Page 9 - Latest Updates on FIFA World Cup

Argentina vs Cabo Verde HIGHLIGHTS FIFA WC RO32: ARG through to last 16 with 3-2 win in extra time

Lionel Messi has once again been at the heart of Argentina's success, scoring his seventh goal on the night and providing one as well with the defending champions going through.

Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon sets World Cup record for shutout streak

Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon has the longest shutout streak in World Cup history, breaking a 36-year-old record while blanking Austria in a 3-0 victory Thursday for his fourth consecutive clean sheet in this World Cup. Simon hasn't allowed a goal in 519 consecutive minutes across the past two World Cups. He broke the record set in 1990 by famed Italy goalkeeper Walter Zenga, who recorded 517 straight scoreless minutes and five consecutive clean sheets in his home World Cup. The 29-year-old Athletic Bilbao mainstay isn't the most famous goalkeeper in this competition - or even on his own team - but Simon's outstanding play at the back of Spain's superb defence has launched him into the World Cup record books. Spain has yet to allow a goal at this World Cup, and its Basque backstop has only had to make four saves - none against Austria, which got none of its five shots on target. "I feel proud of him," Spain coach Luis De La Fuente said. "I feel like he is a member of my family. I'm v

Why Klopp could be the ideal option to succeed Nagelsmann in Germany

The four-time world champions have now failed to win a knockout match at a World Cup since lifting the trophy in Brazil in 2014

Why VAR ruled out Croatia's equaliser; football's offside rule explained

Croatia thought they had forced extra time against Portugal, but a faint touch detected by FIFA's Connected Ball Technology triggered an offside decision that ended their World Cup 2026 campaign

FIFA WC 2026 RO32: Argentina vs Cabo Verde live match time (IST), streaming

The winner of the Argentina and Cabo Verde round-of-32 match will take on the winner of the Australia vs Egypt match, which is set to take place earlier on Friday

Balogun's red card sparks debate as World Cup refereeing faces criticism

While FIFA's Laws of the Game may technically justify the dismissal, comparisons with several similar incidents earlier in the tournament have left many questioning the rules.

FIFA WC 2026: Embolo, Ndoye help Switzerland beat Algeria 2-0 to enter RO16

Breel Embolo and Dan Ndoye both scored and Switzerland advanced to the round of 16 at the World Cup with a 2-0 victory over Algeria. Switzerland will play the winner of Friday's match between Colombia and Ghana in Kansas City, Missouri. The round-of-16 game is set for next Tuesday in Vancouver. Switzerland has not won a knockout-round match since 1938 in France, but in 1954 the team won a playoff game to reach the quarterfinals. Although the Swiss reached the round of 16 at the past three World Cups, there was a smaller field of 32 teams in each of those tournaments, and they could get no further. Algeria was eliminated after returning to the World Cup for the first time since 2014, when it advanced to the knockout round but fell to eventual champion Germany.

Spain send title warning after dismantling Austria to book last 16 berth

After an inconsistent group-stage campaign that included a frustrating draw with Cabo Verde and a narrow victory over Uruguay, Luis de la Fuente's side rediscovered their trademark fluency on the day.

VAR saves Portugal as Ramos late show ends Modric's World Cup journey

Cristiano Ronaldo scored his first World Cup knockout goal before Goncalo Ramos headed Portugal into the last 16, where Spain await

Portugal vs Croatia HIGHLIGHTS FIFA WC: POR edge CRO 2-1 amid VAR drama to book last 16 berth

It is the end of Luka Modric's World cup career as Croatia is disheartened after a late VAR call denies them a chance to take the match to extra time.

FIFA WC 2026 RO32 today's schedule, live timings (IST), streaming

Spain vs Austria (12:30 AM), Portugal vs Croatia (4:30 AM) and Switzerland vs Algeria (8:30 AM)

How five VAR interventions reshaped the World Cup knockout picture

Introduced to eliminate clear and obvious mistakes, VAR once again found itself at the centre of football's biggest debates.

The mastermind behind France's machine: Deschamps eyes perfect WC farewell

First as the captain who lifted the nation's maiden FIFA World Cup in 1998. Then as the coach who restored Les Bleus to the summit of world football in 2018.

US end European jinx as Balogun drama fuels World Cup knockout win

The US beat Bosnia-Herzegovina 2-0 in the Fifa World Cup 2026 Round of 32, ending a 24-year wait for a knockout win and setting up a Belgium clash

Belgium's great escape: Late heroics end Senegal's World Cup dream

Romelu Lukaku ignited Belgium's comeback in the 86th minute, arriving perfectly inside the box to convert Thomas Meunier's low cross and halve the deficit.

FIFA WC 2026: Harry Kane overtakes Pele as England storm into Round of 16

Two moments of individual brilliance from Kane transformed panic into relief, carrying England into the Round of 16, where a daunting meeting with hosts Mexico now awaits.

Ecuador's Hincapie receives red card for covering mouth at World Cup 2026

Ecuador's Piero Hincapie became the second player to be issued a red card at the World Cup under FIFA's new rule that calls for a player to be sent off for covering their mouth during a confrontational exchange with an opponent. Hincapie was sent off in the 95th minute of Ecuador's 2-0 loss to Mexico Tuesday in the round of 32. He was shown the red card following an exchange with Mexico forward Santi Gimenez. FIFA established the new rule to prevent players from hiding abusive comments to opponents by covering their mouth. Paraguay's Miguel Almiron was the first player to be punished under the new rule when he was sent off in a group stage match against Turkey last week. While Ecuador's tournament is over, Hincapie will be suspended for the team's next international match.

Norway's Nyland enters folklore with late save in World Cup knockout win

Orjan Nyland fell to his hands and knees, his face resting on the AT&T Stadium turf with a half-dozen Ivory Coast players strewn about him after Norway's 2-1 World Cup victory that was preserved by the goalkeeper's spectacular last-minute save. It was relief for Nyland and pain for those orange-clad opponents after a leaping, twisting, left-handed stop that's sure to live in Norwegian lore. It was, after all, the final image of the country's first win in the knockout round on soccer's biggest stage. There's little doubt the moment wasn't lost on Nyland, based on the shouts and chest bumps he shared with several teammates immediately after the save. "He's been looking great for a long time," coach Stale Solbakken said through a translator after the victory in the round of 32. "I think he'll play better and better." Norway took the lead in the 86th minute on striker Erling Haaland's fifth goal of this year's World Cup, and the team spent the rest of regulation and injury time ...

Fifa WC: Mexico end 40-year knockout drought, beat Ecuador 2-0 to enter R16

Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez scored goals in a nine-minute span in the first half and Mexico defeated Ecuador 2-0 to break a 40-year drought without a win in the knockout stage and progressed to the World Cup round of 16. Quinones opened the scoring in the 22nd minute while Jimenez added a strike in the 31st minute for the Mexicans, who had not won a knockout-stage match since defeating Bulgaria in the round of 16 when they hosted the tournament in 1986. Mexico subsequently lost seven consecutive times at that same stage in the 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 and 2018 World Cups. In Qatar 2022, they were eliminated in the group stage for the first time since Argentina '78. Mexico will play another home match Sunday against the winner of Wednesday's match between England and Congo. The match started one hour after the original scheduled time due to a thunderstorm. It was the second match of the tournament affected by weather. A storm during the France-Iraq match at Philadel

Mbappe breaks WC record of most goals in knockouts as France storm into R16

Kylian Mbappe scored twice in France's 3-0 win over Sweden, taking his World Cup knockout tally to 10 and his overall tournament count to 18