapses, that were ruthlessly punished by France

"England will head home tomorrow

Christmas is cancelled

"

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1,866

Croatia have reached the World Cup quarter-finals after beating Japan 3-1 on penalties - including three saves from Dominik Livakovic during the shootout - following a 1-1 draw over 120 minutes

It was the first knockout game to play an additional half an hour in Qatar after a largely even 90 minutes as Japan looked to beat their third successive European opponent following shock wins against Germany and Spain in the group stages

Both goals came either side of the break

Daizen Maeda (43) gave Japan the lead in the first half after some scrappy Croatian defending, before Ivan Perisic's (55) powerful header levelled shortly after the restart

It was perhaps not a great surprise that the game went to extra-time - seven of Croatia's last eight knockout games at major tournaments have needed the added period, last losing to Spain in the round of 16 of Euro 2020 last summer

Again, there was little to choose between the two sides during extra-time - Kaoru Mitoma and Lovro Majer going closest for their respective countries - and it deserved to be the lottery of penalties to separate the teams

However, for all of their superb play throughout the tournament, three of Japan's penalties were poorly taken and easily saved by goalkeeper Livakovic

Croatia missed just one of their spot-kicks, scoring the other three to reach their third successive quarter-final stage

After the game, Japan head coach Hajime Moriyasu revealed he did not pick the penalty takers, saying: "I asked the players to decide for themselves

"The players tried under such immense pressure and I would like to praise their efforts

We have to accept this result, but whether we succumb to pressure, I don't think so

I think the goalkeeper was great and the players who took the penalty kicks were also courageous

"In the end, of course we wanted to win and the result is very unfortunate, but it is what it is

It does not negate all of the effort of the players

"It was an end-to-end opening at the Al Janoub Stadium

Shogo Taniguchi nodded just wide after a short corner before Maeda charged down Livakovic in a lively Japan start

There was then a goalmouth scramble at the other end, Shuichi Gonda denying Perisic before pouncing on the loose ball

While Croatia continued to see the better of the possession - Perisic's header midway through the half glanced away from Andrej Kramaic at the back post - it was Japan who had the better chances

Ito delivered a wonderful low cross into the area, but neither Maeda or Yuto Nagatomo could covert

Daichi Kamada then fired wide from close range

Just before the break, Japan took a deserved lead

A short corner was worked to Ritsu Doan, who sent a superb cross into the area

It was nodded on in the middle and with Croatia unable to clear, allowed Maeda to stick a foot through and send the ball home

Japan gave their opponents another scare early in the second half, but a moment of quality from Perisic saw Croatia level

Dejan Lovren delivered a deep cross, with the Tottenham striker powerfully nodding home past Gonda

Both teams continued to trade blows with the goalkeepers made to work

Wataru Endo's shot from range forced a fingertip save from Livakovic

Luka Modric then sent a thunderous volley goalwards, but a leaping Gonda kept his superb effort out

Soon, Croatia began to exert control as their tournament experience came to the fore

Ante Budimir nodded a few efforts wide, with Perisic's left-footed effort also deflected past the post

However, neither side were able to add another as the game headed into the first period of extra time of the 2022 World Cup

Neither side wanted to give anything away in the first 15 minutes, but Brighton's Mitoma created a wonderful chance out of nothing

He stormed down the field, almost covering the whole pitch, but his eventual effort was seen away expertly by Livakovic

There was more energy in the second period of extra time - Lovro Majer firing wide of the target with the final kick - but neither side were able to find another goal, sending the game to penalties

But it was a poor showing from Japan during the shootout

Only Takuma Asano scored as Livakovic saved Minamino, Mitoma and Maya Yoshida's spot kicks

Marko Livaja hit the post in Croatia's only miss as Mario Pasalic scored the winning penalty to see his team through

Croatia's win now sets up a quarter-final meeting with Brazil on Friday; kick-off 3pm

The winner of that fixture will face either the Netherlands or Argentina in the semi-finals on Tuesday December 13; kick-off 7pm

Japan's penalties were nervous

Tentative

But two of those stopped by Livakovic were bound for the corner

The total post-shot expected-goal value of those four penalties was over three

Only one beat him

These were good stops by the Croatia goalkeeper

For all the talk of Croatian experience, the biggest names - Modric, Perisic and Kovacic - had already been substituted

It fell to their 27-year-old goalkeeper, playing in his first World Cup knockout game, to make the difference

Livakovic had faced 54 career penalties before this match, with a conversion rate of 74 per cent against him

The average conversion rate is around 78 per cent, similar to that of the Japan goalkeeper Gonda

The stats were on his side

Livakovic backed it up

After the game, Croatia head coach Zlatko Dalic said: "We had a fantastic goalkeeper

Today he was great, he saved each of the penalties in a very strong and stable manner

"We practised penalties in training yesterday and he made several saves

When he had the penalty shootout today I was assured, yesterday he installed this confidence and I was sure he would show that capacity today

"We couldn't be dominant, but we have shown a strength of character

The Japanese might have underestimated us, never do that to Croatia

We are a small nation but we fight for what we want

"Japan coach Moriyasu also insisted the nation are entering a "new era" of football, having progressed from Group E against the odds

"Although the result was not what we expected, I told them it does not negate everything we did," he said

"We could not break through the round of 16 and we could not have a new perspective or see a new landscape, but the Japanese national team won against Germany and Spain, who have been champions in the World Cup

"The players showed a new era of Japanese football I think and they should use this feeling of being upset and try to win it the next time

"The players can be confident that they can play on the world stage

They showed how good they can play in such a tournament like the World Cup and I hope they keep on the same way and I think Japanese football can continue to grow

" agent insists the Croatian defender is happy atamid recent links with The 20-year-old has been one of the standout performers for his country at the World Cup in Qatar and played 120 minutes as Croatia beat Japan on penalties

Chelsea were heavily linked with a late move for Gvardiol in the summer transfer window but no deal was done and, despite those links refusing to go away, his agent Marjan Sisic insists there is no rush to secure a move

"Josko is very happy at Leipzig," Sisic told Sky

"His development is great and, with Marco Rose as the new manager, RB is playing very good

"Regarding a transfer in summer of 2023, we are not in a hurry and there is no agreement with any club

Of course, some top clubs already reached out, but he has a long-term contract in Leipzig

"Gvardiol has a contract with Leipzig until 2026

In August RB Leipzig managing director Oliver Mintzlaff told that the player would stay this season and "most likely" the 2023-24 campaign as well

null

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Perisic

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Juranovic

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<PAD>

1,867

Olivier Giroud became France's all-time men's record goalscorer as his opener and Kylian Mbappe's second-half double gave the World Cup holders a 3-1 win over Poland to move them into the quarter-finals

Giroud scored his 52nd France goal to surpass Thierry Henry's record with a neat first-half finish (44) to help fire Les Bleus to a last-16 victory in Doha and set up a quarter-final against England on Saturday at 7pm

The 36-year-old, who had equalled Henry's tally of 51 after scoring twice in their opening Group D win over Australia, broke the record on his 117th appearance for France

Mbappe then doubled France's lead in the 74th minute before arrowing in a superb second in stoppage time to make it five goals in Qatar - two more than any other player at the tournament

Robert Lewandowski scored a 99th-minute re-taken penalty to add a late consolation for Poland to deny Hugo Lloris a clean sheet on his record-equalling 142nd appearance for France

France dominated the opening stages at the Al Thumama Stadium and Giroud should have given them a 29th-minute lead as he slid wide at the back post from Ousmane Dembele's cross

Poland, who were in the knockout stages for the first time since 1986, came close to a shock opener as Lloris denied Piotr Zielinski before Jakub Kaminski's rebound was cleared off the line by Raphael Varane

France took the lead in the 44th minute as Mbappe slid in Giroud, who took one touch before finishing left-footed past Wojciech Szczesny for his third goal of the tournament as he became France record men's goalscorer

Mbappe then gave France breathing space midway through the second half as he fired past Szczesny to make it 2-0 before adding a sublime third in the top corner to deny Poland a first World Cup quarter-final appearance since 1982

They were the 23-year-old's fourth and fifth goals in Qatar as Mbappe became the first player to score nine World Cup goals before his 24th birthday, having netted as many as Argentina's 35-year-old Lionel Messi

A handball by France defender Dayot Upamecano allowed Lewandowski to score his second World Cup goal from the spot with the last kick of the game

The Barcelona striker's first penalty was saved by Lloris but the French captain did not have his feet on the line as Lewandowski scored at the second attempt

France forward Mbappe said: "The only objective for me is to win the World Cup

The only thing I dream is this

"I came here to win this World Cup

I didn't come here to win the Golden Ball or Golden Boot

If I win it of course I'm going to be happy but that's not why I'm here

I'm here to win and I'm here to help the French national team

"Mbappe also explained why he had not addressed the media before Sunday as he said: "I needed to focus on the tournament and my soccer," adding that he had volunteered to pay a French federation fine for his silence

"When I want to concentrate on something that's the way I function

And that's why I didn't want to come speak to you before now

"I've been preparing for this tournament throughout the season, physically and mentally

I wanted to be ready for this tournament and I am

"France head coach Didier Deschamps: "Giroud is an incredible player, there are many who say it now

"He was much criticised but Olivier has the mindset to fight

"When he is not decisive, he is so useful to the team but like any centre-forward, he prefers the collective victory, but winning with this goal-scoring record, it's not nothing

"Deschamps added: "He (Mbappe) speaks on the football pitch

He knows that himself but he can change a match in just a moment

He is always playing with such joy

"France needed a great Kylian Mbappe tonight and they got one

"France's new all-time men's leading goalscorer Giroud said: "The adventure continues

We had said in the dressing room that to live such a great experience we needed to be united, be as one

"My wife and my kids are here, as well as my childhood friends, it's a childhood dream come true to beat Titi (Henry)

"Now it's done, I'm putting this behind me and my obsession is to go as far as possible with this team

"Poland boss Czeslaw Michniewicz said of Mbappe: "There is no recipe [to stop him]

No one knows the recipe, no coach knows the recipe to stop Mbappe in the form he is in

"He hurt us today but I am cheering for him because he is a real star

"I'm talking about (Lionel) Messi, (Cristiano) Ronaldo, Lewandowski

If someone is going to take over, I think Mbappe will be the player to be the best one (for) many years

"Michniewicz on his side being knocked out at last-16 stage: "Getting out of the group stage after 36 years was our main objective

We succeeded, but in the next round we faced the world champions

"We are very sorry, today we're sad and disappointed

As more time passes, we'll change our perspective

After weeks and months, we can proudly say we achieved what Poland wasn't able to achieve in 36 years

"

<PAD>

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TheoHernandez

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Fofana

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Thuram

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Kiwior

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SSzymanski

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<PAD>

1,868

Portugal had no regrets over dropping Cristiano Ronaldo as his replacement Goncalo Ramos scored a hat-trick in a superb 6-1 win over Switzerland in the World Cup last 16

The fallout of Ronaldo's reaction to his substitution in Portugal's previous game dominated the build-up to the knock-out clash and his demotion ended a run of 31 games he had started for his country at tournament finals

His countrymen shook off any drama around his absence with one of the performances of the tournament so far as Portugal reached the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time since 2006, where Spain's conquerors Morocco await

Ramos, his replacement, was five-years-old when Ronaldo scored his first World Cup goal and needed only 17 minutes to open his own account with a thunderous effort that was past Yann Sommer before he could react

Portugal cemented their advantage before the interval when 39-year-old Pepe became the second-oldest scorer in World Cup history from a corner before Ramos ended the game as a contest with a poacher's finish at the near post

Even left-back Raphael Guerreiro got in on the act just before the hour, rifling home an inviting Ramos assist, before Manuel Akanji stabbed home a consolation which barely merited a celebration

Ramos returned from provider to goalscorer with the first hat-trick of this World Cup, delicately chipping Sommer to emphatically vindicate his manager's faith

Ronaldo was finally introduced from the bench shortly after and though Portugal did add a sixth it was another youngster on the scoresheet rather than their elder statesman, with Rafael Leao curling exquisitely into the corner in added time

Portugal manager Fernando Santos addressed the situation surrounding Ronaldo, and his response to coming off in their previous game, after the emphatic win, saying: "What I think is most important is to stop this a little bit

It's not easy to be in the middle of the World Cup, and realise people are not very happy

We have to deal with it

"I think those issues have been solved

I will always consider my role that he is a very important player to have in the team

"Switzerland had settled into their third-successive last-16 World Cup game the better before Ramos' opener, despite a change in shape to a back three - something Xherdan Shaqiri later told reporters was a "surprise" decision from manager Murat Yakin

That may have explained why, after that opening blow, they never recovered

Ramos and Otavio both tested Sommer while Xherdan Shaqiri went close with a rare Switzerland attack from a free-kick before Pepe gave Portugal a first-half cushion

He was left totally unmarked to power home a corner and write himself into the history books, sitting only behind Roger Milla as the oldest World Cup goalscorer - and sitting alone as a record breaker in the knockout stages

Both sides could have added to the scoreline before half-time, but six minutes after the restart the game did have its third goal when the again impressive Diogo Dalot's powerful low cross was turned through Sommer's legs by Ramos

Three soon became four as Switzerland's heads dropped, and Edmilson Fernandes' lax defending allowed Guerreiro a free run forward to meet Ramos' pass and fire into the roof of the net

Akanji's close-range finish at least got Switzerland on the scoresheet but they were back to picking the ball out of their own net within nine minutes, as Ramos' delicate dink beat Sommer and earned him the match ball

This looked more and more like a statement win as time went on, and Leao showcased the depth of talent at Portugal's disposal late on as he curled in a magnificent sixth four minutes after coming off the bench

That earned his country the second-biggest win of the World Cup so far - and Switzerland's worst defeat in the tournament's history

will now face in the quarter-finals on Saturday, kick-off 3pm

The winner of that game will play either England or France in the World Cup semi-finals

"I think those issues [with Ronaldo] have been solved

I repeat myself from my previous press conference, it is something which is finished and solved

"We have to look at this player's history, one of the best players in the world in terms of his goals scored and a captain

Therefore, I think all we have to do is think about the team collectively

"I have a very close relationship with him and always have, since he was 19-years-old at Sporting

Then he started to develop in the national squad, this relationship only develops

"We never misinterpret the human and personal aspect with that of manager and player

I will always consider my role that he is a very important player to have in the team

""[A back three] wasn't a big change

We did partially also play with a four-man backline

We noticed our plan wasn't working, and we probably missed a few challenges where we should have done more, challenged the opponent more and been more dominant in our play

"But we have to admit they were better, faster and more offensive

Our game plan didn't work, and we have to accept that

I congratulate Portugal on this win and we have to just take it

"Defeat is painful, we are sad about the way we played and the result

We wanted to make the country happy, we didn't achieve that today

"We lost a game today

That doesn't mean we have to be too pessimistic and criticise everything

The team has shown great spirit, they had great plans for today, and wanted to pick up where we left off [against Serbia]

"Today we have to accept Portugal were better

I think it's something we have to put behind us now, we will get through it as a team and look forward

"vs - Kick-off 3pm vs - Kick-off 7pm vs - Kick-off 3pm vs - Kick-off 7pm

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Felix

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Xhaka

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<PAD>

1,869

Brazil coasted into the quarter-finals of the World Cup as an exuberant first-half performance helped them to a 4-1 win over South Korea on Monday night

Tite's side were boosted by the return of Neymar - who suffered an ankle injury in the opening win over Serbia - and the 30-year-old announced his return with a penalty that moved him one goal behind Pele's international record of 77 (13), which doubled Brazil's lead after Vinicius Junior's cool opener (7)

Richarlison then netted his third goal of the tournament after some of the most exquisite build-up (29) and it was 4-0 before the break when West Ham's Lucas Paqueta guided in a shot to get in on the act (36)

But with the job already very much done by the break, the momentum slowed after it

As a result, South Korea did not let their heads drop and they had a brief moment to celebrate when Seung-Ho Paik reduced the deficit with a thumping strike (76)

Unsurprisingly, it was not enough to inspire a comeback from Paulo Bento's side, who exit after having reached the knockout stages for the first time since 2010Brazil, meanwhile, advance to the last eight of the tournament, where a clash with Croatia awaits on Friday afternoon

Neymar later revealed he had feared his tournament was over after his injury, saying: "When I got injured, I had a very difficult night

"I was thinking of a million different things and I was afraid I might not be able to play in this World Cup again, but I had the support of all my colleagues, my family and I tried to look for strength where I could not find it

As the final match at Stadium 974 before it is dismantled began, the high tempo of the opening exchanges hinted this would be a competitive affair

Less than 15 minutes in, it became abundantly clear that would not be the case

Brazil were soon very much in the groove when Raphinha brilliantly rode a challenge on the left-hand side of the box and sent a low ball skidding through a group of players to Vinicius Junior, who took one touch to control the ball and caressed it home with his second

And it was two very shortly afterwards when Neymar successfully dispatched a penalty to move closer to a historic milestone after Richarlison had been caught by Woo-Young Jung

The major setback made South Korea grow more fearless, with Alisson producing a heroic save to push away Hee-Chan Hwang's stunning goalbound effort from 25 yards

At the same time, gaps began to emerge at the back, which were subsequently punished

Brazil's third oozed the South American flair that will undoubtedly see it featured among the goals of the tournament

Richarlison juggled the ball with his head and coolly finished after the slickest of exchanges between Thiago Silva and Casemiro

If that didn't end Korean hopes, Paqueta certainly did when he guided Vinicius Junior's scooped cross home

Tite's men tried to build on their simply unassailable lead after the break, but an inspired performance from goalkeeper Seung-Gyu Kim prevented them from extending their advantage - and their opponents even managed to take a smidgen of gloss off the victory late on, when substitute Seung-Ho Paik rattled in a consolation from 25 yards after a corner was cleared into his path

But this was Brazil's night and it is they who inch closer to glory after an imperious performance in Doha

South Korea coach Paulo Bento announced his departure from the role in the wake of his side's World Cup defeat to Brazil

The 53-year-old, who took over in August 2018, said he had already made the decision to bow out after the tournament prior to travelling to Qatar

Bento said: "We just have to think about the future, and it will not be with the national team of South Korea

"I have just announced to the players and to the president of the South Korean federation and this was a decision I had already taken since September that was set in stone

"Today I have confirmed it and I have to thank them for everything they have done

They have given their very best and I have been very pleased and proud to have been their manager

"However, at the end of the press conference, a spokesperson seemed to contradict Bento by saying that he had misspoken and had not quit

Brazil coach Tite said his dance celebration during his side's emphatic win was an expression of pure joy at his side's bold attacking performance - and would help him bond with his young team

Brazil's players rushed over to the dugout after Richarlison put the five-time world champions 3-0 up inside 30 minutes and Tite briefly joined in their dancing

"We try to adapt to the characteristics of the players," the 61-year-old said when asked about his moves at a news conference

"They are very young and I try to adapt a bit to their language, and part of their language is dancing

"He said his players told him before the game that they would make him dance with them if they scored

Not everyone was impressed

Sky Sports' Roy Keane, speaking on ITV, said: "People say it's their culture

But I think that's really disrespecting the opposition

"Tite was at pains to stress that was not the case

"There's no interpretation other than happiness at the goal, happiness for the team, happiness for the performance," he said

"There was no disrespect for the opposition nor towards (South Korean coach) Paulo Bento for whom I have a lot of respect

"The 22-year-old Real Madrid forward had been one of the brightest attacking sparks in Brazil's subdued group-stage performances, so it was perhaps no surprise that he would play a key role when Tite's men finally turned on the style

Vinicius Junior showed composure when he took a touch and placed his shot into the net in a high-pressure environment and the assist he picked up came from a moment of brilliance too, with his scooped cross well finished by Lucas Paqueta

Brazil's players displayed a banner in support of Pele on the pitch as they celebrated their victory at Stadium 974

The squad unfurled the banner, which featured just one word - 'Pele!' - alongside a picture of the Brazil great, following their 4-1 triumph

Speaking after the match, Vinicius Junior said: "Lets hope we can carry on dancing all the way to the final

And we are also sending a big hug to Pele

Let's hope he recovers quickly

"Pele had earlier sent a message to his compatriots ahead of the match

The three-time World Cup winner said on social media he would be watching the game from the hospital in Sao Paulo where he was admitted last week

There were concerns over the 82-year-old's health when news outlets in Brazil reported that he had been moved to palliative care, but an update from doctors about his treatment for colon cancer was followed by a message on Pele's Instagram page that he was "strong" and which called for calm

Ahead of Monday evening's last-16 tie, Pele recalled memories of his World Cup debut in 1958, when the 17-year-old helped Brazil lift the Jules Rimet Trophy in Sweden

He wrote on Twitter: "In 1958, I walked the streets thinking about fulfilling the promise I made to my father

I know that today many have made similar promises and are also going in search of their first World Cup

I'll be watching the game from hospital and I'll be rooting for each one of you

Good luck!"Injury affected Pele's contribution to the 1962 and 1966 World Cup finals, but he returned to lead Brazil to a third triumph in Mexico in 1970 as part of what is widely regarded as the greatest international team of all time

Following Brazil's victory on Monday night, Neymar spoke about the ankle injury he suffered against Serbia during their opening game of the World Cup

"When I got injured, I had a very difficult night," he said

"I was thinking of a million different things and I was afraid I might not be able to play in this World Cup again, but I had the support of all my colleagues, my family and I tried to look for strength where I could not find it

"First of all, I would like to thank God for the strength I have to be back on the pitch, to be able to train and to be able to do everything I needed to do to be on the pitch again

Thank you to my physiotherapist, my colleagues, to all of those who encouraged me over the last few days

"I'm very happy to be back on the field of play and I'm very happy to have played well

We are very happy with our performance

We wanted to move to the next round, we wanted to win and that's what we got

"I did not feel any pain on my ankle tonight

I'm very content with my performance

That said, I think we can always improve and that's what I try to do

I'm not 100 per cent satisfied with today, we needed to aim for more

"vs - Kick-off 3pmorvs or - Kick-off 7pmBrazil now advance to the World Cup quarter-finals, where they will face Croatia for a place in the semi-finals of the tournament on Friday

Kick-off at the Education City Stadium will be at 3pm

null

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Alisson

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Silva

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Danilo

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Casemiro

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Paqueta

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Neymar

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ViniciusJunior

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Richarlison

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Alves

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Bremer

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Martinelli

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Seung-GyuKim

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Moon-HwanKim

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Young-GwonKim

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Min-JaeKim

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Jin-SuKim

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In-BeomHwang

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Woo-YoungJung

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Hee-ChanHwang

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Heung-MinSon

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1,870

Morocco are in the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time in history after Spain missed three penalties in a dramatic shootout following a 120-minute stalemate

Spain's deficiencies in attack were laid bare - restricted to just one shot on target across the match, their lowest-ever in a World Cup game - as they were eventually dumped out

Morocco had the best chance of the first half when West Ham centre-back Nayef Aguerd headed over from close range

In extra time, following a drab second half, Morocco substitute Walid Cheddira was denied one-on-one by Unai Simon before Spain's Pablo Sarabia grazed a post with a volley in the final minute

With both sides unable to be separated, Sarabia incredibly hit a post again with Spain's first spot kick before Carlos Soler and Sergio Busquets had theirs saved by Bono, leaving Achraf Hakimi to coolly chip the winning penalty down the middle to send Morocco through

will now face , who hammered Switzerland 6-1 in their last-16 tie, in the quarter-finals on Saturday December 10 at 3pm

Luis Enrique's side had 77 per cent possession and made 926 accurate passes yet they were unable to break down a resilient Morocco

Spain laboured throughout with Gavi's shot pushed onto the crossbar by Bono before Ferran Torres' follow-up was blocked in the six-yard box, but the offside flag was up anyway

Marco Asensio had their best opening of the first period, latching onto a ball in behind the Morocco defence and volleying it into the side-netting

Morocco had already seen Hakimi whistle a free-kick not far over before Simon gathered Noussair Mazraoui's long-range effort at the second attempt

Their golden chance, though, came when former Southampton winger Sofiane Boufal crossed for Aguerd, who sent a free header over

The second half became more frustrating for Spain as Sofyan Amrabat, in the heart of the Morroco midfield, was superb, coupled by dominant centre-back performances from Aguerd and Romain Saiss

Cheddira almost won it for them in extra-time, denied by the right leg of Simon, although they rode their luck when Sarabia volleyed off a post with the last kick

He struck the woodwork again moments later, side-footing his penalty off the right post after Abdelhamid Sabiri had put Morocco ahead

Hakim Ziyech doubled their advantage and Bono put them on the brink of victory, saving from Soler

But Badr Benoun was kept out by Simon to keep Spain in it although Bono delivered once more, immediately denying captain Busquets before Hakimi audaciously won it with a Panenka

"I don't know the decision

This is not the right time to speak about my future, this is not relevant, not important

My contract is going to end but as you know I am very happy at the national team and with the federation

I need to think what's best for me and the national team

" "It's my responsibility

I picked the first three penalty-takers, and then they could decide themselves

But the first three were my decision, and I would've done the same thing again

The only thing I wished I could do was to take Bono out and put another goalkeeper in there

" "We completely dominated the match, it's a shame it went that way

"It's the most difficult thing, playing against a team like Morocco who are hard workers

"The penalties cost us, but I am very proud of the team and all the players

I'm very sorry about the result but I congratulate Morocco

" "They knew they were going to make us run, that's what we were talking about before the match

We were patient, we wanted to try and win the game before penalties, but we knew if it went to penalties we have one of the best goalkeepers in the world and had a good chance of winning

"We did have chances but, typically, as Spanish teams do, they kept the ball very well

We fought for it and we have a lot of injured players - we've had injured players since the beginning of the tournament - and that's why it's even more of a tremendous achievement

"If you told me at the beginning of the tournament that we'd play against all these top teams without losing a match and without letting in a goal, I would have signed straight away

I've got a tremendous group of players, they've respected the instructions to the letter and I don't know how far we're going to go now

"vs - Kick-off 3pm vs - Kick-off 7pm vs - Kick-off 3pm vs - Kick-off 7pm

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Bono

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Aguerd

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Saiss

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Ziyech

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En-Nesyri

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Boufal

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Ezzalzouli

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Cheddira

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Sabiri

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Allah

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Yamiq

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Simon

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Llorente

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Rodri

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Laporte

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JordiAlba

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Gavi

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Busquets

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Gonzalez

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Torres

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Asensio

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Olmo

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Morata

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Soler

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Williams

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Fati

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Balde

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<PAD>

1,871

Vincent Aboubakar's stoppage-time header earned Cameroon a memorable late win over five-time world champions Brazil, but it wasn't enough for the African side to claim a place in the last 16 of the World Cup

Cameroon went into the game knowing they needed to beat Brazil to keep alive their hopes of qualifying for the knockouts and they upheld their end of the bargain thanks to their captain Aboubakar, who was sent off for his celebrations in the wake of his late winner

However, meant Cameroon were unable to make up enough ground in Group G to make the next round, regardless of their result over Brazil

The South Americans held onto top spot in the group thanks to a superior goal difference over Switzerland, meaning they will face South Korea for a place in the quarter-finals on Monday evening

Cameroon's hopes of pulling off an upset were surely raised when they saw Brazil's starting XI, as manager Tite made nine changes with qualification from Group G already secured

However, the presence of the likes of Ederson, Fabinho and Gabriel Martinelli meant it was still a Brazil side packed with quality and they dominated proceedings at the Lusail Iconic Stadium

But, whether it was down to the changes to their line-up affecting their fluency or a sense of complacency creeping in with a place in the knockouts already wrapped up, the wasted chances throughout the game

Arsenal's Martinelli saw several efforts well saved by goalkeeper Devis Epassy, while Eder Militao, Bremer and Bruno Guimaraes all saw close-range efforts blocked by desperate Cameroon defending

Brazil ended the game with 21 shots and an expected-goals total of 2

25 but couldn't break down Cameroon, who came close themselves in first-half injury-time when Bryan Mbeumo's header was clawed away by Ederson

Pedro missed a glorious late chance to put Brazil ahead and Rigobert Song's side eventually punished their opponents for their profligacy through Aboubakar, with the captain - recalled to the side after his goal and assist salvaged a point in their previous game against Serbia - nodding in a late winner before earning a second yellow card for removing his shirt in the raucous celebrations

There was still time for Guimaraes to miss two more excellent chances to salvage a point for Brazil, who were fortunate that Switzerland were unable to add to their lead over Serbia and beat them to first place in the group

Cameroon's win was not enough for them to progress to the last 16, with the African side ending their World Cup campaign in third place in Group G on four points

Brazil held onto top spot thanks to having a better goal difference than Switzerland, with both sides ending the group stage on six points

Serbia, who fell to a 3-2 defeat to the Swiss, finished bottom with just one point

Brazil will play South Korea in the last 16 on Monday - kick-off 7pm - while Switzerland will play Portugal on Tuesday, with that tie also kicking off at 7pm

Devis Epassy was unexpectedly thrust into the limelight after first-choice goalkeeper Andre Onana left Cameroon's World Cup camp after just one game following a falling out with Song

The 29-year-old, who plays for Saudi Pro League side Abha Club, in a nervy performance and he didn't look entirely comfortable against Brazil

But, despite spilling a Militao effort towards his own goal and flapping at a Guimaraes corner, Epassy also played a starring role in his country's impressive victory

The 'keeper made seven saves on his way to keeping a clean sheet and faced an expected-goals-on-target figure of 1

31

The fact Epassy kept Brazil at bay justified the faith shown in him by his manager

Brazil will not remember their final game group game fondly

They were fortunate the late 1-0 defeat to Cameroon did not cost them top spot in Group G

But for Martinelli it might prove a springboard

The Arsenal forward, whose call-up for the tournament surprised some in Brazil, was handed his first start for the national side as Tite made wholesale changes, emerging from the encounter as one of few players to have enhanced his credentials

As part of a front four with his Arsenal team-mate Gabriel Jesus, Manchester United's Antony and Real Madrid's Rodrygo, he was by far the most dangerous player, his speed and directness from the left flank unsettling Cameroon throughout

On another day he would have had a goal to reward his efforts but Epassy thwarted him on three separate occasions, first tipping an early header over the bar, then saving two powerful efforts from further out

There were three successful dribbles, more than anyone else on the pitch, and glimpses of creativity as well as goal threat

At one point, Martinelli teed up substitute Guimaraes for an opportunity from which he should have done better

It was his speed, though, that most stood out

In an often turgid game, he was a catalyst

At one point in the second half, Cameroon's only option was to haul him down as he threatened to race through on goal, goalscorer Aboubakar taking a yellow card which would later see him sent off in the closing stages

It was telling, too, that while Jesus, Antony and Rodrygo were all withdrawn in the second half, Martinelli was kept on for the duration

His playing time at this World Cup amounted to only three minutes before this game

On the evidence of his performance here, and with Neymar's fitness still uncertain, we can expect him to feature more prominently in the knockout stages

Brentford's Bryan Mbeumo was one of Cameroon's standout performers and was unlucky not to open the scoring when his downward header was pushed away by Manchester City's Ederson, who produced a solid display in goal for Brazil

Manchester United duo Fred and Antony were handed starts, with the former producing an average performance in midfield and the latter showing some nice touches without troubling Cameroon's defence too seriously

Liverpool's Fabinho outshone Fred in the Brazil midfield, while Martinelli was his country's best player on a disappointing night

However, Jesus failed to trouble Epassy in the Cameroon goal, while Newcastle's Guimaraes missed a hatful of chances after coming off the bench

As well as Switzerland securing a last-16 spot with victory over Serbia, , who still claimed top spot in Group H

The 2-1 victory - earned by Wolves forward Hwang Hee-Chan's stoppage-time winner - moved South Korea into second place and set up a clash with Brazil

in a rematch of their infamous meeting at the 2010 World Cup in the other Group H game, but the South Americans exited the competition on goals scored having scored two fewer than South Korea

null

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TokoEkambi

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Ntcham

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Ederson

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Telles

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Fred

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Antony

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Rodrygo

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Jesus

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1,872

Switzerland booked their place in the World Cup knockout stages with a 3-2 victory, but only after suffering a huge scare from Serbia in an epic four-goal first-half

Xherdan Shaqiri gave Switzerland the lead with a deflected shot in the 20th minute but Serbia, who had been the better team, equalised through a trademark Aleksandar Mitrovic header and then sensationally led when Dusan Vlahovic found the bottom corner which momentarily moved them second in Group G

However, Switzerland hit-back through Breel Embolo in the final minute of a thrilling first-half and regained the lead early in the second period from a wonderful team goal, rounded off by Remo Freuler

Switzerland resolutely saw out the victory to leave Serbia bottom with only one point although the match was marred by reports of a FIFA announcement inside Stadium 974 which asked fans to stop "discriminatory shouts and gestures"

(Winners of Group A) vs (Runners-up of Group B) - Kick-off 3pm (Winners of Group C) vs(Runners-up of Group D) - Kick-off 7pm (Winners of Group D) vs (Runners-up of Group C) - Kick-off 3pm(Winners of Group B) vs (Runners-up of Group A) - Kick-off 7pm (Winners of Group E) vs (Runners-up of Group F) - Kick-off 3pm (Winners of Group G) vs (Runners-up of Group H) - Kick-off 7pm(Winners of Group F) vs (Runners-up of Group E) - Kick-off 3pm (Winners of Group H) vs (Runners-up of Group G) - Kick-off 7pmSwitzerland set the tone for a dramatic first half by becoming the first side in World Cup history to have three shots in the opening minute as Granit Xhaka twice fired at goal with Embolo denied by goalkeeper Vanja Milinkovic-Savic

Despite the early scare, Serbia impressed and saw Andrija Zivkovic hit a post with a powerful drive from outside the area yet it was Switzerland who broke the deadlock when Shaqiri's effort found the net via a deflection

Serbia, though, remained on top and soon Mitrovic drew his side level with a brilliant glancing header from Tadic's perfect cross

Then, just seven minutes later, they were in position to qualify as Vlahovic capitalised on a mistake from Freuler to fire into the bottom corner

However, there was to be a final twist in the first-half, when Silvan Widmer crossed from the right and Embolo arrived to side-foot home for 2-2

Things would quickly get worse for Serbia at the start of the second period when Switzerland put together a wonderful move involving Embolo, Shaqiri before Vargas flicked the ball to Freuler, who made up for his earlier error and thumped in the fifth goal of the evening

Serbia never rediscovered their flowing attacking moves of the first half as the game turned bad-tempered, stoking memories of the

Xhaka was involved in an injury-time melee which helped take Serbia's yellow card count for the match to seven

"When you lose the game, of course we think about (mistakes made by) the defensive line, but we defend and attack as a team

"We reversed it after 0-1 to make it 2-1, but again we didn't play well defensively

It was so easy for the Swiss to score the second goal, which was really shocking for us

Psychologically, it was very positive for the Swiss

"These kinds of things at this level of play are forbidden

If you repeat these mistakes, it is very difficult to win

In the future we must work hard and do everything to resolve the problem

"We came here with a lot of niggles and injuries to our key players

This was very difficult to manage, it was difficult to have a high level of performance at a World Cup

Of course there was a period over the last one and-a-half-years where we had a success streak but now we faced a dip (in form)

"It goes without saying that we had problems in defence, but this would have to undergo a deeper analysis

I shook the players' hands and said they must keep their heads up

They really did their best and gave their maximum

" but it was not enough for them to reach the last 16 because of Switzerland's win

Brazil progressed as Group G winners on goal difference

South Korea secured a place in the in Group H which knocked out Uruguay despite their 2-0 win over Ghana

after Uruguay failed to score a crucial third that would have sent them through on goal difference

null

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SMilinkovic-Savic

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Kostic

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Tadic

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Mitrovic

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Vlahovic

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Jovic

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Maksimovic

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Kobel

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Widmer

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Akanji

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Schar

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Rodriguez

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Freuler

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Xhaka

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Shaqiri

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Sow

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Embolo

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Fernandes

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Zakaria

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<PAD>

1,873

England set up a huge World Cup quarter-final showdown with defending champions France after easing past Senegal with a 3-0 victory in the last 16

After a sluggish start at the Al Bayt Stadium, England burst into life in the 39th minute when Jude Bellingham brilliantly set up Jordan Henderson for the opener

It got even better for Gareth Southgate's side just before the break when Bellingham launched a devastating England counter, which was finished off by Harry Kane (45+3) for his first goal of the tournament

England's charge to the last eight continued after the break as Bukayo Saka (57) justified his recall to the starting XI with a deft finish to convert Phil Foden's cross

It led to an extremely comfortable end to the game for England as Southgate made a host of substitutions as he aims to keep his squad fresh for what lies ahead

It sets up a mouth-watering last-eight contest with France on Saturday (kick-off 7pm),

Southgate said the clash with the World Cup holders will be a huge step up for his side

"This is the acid test for us, we know this is a step up from what we've had so far," he said after the win over Senegal

"But the team have garnered so much experience in the last few years, they're playing with confidence and we look threatening

We're scoring goals and another clean sheet is lovely to see

We're in a good place but we know the level of the opposition as well

" vs - Kick-off 7pm vs ///- Kick-off 7pmJust as they did against Wales, England started slowly and there were some uncomfortable moments for Harry Maguire, who was twice outpaced in the early stages by Boulaye Dia and then Iliman Ndiaye

Senegal were pressing aggressively and causing England's defenders, who were seeing lots of the ball, plenty of issues

England just couldn't get going and Senegal created the first opening of the game

The ball fell kindly for Ismaila Sarr, who blazed a shot from the edge of the six-yard area over the bar under pressure from Jordan Pickford

There was also an appeal for a penalty the build-up to the chance with Senegal claiming a handball against John Stones, but after a brief VAR check, play was waved on

Pickford was back in action shortly after as Saka gifted possession to Sarr, who slid the ball through for Dia

The forward's strike looked to be heading for the far corner but the outstretched left arm of the Everton goalkeeper, who came to England's rescue

It took until the 39th minute, but England finally showed their quality and to devastating effect

Foden picked out Kane, who slid the ball through for a marauding Bellingham

The Borussia Dortmund broke into the Senegal penalty area before squaring for Henderson, who swept home a first-time finish under Edouard Mendy to give Southgate's side the lead

England burst into life after the goal

Kane fired over after being picked out by Saka's low cross, but the Tottenham striker wasn't to be denied for long

A scintillating counter-attack was started by the ever-impressive Bellingham, who eased past several Senegal players before picking out Foden

England had a two-on-one and the Man City star squared for Kane, who drilled the ball past Mendy to put his side firmly in control at the break

England's lead was strengthened just before the hour when Saka produced a deft finish after latching onto Foden's low cross, and from that moment the game was over as a contest

England were in cruise control from that point and Southgate rung the changes with progress assured to consecutive World Cup quarter-finals - something the national team last managed in 2002 and 2006

Southgate managed the game perfectly as Saka and Foden were replaced by Jack Grealish and Marcus Rashford before Bellingham, Henderson and Stones all got a deserved rest as focus started to switch to Saturday's blockbuster showdown with France

"He's extraordinary

It's hard to imagine that before this World Cup, Gareth Southgate had some doubts behind the scenes about whether a 19-year-old would be ready to take on the biggest stage

"It was a brave call by Southgate to include Bellingham in that opening game against Iran and since then, neither of them have looked back because Bellingham has been one of England's best players in all four games now

"He has become a key player

He's the player England have been looking for for so long - a genuine No8, box-to-box player, as good at breaking up play and stopping the Senegal attacks as he is at getting the ball and driving the ball forward, getting England through the thirds and picking out a key pass England have scored goals from

"He's clearly enjoying it

I understand he's become really close with Jordan Henderson in camp off the pitch and you saw it there on the pitch

"After he set up Henderson for the first goal, Bellingham called for applause from the England fans for his mate Henderson and Henderson in return did the same for Bellingham

"So that blossoming partnership, and given credit to Declan Rice for anchoring that midfield and allows those two players to drift in and out of the game, chase the ball and get England up the pitch

"But Jude Bellingham is an absolute superstar

The fact that he was able to be brought off after an hour means he can rest his legs for that big game against France

You sense he will be a key player if England are going to progress past the world champions and get anywhere near the semi-finals

""I think the biggest thing is the mentality

We've done a lot of work over the years with young players and young-player development and the thing that makes the difference is the mindset, the drive, the desire to learn and improve

He has all of that

"I think with him, Phil [Foden], Bukayo [Saka] tonight, we felt it was the right moment for all of them and they all stepped up

Jude was with [Jordan] Henderson as well because those two really got us into the game

We were a bit stuck with the ball and our best moments were turning the ball over

I think Hendo's influence is allowing Jude more freedom positionally and he's responded to that remarkably well

""You could see the lift that goal gave Harry Kane in the second half

There was a bit more space

I think we'd managed to move Senegal around so much - although we found it hard to progress - that they tired, and his link play started to come together again

"I think for any striker when you haven't scored it is there in the back of your mind and you get that lift of confidence when it comes

There's no one I'd rather have bearing down on goal, and it was a really clinical finish

That will do him the world of good

"The great thing for us is the goals have been spread

We've not been dependent upon him, and we've only had a few goals from set-plays, which in the past was a huge percentage of our goals

It's great we're showing another side to our attacking play

""It's very rare you see a midfield player as comfortable in his own half as in the attacking half

He looks like he can do absolutely everything

He is a holding player, an attacking player, he's everything in one

Physically he's fantastic, so young but it's the composure, maturity and fearlessness I can't get my head around

"He just glided past the Senegal players

He releases it at the right time, that's what the best players do

He's running with his right and releases it with his left, the balance under pressure, absolutely fantastic

"He doesn't put it into areas, Foden, he passes it into players

He's a unique talent, the ability at full-speed to have that balance and get your head up to look into the middle - it's absolutely fantastic

"I watched players play for England for many years, the weight of the shirt was enormous

He just doesn't feel it at all, he looks like he belongs out there, like he wants it and needs it in his life

""It was excellent

First half they weren't at their best, second half the pressure was there in terms of their concentration, not wanting to give a goal away, you win 3-0

"Physically and emotionally, it didn't take that much out of them, and they should be full of confidence for the weekend

Credit to Gareth, he gets a lot of these decisions right, for all the criticism he gets

""Credit to the manager, again

He's making qualifying for the latter stages of tournaments look really easy

"They've not put a foot wrong really, for three or four years

They had a rough ride coming into the tournament, the manager and the players, but they're delivering again

"What a blockbuster that is against France on Saturday

They deserve this type of game, on this stage

"England secured the win with their three goals coming during 15-minute periods either side of the break - tripling their xG

It doesn't get much more clinical than three goals from four shots on target

Southgate's side enjoyed the lion's share of the ball, and also dominated for sustained periods in dangerous areas - primarily attacking down the left flank via Bellingham and Foden

England now have a World Cup quarter-final against holders France to look forward to on Saturday December 10

Kick-off at the Al-Bayt Stadium will be at 7pm

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1,874

South Korea dramatically reached the round of 16 at the 2022 World Cup on goals scored after Hee-Chan Hwang struck a 91st-minute winner to beat Portugal 2-1 in Al Rayyan

Only twice before in their history had South Korea advanced to the knockout stages of the World Cup, but Wolves forward Hwang came off the bench to send reverberations from the Education City Stadium to Seoul in dramatic fashion as he latched onto Heung-Min Son's pass to slot past Diogo Costa (90+1)

Portugal, already qualified for the last 16 and needing only a draw to be sure of top spot in the group, grabbed the lead with a fifth-minute goal from Ricardo Horta, who met a Diogo Dalot cross and hammered it home from close range

Young-Gwon Kim gave the Taeguk Warriors a lifeline after pouncing on a bouncing ball in the goalmouth and hooking it into the net (27)

Uruguay were beating Ghana 2-0, meaning South Korea needed only to beat Portugal to reach the last 16 on goals scored - four goals to two - and in the first minute of stoppage time, Hwang obliged

The Wolves forward said afterwards: "Heung-Min said to me before the match I was going to create something today, and that he trusts me

"When I went on as a sub, a lot of team-mates said it too

That ended up as a good result and Son, when he got the ball, I was convinced he would pass me the ball

It was an excellent pass and made my job much easier

"The last-gasp victory for South Korea catapulted them from fourth to second place in Group H ahead of Uruguay, who failed to score enough goals to finish above the Asians

vs - Kick-off 3pm vs - Kick-off 7pm vs - Kick-off 3pm vs - Kick-off 7pm vs - Kick-off 3pm vs - Kick-off 7pm vs - Kick-off 3pm vs - Kick-off 7pmThere were stunning scenes on the pitch at the Education City Stadium as the South Korean players waited in a huddle with a smartphone, witnessing the final knockings of the Uruguay game with Ghana, praying for no more goals

There were tears when the final whistle went in the game taking place simultaneously across Doha, sending the Korean players and fans delirious

Both they and Japan are into the round of 16, with South Korea now likely to face Brazil on Monday

Portugal, needing only a draw to be sure of top spot in Group H and mindful of the risk of yellow-card suspensions in the next round, made six changes and Horta - one of those alterations - gave Fernando Santos' men the perfect start inside three minutes

Dalot, also recalled by Santos, darted in behind the South Korea left-back Jin-Su Kim and the Manchester United defender picked out Horta for his second international goal

It means Dalot has now been directly involved in four goals across his last three appearances for Portugal in all competitions (two goals, two assists), scoring or assisting in each match

The Koreans, with one point heading into the contest, had to beat Portugal and hope the result of Ghana's match with Uruguay went their way in order to reach the last 16 - and moments after news had filtered through of a second goal for the South Americans, it was Kim who levelled

Portugal failed to clear a corner as the ball struck the back of Cristiano Ronaldo and fell kindly for Kim, who scored at the 2018 World Cup against Germany, and the defender had the simple task of tapping home

Ronaldo, seeking a goal to equal Portugal's overall World Cup record of nine scored by the great Eusebio, had his first chance just after the half-hour mark with a solo effort which Kim Seung-gyu saved and he was in any case offside

The Portugal captain had another one-on-one with Kim but his effort was too weak to trouble the keeper and he was given a rest in the 65th minute when replaced by striker Andre Silva

As South Korea hunted the goal that would take them through to a potential knockout clash with Brazil, Son looked poised to score with one chance on the right but his shot was brilliantly blocked by Antonio Silva

However, the Tottenham forward was not to be denied a key role in the winner and once again showed why he has been Asian Footballer of the Year seven times as his unbreakable spirit put South Korea into the knockout rounds for only the third time in 11 appearances

The weight of his ball and the timing of the run was perfect from Hwang as he escaped from the retreating Bernardo Silva to slide his finish beyond Costa

Remarkably, following Hwang's winner, four of South Republic's last seven goals at the World Cup have been scored in the 90th minute or later of the second half

News filtered through to the Uruguayans that they needed one more goal as nine minutes were played at the Al Janoub Stadium - but there was to be no further dramatic twist

"With an average age of 27 years and 198 days, this was the youngest Portugal side named for a World Cup game since 1966 against the USSR - albeit one containing a 37-year-old Ronaldo - but take nothing away from this triumph for South Korea

"Ji-Sung Park's place in the pantheon of Asian football is unquestioned - and it was he scored the winning goal over the Portuguese back in 2002, when South Korea co-hosted the tournament and advanced as group winners

"It was only his 10th goal for his country and first at a World Cup, but you can add Hwang's name to that glittering cast as South Korea booked their spot in the knockout stages for the first time since 2010

"Hwang's last goal for Wolves came against Arsenal way back in February

The forward went 26 appearances without breaking his drought at club level, which explains why he was omitted from the starting line-up by Paulo Bento - who watched on from the stands through suspension

"A 66th-minute substitute, these were his first minutes of football in Qatar and first of any kind since playing for Wolves against Leeds in the Carabao Cup on November 9

"Son Heung-min remains without a goal at this World Cup but he ran himself into the ground

"A day after Japan set the tone by stunning Spain 2-1 in their final game to reach the knockout phase on a night of mind-boggling drama, Son made sure South Korea's fans could kick-start their own party in the Education City Stadium

"The Asian side simply refused to accept that their World Cup dream was over and it was captain Son who epitomised the Koreans' relentless energy with a selfless display, typified by his role in the goal for Hwang, whose late intervention means he will be the toast of Seoul all weekend

"South Korea and Uruguay have four points with the same goal difference but Korea went through to the knockout stage by virtue of scoring four goals to the two of Uruguay, who before Friday were the only team in the tournament not to have scored

"I've been waiting for this moment a long time and I believed we could get it done," said Son, appearing in his third World Cup

"I have not been doing a good job as their captain, but my team mates have covered my back

I am so thankful for them and so proud of them

They never gave up and made sacrifices for the team

"Goalscorer Hwang added: "It was difficult waiting for it

But we proved once again we could make it to the knock-out phase, and we maintained that trust and continued with our match

This is something we wanted and expected, so I would like to share these feelings with all the Korean people back at home

" assistant head coach [asked how this side compares to the 2002 team]: "I can't compare these two teams

I watched the World Cup in 2002 on TV, I didn't know the Korean players personally

Since we started working with them I could watch a few games in the past but I can't make a comparison

"What it is now, is a team very well-organised, with players who have high individual skills

That's something we want to continue to develop

We want to hone their skills to improve them game after game

"We move forward, focusing on individual games, our defence, but also on our attack

That's something we are very much proud of

We see those players with strong personalities, they deserve the result

They deserve what we have accomplished

"head coach : "We needed to be more forceful when playing Korea

We tried to explore several strategies to counter the Korean squad, we were focusing on the different wingers and full-back

We created several opportunities on goal, we could have scored more

"We needed to correct our mistakes in the first 20 minutes, have more quick passes and were were having some difficulties and needed to better our game to finish

After that, we lost our organisation

Korea were controlling the game, we lost focus and our players were motivated but we conceded a goal when they were counter-attacking

"That's normal in any part of the tournament, it can happen

Therefore, we are somewhat upset

We are first in the group but wanted to win and have a better game in order to increase the morale of the players

That said, I don't think they will be unmotivated, they are playing well and I trust my team

That serves as a warning for us though

"top the group on six points while join them having finished second in Group H

are eliminated despite their victory over

Portugal will now face runners-up of Group G, Switzerland, on Tuesday December 6 - Kick-off 7pm

South Korea take on Group G winners Brazil on Monday December 5 - Kick-off 7pm

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1,875

First-half goals from Hakim Ziyech and Youssef En-Nesyri helped Morocco to a 2-1 win over Canada that saw them secure top spot in Group F and a place in the last 16 of the World Cup for the first time in 36 years

Morocco were drawn in a tricky group, including Croatia and Belgium, who finished second and third in 2018 respectively, but took four points off the European sides before holding on for victory against Canada in their final group game

Morocco will now play Spain in Al Rayyan on Tuesday after Luis Enrique's side finished as runners-up in Group E

A victory for Croatia over Belgium - who faced off at the same time as Morocco played Canada - could have seen the North Africans drop to second, but it was the , who crashed out at the group stage

Canada, playing at their first World Cup since 1986, pulled a goal back shortly before half-time when Nayef Aguerd inadvertently turned Sam Adekugbe's cross into his own net, but ultimately finished bottom of the standings, without a point

Morocco knew a place in the last 16 would be theirs if they avoided defeat to Canada and they were given an early boost on their way to victory by Milan Borjan, when the goalkeeper passed the ball straight to Ziyech, who chipped the ball back over his head and into the empty net after just four minutes

Morocco then strengthened their grip on a spot in the knockout stages when En-Nesyri ran onto Achraf Hakimi's through ball before lashing a strike past Borjan at his near post

Canada struggled to play their way through their opponents, with Tajon Buchanan's far-post chance from Cyle Larin's cross their only opening in the first half, but got themselves back into the game through an unlikely source

Aguerd stuck out a leg as Adekugbe's left-wing cross flashed across the Morocco box, with the West Ham defender's touch diverting the ball past Yassine Bounou at his near post

En-Nesyri had another goal ruled out for an offside against the luckless Aguerd in first-half stoppage time, but the second half saw Walid Regragui's side take a step back, apparently happy to protect their lead

Canada seized the initiative, with Ismael Kone impressing from the bench and Atiba Hutchinson seeing a header hit the underside of the bar and bounce onto the goalline in what was likely his final international, but they couldn't find an equaliser and fell to their sixth defeat in six World Cup matches

Morocco's win means they top Group F on seven points, while Canada exit the World Cup with three successive defeats

Croatia claimed second place with their 0-0 draw against Belgium, whose group-stage exit surely brings the curtain crashing down on their 'Golden Generation'

The runners-up in Group E, Spain, await Morocco, while the winners, Japan, face Croatia

Ziyech has struggled to show his undoubted talent since joining Chelsea in 2020 but it was on full display for Morocco as they saw off Canada

The winger stayed calm to lift the ball over Borjan and give Morocco the lead when the Canada goalkeeper presented him with possession early in the game and he went on to be at the heart of the North Africans' impressive performance

Starting on the right of a front three, Ziyech linked well with right-back Hakimi and striker En-Nesyri to show why Regragui was so keen to bring him back from international exile

Chelsea supporters will be hoping this version of Ziyech returns from Qatar and that he can finally display the quality that convinced them to sign him from Ajax

, Canada's manager, bemoaned the fact that Hutchinson's header failed to cross the line as the country's search for their first World Cup points continues

Speaking to the , the Englishman said: "We were two inches away from scoring the first points for Canada

We were willing the ball to cross the line but it didn't

"We showed Canadian grit and spirit

At times we showed quality

I'm proud of what these lads have showed here

It's going to sting

But we competed at every match

"There's a quality gap and we're trying to close that

We'll keep learning and we'll be back stronger

This is our first step into the big unknown

We found a lot of things out - we can compete and we were close

" was in bullish mood after full-time, saying: "We are going to be a very difficult team to beat

"Morocco became the second African side to qualify for the last 16 in Qatar - after Senegal - while Cameroon and Ghana are also still in with a chance of making the knockouts

"I think African teams can go far," predicted Regragui

"Why shouldn't we dream of winning the World Cup?"One of Canada's defining characteristics during John Herdman's time in charge has been their ability to adapt to the manager's various tweaks of formation

When it works, switching systems from game to game can help a side to punch above their weight by nullifying opponents' strengths and exposing their weaknesses

Herdman guided Canada to their first World Cup in 36 years, so it's hard to argue with the Englishman's approach

However, when the tinkering backfires, it can make a team look muddled - a description that could be levelled at Canada in Qatar

Their three matches saw them line up in three different formations, while Alphonso Davies - undoubtedly the star of Canadian football - was handed three different starting positions and was regularly shifted around the field as Herdman made further in-game tweaks

Davies regularly lines up at left-back for his club, Bayern Munich, but the touch map below shows how varied his usage was with Canada at the World Cup

While it's not uncommon for international sides to use players differently to how they are deployed at club level - Real Madrid defender David Alaba often plays in midfield or on the wing for Austria, for example - Canada didn't seem to know how to get the best from Davies

The 22-year-old played at wing-back, on both flanks in a 4-4-2 and as part of a front two, but Canada's inability to make him the focal point of their game is shown by the fact he managed just one shot during the tournament

It's hard to be too harsh on Canada, given they outplayed Belgium in their opening game and took the lead in their second against Croatia

But the way in which they slumped to defeat against Croatia and then failed to respond to Herdman's changes against Morocco begged the question of how they would have performed with a more settled approach

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1,876

Australia dumped Denmark out of the World Cup after Mathew Leckie's strike earned a 1-0 victory and qualification to the last 16 for the first time since 2006

Australia knew a draw would see them join Group D winners France in the knockout stages, providing Tunisia did not beat France, while Denmark had to win to have any chance of progressing

Denmark dominated the first period but their inability to score left Australia on course to qualify until Tunisia took the lead against the world champions through Wahbi Khazri

That goal moved Tunisia into the runners-up spot in Group D momentarily until Leckie weaved into the Denmark area and finished past Kasper Schmeichel (60) as Australia moved back into second, and a resolute defensive display ensured it was not surrendered

Australia will now face Argentina on Saturday (kick-off 7pm), who finished top of Group C after a

With the Socceroos starting the day in second spot courtesy of their win over Tunisia, the onus to attack was on Denmark

The Danes were initially positive and dominated possession against a team 28 places below them in the FIFA world rankings, only to be frustrated in a forgettable opening period

Australia goalkeeper Mathew Ryan tipped over from Mathias Jensen and unconventionally turned away a dangerous cross from marauding left-back Joakim Maehle, while Christian Eriksen dragged an effort wide

While Australia remained compact, Middlesbrough's Riley McGree tested Schmeichel during a rare foray forward to show they could cause problems on the counter-attack

The pattern of play persisted into the second period before a goal in the other Group D game left both sides in danger

News of Tunisia forward Khazri opening the scoring against France appeared to have filtered through to the Al Janoub Stadium just before Leckie latched on to McGree's through ball to race clear and finish with aplomb

Denmark needed at least two goals to avoid leaving Qatar early but, with their lack of cutting edge, even an equaliser seemed unlikely

Australia endured a major scare 19 minutes from time when substitute Kasper Dolberg tumbled in the box before the penalty decision was swiftly overturned

The spirited Socceroos, led impressively by Scotland-born centre-back Harry Souttar, defended doggedly and deservedly survived six minutes of added time to upset the Euro 2020 semi-finalists and march on

Australia's second World Cup victory in Qatar sees them finish second in Group D on six points, behind group winners France on goal difference

Denmark's disappointing campaign ends with them bottom of the group with just one point

Australia's reward is a last-16 tie against Group C winners Argentina on Saturday (kick-off 7pm)

Soccerooscoach believes the team that battled their way past Denmark and into the last 16 on Wednesday have a case to be considered the new "golden generation" of Australian football

"I'm just so proud of the players, the work ethic, the commitment, the fight that they had and the way they played," Arnold said

"I'm just so proud that we've been able to put smiles on people's faces, it's the first time ever an Australian team has won two games in a row at the World Cup

"Maybe we're talking about a new golden generation now, because we've been listening and hearing about the golden generation of 2006, who got four points and now we've got six

"Mathew Leckie scored his 14th goal for Australia in all competitions (first at the World Cup), at least five more than any other player in the Socceroos World Cup squad

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1,877

Tunisia beat Group D winners France 1-0 but it wasn't enough to qualify in a dramatic finale that saw Antoine Griezmann's goal ruled out by a late VAR review

Wahbi Khazri scored the decisive goal on 58 minutes with a fantastic solo run as Tunisia took full advantage of Didier Deschamps making nine changes to his France side and resting Kylian Mbappe

France only started to put pressure on in the latter stages when Mbappe was substituted on and they thought they had levelled it up when Griezmann fired home but an eventual VAR review spotted he was offside in the build-up

With Australia beating Denmark to finish on six points, it meant Tunisia, who finished third, crashed out in strange fashion having taken four points off France and Denmark

France will play Group C runners-up Poland - - on Sunday at 3pm with a potential meeting with England in the quarter-finals if they win their last-16 game

When changing an entire team it's hoped players given their chance make their mark, however, France lost all their early momentum from the tournament in a drab opening to the game

Tunisia sensed their opportunity and played with a verve and energy that their status of 'win or bust' encouraged them to

Khazri's wicked delivery almost led to a goal inside seven minutes when it was turned home in emphatic style by defender Nader Ghandri but the linesman's flag denied him a momentous World Cup goal

Khazri latched onto a glorious ball through just before the break but no team-mates were on hand to convert at the back post from a wonderful cross

Tunisia remained in the ascendancy after the break

Youssouf Fofana's weak defensive shielding and claims for a foul weren't bought by the referee but Aissa Laidouni fired over the bar from a tight angle

Fofana didn't heed that warning of soft contact not being punished by the referee as he was at it again moments later - this time Tunisia made France pay

Fofana was this time robbed by Khazri in midfield and stopped, hoping the referee would blow for the foul

There was no whistle and Khazri showed remarkable composure to saunter through on goal and slide a finish into the far corner

Following the goal, Deschamps called for his big guns with Mbappe unleashed and it allowed France a platform into the game as Tunisia shut up shop in defence

With the clock ticking towards the ninth minute of added-on time, Griezmann looked like he'd broken Tunisian hearts by firing in a loose ball in the box

However, a VAR review was eventually triggered and the referee was ordered to the pitchside screen to review Griezmann being two yards offside from the original ball

The goal was chalked off so Tunisia had their famous World Cup win - but cruelly crashed out of the tournament

France defender William Saliba admitted Les Bleus were "shaken up" by Tunisiaat the start of the match

The Arsenal defender said the wholesale changes made by Deschamps - with some players being used in unfamiliar positions - caused a rocky start to the contest

"It definitely wasn't an easy game today," Saliba said

"The team was changed, there were a lot of players who had never played together, so it was a bit difficult

"It was a bit better in the second half at the start, but then we conceded that goal

We were pushing at the end to try and score but unfortunately it wasn't enough

"I wouldn't say there was a sense of fear, but we were shaken up a bit at the start of the match

But there were players who weren't in their usual position, so they weren't used to it

"France have announced they will complain to FIFA over the "wrongly disallowed" goal from Griezmann

thought they had a draw when Griezmann fired home late on but the forward was called offside

Griezmann was in an offside position when a cross from the left initially came over, but he then appeared to be played back into an onside position following a Tunisia defender's deflection

In a statement, the French Football Federation said: "We are writing a complaint after Antoine Griezmann's goal was, in our opinion, wrongly disallowed

This complaint has to be filed within 24 hours after the final whistle

"It was a goal that deserved more than what Tunisia eventually got

Such was the beauty of it, Khazri and his team-mates can feel very unfortunate to be heading on the next flight out of Qatar

His goal capped an energetic performance that set the tone for his side

He backed up that vibrancy with quality - as shown by the winning goal

When Griezmann's 98th-minute equaliser was ruled out after the latest of VAR calls at the Education City Stadium, there were a swell of mixed emotions for Tunisia

It was a bittersweet moment

The North African nation had, at the fifth attempt, registered their first ever win against France - the reigning world champions - and deservedly so

But it also did not matter one bit in the context of the 2022 World Cup

Jalel Kadri's men did as much as they could on the day, but progression to the last 16 was dependent on Australia failing to beat Denmark in the other Group D clash

Matthew Leckie's strike ensured that would not be the case

Truthfully, had they been more potent in attack in their previous two matches, Tunisia might not have found themselves in such a precarious position

They defended admirably against Denmark, yet had just one shot on target, and lost out to Australia by a single goal in a game they, arguably, had the better of

They got nearly everything right against France and even kept just their third clean sheet in World Cup history

Perhaps they had a spring in their step when they discovered Didier Deschamps made an incredible nine changes to the team that beat the Danes on Saturday

Drama in the dying embers almost robbed them of a famous win, but though they did eventually get it, it was not enough to see them crash out at the group stage for the sixth time in six appearances on the world stage

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1,878

Mexico dramatically missed out on the World Cup knockout phase despite a spirited 2-1 victory over Saudi Arabia, as Poland progressed as Group C runners-up by virtue of a superior goal difference

In a thrilling finale to Group C at the Lusail Stadium, Henry Martin's opener (47) and Luis Chavez's spectacular free-kick (52), combined with Argentina's 2-0 victory over Poland, left Mexico with three stoppage-time minutes to find the third goal needed to avoid exiting the group due to an inferior fair play points total

Saudi Arabia's hopes of securing victory needed to seal their progress into the last 16 failed to get off the ground but, out of nowhere, Salem Al-Dawsari struck in stoppage-time to all but end Mexico's hopes of leapfrogging Poland

The result means Group C winners Argentina will face Australia on Saturday and runners-up Poland will take on France in the last 16 on Sunday, as Mexico reflect on what might have been having left themselves with too much to do after announcing their arrival at the tournament in the final group game

The drama and tension that was to come was encapsulated by the national anthems, where the majority Saudi crowd's passionate rendition was matched by the Mexican contingent

It very nearly propelled Mexico into an early lead, but Alexis Vega's third-minute strike was brilliantly smothered by Saudi goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais

Mohamed Kanno lashed over from a tight angle and Saudi captain Salem Al-Dawsari whistled a free-kick inches over the bar inside 12 minutes before the frenetic start settled and Mexico began to take a grip of the game

Abdulelah Al Amri and Hassan Altambakti joined forces to block Oberlin Pineda's block midway through the half before the Mexico playmaker's diving header was brilliantly blocked by Sultan Al Ghanam moments later

Ali Al-Hassan glanced a header wide in stoppage-time for Saudi Arabia, but the half belonged to the much-improved Mexicans, who took just two minutes to assert their authority after the break when Henry Martin converted Cesar Montes' flick from a corner to hand them the lead

Mexico's first goal of the tournament unleashed the shackles, and a second came five minutes later, Chavez's sensational long-range free-kick doubling their advantage to move them to within a goal of cancelling out Poland's goal difference advantage

News of Argentina's second goal against Poland brought Mexico level with the Poles on points and on goal difference, but their inferior fair play points total left them searching for another goal to qualify

After Martin saw an effort ruled out for offside, the striker blasted a glorious volley over and Chavez was denied a second spectacular free-kick by the diving Al-Owais before Pineda whistled a shot wide with a quarter of an hour remaining

Uriel Antuna thought he had scored the goal to send Mexico through two minutes from time, only for his effort to be ruled out for offside

News of Argentina's victory filtered through but with a crucial third goal not forthcoming, Mexico's desperation left them exposed defensively and Al-Dawsari pounced to extinguish their hopes

After the game, confirmed his reign was over following his side's exit from the tournament

Former Barcelona boss Martino, who has been in charge of Mexico since January 2019, said: "The contract expired with the final whistle and there is nothing else to do

"I am the man responsible for the frustration and disappointment

"It is real sadness and I assume all the responsibility for this huge failure

""The result does not reflect the reality of the match, as we deserved to lose by more goals had it not been for Al-Owais

He saved us in the third minute and we couldn't handle Mexico's intensity and enthusiasm in the duels

"We suffered physically, and we had to adapt to the injury of defender Ali Al-Bulaihi

Mexico were the better team, and we knew that they would play aggressively in order to score more goals to qualify for the next round

"The squad includes 26 players, and we have to deal with what we have

Yes, injuries affected us, but they are not an excuse

Against Poland, we were the better team, but we weren't efficient in the last third, but today we played poorly

" "We are very frustrated

After the first two games we were left with a lot to do and this last one was not enough for us

"We didn't have any goals and we had a lack of attention at the back today and it ended up leaving us out

"We will see what happens next, those of us who have to leave this national team, this cannot happen to Mexico

We had set ourselves the goal of the fifth game and we didn't even reach the fourth

"

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1,879

Germany suffered a second consecutive World Cup group-stage exit despite a thrilling 4-2 win over Costa Rica on a night of sensational Group E drama in Qatar

After collecting just one point from their opening two games, four-time tournament winners Germany - who were also eliminated at the group stage in 2018 - knew only a victory at Al Bayt Stadium on Thursday night would give them any chance of reaching the last 16

But despite eventually securing the result they needed, Hansi Flick's side were knocked out of the tournament on goal difference after in Group E's other fixture

Serge Gnabry's early header (10) appeared to have set Germany on the way to a comfortable three points, but a second-half strike from Yeltsin Tejeda (58) and a Manuel Neuer own goal (70) remarkably put Costa Rica in pole position to qualify for the last 16 and raised the incredible possibility of both Germany and Spain going out

But the drama did not end there

Chelsea forward Kai Havertz came off the Germany bench and turned the game on its head again with a clinical brace (73, 85) before fellow substitute Niclas Fullkrug made it 4-2 in the 89th minute

The victory was not enough though as the 2014 world champions finished third in Group E behind runners-up Spain and winners Japan

Thursday's game at Al Bayt Stadium also made history as France's Stephanie Frappart became the first woman to referee a match at the men's World Cup

Assistants Neuza Back from Brazil and Karen Diaz Medina from Mexico made it an all-female on-field team

Japan's win over Spain sees them finish top of Group E with six points, meaning they will face Group F runners-up Croatia in the last 16 on Monday, with kick-off at 3pm

Spain finish second on four points, ahead of Germany on goal difference, and will face Group F winners Morocco in the last 16 on Tuesday, kick-off at 3pm

Costa Rica finish bottom of Group E on three points and, like Germany, exit the competition

Germany's night started in encouraging fashion when Gnabry made the back of the net ripple on 10 minutes

David Raum was the creator on Germany's left-hand side, and his cross was expertly steered into the far corner by the Bayern Munich forward

Germany were dominant and Leon Goretzka almost scored at the back post only for his header to be turned away by Keylor Navas, before the impressive Jamal Musiala masterfully tip-toed his way into the Costa Rica area but pushed his effort wide

Despite being in complete control, Germany had Neuer - making his 19th outing at the World Cup to become the goalkeeper with the most appearances in the history of the competition - to thank for keeping them ahead at the interval

Raum and Antonio Rudiger failed to deal with a long ball, allowing Keysher Fuller through, but his powerful effort on goal was brilliantly palmed over by the veteran German stopper

At half-time - and with Spain 1-0 up following Alvaro Morata's strike - Germany were on course for a last-16 tie against Morocco

But that dramatically changed within minutes of the restart when Ritsu Doan and Ao Tanaka fired Japan into the lead

And it would get worse for the Germans when Tejeda scored his first international goal on 58 minutes to draw Costa Rica level

In a frenetic response, Germany hit Navas' left-hand post on three occasions - twice by Musiala and also by Rudiger - before Costa Rica did the unthinkable and scored a second

Neuer was deemed to get the final touch when Juan Pablo Vargas bundled the ball home from a free-kick to send Costa Rica wild and on the verge of following Japan into the knockout stages, with Spain joining Germany in departing the competition

But a topsy-turvy night took another twist when substitute Havertz hauled Germany level after he converted Fullkrug's pass three minutes later

And then, with five minutes remaining, Havertz had his second, turning home Gnabry's cross to restore Germany's lead

Fullkrug then survived a VAR check to net his side's fourth before 10 minutes of stoppage time ensued, with Germany hoping Spain could rescue a late equaliser against Japan - a result that would see them progress

But Japan held on to seal a famous win against Spain and send Germany out of the World Cup - four years after they fell at the first hurdle as defending champions in Russia - on a dark night for one of the world's great football superpowers

said: "In the first half I was disappointed and very angry at my team and how we allowed the opponent to come back

We wanted to score three or four goals in the first half but then we made mistakes

"But the tournament was not decided today for us

We did not have any efficiency at this tournament and that is why we were eliminated

"If you know me and my team, I know we can get up quickly and recover from that

Now we need to assess our work during the World Cup and head in a different direction

This is the next step we are going to undertake and we will do that very soon

"For the future of German football, we need to train differently

We will work on a future that is very important and very decisive, and we will see how we can implement our idea

"For years we've been talking about new goalkeepers and wingbacks, but what was always good was that we defended well

We need the basics to be right

" told German broadcaster : "It's an absolute disaster

I don't know what happens next

"If this was my last game, then I would like to say a few words to the German football fans

It was an enormous pleasure, dear people

"We experienced great moments

I tried to leave my heart on the pitch in every game

"It is unbelievably bitter for us because our result would have been enough

It's a feeling of powerlessness

" said: "In this World Cup, we showed what Costa Rica are

I am very calm that we can leave with our heads high

I am so proud of this squad, they are so special

I am so proud of them, more than ever before

"I leave with a feeling of sadness, not because we lost but that we are leaving

It's tough to experience this as a coach, even more so in the World Cup

"The most important thing is there is so much room for improvement

In the next four years there are things we need to change, but we need to build on everything we have done in the past few years

"The goal that ended up sending Germany home

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1,880

USA qualified for the World Cup knockout stages as Christian Pulisic netted the only goal in a 1-0 win over Iran before the Chelsea winger was taken to hospital injured

In what was a shootout for qualification, it was the USA that relished the jeopardy, playing with great energy and attacking intent as Pulisic bundled home the crucial goal on 38 minutes

The Chelsea man suffered an injury to his hip in that brave action and did not come out for the second half, with the US national team later confirming he had been taken to hospital with a 'pelvic contusion'

Coach Gregg Berhalter said: "He was feeling some dizziness, it was a blow to his abdomen

We FaceTimed him from the hospital and he was in good spirits

""I sent him a text and checked on him and he said, 'Best believe I'll be ready on Saturday'," also quoted his team-mate Weston McKennie as saying

USA missed his influence as the game wore on but, despite enjoying plenty of territory, Iran could not find the quality to find an equaliser that would have been enough to send them through

USA will now play Netherlands on Saturday at 3pm in the first last-16 game after Louis van Gaal's side secured their spot as Group A winners with victory over hosts Qatar

The onus was on USA to make the running as they knew nothing but a win would be good enough for qualification

Sergino Dest and Antonee Robinson were playing like wingers rather than full-backs and their intensity out wide set the tone for a barnstorming first half from USA

Timothy Weah was the main beneficiary of the vibrant USA attacks but his composure was lacking at key moments, firstly looping a rushed header from 12 yards straight at Alireza Beiranvand before rushing a finish moments later after some superb play from the lively Josh Sargent

It seemed only a matter of time before the opening goal landed and Pulisic delivered for his country

Weston McKennie sprayed a pass out to Dest, who nodded down for Pulisic in the six-yard box

He did enough to force the ball home but he collided with Beiranvand in the process and was replaced at the break with a problem to his hip area

Iran had to go for it after the break and Saman Ghoddos set their intent by driving into the back post from a right-wing cross but headed over the bar

Despite lots of possession, Iran struggled to test USA goalkeeper Matt Turner

The best chance fell to Morteza Pouraliganji, who headed a free-kick agonisingly wide of the post

Desperation started to kick in during the final moments and Mehdi Taremi was adamant he was fouled by Cameron Carter-Vickers but the referee waved away the protests

As the final whistle sounded, the Iran players fell to their knees

This was USA's day

Was this Dest rampaging down the right flank? Or Cafu? It was hard to tell at times

The full-back was absolutely key in the way USA pinned Iran back, especially in the first half

It was his header across goal that provided Pulisic with the opening goal

The 22-year-old has yet to really kick on with his career at Barcelona, and is currently out on loan at AC Milan, but his raw talent is undeniable

USA manager Gregg Berhalter praises his team for not buckling under pressure of drawing with Iran, a result which would have lead to the USA being knocked out of the group stages of the World Cup:On the evidence of the group stage, pre-World Cup reports of the US' demise appear to have been greatly exaggerated and one thing is for sure - the Netherlands had better not underestimate Gregg Berhalter's side in their last-16 clash on Saturday

The US deservedly overcame Iran in their final Group B clash thanks to a second successive World Cup clean sheet and Christian Pulisic's close-range finish, although the Chelsea forward was injured in the process of scoring and worryingly ahead of the weekend showdown, had to be substituted at half-time

But make no mistake about it, this is a well-drilled outfit, with pace in attack, out wide and in the centre of the park and no shortage of technique to go with that as seen in the impressive displays so far in Qatar from the likes of captain Tyler Adams, Sergino Dest, Yunus Musah, Weston McKennie, Pulisic and Timothy Weah

But while the are undoubtedly a step up in class from facing Wales and Iran, the US have already shown in holding England to a goalless draw that they are more than capable of mixing it with the so-called Big Boys of international football

So do not be surprised were the US to make life very uncomfortable for Louis van Gaal and Co at the Khalifa International Stadium this weekend, much as they did to much-fancied Belgium the last time they made it through to the World Cup knockouts in 2014

null

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1,881

Kalidou Koulibaly proved an unlikely matchwinner as Senegal reached the last 16 of the World Cup with a 2-1 victory over Ecuador, who are out of the tournament

Senegal will now play the winners of Group B - the group which England currently top - on Sunday night

The Chelsea defender's superb volleyed winner came only two minutes after Moises Caicedo had pulled Ecuador level from a corner, a result which would have taken the South Americans through in their place

The African side fully deserved to qualify from their World Cup group for the first time in 20 years, largely in part to a first-half performance where they blew away Ecuador, who came into the match knowing they only needed a point to progress

It took until the final minute of the opening period for Senegal's dominance to count, when Ismaila Sarr was fouled in the area before confidently beating Hernan Galindez from 12 yards

Though Caicedo briefly gave Ecuador hope midway through the second period it was a brief respite with Senegal still the more dangerous side even after Koulibaly's goal, and Edouard Mendy's goal was relatively untroubled as they jumped into second to set up a last-16 tie with the winners of Group B

The form book had Ecuador as slight favourites to progress, having drawn with the Netherlands in a game they could easily have won, and needing only a point to reach the last 16 for the first time since 2006

A surprisingly gung-ho gameplan proved their undoing, with Idrissa Gueye missing a fine early chance for Senegal after Sarr exploited Ecuador's attacking full-backs and galloped in behind down the flank

Less than 10 minutes had gone by the time Senegal could have been two goals ahead, with Boulaye Dia dragging a shot wide when clean through after Ecuador failed to clear their lines

Finally the South Americans regained some composure but still found themselves behind before the break as Sarr stole in ahead of Felix Torres and was brought down by Piero Hincapie, who was left with his head in his hands as the Watford winger then scored emphatically from 12 yards

Ecuador made two substitutes at the break and with a much-needed change in shape finally began to control the tempo of the game

It still took them nearly 25 minutes to break down a stubborn Senegal backline, when Caicedo stooped to turn home Torres' flick from a corner

Having waited so long to restore their hopes of qualification, they threw them away within moments

Koulibaly would be more familiar attacking a free-kick with his head than his feet but when Gueye's delivery was nodded down to him, he finished with aplomb before Galindez knew anything about it

Ecuador threw men forward with their World Cup dreams on the line but in vain, as they failed to seriously test Mendy as Senegal celebrated reaching the last 16 at their expense

Chelsea's Kalidou Koulibaly put the Blues' club worries behind him and gave Graham Potter a glimpse of what he can achieve

One perfectly timed tackle on Enner Valencia before the break highlighted a colossal defensive performance, and what a time to score your first international goal

Ecuador are out of the World Cup in the group stages for the third tournament out of the four they have reached

Senegal will play the winners of Group B in the last 16 on Sunday, kick-off 7pm

In the other Group A game, with Cody Gakpo again on target in a comfortable 2-0 win

The Dutch will play the runners-up of Group B in the last 16

null

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1,882

Marcus Rashford and Phil Foden capitalised on their starting roles to help England eliminate Wales from the World Cup with a 3-0 win which also secured top spot in Group B and set up a last-16 tie with Senegal

England boss Gareth Southgate had been grilled since the disappointing goalless draw with USA about Foden's lack of game time in the tournament so far and the Manchester City forward showed what he can bring to this stage at the start of the second half

First, he won a free-kick, which was brilliantly converted by Rashford (50), and then he tucked in at the back post (51) moments later to put his country on course for an ultimately comfortable win in the first all-British World Cup finals clash

Rashford had already scored in the opening game thrashing of Iran and underlined his own fine form with his excellent second (68), picking up a ball over the top from sub Kalvin Phillips before cutting inside his marker and firing through the legs of Danny Ward

He had the Wales goalkeeper scrambling at his near post soon after as he searched for a hat-trick and now looks like a certain starter when England play Senegal on Sunday night

Wales, who needed a win and a helpful result in the other group game to continue their first World Cup adventure since 1958, did well to limit their opponents in the first half but never really threatened to spring the upset required

Their first shot came in first-half stoppage time and only a deflected long-range effort from Kieffer Moore made Jordan Pickford work in the England goal

Gareth Bale managed just seven touches in that opening 45 minutes and was forced off with a hamstring injury at the break in what may prove to have been his final major tournament appearance for his country

He insisted afterwards he hoped to carry on but his next step will be a key talking point as Wales reflect on an impressive achievement to reach Qatar but also a bottom-place finish in the group and a first major tournament in which they have failed to win a match

For England, though, the knockout phase awaits, and Southgate will be encouraged by his side's strength in depth, with Kyle Walker and Phillips gaining vital minutes on their returns from injury, and Foden and Rashford illustrating the array of attacking options at his disposal

Rashford, in for Raheem Sterling, should have put England ahead with just 10 minutes in the clock, when Harry Kane slipped a fantastic pass through for him to run onto but Ward was out swiftly to the edge of his area and read the attempted chip to chest away the forward's effort

Foden then shot wide as England's refreshed attack began to fire but well-organised Wales put the brakes on that momentum and almost 20 minutes later an almost-comical ending to a Harry Maguire marauding run into the box summed up his side's frustrations, with his shot flying out for a throw-in

Neco Williams had earlier taken a blow, heading away a Rashford drive, and was eventually forced off on 35 minutes - and from then on England ramped up towards half-time, with their best move of the opening period seeing Jude Bellingham swivel Jordan Henderson's pass to Walker before teeing up the return pass for Foden to shoot over

Rashford miscued an overhead and failed to pick out Bellingham at the end of a lightning counter before Joe Allen finally unleashed Wales' first shot of the half deep into stoppage time

But the half-time withdrawal of the injured Bale was a major setback for Wales and England - who had been below their best up until that point - kicked on

Within a couple of minutes of the restart an excellent dribble from Foden - who had switched flanks with Rashford - earned a free-kick on the edge of the box

Rashford stepped up and hammered the ball into the keeper's corner, with Ward anticipating the shot over his wall

Seconds later one turned into two, with Foden getting in on the act himself, slotting home at the back post after Rashford's press on Ben Davies allowed Kane to skim the ball through the six-yard box

A deflected long-range shot from Moore had Pickford wrong-footed for a moment but the keeper recovered well to make his only save of the match and Rashford's second soon ended the contest - and Wales' fading hopes

Phillips, making his first appearance in Qatar, lofted a pass to send Rashford into space and after he turned inside Connor Roberts, his rasping shot flew through the legs of Ward

It was England's 100th goal at a World Cup finals and moves Rashford up to joint-top of this edition's scoring charts

The Manchester United forward could easily have added another to go clear in those rankings before he was subbed off and Bellingham forced a sharp stop from Ward before John Stones somehow skewed over from six yards in the final moments, as England looked to hammer home their dominance of a flagging Wales side

It was a painful night for the Welsh, who also lost Davies and Allen to injury - but England can now look ahead, optimistic of another major tournament run under Southgate

"I thought in the first half we really controlled the game, but we didn't create many clear-cut chances

So we wanted a little bit more thrust and threat in the final third and to play forward a bit quicker

"In the second half, once we got the two goals, we knew their spirit had probably gone, it's been a tough tournament for them

I thought we kept our discipline and quality right to the end

"It's great for Marcus Rashford, he has trained really well

I have to say, he's really been impressive since he came back in with us

He could have had a hat-trick couldn't he? And the free kick is what he's capable of, it's an incredible strike really

"In moments I thought both Foden and Rash were quiet in the first half, we decided to switch wings, and I thought that might allow them to go on the outside and also the chance to come in and they responded really well, so for both to get the goals is great

""It's very tough to take

In the first half we were outstanding, the effort the players put in off the ball was exceptional

We could have been a little bit better on the ball, but I won't say a bad word about those players, they have given everything today

"I don't want to talk about negatives, the boys put a shift in

we're disappointed to leave the tournament but if we're going to go out, that's the way to go out, our first-half performance was excellent

"Five minutes before half-time [Gareth Bale] felt his hamstring

Joe Allen threw everything at it in his first 90 minutes in ages

Ben Davies had to come off with an injury

It was a massive effort from all the group

To get here is a massive achievement

I couldn't be more proud of them

""'Moments like this, this is what I play football for

The biggest moments, the best moments

' Those were the words of player-of-the-match Marcus Rashford after England brushed aside Wales to reach the last 16 of the World Cup

"After his goal against Iran in England's opener, Rashford's brilliant second-half double on his first start in Qatar moved him joint-top of the World Cup scoring charts

The Manchester United forward is arguably in the form of his life but just over two months ago, he was not even in the international fold

"Back in September, Rashford faced missing the World Cup altogether after being left out of England's 28-man Nations League squad

Although already a doubt due to what he described as an "untimely injury", the 25-year-old had been overlooked since November 2021 after struggling for form at club level

His chances of making the plane to Qatar appeared to be fading

"Now though, the picture could not be any different

After starring under new Manchester United boss Erik ten Hag this season, Rashford is now impressing on the biggest stage for his country

His magnificent free-kick against Wales - his first for England and the first of this World Cup - demonstrated his unique ability from set-pieces

Moments later, his effective pressing helped England double their lead before his directness and determination made it 3-0 to put the result beyond doubt

"After this performance, the England manager has a simple decision to make

Rashford deserves to start against Senegal on Sunday

""That was impressive from England, and in particular, their manager

"Southgate shuffled his pack, and the two big calls - to bring in Foden and Rashford - paid off big time

Both were outstanding and deserved the three goals they got

"A thoroughly professional performance, which could've been even more lucrative in the goals-scored column

England top the group, and they will play Senegal with renewed belief - the belief that was so evident after the thrashing of Iran

"The real business begins now, however, and it was noticeable, too, that there were no wild celebrations from the England players

"They expected to win Group B, and they know they will be judged on what happens in the games to come in Qatar

"England's win has set up a last-16 tie with Senegal on Sunday December 4, kick off 7pm

Wales' defeat, coupled with USA's win over Iran, means they finish their campaign bottom of Group B with one point from their three games

null

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1,883

Cameroon kept alive their faint hopes of reaching the round of 16 after substitute Vincent Aboubakar inspired a breathless comeback in a 3-3 draw with Serbia in Al-Wakrah

It is a result that does little to help either side, but Serbia will certainly be wondering how they allowed a two-goal lead to evaporate at the Al Janoub Stadium after Aleksandar Mitrovic had put them in a commanding position

Cameroon took the lead against the run of play as Jean-Charles Castelletto peeled away from Andrija Zivkovic to prod home from on the goal line at the far post following a flicked on corner

There were two minutes and 30 seconds between both Serbia goals on the stroke of half-time as Cameroon was punished for their lapse in concentration

Strahinja Pavlovic rose unmarked to meet Dusan Tadic's set piece to find the bottom corner and the turnaround was complete when Sergej Milinkovic-Savic collected Zivkovic's pass to bury his left-foot shot beyond stand-in goalkeeper Devis Epassy

Mitrovic extended Serbia's lead following a fabulous team move early in the second half, but after Aboubakar's outrageous dinked finish had halved the deficit, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting completed the comeback from close range shortly after

"In these competitions you have to show desire for victory," Aboubakar said

"My teammates played a great first half despite some small mistakes

We felt they (Serbia) were shaky and a bit tired

When I came on, I tried to make the most of it

"Most important is to give the Cameroon people joy

What matters is the mindset and the collective spirit, and in that regard we played a great game

"The result ended a run of eight straight World Cup defeats for Cameroon, picking up their first point in the competition's group stages since a 1-0 win over Saudi Arabia in 2002

There had been just eight goals in the previous six games at this World Cup kicking off at 10am UK time, but onlookers were treated to a breakfast bonanza on Monday as 43 per cent of goals in the early offering were provided during a pulsating 90 minutes

This was the first meeting between Cameroon and Serbia in all competitions since a 4-3 friendly win for the Serbs in June 2010 - and both sides could ill-afford another defeat after losing their opening Group G games

Serbia, who had lost both of their World Cup games as an independent nation against African sides, ought to have opened the scoring when Mitrovic cut inside Nicolas N'Koulou but curled his effort against the post after 10 minutes

The Fulham striker had an even better chance five minutes later when N'Koulou's poor clearance rebounded back to him but Mitrovic dragged his attempt off target - and Serbia were punished as Castelletto was left unmarked to tuck home the opener

But Cameroon would inexplicably lose all shape and discipline in first-half stoppage time as Pavlovic and Milinkovic-Savic both scored

Milinkovic-Savic's left-footed effort came three minutes into added time, two minutes after Pavlovic's header had cancelled out Castelletto's tap-in, punishing some woeful defending by Cameroon

There were 148 seconds between Serbia equalising and taking the lead against Cameroon, with Serbia becoming the first team to score twice in first-half added time in a World Cup match

The third for Serbia was a beautifully worked that was started and finished by Mitrovic

He drove towards the Cameroon box and after a succession of passes inside the penalty area, the ball was squared by Andrija Zivkovic and the burly number nine had a simple tap-in

It was Mitrovic's seventh goal in his last six games for Serbia in all competitions, becoming the first player to score more than once at the World Cup for the nation

"At that stage we had absolute control of the match," Stojkovic said

"But we were not smart enough to see out the match

We created a lot of opportunities and scored three goals, but couldn't finish it off

"Cameroon were averaging just 0

8 goals per game at the World Cup - the lowest goals per game ratio of any nation to play at least 20 games in the competition - but the Indomitable Lions roared into life after Aboubakar's introduction

The Al Nassr striker was a shock omission from the starting line-up once more having been overlooked against Switzerland, but Aboubakar responded in style to halve the deficit

Karel Poborsky scored an iconic goal for the Czech Republic at Euro '96 and this was equally audacious as his scooped finish surprised Vanja Milinkovic-Savic and bounced up into the roof of the net

Less than three minutes later, Cameroon completed the comeback

Choupo-Moting was their only player to have more than one effort in their 1-0 defeat to Switzerland, but the forward notched his first World Cup goal in his seventh game

The Bayern Munich striker held his run to sweep in Aboubakar's cross at the far post as Serbia's high line was breached for the second time in 150 seconds

After a breathless contest, both sides had to settle for a point that keeps alive their chances of qualification - but with both managers no doubt wondering quite what they had witnessed along with the 39,789 spectators inside the ground

Cameroon were without first-choice goalkeeper Andre Onana, who asked to leave the squad according to coach Rigobert Song, amid reports that the pair had a falling out

"He is an important player but we are in a difficult tournament," Song said

"I know what I have to do, and that is to ensure that the team takes precedence over any individuals

"Andre wanted to step out (of the squad) and we accepted that position

In a squad, discipline is important

"On Cameroon's recovery to snatch a point, Song added: "That is part of our DNA as Cameroon footballers and it was maybe what was missing in the first match (against Switzerland)

"What was important was to show that great fighting spirit and determination

We reacted as well as we could (at 3-1 down) to get back into the match

We are progressing and improving

"It is possible to beat Brazil

We believe in ourselves, we did not come here to just go through the motions

Cameroon still has a contribution to make to this tournament

"Stojkovic was also confident his side can still progress

"In the dressing room we are calm

Yes, we regret the mistakes we made, but the players should not lose their heads over it

We seem to like to take the difficult road

"We will do the best we can to play attacking football and try to win (against Switzerland)

"Cameroon were hurtling towards a record-equalling ninth straight defeat at a World Cup finals when Aleksandar Mitrovic completed a fine team goal for Serbia just eight minutes into the second half at the Al Janoub Stadium

Manager Rigobert Song looked out of ideas but that was the cue for Vincent Aboubakar to come off the bench

Cameroon changed to a 4-4-2 formation with Aboubakar, who top-scored at the Africa Cup of Nations finals earlier this year, partnering Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting up front

It would prove an inspired switch to turn this roller-coaster Group G fixture on its head

Aboubakar became the first ever substitute to both score and assist a goal in a World Cup match for an African nation

Earlier this month, the striker who plays in Saudi Arabia for Al Nassr, claimed the only difference between him and Mohamed Salah is the Liverpool star has the chance to 'play in a big club'

Aboubakar told : "I'm not impressed by him

I can do what he does

I just don't have the opportunity to play in a big club

I understand people's attitudes, he's one of the best goalscorers in the Premier League

It makes sense that when you go on about a player like that, people will talk

"But I did say that it was my opinion, my point of view

I don't give a toss if people don't like it

"Having been left out by Song against Switzerland, Aboubakar made his point on the perfect stage

Cameroon's best chances of conquering Brazil in their final game will involve playing him from the start

Cameroon knew they needed to win to have a realistic chance of qualification given they face Brazil in the final group game at Stadium 974 on Friday, kick-off 7pm

Serbia are better placed to reach the round of 16 as they now face a straight shootout with Switzerland at the Lusail Iconic Stadium, also on Friday at 7pm

Both teams know they must win their final match to stand a chance of qualifying for the next stage of the World Cup

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N'Koulou

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Tolo

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Zambo

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Kunde

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TokoEkambi

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Veljkovic

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Mohammed Kudus struck twice in a pulsating game as Ghana beat South Korea 3-2 to register their first win in World Cup Group H

South Korea had all the early pressure, forcing seven corners in the first 20 minutes, but it was Mohammed Salisu who gave Ghana the lead against the run of play after a goalmouth scramble (24)

Kudus doubled the advantage (34) with a precision glancing header after a beautifully delivered Jordan Ayew cross from the left-hand side

Cho Gue Song scored two quick-fire headers to bring South Korea back on level terms around the hour-mark, before Kudus added his second of the game in the 68th minute with a well-taken finish to make it 3-2

Salisu was forced to clear off the line late on to ensure Ghana came away from the Education City Stadium with all three points, keeping their hopes of qualifying for the knockout stages well and truly alive

As for South Korea, who saw boss Paulo Bento sent off at full time for protesting to English referee Anthony Taylor, they now need to beat Portugal in their final game on Friday and hope Uruguay also overcome Ghana in a repeat of their controversial quarter-final clash at the 2010 World Cup

Ghana saw off early South Korean pressure to go 2-0 ahead as centre-back Salisu's scrambled goal in the 24th minute was followed 10 minutes later by a glancing header from Kudus

Both were at the end of superb deliveries from Jordan Ayew, restored to the starting lineup as Ghana fielded a much more offensive side than against Portugal

Ayew's perfectly weighted free-kick caused confusion in the South Korean defence and Salisu turned sharply to snap up the opener as the ball bobbled around

There was a lengthy wait for VAR to check the validity of the goal before Premier League referee Anthony Taylor confirmed it

Ayew again provided a wicked delivery, with the right height and pace, for Kudus to apply a glancing touch with his head and double the Black Stars' lead

Early second-half changes breathed new life into South Korea's attack and Lee Kang-In had barely been on the field for a minute when he helped dispossess Tariq Lamptey and fired in a cross that Cho attacked with pace, leaving Salisu watching as he got in front of his marker to power home a 58th-minute header

The 24-year-old centre forward was even more determined as a chip from Kim Jin-Su caught the out-of-position goalkeeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi scrambling and Cho climbed above the centre backs to score a dramatic equaliser, right in front of a bank of screaming South Korean supporters

Ghana, who would have been eliminated from the World Cup had they lost, looked vulnerable, but were handed a surprise lifeline by sloppy South Korean defending in the 68th minute

Gideon Mensah was allowed to get a cross in from the left, which Inaki Williams missed, but the ball fell for Kufus to tuck home with his left foot all while the South Korean backline failed to attack the ball

The fortuitous turn for the Black Stars was followed by Ati-Zigi making a fine save from Lee's free-kick and watching as the ball was cleared off the line from Kim Jin-Su's scuffed shot

Ghana continued to live dangerously through 10 minutes of added time as Korea besieged their goal, but were unable to equalise, with Bento shown a straight red at full time after Taylor blew up before his side could take a last-gasp corner with no more time left on the clock

And that means Bento will now be absent from the touchline for his side's must-win game against his native country on Friday

Heading into their Group H clash with South Korea on Monday, Ghana knew defeat at the Education City Stadium would see them exit the competition after just two games, which meant the pressure was well and truly on Otto Addo's side

Luckily, though, Mohammed Kudus picked the ideal time to make Ghanian football history after the Ajax midfielder headed his team into a 2-0 half-time lead, before then sealing a 3-2 win with a composed finish midway through the second period

As a result, the 22-year-old became the first Ghana player to score two goals in a World Cup match, while he also became the second youngest African player to net twice in the competition

That double means Ghana's World Cup fate is now in their own hands ahead of their final clash with Uruguay on Friday

Heung-Min Son is one of the most devastating forwards in world football, and his appearance in the World Cup despite damaging his eye socket in the same month has been remarkable

The issue is, he has not really led the South Korean line as we know he can

Son is known worldwide for his ability to make and score goals for Tottenham alongside his partner in crime Harry Kane

However, neither of them has scored in this World Cup while they captain their respective nations

South Korea drew 0-0 with Uruguay in the first match and in the second they lost out to Ghana 3-2

Who was on the scoresheet for the Asia side? Not Son, but Cho Gue-sung, a striker on loan at a Korean second-division side, was the one to score twice

Son is the superstar

You can hear it's him on the ball before you can see the number thanks to the roar the crowd makes every time he gets involved

But the superstar is getting upstaged

Is it the injury? Perhaps

You also wonder whether the pressure of being the player who drags his team through tournaments in a Messi or Ronaldo-esque manner is too much for the 30-year-old

He's not the only national icon struggling in Qatar

Kane has already been mentioned, but Christian Eriksen, Kevin De Bruyne and Luka Modric can be added to the list

It's important to note Son was an architect in the second South Korea goal, with his world-class through ball opening Ghana up, leading to the cross and eventual finish

However, a look at the stats suggests there is more to come from Son

His midfield partner Hwang Inbeom completed the most passes, Kim Jinsu the most crosses and Cho the most shots

Kane and Son are superheroes when you bring them together, but while apart, it currently seems like their powers diminish

Son was outshone as his team went down swinging against Ghana

South Korea's final chance against Portugal beckons and, like dawn, they will hope Son will rise and shine again

"It will be very difficult, but I am confident to know that we can win this game

I'm not a guy that thinks much of revenge," said Addo in reference to the two nations' meeting at the quarter-finals of the 2010 World Cup, when Uruguay won thanks to a controversial handball on the line from Luis Suarez, with Ghana missing the resulting penalty, before exiting on penalties

"It was really, really long time ago that this incident happened and I am a strong believer if you don't seek too much revenge on these kind of things sometimes you get the blessings

"It is a different approach, a different team

They have very good strikers, lots of experience and they are a very compact, very good team

"It will be very difficult just like every match

"We said before the tournament started every game will be on edge, and we have to be at our best to beat them

""In the first 25 minutes, we were able to control the game with ball possession which was very good

We made good passes and fulfilled our strategy for the match

After the first goal, things changed until the end of the first half

"At that moment, we lost control

The second half was totally different - we had control, ball possession and created opportunities to score

"The result is totally unfair

Not even a tie would have been fair

We clearly deserved a win

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count on us for the next match

"Ghana's first win of the tournament means they are in control of their own destiny in terms of qualifying for the knockout stages heading into their last match against Uruguay on Friday

South Korea can still qualify for the knockout stages but they will need to beat Portugal in their last group game on Friday

Cameroon kept alive their faint hopes of reaching the round of 16 after substitute Vincent Aboubakar inspired a breathless comeback in a 3-3 draw with Serbia in Group G

Jean-Charles Castelletto gave Cameroon an early lead before Strahinja Pavlovic and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic scored in the space of two-and-a-half minutes to give Serbia a half-time lead

Aleksandar Mitrovic extended that lead further before Aboubakar and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting completed the comeback for Cameroon

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Na

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Ati-Zigi

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1,885

Casemiro fired Brazil into the last 16 of the World Cup with a late strike in their 1-0 win over Switzerland

With Neymar missing the game due to an ankle injury, the five-time champions laboured for long periods of the match as they struggled to breakdown the determined defensive set up of their Group G opponents

Vinicius Jnr had looked the most likely to make the breakthrough and saw a second-half strike ruled out by VAR with Richarlison offside earlier in the move

But with just seven minutes of the 90 remaining, Casemiro latched onto Rodrygo's smart flick from Vinicius' pass inside and slammed home with the help of a glancing deflection off Manuel Akanji

earlier in the day means Brazil, with two wins from two matches, are guaranteed a top two spot, although Switzerland - sitting on three points - will need a win in their final group game with Serbia to guarantee their progress

A draw would be enough if Cameroon don't beat Brazil

Brazil coach Tite has been criticised for his conservative approach in the past and his decision to bring Fred into his side in the absence of Neymar was an interesting call and one which would have opened him up to scrutiny had his team not secured a win

They were certainly far from their flowing best in the first half, when all they had to show for their efforts was a tame shot on target from Raphinha and a chance at the back post for Vinicius, who did not connect cleanly with the cross

With their focus on defence, Switzerland offered little in attack at the other end and failed to land a shot on target across the 90 minutes, although Alisson provided a few nervy moments with the ball at his feet and Alex Sandro slid in to make a desperate block from Silvan Widmer's cross when Brazil suddenly looked exposed early in the second half

Brazil had a goal ruled out on 66 minutes when a good move involving Richarlison, and Rodrygo which allowed Vinicius to capitalise on the space he had out wide on the left, skipping away from Nico Elvedi to tuck his finish into the bottom corner, was cancelled because of an offside

As the clock ticked away, Tite cut a more and more frustrated figure on the touchline, having thrown on attack-minded Rodrygo, Bruno Guimaraes, Gabriel Jesus and Antony

Defensive midfielder Casemiro was the unlikely match winner, though, hammering home just his sixth goal in 67 international appearances after a sudden burst of speed and skill from Vinicius and Rodrygo, and sending the Brazil supporters inside the Stadium 974 into celebration mode

Late chances came and went for those two attackers but in the end the one goal was all Brazil needed

It wasn't pretty but it got the job done

"Tite wouldhave come in for a lot of criticism

He makes a change at half-time so he recognises it straight away

For me, the intent all the way through from the senior players, whether it be Thiago Silva pressing up the pitch, whether it's Casemiro - the holding midfield player in the box, furthest forwards - every change the Brazil coach made in that game told his players 'we've got to win this match'

"Rodrygo, Antony, Jesus, Guimaraes are on

Fred is off, Lucas Paqueta is off

All the pragmatic behaviour in the first half goes out of the window because the expectation is they have to win the game

"And they're now in a brilliant position where they've not only [qualified] but all those talented players, we could see them in the third game

He can experiment, all his squad players can get a touch of the ball

"They were a little bit too conservative for large parts of the game but the coach got it right in the end by making the changes and interfering with that match positively

He didn't have enough [of his attackers] on the pitch at the start of the game but towards the end it looked the right type of balance for the quality they have

"Obviously Neymar has a different skill-set

He is a player who in a magical moment can dribblepast you and all of a sudden, you say, 'What happened here?'

He has that skill

"Other players are getting there to get to the level he is at and I hope they get there

Yes, we do miss Neymar, we do miss him

He has a big creative power, he's very effective so we miss him, yes

"But there are other players who can take their opportunity

"After Brazil's win, Neymar tweeted: "Casemiro has been the best midfielder in the world for a long time"

Asked about that statement, Tite said in his post-match press conference: "I always respect other opinions and I usually don't comment on them, but I'll allow myself to do so today - I agree!"As well as the winner, Casemiro made a game-high five interceptions - more than twice as many as any other player on the pitch

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1,886

Bruno Fernandes scored twice to send Portugal through to the knockout stages from Group H with a game to spare after beating Uruguay 2-0

Cristiano Ronaldo thought he had scored a second-half header although the striker did not get a touch to Fernandes' cross which ended up in the net, "The feeling I had was that Cristiano touched the ball," Fernandes said

"I was passing the ball to him

"Portugal's deserved lead came just a minute after a "

Uruguay almost equalised when substitute Maxi Gomez hit a post before Luis Suarez missed from close-range - but they were punished in the 90th minute as a VAR check saw Jose Maria Gimenez adjudged to have handled the ball in the area and, with Ronaldo having been brought off, Fernandes tucked away the spot kick

Portugal dominated a drab first half yet Uruguay had the best chance when Rodrigo Bentancur wonderfully weaved through the defence, but was denied one of the great World Cup goals by goalkeeper Diogo Costa

Nuno Mendes left the pitch in tears after being forced off injured although things did improve for Portugal in the second half once the game had restarted following the

Fernandes floated a cross into the box for Ronaldo, who had a clear header at goal

However, he did not get a touch to the ball which carried on through into the corner

Uruguay rallied with 15 minutes remaining and started playing some of their best football

Gomez struck a post with a first-time effort from the edge of the box, Suarez stabbed an effort into the side-netting when he should have scored and Giorgian de Arrascaeta had a chip saved by Costa

They were made to pay for their missed chances at the end of normal time when Gimenez's trailing hand touched the ball as he lunged into a tackle on Fernandes, who dispatched the penalty awarded by referee Alireza Faghani after he was instructed to check the pitchside monitor

Fernandes' almost completed a perfect night as his low drive from the edge of the area came back off a post

are through to the last 16, along with France and Brazil, but still need a point to be declared Group H winners

are the only remaining rival for top spot, but the Africans could still finish behind both and

For those two teams, the equation is simple: win or go home

But even winning may not be enough

Victories for both Uruguay and South Korea would leave them level on four points and separated only on goal difference, but a win for South Korea would be academic if Ghana beat Uruguay

A point for Ghana coupled with a win for Korea would also make goal difference - and possibly goals scored - the ultimate adjudicator

"We are looking for victory against Ghana, there is no doubt about it

If we have to make modifications, that is what we will do

"We didn't play well but we had our chances and we were pushing forward

We were trying for it

But sometimes the opponents are good, they play well, they counter your game plan and don't let you be where you would like to be

"Our game improved with the two new players

The game was asking for them," Santos said

"At the start, Portugal owned the ball, they dominated the ball

After, we played well

We need to gamble more and to move more freely

" "For us, it's a different history

They are looking for classification, us too

It has nothing to do with what happened years ago

""We clearly showed we are a very strong unit, both in the quality of the game and in the bond between them

That's how positive things are achieved

We will always work like this

"A manic Monday at the World Cup kicked off with in Group G

It is a result that does little to help either side, who both needed to win to boost their qualification hopes although head into their last matches still with a chance of finishing second

The goals continued to flow as in Group H, leaving them with all to play for in their final match against Uruguay

Brazil secured a place in the knockout stages by goal

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1,887

Costa Rica ignited their World Cup campaign with a smash-and-grab 1-0 win over Japan at the Ahmad bin Ali Stadium

Luis Fernando Suarez's men prioritised defensive solidity after their 7-0 humbling at the hands of Spain in their opening match and kept their opponents at bay sufficiently throughout, as the early-afternoon temperature exceeded 30 degrees

But Costa Rica made Japan pay for their failure to capitalise on their attacking superiority when Keysher Fuller curled a shot over Shuichi Gonda (81) with the team's first shot on target in the tournament

The late winner blew Group E wide open, with Costa Rica, Japan and Spain - who face Germany later this evening - all on three points at this stage

Japan looked buoyant after their shock win over Germany last time out and flew out of the blocks in an attempt to put Costa Rica immediately on the back foot

They were soon controlling the tempo of the game

Japan's Ritsu Doan sent a teasing ball across the box from the right, which needed just one touch to find the back of the net, while at the other end, ex-Arsenal forward Joel Campbell's improvised shot cleared the crossbar by a good few feet

Given the lack of attacking endeavour, the organisation of the Costa Rican defence - marshalled by Kendall Waston - was perhaps the highlight of a poor first half

Hajime Moriyasu changed the shape of his side at the break, moving to a back three in an attempt to promote creativity and it worked initially, with half-time sub Takuma Asano forcing a save with his first touch

The Japanese once again began to dominate, but the Sunday League-like feel of the game could not be shaken

Their passing grew less accurate, while crosses and long balls were often wildly overcooked and wasted

And then came the decisive moment

Hidemasa Morita gave the ball away cheaply, with Yeltsin Tejeda setting up Fuller to curl over Gonda

The 'keeper was positioned well off his line and, even though he got fingertips to the shot, he could not stop it looping into the net

Keylor Navas then made two saves of his own in the dying embers, first from Daichi Kamada and then Asano, but fortune was not on Japan's side

"Losing 7-0 is humiliating

The only way you can respond to that is to put in a performance

They did the basic things well

It's not always about being pretty and doing things with style

"It's about getting the job done and they've kept a clean sheet

They've taken their one moment and that's tournament football

""'You have to be at your strongest when you are feeling at your weakest

'"It's a quote better suited to - and no doubt aimed at - the trials and tribulations of the real world, but it seems Costa Rica took that on board after they were thrashed by Spain on Thursday

"As such, Los Ticos set up with defence at the forefront of their minds on Sunday

With the pace Japan attacked at times, it was almost as though they were resigned to their fate and saving face for the remainder of their stay in the tournament would be more important

"But even after their win over Germany, the Japanese could never generate the fluency needed and, as the second half wore on, it looked as though a mistake would settle the game - in either team's favour

That was exactly what happened

Hidemasa Morita made a hash of his clearance, Costa Rica pounced and the points were theirs

"A draw would have all-but sealed their fate, but Keysher Fuller's moment of magic not only kept them very much in the tournament, but provided added inspiration that they could even qualify for the round-of-16

Who would have guessed that would be the case earlier this week?"Costa Rica may not have been at their best and it may not have been the most convincing win - by any stretch of the imagination - but they way they dug deep to triumph in the face of adversity should offer inspiration for others

"

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1,888

Australia sparked their World Cup campaign into life thanks to a 1-0 win over Tunisia, secured by Mitchell Duke's excellent first-half header

The Socceroos, who , went into the game knowing another defeat would end their World Cup with a game to spare

Graham Arnold's side started like a team that knew they had to bounce back and forced Tunisia to spend much of the opening exchanges inside their own half

Australia's pressure told in the 23rd minute, when Craig Goodwin's left-wing cross took a deflection before finding Duke, who readjusted superbly to guide a glancing header past the despairing Aymen Dahmen and inside the far post

Tunisia improved after the break but struggled to break down a resolute Australia, who now lie second in Group D with three points ahead of France's clash with Denmark on Saturday afternoon, while Tunisia are bottom with just one point and zero goals

Australia's win over Tunisia was just their third at a World Cup - and their first since beating Serbia in 2010 - but came at the perfect moment, keeping alive their hopes of reaching the last 16 for just the second time

Tunisia had been impressive in their but struggled to contain Australia in the first 30 minutes, with the African side repeatedly being exposed down their right flank

Australia eventually took advantage, with Duke playing a deft lay-off to Riley McGree before making his way into the box, where he met Goodwin's cross from the left

Tunisia belatedly began to exert some pressure on Australia and should have levelled when smart hold-up play from Issam Jebali helped to set up Mohamed Drager, but his close-range shot was blocked by a brilliant sliding tackle from Harry Souttar

More good work from Jebali then presented Youssef Msakni with a glorious chance in the centre of the Australia area, but he could only bend his first-time effort wide

Tunisia moved away from their three-man defence in the second half as they chased a leveller, but it was Australia who should have scored the game's second goal, with Matthew Leckie just failing to stretch enough to turn in Jamie Maclaren's left-wing cross

Despite their tactical switch, Tunisia struggled to create any clear openings after half-time, with Wahbi Khazri's stabbed effort - comfortably saved by Mathew Ryan - their best chance as the game moved towards stoppage time

Thanks to some stout defending by the outstanding Souttar and a midfield marshalled by the intelligent Aaron Mooy, Australia kept Tunisia at arm's length to earn the three points and move within one win of the last 16

Australia's win means they are second in Group D, behind France on goal difference, while Tunisia are bottom

However, France could move three points clear with a win over Denmark on Saturday afternoon

A Denmark win would see Australia move back to third

Australia will qualify for the last 16 if they beat Denmark on Wednesday

Tunisia must beat reigning champions France on the same day to have any hope of progressing to the last 16 of a World Cup for the first time

Harry Souttar had played just one full match this season before heading to the World Cup after recovering just in time from an ACL injury, but he showed no signs of rust as he led Australia to a vital win

The Stoke centre-back recorded three blocks, six clearances and seven ball recoveries on his way to completing the full game, including his goal-saving block in the first half and a rugged sliding challenge to halt a Tunisia counter-attack in the second period

Along with centre-back partner Kye Rowles, Souttar's display helped earn Australia their first clean sheet at a World Cup in 48 years

Australia boss Graham Arnold was in bullish mood after their victory, saying: "When the doubters hate us, bring it on

""I'm just hugely proud of the boys," he added

"They showed that great, fighting Aussie spirit

We were in their faces all the time and I expect we made the nation very proud

"The other night, we played against the current world champions and the boys had the same effort level

The effort levels were incredible

"The match was played during prime time in Australia and when asked about the support back home, Arnold said: "I could feel all my mates cheering and drinking those beers!"Tunisia coach Jalel Kadri bemoaned the passive nature of his side's performance, saying: "It was a very tough match between two very tough teams

"I think today we should have played to win

We still have one match to play and we will play with our hearts out

"

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Sassi

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1,889

France became the first team to qualify for the last 16 of the World Cup as Kylian Mbappe’s double sent them to a 2-1 win over Denmark in Group D

Mbappe - fresh from scoring in France's opening night 4-1 win over Australia - scored the first of his two poacher-like efforts when converting a cross from Theo Hernandez on 61 minutes

There was no panic from Denmark despite falling behind and they were level seven minutes later when Andreas Christensen headed home as the French wobbled defensively from a Christian Eriksen corner

Both teams had chances to win it late on but it was Mbappe that provided the decisive moment, again showing sharp predatory skills to bundle home an Antoine Griezmann cross with four minutes remaining

While France are the first team to qualify for the last 16, everything else is still to play for in Group D

The World Cup holders are not yet sure of finishing as group winners, but a point in their final match against Tunisia will be sufficient regardless of Australia's result against Denmark

If Tunisia do not win against France, Australia will progress as runners-up so long as they don't lose to Denmark, while the Danes must win to qualify - were Denmark and Tunisia to win, the runners-up spot would be decided on goal difference and then goals scored

Denmark had won the two previous meetings with France in the Nations League but put in a lethargic opening matchday showing in their 0-0 with Tunisia

It was unclear which Denmark had showed up in the early stages in a cagey encounter

France carried the greater attacking threat but were struggling to impose Mbappe on the game

Ousmane Dembele was a constant threat down the right and he looked to have put one on a plate for Mbappe from 15 yards on 40 minutes but he blazed over the crossbar

Griezmann had his head in his hands after the break when finishing wildly when just Kasper Schmeichel to beat - but France did not have to wait much longer to open the scoring

Mbappe linked beautifully with Hernandez down the left and showed razor-sharp finishing to prod home a close-range finish to put France in control

Denmark had been struggling to put the World Cup holders under any pressure but levelled via a set piece - a route that led them to plenty of success in their impressive run at the last Euros

It was Christensen that was on hand to power home a header after Joachim Andersen had won the first contact

Denmark knew a draw would leave their destiny in their own hands against Australia, however, France kept on probing and it was Mbappe that stepped up with the big moment with the clock ticking down

It was a simple goal, bundling home a Griezmann cross with his thigh from two yards out

A goal which is going to win no awards - but the man scoring it just might

Best player on the planet? It's hard to argue against it, although Erling Haaland may have something to say about that

Best player at the tournament, then

That's a safe bet

Denmark's Andersen actually did a sterling job of negating the threat of Mbappe out wide but a sign of intelligence within a player is the ability to change a tactic during the 90 minutes

He played more centrally in the second half and although that negated his pace and trickery having an affect on the game, his goal threat came to the fore

Two chances dropped his way and he took them both

That was the difference between the teams

It will not be the last time at a World Cup

France boss : "What can I say about Kylian?"I've said it time and time again

He is decisive and makes a difference

He is an exceptional player in an exceptional team

"There are two types of leadership - physical and mental - and Kylian is a leader

"Kylian doesn't speak, he's not very talkative, but he's like a steam train on the pitch and gets the crowd going

"He knows from the get-go that the French team needs him and he needs to be at his best

"

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1,890

Breel Embolo, a Cameroon native, scored the only goal of a cagey game to earn Switzerland a winning start to their Group G campaign

Born in Cameroon's capital Yaounde but raised in Basel, Embolo is representing the Swiss at his second World Cup, having received citizenship in 2014

The striker rounded off a free-flowing move in the 48th minute, sweeping home a low cutback from Xherdan Shaqiri, but opted for a muted celebration given his connection to the African nation

"He completed his mission," manager Murat Yakin declared

Former Liverpool forward Shaqiri, Switzerland's creative catalyst, has been directly involved in exactly half of his side's 24 goals across their last four appearances at major tournament finals

Despite plunging his side to defeat, Cameroon head coach Rigobert Song reserved a word of praise for match-winner Embolo, telling reporters at the Al Janoub Stadium: "he is my little brother

""We often speak to each other on the phone and I wanted to congratulate him," Song continued

"Just because we are on different teams, it does not mean we are not still brothers

"The Swiss goal arrived after Cameroon, without a win in the World Cup for 20-years, had dominated an entertaining first half, missing several chances to seize the initiative

The Indomitable Lions had eliminated Algeria in a play-off to qualify for the tournament, and carried much of that momentum into their Group G opener, using pace and power to outmanoeuvre their European opponents

Bryan Mbeumo tested goalkeeper Yann Sommer in the 10th minute, before Karl Toko Ekambi sent his rebound over the bar, while in-form forward Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting was also a danger as Cameroon gained purchase with swift counter-attacking moves

Head coach Yakin - who professed to be overseeing the "best Switzerland national team to have ever existed" pre-tournament - will have been relieved when talisman Shaqiri got to the byline and pulled the ball back to an unmarked Embolo three minutes into the second period

The Monaco forward applied a simple first-time finish, before raising his hands in what appeared to be a gesture of apology after scoring - he has incidentally found the net in each of his last three competitive appearances

An almost identical move just past the hour mark threatened to wrap the game up, but Ruben Vargas's shot was pushed wide by goalkeeper Andre Onana, as Switzerland belatedly began to offer a glimpse of the threat and urgency their manager had previously promised

Speaking about the contribution of Embolo, Yakin said: "We know his story

I told him before the game 'Breel, friendship until the start, then they are your opponents'

"Football write such stories but he completed his mission

I am very happy with his performance

"Cameroon's streak of losses at World Cup finals has extended to eight games, dating back to 2002, but they have the chance to improve that record when facing Serbia on November 28; kick-off 10am

Switzerland next face hotly-tipped Brazil on the same day; kick-off 4pm

When Samuel Eto'o called to meet him in London to discuss him representing Cameroon it caught the Brentford man slightly by surprise

He shouldn't have been

Mbeumo, who accepted the call in September, looked like he'd been playing a leading role for the Indomitable Lions for many years

He was their most dangerous attacking outlet, especially in the first half, where he tested Sommer with a strike from the angle and was always the player making things happen at the start of a Cameroon attack

"It is costly wisdom that is bought by experience

And, experience counts for so much at tournaments like this one

The Swiss are like a wise old owl

And in the theme of the famed nursery rhyme, they speak little but take in and possess much knowledge

You could see that experience stamped all over their cool and calm performance over Cameroon

"The average age of Switzerland's starting XI for their win over Cameroon was 28 years and 238 days

There was no panic even despite Cameroon's fast start and they slowly grabbed control of the game when Cameroon ran out of puff and ideas

"They gave little away and always knew a moment or two would come their way when they unleashed their creative players into space

Granit Xhaka embodied much of this argument, playing with such assurance and quality in the heart of the midfield

Bigger tests than this are on the horizon but knocking this Switzerland side out of this tournament will prove a challenge

Beware the wise old owl

"

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<PAD>

1,891

Ecuador hit back to hold Netherlands to a 1-1 draw in the second game of their Group A campaign at the 2022 World Cup, and in the process knock out hosts Qatar

The result means neither side has yet qualified for the last 16, although it does eliminate Qatar - Cody Gakpo's second goal of the tournament put Netherlands ahead early on, but Ecuador hit back at the start of the second half through Enner Valencia

The former West Ham striker notched his third of the tournament, but there were concerns for him late on as he was forced off on a stretcher with a knee injury

It leaves the Netherlands needing a point against Qatar in their final group game on Tuesday, while Ecuador will also progress if they avoid defeat against Senegal

Gakpo broke through for the Netherlands with six minutes to go in their opener against Senegal, but against Ecuador - a team that were on a run of seven clean sheets in a row - it took him until just the sixth minute

The PSV Eindhoven forward picked up Davy Klaasen's pass on the edge of the box before taking two touches to tee himself up and then slamming one inside Hernan Galindez's near post

Ecuador thought they had the lead just before the break as Estupinan flicked home Angelo Preciado's shot from the edge of the box, but Jackson Porozo was deemed to be interfering with goalkeeper Andries Noppert's view as it went in, and the goal was ruled out for offside

But Ecuador were not to be denied the equaliser after 49 minutes, as Noppert could only palm Estupinan's shot into the path of Valencia, who had the freedom of the six-yard box to prod into an empty net

Again there was a VAR check for offside, but the striker was comfortably on

The South Americans almost completed a turnaround on 59 minutes as the ball fell to Gonzalo Plata in the box and he thundered one off the crossbar before it bounced clear

Noppert was well beaten

An excellent second half ended with real concern for Ecuador, however, as Valencia was forced off injured on a stretcher

Gakpo opened the scoring again for Netherlands - just as he did in the opener - with a very different type of goal than his first of the tournament

It showed the range of his talent and why he is emerging as one of the stars in Qatar, but the concern for the Dutch and Louis van Gaal will be the lack of quality they have around him

Steven Berwign and Davy Klaassen were ineffectual, while Memphis Depay didn't look entirely match fit when he came off the bench for the second half

Unless your name is Diego Maradona, one man cannot win a World Cup

Ecuador are now unbeaten in four consecutive World Cup games for the first time in their history and that impressive run could not have happened without their veteran captain Valencia

The 33-year-old has scored each of his country's past six goals at the World Cup and is just the fourth player to score six consecutive times for a nation in the competition

But it could be his final contribution

Valencia was stretchered off moments before stoppage time at Khalifa International Stadium after appearing to aggravate the knee problem that almost forced him to miss Ecuador's second group-stage game

Whether he's fit for Tuesday's crucial decider against Senegal remains to be seen but one thing is certain - Ecuador's success depends on him

"We were poor in terms of ball possession and if you're not good at ball possession you won't reach the other half

We would lose the ball too quickly so we could not pass to our own players

"Plus we lost every challenge, every duel, every second ball

Ecuador could have won but they did not have many chances either

"I must say I was satisfied [with the result] but I was not satisfied with the game

We simply need to improve our game in terms of ball possession and we are working on that and we will continue to work on that

Whether we will make it [further] in this tournament I can't say, I can't guarantee that but I think so

"He thought he scored the equaliser at the end of the first half, only to be denied by the offside flag, but his strike created the leveller in the end as Valencia capitalised on his effort being saved

The Brighton wing-back was also a menacing presence with his marauding runs down the left as Ecuador opened up in the second half

For those that weren't already aware of him, the 24-year-old looks yet another shrewd addition by the Premier League club as a replacement for Marc Cucurella following his departure to Chelsea

The result eliminated Qatar from the competition

Netherlands need a point against the hosts to progress to the last 16

Should they achieve that then it will be a straight fight between Ecuador and Senegal for the other spot

Ecuador only need a draw, while Senegal would require a victory to progress

null

<PAD>

1,892

England edged closer to a place in the World Cup knockout rounds with a 0-0 draw with USA but their lacklustre display was a reality check on their ambitions at the tournament and means they will have to wait until their final group game with Wales on Tuesday to seal a last-16 spot

Only a defeat to Wales by four goals or more would prevent Group B leaders England from making the next stage but Southgate will have to field questions about the big drop-off in his team's performance and how they can rediscover form for the business phase of this competition

After England thumped Iran 6-2 in their opening fixture in Qatar there was optimism among their supporters about their team building on their run to the final of the Euros last summer

But by the final whistle there were boos from those travelling fans, with Gareth Southgate's side badly off the pace and disjointed against an energetic US team

Christian Pulisic crashed a first-half shot against the bar and Harry Maguire had to head away a series of corners as the Americans put the pressure on in the second half

While there was no way through to emulate the famous upset in this fixture of 1950, USA did enough to recalibrate perceptions about England's prospects and boost their own hopes of progressing

Harry Kane's blocked shot at the start of the match and his header wide from Luke Shaw's free-kick in second-half stoppage time was as close as the toothless Three Lions attack came to troubling USA during an alarming - if not immediately damaging - performance

USA, meanwhile, sit third in Group B, a point behind Iran, who they face on Tuesday

A win would see them into the last 16

England, fresh from cutting loose against Iran, showed purpose in the opening stages, with Kane's goal-bound effort blocked after Bukayo Saka's cutback and Mason Mount's shot over after a dribble in the box by Maguire

But soon their possession lacked purpose and, without the ball, Southgate's side looked uncertain and uncoordinated as Haji Wright headed wide, Weston McKennie fired a good opening over and former England youth international Yunus Musah saw a shot deflected into Jordan Pickford's grasp

The growing concern about England's performance from the travelling support in the stands at Al Bayt Stadium was compounded when Pulisic smashed a fierce left-foot shot against the frame of Pickford's goal from just inside the box

Maguire - excellent on his 50th cap - then did well to block a dangerous effort from Sergino Dest and Pulisic headed wide, with England hanging on for half-time

A late shot over from Saka and the Three Lions' first effort on target of the match in stoppage time from Mount did little to mask England's struggles in the opening 45 minutes

There was no improvement after the break, either, with John Stones having to block from Wright, McKennie again shooting over, Pulisic's dig deflected wide and USA ramping up the pressure around the hour mark with a run of corners

In the 68th minute Southgate finally made his move, sending on Jordan Henderson and Jack Grealish for the ineffective Raheem Sterling and, more surprisingly, Jude Bellingham

Grealish won a couple of free-kicks around the USA's box and Kane's header from Shaw's cross in the final moments flew wide

But with Phil Foden left on the bench, there will again be questions about the adventurousness of England's manager

England had a turgid draw with Scotland in their second group game at the Euros and went on to make the final

Their supporters will be hoping this will ultimately be seen as a point and clean sheet which takes England forward in this World Cup rather than an example of their limitations

England must avoid losing to Wales by four goals on Tuesday in their 7pm kick-off to secure their place in the last-16

USA must beat Iran in their fixture which takes place at the same time to leapfrog Carlos Queiroz's side and make the knockouts

"Exactly the sort of game I thought it would be - it was really tough against a good opponent who were very athletic

"I knew it would be difficult for us after such a high to replicate that sort of performance [against Iran]

I'm really pleased with how the players have applied themselves

"Some of our quality in the final third could've been a bit better, but we've shown great resilience to defend against an opponent that kept asking questions

We've controlled the game well from the back and just not been able to open them up with that really clear-cut chance

"I think we didn't have that same zip but that's going to happen as it's tournament football

"We're not going to roll through a tournament and sweep through everybody without having nights like this where you have to show different qualities in order to get the result

""There were boos all around the Al Bayt stadium at full-time

It would have been harsh if England had lost that game, but it would've been undeserved too had they won it

"That late Kane header will stick in Southgate's throat

It was there to win, and win ugly, in stoppage time

"But equally, had Pulisic's rasping drive in the first half been a foot lower, England could well have been on the wrong side of the result

"USA harried and disrupted as we knew they would, and it really knocked England out of their stride, who were pedestrian and unrecognisable from the free-scoring and fluid team we saw against Iran four days ago

"That was very much 'after the Lord Mayor's show' from an England perspective

And it's a reality check about where the team is at

"A draw is by no means a disaster

England still top the group with four points and a very healthy goal difference

"But it means the final Group B game against Wales still has much riding on it, and England will have to perform much, much better if they're to sweep their British rivals aside and go through to the knockout stages with a spring in their step

""The scrutiny and criticism of Harry Maguire has been intense over the past year

His absence from Manchester United's starting XI for much of this season ramped up calls for Gareth Southgate to leave him out of his squad for this World Cup or at least bench him in favour of a more in-form defender

"That was never going to happen, given Southgate's respect for the centre back and the credit Maguire has in the bank in an England shirt

And on Friday night he fully vindicated his inclusion

"There were eight clearances - more than twice as many as any other England player - as Maguire time and time again headed away USA corners in the second half

There was a vital block on a shot from Yunus Musah, with Maguire jockeying the advancing winger before timing his intervention perfectly

"It was the kind of match which suited Maguire's strengths, with England's struggles in other areas of the pitch demanding a backs-to-the-walls mentality from their most experienced defender

Maguire rose to the challenge and proved a point

"

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<PAD>

1,893

Cristiano Ronaldo became the first man to score in five World Cups as his penalty helped Portugal secure a 3-2 win over Ghana in a thrilling Group H encounter

Ronaldo, a free agent after leaving Manchester United by mutual consent in the wake of his explosive interview, hit back at his critics with yet another piece of history when he converted the opener from the spot after he was fouled by Mohammed Salisu (65)

Ghana equalised against the run of play when Andre Ayew, their own veteran striker, fired home from close range (73), but Portugal immediately responded with quickfire goals from Joao Felix (78) and substitute Rafael Leao (80), both set up by Bruno Fernandes

Ronaldo, who scored his first World Cup goal as a 21-year-old back in 2006, revelled in the spotlight following a tumultuous week and received a standing ovation when he was substituted in the closing stages, but Portugal had to survive a nervy finale after Osman Bukari headed home Ghana's second goal (89)

Ghana had a golden opportunity to steal a point in the 10th minute of stoppage time when Inaki Williams caught Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa unawares to steal possession in the box, but the forward lost his footing at the crucial moment, allowing Ronaldo and his team-mates to cling on for victory

Ronaldo dominated the build-up to the game as the fallout from his controversial interview last week continued, and he immediately took centre stage during it too, albeit for the wrong reasons as he missed two gilt-edged chances in the early stages

First, a heavy first touch from Otavio's through-ball allowed Ghana goalkeeper Lawrence Ati-Zigi to rush off his line and deny him in a one-on-one, then, minutes later, he headed a Raphael Guerreiro cross inexplicably wide at the far post

Ronaldo did have the ball in the net in the 31st minute as Portugal continued to dominate, but he was adjudged to have fouled Alexander Djiku before firing past Ati-Zigi, the referee's whistle ensuring his celebrations were short-lived

Ronaldo, following his release from Manchester United, continued to cut a frustrated figure in the first half, failing to capitalise when a Guerreiro header fell to him inside the six-yard box, but the narrative shifted dramatically after the interval

Ghana had defended resolutely up until then, but Ronaldo finally seized his chance after he was adjudged to have been fouled by Salisu, firing an emphatic penalty beyond the reach of Ati-Zigi, his 118th international goal sparking wild Portugal celebrations

Ghana were momentarily level after Portugal defender Danilo Pereira failed to intercept a cut-back from the dangerous Mohammed Kudus, allowing Ayew to score from close range

But Otto Addo's side were immediately pegged back again when Felix finished coolly from Fernandes' through-ball, with substitute Leao then converting from another Fernandes pass for his first international goal only three minutes after coming on

Those goals appeared to have taken the game away from Ghana, with Fernando Santos using the opportunity to take off Ronaldo for the final few minutes, but an error from Joao Cancelo allowed Bukari to pull another goal back and there was then a huge scare at the death when Costa was robbed by Williams

In the end, though, Portugal held on, the victory taking them top of Group H and allowing Ronaldo to enjoy some respite as he continues to chase the one trophy that still eludes him

Ghana coach Oddo Atto criticised the American referee who awarded the penalty that resulted in Ronaldo's goal, calling it a "special gift"

VAR chose not to intervene when Ronaldo went down under the challenge of the Salisu

Referee Ismail Elfath pointed straight to the spot, leaving Ronaldo to dispatch the spot kick for the opener after video technology chose not to inspect the decision

"If somebody scores a goal, congratulations

But this was really a gift

Really a gift," Addo said

"What more can I say? (It was) a special gift from the referee

"Addo's criticism of American referee Elfath was so direct that it could put him into trouble with FIFA

When asked what he thought was the reason for Ghana's narrow defeat, Addo responded: "The referee

""I think it [the penalty] was really the wrong decision," he added

"I don't know why VAR didn't come up

There's no explanation for me

And then it's difficult against a world-class team when they are leading

"I asked some people outside with FIFA if I can talk with the referee in a calm and a quiet way but they said he's in a meeting and it's not possible

"After scoring in a record-breaking fifth World Cup, Ronaldo described the achievement as a "beautiful moment"

"We started on a good foot," he added

"It's a very important win

We know in these competitions the first match is fundamental

"It's another record, too - that makes me very proud

I am very happy for the team to have put on an excellent performance

It was difficult but we deserved to win

"However, Ronaldo wasn't keen to discuss his acrimonious exit from Old Trafford, saying when asked about the issue: "All the rest, it doesn't matter

"Santos hailed his 37-year-old captain as a "phenomenon, a legend," adding: "In 50 years' time, we will still be talking about him

"The victory sends Portugal top of Group H ahead of their meeting with Uruguay on Monday

Uruguay were held to a goalless draw by South Korea in the earlier game in the group

Once again, it was all about Ronaldo, but in truth he was a long way from his best

His team-mate Bruno Fernandes was a little closer to his

The 28-year-old, now a former team-mate of Ronaldo's at club level, pulled the strings throughout and set up Portugal's second and third goals with trademark through-balls

"The records keep rolling in for Ronaldo

We heard a lots of 'Suiiis' today but then we ended up seeing the one that mattered

It was one to break Ghanaian hearts because they were predicting it would not happen today, that Ghana would prevent him from doing so

"He was not anywhere near his best

Anyone who has watched Ronaldo in his career would not say that he was

But given the circumstances coming into this World Cup and the first game, the controversy that has been around him, the noise, the debate, the global attention, the ceaseless conversation, he still lifts Portugal up

"He gave a good account of himself, he had a goal disallowed, snatched at a few chances, had a few heavy touches, but he is still Portugal's reference point

Before the game, we spoke to a lot of Portuguese journalists and they were referencing the fact that so many people say: 'Ronaldo can't run'

Managers, analysts, everyone is talking about that

"To Portugal, that doesn't matter as he has been and achieved so much to the national team that just his presence could be galvanising even when we think it's disruptive

What he does in training sessions and on the pitch is good for his team-mates

"The game itself, we were hoping not to be disappointed

It was a sleepy first half but having spent the build-up with the fans, we were thinking there is so much colour and jubilation: we want to see a good game

"And that second half was incredible

What would have happened if Inaki Williams hadn't slipped? I don't think Ronaldo and Portugal would want to find out and they didn't need to

"Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal are exploring a deal to sign Ronaldo on a free transfer

Manchester United received an offer for Ronaldo from Saudi Arabia in the summer and were willing to accept the bid, only for the deal to eventually fall through

Ronaldo says he rejected that move, worth around £305m, but news of Al-Hilal's interest comes after Saudi Arabia sports minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal revealed the country wants to bring him to their domestic league - as well as take over Manchester United and Liverpool, who are both seeking new investors

"Who wouldn't want him to play in their league?" Prince Abdulaziz told Sky News about bringing Ronaldo to Saudi Arabian football

"He's a role model to a lot of young players - him and Messi

"

<PAD>

1,894

World Cup 2018 runners-up Croatia made a frustrating start to their Group F campaign as a resolute Morocco secured a 0-0 draw in Al Khor

It was the third goalless draw at this winter's tournament in the space of 24 hours, and chances were at a premium with both defences on top

Indeed, three of the last four games at the World Cup have finished 0-0, more goalless draws than there were in the previous 73 matches in the competition combined

There were just two attempts on target from both teams in a match played in searing desert heat despite the best efforts of the air-conditioned Al Bayt Stadium, 50km north of Doha

Morocco have proved to be one of the most difficult sides to beat in world football of late, and have now lost just two of their last 41 games across a three-year spell, while Croatia extended their own unbeaten run to seven games in a game that will not live long in the memory

Croatia, beaten by France in the final four years ago, were making their sixth World Cup appearance, having either been eliminated in the group stages or at least reached the semi-finals

But they would fail to score for the first time in 12 World Cup matches, since what was their only other goalless draw in the competition against Japan in 2006

Zlatko Dalic's contract is up after this tournament, but he watched his side produce a flat display in the opening period as Morocco looked the more cohesive unit

Youssef En-Nesyri ought to have met Hakim Ziyech's cross from the right but the striker failed to make contact with the inviting cross

The only previous meeting between these two nations was in the Hassan II Trophy in December 1996, played in Casablanca, but here was a very different backdrop

The first half only really sprung into life in stoppage time as Croatia went close on two occasions

First, Ivan Perisic expertly found full-back Borna Sosa on the overlap down the left and his low cross was swept on target by Nikola Vlasic but Sevilla goalkeeper Bono made a fine stop

At 45 minutes and 12 seconds, Vlasic's saved attempt for Croatia was the latest first shot on target in a match at the 2022 World Cup so far

And with virtually the last kick of the half, Luka Modric latched onto a loose ball following Perisic's blocked shot but his first-time effort fizzed over the bar

Croatia, who had won their two previous World Cup games against African opposition by an aggregate of 6-0 - against Cameroon and Nigeria - survived a penalty appeal moments after the restart as Sofiane Boufal's shot was blocked by Dejan Lovren

Replays showed Lovren was just outside the box when the ball struck his arm, sparing the former Liverpool centre-back a VAR inquest

Just after the hour mark, Achraf Hakimi struck a venomous free-kick that Dominik Livakovic watched closely to punch clear

Morocco continued to probe in search of a first World Cup victory since beating Scotland in 1998, but it was Croatia - with Modric's influence growing - who increasingly looked the more likely to find a breakthrough that would never come

"Croatia are perennially slow starters, having lost their opening game in three of their five World Cup appearances, with the exceptions being 1998 and 2018, when they reached the final

"But against Morocco on Wednesday, it felt as if their emphasis was placed on playing not to lose

"Dalic's side are 12th in the FIFA rankings, 10 places above Morocco, but they cancelled each other out in this opening Group F contest

The Atlas Lions have only lost twice since the beginning on 2021 - once on penalties to Egypt in the African Cup of Nations - and it is clear to see why they are so hard to beat on this evidence

"Croatia's World Cup qualification was smooth and they topped their Nations League group ahead of France but having failed to score past Morocco, the bookmakers will feel vindicated in having them as outsiders in Qatar

"Luka Modric, the 2018 Ballon d'Or winner, said before kick-off it was important to respect Morocco, describing their players as phenomenal and highly motivated - yet he struggled to impose himself in a Croatia side that appears to be regressing

"Their best moments predictably hinged on Modric, who was given the freedom of the park, floating effortlessly from back to front, with football's traditional midfield roles seemingly not applying to Croatia's captain

He dropped deeper and deeper but Croatia lacked spark

"At 37, Modric remains a maestro in the Real Madrid midfield

He pledged he would bow out of the game if Croatia win the World Cup, but there was little indication from this stalemate to suggest that eventuality is likely

"Walid Regragui replaced Vahid Halilhodzic as Morocco head coach only three months ago and one of his first missions was to recall Ziyech to the national side

There were rare glimpses of quality, however, from the Chelsea midfielder before he faded

Chelsea's Ziyech was involved in 50 per cent of Morocco's eight attempts against Croatia, having two shots and creating two chances for his team-mates

Group F also contains a Belgium side ranked second in the world and a Canada team playing in their first World Cup since 1986

Those two nations face each other later on Wednesday in the other game on matchday one

Croatia face Canada on Sunday November 27; kick-off 4pm

Victory could secure their progress to the round of 16

Morocco take on Belgium earlier on the same day at 1pm knowing they too could take a big step towards qualification with three points

null

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1,895

Saudi Arabia produced one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history as Salem Al-Dawsari's stunning solo effort secured a 2-1 victory over Argentina in Group C at the Lusail Iconic Stadium

Time stood still as Al-Dawsari plucked the ball out from the sky and turned inside two Argentina defenders before curling his finish beyond the reach of Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, producing one of the biggest moments of any World Cup finals

Lionel Messi had given one of the pre-tournament favourites the lead from the penalty spot after a contentious VAR decision (10) but Saleh Al-Shehri levelled just three minutes into the second period to set up an almighty upset

The result ended Argentina's 36-game unbeaten run, stretching back to defeat against Brazil three years ago but this was the greatest day in Saudi Arabian football history

"This hurts a lot

We were dreaming of starting the World Cup with a win," said Messi's strike partner Lautaro Martinez

"But it's happened and now we have to train and think forward

"We lost this game because of our own mistakes, most of all in the second half

There are details that make a difference and we need to correct our mistakes

"When Argentina last lost their opening World Cup group game in 1990 - against Cameroon - they went on to reach the final where they lost to Germany, but that will be of little consolation to the South Americans right now following defeat to the nation ranked 51st in world football

Saudi Arabia failed to have a single shot in the first half and have history when it comes to a lowly strike rate in front of goal

Since 1966, of the ten instances of a team failing to attempt a shot in the first half of a match, Saudi have achieved that unwanted blank on three occasions - making what happened against Argentina all the more unlikely

Midfielder Abdulelah Al-Malki said the Saudis were fired up like never before by their coach Herve Renard - who was sacked by Cambridge United in 2004

"Renard made us cry with the motivation before the match and stoked us up during half-time," he said, affectionately calling the Frenchman "crazy"

The entire game was played in an extraordinary atmosphere at the Lusail Stadium, with Argentina's traditionally massive and raucous following matched by the thousands of Saudis who had come over the border to cheer on their team

Referee Slavko Vincic awarded Argentina a penalty upon VAR review after 10 minutes when Leandro Paredes had his shirt pulled by Saud Abdulhamid inside the box

Messi made no mistake, becoming the fifth player to score at four different World Cup tournaments after Pelé, Uwe Seeler, Miroslav Klose and Cristiano Ronaldo

Three times Argentina were then denied by the offside flag in the first half with Messi thwarted on one occasion before Lautaro Martinez twice found the net only to be ruled out by VAR

The game turned on its head within three minutes of the restart, however, with Al-Shehri capitalising on hesitancy from Cristian Romero to find the bottom corner

If the Saudis inside the stadium looked on speechless with the rest of the world, they had barely regained their breath when Al-Dawsari brought the ball down inside the Argentina box, danced inside Nahuel Molina and Angel Di Maria and curled a right-foot shot high into the far corner to seal a triumph against all the odds

"Our team fulfils our dreams!" and "Where is Messi? We beat him!", the green-clad Saudis chanted over and over in the Lusail Stadium, on their feet and greeting every clearance from their defence with a deafening roar

Both teams have Mexico and Poland to come, with Argentina needing an immediate reaction if Messi is to have a realistic chance of matching Diego Maradona's immortality in his homeland by bringing home the World Cup

The result broke Argentina's amazing 36-match undefeated run and stopped them from matching the previous international record of 37 games unbeaten held by Italy

"It's a situation that this group of players has never been through, it's been a while since we suffered such a tough blow, we didn't expect to start like this," Messi told Argentinian media

"In five minutes of mistakes that we made, we went 2-1 down and then it was really tough and we lost organisation and started punting the ball," he said in comments broadcast by Todo Noticias

"We knew they were a team who would play if we let them

They did not surprise us, we knew they could do that

""Obviously we have to win or win now

It's up to us to fix what we did wrong and get back to the basics of who we are

We're OK, obviously hurt by the result, very bitter

But people must trust that this team will not let them down and we are going to go for it in the next two games

We've played games of this nature before and we're going to perform well

"Now's the time to be more united than ever, to show how truly strong we are

""He doesn't know where the ball is

He's only interested in an Argentina player

He doesn't know when it's been kicked and I think that is a penalty for me

"He's not looking at the ball, the directive from the referees is that's a penalty

""No, no, no, all this will do is encourage diving

He (Otamendi) is dragging (Abdulhamid) down

""Roy, you're not listening

It's a directive from the referees

This is not about opinions, this is about fact, the guy wasn't looking at the ball

"I'm here to give my opinion: that's not a penalty

" "This is not about our opinions, this is about the laws of the game

" "I'm here to give my opinion: that's not a penalty

" "I've heard you say it 10 times, let someone else speak

You'll learn a lot more if you listen

He's not looking at the ball, the directive from the referees is that's a penalty

We have to accept it

""Lionel Messi looked shell-shocked at the final whistle

This may not yet be a defining defeat for Argentina's World Cup hopes but it was a humbling story to send shockwaves around the world

"The little magician didn't know where to turn

Surrounded at one point in stoppage time deep in Saudi Arabia's penalty box, Messi ran out of ideas

"One free-kick had already sailed harmlessly over the bar

Quite where the second half came from is anyone's guess

Argentina looked in total control and appeared unaffected by the three disallowed goals during a one-sided opening period

"No matter, we will score again soon - that was the misplaced sentiment

But the chances dried up

The emboldened Yasser Al-Shahrani alongside the imperious Hassan Al-Tambakti formed a wall as tall as the Jabal Sawda

On one occasion, Al-Tambakti celebrated a sliding tackle on Messi as though he had won the World Cup

"This was their final, but no nation in Group C will now fancy facing them in the coming days

After just a second World Cup win in 28 years, head coach Renard will be confident of masterminding more success against Poland and Mexico

"Defensively, this was as close to perfection as you're likely to see as Lionel Scaloni threw on Manchester City's Julian Alvarez

It was some forward line by the end - garnishing players from Paris Saint-Germain, Juventus and Inter Milan - but the nation ranked outside of the world's top 50 would not be beaten

"Al-Shahrani was forced off with a sickening head injury in stoppage time but his heroics had epitomised these fearless Falcons as a collective

The group has well and truly been ripped wide open

"Argentina were on the end of one of the greatest shocks in the history of the World Cup after losing 2-1 to Saudi Arabia in their opening Group C clash on Tuesday, but perhaps the most worrying aspect of the defeat for one of the pre-tournament favourites was that it was no fluke by the underdogs

Lionel Scaloni's side arrived at Qatar 2022 unbeaten in their previous 36 matches, a run that included winning the 2021 Copa America, and with hopes high that Messi could finally get his hands on the Jules Rimet trophy

Heading into half-time at the Lusail Iconic Stadium, everything was going according to plan as far as Messi and Co were concerned, leading 1-0, and yet less than 10 minutes into the second half, they found themselves trailing

But as much as they huffed and puffed, Argentina never really threatened to blow the opposition house down thereafter as they showed a worrying lack of invention and imagination when trying to break down the massed ranks of Saudi defenders

"Argentina were very, very close to breaking the all-time record for the number of games unbeaten, 36, and no one in Argentina was expecting this result," South American football expert Tim Vickery told after the game

"But it ended up being deserved, this is not one of those fluke underdog wins and it is one of the all-time great World Cup results

There was a worry in Argentina that things had been going too well and that things would go wrong when they mattered most, but no one imagined it going wrong today

"The two-time winners are not out of the tournament by any stretch of the imagination, however, they cannot afford any more slip ups in their remaining two group contests against Mexico and Poland

"Argentina never matched them

Historically you'd know they'd not be intimated

They were intimated today

The referee was allowing it to go

Join in the party, join in the physical encounter

"They got rolled over by a very enthusiastic, aggressive, organised Saudi team, I am so disappointed in Argentina in the manner they lost the game

"That was a shadow of any Argentina team I've seen

They were a shadow today

""Amazing

One of those when they're hanging in there, on the ropes

They get a goal back and go on to win the game

But it's a great reminder to anyone in the game of football, if you think can just turn up and depend on your quality to get you over the line then you're mistaken

"Argentina, really dreadful in the second half

Saudi Arabia, all credit to them

They stayed in the game, they competed

[For the second goal] there's no aggression

There's bodies there, you've got to go and attack the ball

They've lacked all composure

Look at Di Maria, my god

"You'd think Argentina would grow into it

'If they want a street fight we're ready for it'

They weren't even up for that

They were just depending on their quality and even that wasn't at it

This desire and fight wasn't there

"A huge setback for them

Huge

""Congratulations to these fantastic players," said the Frenchman

"I decided to come to this country three and a half years ago and since this time I've had the management, amazing president and the ministry of sport were always behind us

"Even when we visit our prince two, three weeks ago he didn't put any pressure on us

"This is the way you have to work in football because when you are putting too much pressure it's not working all the time

"We prepared very well and today all the stars in the sky were in the same line for us

"But don't forget Argentina are still a fantastic team

They came here without losing lose any game in 36 and they are South American champions

"They have amazing players, but this is football

Sometimes things completely crazy can happen

"Have a good celebration during 20 minutes and that's it

There's still two games - or more - for us

"Argentina came with the intention of winning this tournament and so beating Saudi Arabia always looked like a box that just needed to be ticked

The two-time World Cup champions next face Mexico on Saturday, kick-off 7pm, where victory is vital if they are to have any chances now of progressing

Argentina need at least a point to avoid throwing their hopes of progression into serious jeopardy

Saudi Arabia are back in action against Poland earlier that day, kick-off 10am, and a win would all-but seal their progression to the knock-out stages, and most likely as group winners

The winners of Group C will face the runner-up from Group D, containing France, Denmark, Tunisia and Australia

The runner-up in Group D will face the winners of Group C

Al Dawsari became only the third Saudi Arabian player to score more than once at the World Cup (two goals) along with Sami Al Jaber (3) and Fuad Amin (2)

His two goals have come in different editions (2018 and 2022), with only Al Jaber also scoring in more than one tournament (1994, 1998, 2006)

null

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<PAD>

1,896

England got their World Cup campaign in Qatar off to a flying start as Gareth Southgate’s side roared to a 6-2 victory against IranJude Bellingham's first goal for England (35) got things under way for the Three Lions before strikes from Bukayo Saka (43) and Raheem Sterling (45+1) saw them race into a three-goal lead at the interval

England added to their lead after the break when Saka added his second of the game (62) with another smart finish, but Southgate's side were given a wake-up call when Mehdi Taremi pulled a goal back for Iran (65)

It proved to be just that for England as substitute Marcus Rashford added a fifth with just his third touch (71) after coming onto the pitch before another sub in Jack Grealish added England's sixth (90)

There was a minor blemish right at the death as referee Raphael Claus was asked to check the pitchside monitor by VAR after John Stones was adjudged to have tugged the shirt of Taremi

The penalty was awarded and Taremi kept his cool to send Jordan Pickford the wrong way

Despite Iran's late goal it was the start Southgate, who had come in for some criticism after his side's poor run of form leading into the tournament, would have dreamed of as his side roared to the top of Group B

Off-field issues dominated the build-up to the game with at the World Cup in Qatar

, while Once the action got underway, England thought they should have had an early penalty when Harry Maguire was man-handled by Rouzbeh Cheshmi in the penalty area following Kieran Tripper's corner

Morteza Pouraliganji was also holding John Stones as England's centre-backs attacked the ball, but Brazilian referee Raphael Claus waved away the penalty appeals before VAR stuck with the on-field decisions

Any rhythm England had built in the early stages was then stopped when Iran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand collided horribly with his team-mate Hosseini Majid as he tried to deal with a threatening Harry Kane cross

Beiranvand spent several minutes down on the turf having treatment

Surprisingly, he was allowed to continue despite looking in no fit state to take any further part, but minutes later he signalled to the bench, slumping to the floor before being carried off on a stretcher to be replaced by reserve goalkeeper Seyed Hossein Hosseini

It didn't take long for England to pick up a head of steam after the enforced break

Trippier's corner was met by Maguire, but his header thudded against the crossbar

However, England didn't have to wait long for their first goal of the tournament, and it came thanks to Bellingham's first international goal

Luke Shaw whipped the ball in from the left and the Borussia Dortmund midfielder rose highest to glance the ball into the far corner

England's dominance continued as Saka latched onto Maguire's knockdown before firing a stunning finish into the roof of the net to double the advantage and Sterling's smart finish from Kane's cross completed a perfect first 45 minutes for Southgate's side

After the break, Saka added his second of the game, shifting the ball onto his left foot before cutting inside two Iran defenders and firing beyond Hosseini

England were denied a clean sheet when Taremi peeled off Maguire to collect a pass from Ali Gholizadeh and flash a first-time shot past Pickford via the underside of the crossbar

Southgate then rung the changes in attack, and it was two replacements who added to England's scoreline

Rashford, who was released by Kane's pass, scored with his third touch, producing a calm finish to add England's fifth before unselfish play from Callum Wilson teed up Grealish for a tap-in to score a sixth

England were on course to match their biggest World Cup win, only for Taremi to score a last-gasp penalty after Stones was adjudged to have fouled the striker after a VAR check

"I'm a bit fed up with the end of it

To win by that margin and play the way as we did for the majority of the game we have to be really happy

We looked ready

We wanted to be that type of team

"They dealt with game really well, there were lots of stoppages but our pressing and movement was really good

I've got to be really happy but we should not be conceding two goals at that stage in the game

"We will have to be right on our game against the USA

It is a great start but we have to be better

" "It's a consequence of the score, we had 24 mins of added time across the game and it is a long time to focus and we just lost concentration

When we play at a slow tempo we are nowhere near as effective

" "We have some good players and today they really delivered

Our attacking players look a threat, our defence in the first hour controlled the game and were patient

The midfield were excellent and our forwards looked a threat

It is a great maker to put down

""What I particularly liked was Jack Grealish's goal with Callum Wilson on

He could have been selfish but he was thinking of the team even at that moment

I'm a miserable so and so

I should be more excited but I have to keep the team on the right track

"Sky Sports World Cup reporter analyses how England's 6-2 victory against Iran will take the pressure off the squad and give them confidence heading into their two other Group B matches

England are now the early leaders in Group B, with Iran propping up the table behind Wales and USA, who play later on Monday (kick-off 7pm)

England face USA in their second group game on Friday November 25, at 7pm, while Iran take on Wales on the same day at 10am

The winners of Group B will face the runners-up from Group A, containing Netherlands, Senegal, Ecuador and hosts Qatar

The runner-up in Group B will face the winners of Group A

Bukayo Saka's last touch for England at a major tournament led to the worst moment of his professional career - but he showed against Iran that he has carried no baggage into the World Cup

The Arsenal winger, one of Gareth Southgate's favourites, justified his selection over the likes of Phil Foden, Marcus Rashford and Jack Grealish with a two-goal performance

Saka's left foot, cutting in from the right, brings balance to the England attack while he can also be trusted to help his full-back

That was all evident in his fine display at the Khalifa International Stadium with his first goal, a sumptuous volley that clipped the underside of the crossbar, sparking England's tournament well and truly into life

He showed his composure in the second half to cut into the box and find the bottom corner while constantly giving the Iran defence something to worry about

Saka, still only 21, now has the experience and confidence to become one of England's main men in Qatar

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<PAD>

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1,897

Late goals from Cody Gakpo and Davy Klaassen gave Netherlands victory against Senegal in their opening Group A match of the 2022 World Cup

Gakpo made a perfectly timed run to head home a beautifully weighted cross from Frenkie de Jong, before Klaassen tapped home to seal the win deep into injury time

The Dutch are now undefeated in 16 matches under coach Louis van Gaal

They also stretched an unbeaten record in their opening game at World Cups that dates back to 1938

Gakpo, who has now scored three goals in his last four internationals, had their first opportunity after four minutes but tried to square the ball to Steven Bergwijn instead of going for goal

That was followed by a Daley Blind header at the far post that flew wide before Steven Berghuis sent Bergwijn through and he laid it off for the unmarked De Jong in the box

The midfielder took far too long to release the ball, however, and his effort was blocked

The African champions were badly missing injured talisman Sadio Mane and did not manage a shot on target until the 65th minute when Boulaye Dia's tried to sneak one past goalkeeper Andries Noppert, making his Dutch debut, from a tight angle

Senegal had more possession in the second half but despite the relentless drumming from their small fan group in the stands could not find the back of the net

To make matters worse, Cheikhou Kouyate had to be taken off injured before Gakpo snuck in to snatch the opening goal

Klaassen made sure of the three points with a stoppage time tap-in after Mendy palmed a Memphis Depay shot into his path

The 2022/23 season has been one to forget for Edouard Mendy so far but he would have had hopes that travelling to the World Cup with Senegal could have marked a turning point

Away from his troubles with Chelsea, the goalkeeper arrived in Qatar as the No 1 for the African champions, who were tipped by many to make the knockout stages before the tournament kicked off

But instead, the mistakes that have hindered Mendy's campaign at club level appear to have followed him to the World Cup, with the 30-year-old offering a helping hand for both the Netherlands' goals

Aliou Cisse's side matched their European counterparts for 84 minutes, until Mendy rushed from his line to meet Frenkie de Jong's fine left-wing cross but was beaten to it by Cody Gakpo, who timed his run and header to perfection

If there was doubt over whether Mendy was at fault for the opener, there was no debating the second as the 'keeper palmed Memphis Depay's tame shot straight into the path of Davy Klaassen, who slotted in the second in stoppage time to seal the Netherlands' win

Previously an impressive figure between the sticks for Chelsea, Mendy has seemed to be gripped by nerves since the summer and was replaced as the Blues' first-choice stopper after gaffes against and

Those nerves reared their head again in the Al Thumama Stadium as Senegal fell to defeat in their opening World Cup game - a result that realistically means they must beat Qatar on Friday to salvage their hopes of reaching the last 16

Cody Gakpo started to make headlines in England when he emerged as a target for Manchester United, Leeds and Southampton in the summer transfer window after impressing for PSV

The 23-year-old revealed talks were held with Man Utd, but they eventually signed Antony while Gakpo remained in Eindhoven - a decision that appears to be paying dividends for the Dutchman

Gakpo is top for both goals and assists in the Eredivisie this season, meaning clubs of a higher calibre than Leeds and Southampton are likely to come calling when the window reopens in January

The forward's match-winning display for the Netherlands against Senegal will do nothing to dampen the enthusiasm from interested clubs

With Van Gaal's side seemingly meandering to a draw, Gakpo seized the moment, ghosting in ahead of Mendy to nod his side into a late lead with their first shot on target of the game

It's those attacking instincts that have seen him rise to the top of the goalscoring charts in his homeland, while the three chances he created - more than any of his team-mates - showed why Van Gaal deployed him in the No 10 role

Also capable of playing on the wing or as a striker, Gakpo could prove to be a crucial weapon for the Netherlands at the World Cup - a scenario that will only serve to raise his value ahead of the inevitable battle for his signature

"We were shoddy and messy in possession, but we gave away very little

"We gave away very few chances but I wasn't satisfied with ball possession on our side - we were inaccurate and ran with the ball too much

"Van Gaal also questioned FIFA's decision to stop captains - including Virgil van Dijk - from wearing the 'One Love' armband, saying: "I don't want to answer political questions but one thing is clear - we're not going to wear an armband if we are going to get a yellow card

"We need to ask if this is a correct act on behalf of FIFA

All of us need to ask if this is a proper act - this is crystal clear

""We are disappointed to have not scored, we had two or three very good chances

We needed to be more effective in front of goal

"Ismaila (Sarr) and Krepin (Diatta) are responsible there, but of course, the absence of (Sadio) Mane is a problem for us

null

Our attackers are good and we know what they are capable of

"It was a challenging game

null

We need to work on it [scoring goals] with Ismaila and the others

We expect a lot from him and Krepin

"Ecuador and Netherlands are now joint leaders in Group A after both registering 2-0 wins in their respective openers

Netherlands face Ecuador in their second group game on Friday, November 25, at 4pm, with Senegal playing host-nation Qatar earlier the same day at 1pm

The winners of Group A will face the runners-up from Group B, containing England, Wales, USA and Iran

The runner-up in Group A will face the winners of Group B

With the transfer window opening in just over a month, Cody Gakpo and Frenkie de Jong - two players who were linked with Premier League moves in the summer - stole the show as the Netherlands eventually saw off Senegal

De Jong's glorious assist set up Gakpo for the winning goal as both players did themselves no harm if they want to pursue a move in January

Elsewhere, Chelsea's Edouard Mendy struggled for Senegal, while his Blues team-mate Kalidou Koulibaly did little to stand out from the crowd

Nottingham Forest's Cheikhou Kouyate, Everton's Idrissa Gana Gueye and Leicester's Nampalys Mendy were workmanlike in midfield for the African side, but Watford's Ismaila Sarr - currently playing in the Championship - was his side's best attacker

Meanwhile, Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk and Manchester City's Nathan Ake were solid in defence for the Netherlands

null

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Cisse

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IGueye

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NMendy

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Diatta

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Dia

False

Sarr

True

Jakobs

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Dieng

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Jackson

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PGueye

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Noppert

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DeLigt

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VanDijk

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Ake

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Dumfries

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Berghuis

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DeJong

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Blind

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Gakpo

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Janssen

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Bergwijn

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Depay

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Klaassen

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Koopmeiners

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<PAD>

1,898

Gareth Bale's late penalty earned Wales a 1-1 draw against the USA in their World Cup 2022 opener in Qatar

The Welsh looked destined for defeat in their first appearance in the tournament for 64 years after Timothy Weah opened the scoring in the first half

But their talisman Bale won and scored the spot-kick to earn them a precious point in Group B

They next face Iran on Friday morning, while the USA take on Group B leaders England in the evening on the same day - after Gareth Southgate's side earlier on Monday

It was the USA who dominated the early stages and could have taken the lead on nine minutes as Joe Rodon's inadvertent header towards his own goal was kept out by Wayne Hennessey, before Josh Sargent nodded against the post shortly after

The breakthrough came on 36 minutes as Christian Pulisic found space to slip a pass in behind for Weah, who smartly jabbed the ball past Hennessey and into the bottom corner

Wales had been overwhelmed in the first half and in response manager Rob Page brought on Kieffer Moore for the ineffective Dan James at the break

The Bournemouth striker should have levelled for Wales on 65 minutes, as he rose at the near post from a corner, but somehow headed over with the net at his mercy

With eight minutes to go they did find the equaliser, however

Bale got himself in front of Walker Zimmerman in the box to be tripped and win a penalty, before stepping up himself to thunder the ball past Matt Turner

"He's never let us down," Wales manager Rob Page told

"Once again it's all about Bale and rightly so

"He always makes the difference for his country

It had, in truth, been a quiet performance from Bale up until he provided the decisive moment late in the second half

A 41st goal for his country, a first for Wales in the World Cup for 64 years

It was always going to be him to make the difference

"We've been talking about Bale all day and it's always about moments for this player," Roy Keane told

"It's written in the stars for him when he turns out for Wales, and it was a great finish

"He has been the leader for his country for so long, but he does not seem to feel the pressure or the burden of responsibility

In fact he relishes it

"There were no doubts in my head [I was going to take the penalty]," Bale told

"I have to step up and I'm happy to do so

"Speaking in his post-match press conference, Page praised the way Bale is able to use his experience to win key moments for his country

"We've evolved Gareth's position," he said

"He can still play out wide, of course he can, but I like to give him the freedom to come inside and play off a frontman

He's very good at finding those spaces, he's intelligent, he's got a wise head so he puts himself in those positions in the box to be able to get us a penalty

"Defenders commit to making tackles and if you don't get the timing right in the box inevitably it's a penalty

I think he used all his wisdom there

"A crucial turning point in the game came at half-time when Wales boss Page replaced James with striker Moore

It helped get his side further up the pitch and turn the game in their favour

"It was nothing against Dan James at all," Page told ITV

"It just suited Kieffer to get us up the pitch, we just couldn't get through [their press]

So that little tweak to play over it did make a big difference

"To go a goal behind against a very good team in USA, it's similar to the Switzerland game in the Euros for us

We showed character and determination to come back and get a point out of the game

"It's important at the start of the tournament that you don't lose the game

Credit to the lads for the shift they put in to get us that point

"The result leaves both sides trailing England in Group B, after they earned all three points against Iran on Monday afternoon

For Wales boss Page, he believes England and then USA are the favourites to win the group - but expects there to be surprises

"They looked good, England

They're the favourites to go and win the group

USA second favourites," he said

"There will be a few surprises along the way

We're just going to plan for a tough game on Friday and see where that takes us going into the last game against England

"Wales are still here

For 45 minutes, the fear was that they were not even going to arrive

But a spirited second-half performance made this a night to remember

Kieffer Moore's introduction turned the game

Gareth Bale's goal salvaged it for his country yet again

In the context of Welsh football history, this was huge

A first World Cup game in 64 years

In the context of Group B at the 2022 World Cup, it was almost as big

Many felt this was the key fixture

Lose and Wales may have had to beat Iran and England to progress

Perhaps that explained the circumspect approach in the first half

More likely it was that the pressing game of the United States prevented them from playing out

Daniel James has pace but could not keep the ball so it kept coming back

The game was played in Wales' half

Rob Page might have miscalculated in thinking this was a game that required speed on the counter-attack rather than the hold-up play of the more robust Moore

To his credit, the Wales boss did not delay, making the change at the half-time interval

Within minutes of the restart, Moore's importance was obvious, shielding possession, allowing time for bodies to join him in attack

It was not particularly pretty but it was effective when Harry Wilson was swinging balls into the box

Finally, there was a threat

It was fitting that the equaliser was conjured up by Bale with help from Aaron Ramsey

So much faith has been placed in the pair turning it on in Qatar

Ramsey has started only three of Nice's last 15 matches

Bale has started only three club games in 15

But some players are just special

The moments seem to find them

Ramsey made the run from a quick throw-in and Bale was alert enough to put himself between ball and defender

With the red wall watching on from behind the goal, it felt inevitable that the penalty would go in

"They played well and we played poor but the gaffer changed a few things around and the boys came out fighting like we always do," said Bale afterwards

That is what the supporters wanted to see

The spirit of 1958 is alive in 2022

Wales are still here

Earlier in the day, kicked off their Group B campaign , with Bukayo Saka scoring twice

scored two late goals and go joint top of Group A with Ecuador

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1,899

Gerard Deulofeu's extra-time winner saw Watford complete a stunning 3-2 comeback win over Wolves to reach their first FA Cup final in 35 years

The Spanish substitute slotted past John Ruddy in the 104th minute to set up a Wembley final against Manchester City on May 18

Wolves had held a 2-0 lead until the 79th minute when Deulofeu chipped in a curling shot to spark hope for the Hornets whose captain Troy Deeney then won and scored a 94th-minute penalty

Two set-pieces had put Wolves in control, with Matt Doherty's header from a corner (36) and Raul Jimenez's chest and finish from a free-kick (62) giving them a comfortable lead, but they struggled to regain control of the game after Deulofeu's first

When Leander Dendoncker then fouled Deeney inside the box in the final minute of added time, the captain smashed the ball beyond Ruddy to send the semi-final into extra-time

Both sides looked leggy in the additional half-hour, but a moment of quality between Andre Gray and Deulofeu proved enough to finally seal victory, with the latter finishing superbly once his strike partner had played him through from a Deeney flick-on

On a day which would play a major part in one of these sides' recent histories, neither looked willing to blink first in a cagey opening 20 minutes

Gray should have done better when his acrobatic flick landed the wrong side of the post from Deeney's deep cross, but a capacity crowd were left waiting until the 32nd minute for the first shot on target of the afternoon

Dendoncker's speculative drive looked to be heading over but was helped on its way by Heurelho Gomes, who was made to pay for that cautiousness from the resulting corner

Doherty escaped the attention of Abdoulaye Doucoure a little too long and was unmarked to head Diego Jota's cross in to break the deadlock

That briefly knocked the stuffing out of Watford, who could have fallen further behind when Jota fired wide after beating two defenders, but on the stroke of half-time, they should have been level when Gray's goalbound effort from a Deeney flick cannoned off Coady's head and behind

Wolves re-emerged looking comfortable with their one-goal lead

After nearly adding to it inside 30 seconds of the restart, Jimenez got his goal soon after, bringing down Jota's long ball on his chest before firing past Gomes and unveiling in his celebration a mask given to him by WWE wrestler Sin Cara

With nothing more to lose, Watford threw the kitchen sink at their opposition for the final half-hour but Ruddy remained untroubled until Deulofeu, who earlier could have been sent off for appearing to put his head into Joao Moutinho's face, curled in from a difficult angle on the left of the area

Watford continued to press but it looked like they would need another special moment to conjure up an equaliser - and in the last minute of four added on, they got it

Dendoncker stuck a leg into Deeney's path and after several seconds' thought, a perfectly placed Michael Oliver pointed to the spot

Deeney made no mistake despite the incredible pressure on him, firing high to Ruddy's right to send the tie into extra-time

Both sides struggled to maintain the intensity of a manic second half until Gray and Deulofeu exchanged passes on the break, and the latter held off Ryan Bennett to put Watford ahead for the first time

Substitute Ivan Cavaleiro had Wolves' only real chance during the additional half-hour when beating Adrian Mariappa for pace and rounding Gomes

But with the goal at his mercy from a tight angle, the ball rebounded on his heel and away - and Watford held on to record one of the most remarkable Wembley comebacks in living memory

The up-and-down career of Deulofeu has rarely hit a higher note than it did at Wembley, and without his moment of magic to start Watford's late comeback, there is little chance it would have got off the ground

The winning goal was meat and drink compared to that strike and while it is unfortunate the substitute had to return to the bench after injuring himself towards the end of extra-time, it summed up his short afternoon that he was hurt tracking back to cut out Ruben Vinagre's run

Watford host Arsenal live on next weekend, looking for a repeat of their last-minute win over the Gunners last season

Wolves travel to Southampton on Saturday at 3pm as they look to wrestle seventh place back from Leicester

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