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Morocco head coach Mohamed Ouahbi celebrates the team’s 3-0 victory in the FIFA World Cup match against Canada in Houston on July 04, 2026. (AFP) Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi said “we’re no longer a surprise” after reaching the World Cup quarter-finals on Saturday and hit back at “bold” claims by Canada’s Jesse Marsch.The north African side were not at their best but were clinical in defeating Marsch’s co-hosts 3-0 in Houston and will face France or Paraguay next.Morocco made the semi-finals at the 2022 World Cup and won the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, and Ouahbi said: “We’re no longer a surprise today and that’s a great source of pride.”I think this is only the beginning and I hope we’ll keep producing this kind of run for many years.”Morocco lost to France in the last four at Qatar 2022, but the coach said revenge was not their motivation if they clash next in North America.”We want to go as far as possible and make our people proud,” he said.After Canada were the better team in the first half, Azzedine Ounahi scored twice for Morocco on 50 and 82 minutes to kill off the tie.”What we’re trying to get across to our players is that we’re playing in a World Cup, which means you go through difficult moments,” said the coach.”What we needed to do was hold on and show resilience when things aren’t going so well.”His opposite number Marsch said he felt his side had been the better team, to which Ouahbi replied: “In terms of intensity they were good, that has to be said.”Were they better? Hard to say that when you lose 3-0, it’s a bold claim,” he remarked.”They were well organised, but I think in the second half there was no contest.”In any case,” he added, “I’m not sure many teams are going to win by that scoreline in the round of 16.” …
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France coach Didier Deschamps hailed his side for keeping their cool against an aggressive Paraguay team in heatwave conditions on Saturday as the favourites reached the quarter-finals of the World Cup. “It wasn’t easy. They used every resource possible. It is maybe not the kind of football that brings people to the stadium, playing with that aggression, exaggerating everything,” Deschamps told French broadcaster M6. Kylian Mbappe decided the game with a penalty in the 70th minute on a sweltering afternoon at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, following a foul on Desire Doue. Mbappe’s goal was his seventh so far at the tournament, pulling him level again with Lionel Messi as the joint-leading scorer. Before that, it had been a frustrating afternoon for Les Bleus, and a sharp contrast to their previous free-scoring matches at the tournament. France had scored 13 goals in their four World Cup outings prior to this game, but on Saturday they struggled to make clear chances despite totally dominating possession. Their most creative players – Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembele and Bradley Barcola – all found the going tough against a niggly Paraguayan team looking to cause another upset after ousting Germany in the last 32. “We stayed focused on our game. It was difficult, they had lots of men behind the ball and they defend well,” added Deschamps. “Obviously the temperatures made it hard to play with intensity and without that they defended well.” The match was played in the late afternoon heat, with temperatures hitting 38 degrees Celsius (100 Fahrenheit) in Philadelphia as the city marked the July 4 weekend and the 250th anniversary of American independence. Deschamps was also left perplexed that his team collected three yellow cards, while not a single Paraguay player was booked. “I am not going to criticise the referee but we finished the game with three bookings and yet there were a lot of things going on,” Deschamps said in his post-match press conference, as he suggested he and his team were subjected to verbal aggression too. “I won’t criticise Paraguay. Every team can play however they want, but I could do without the insults. “The most important thing is that there were no incidents at the end. But all that matters is that we have qualified.” Deschamps said he had to resort to using two of his strongest players to protect captain Mbappe against Paraguayan aggression towards the end of the match. “We kept our nerve and that is an essential thing. It doesn’t win you the game but it is important,” he added. “This experience will help us. After all, we have a lot of players who are playing at their first World Cup,” he added. “I wouldn’t say it had been easy for us up to now but now we have had a different type of game.” France move on to a quarter-final tie next Thursday in Foxborough, Massachusetts, against Morocco, who beat Canada 3-0 in the last 16 earlier Saturday. That game will be a repeat of the 2022 semi-final which France won 2-0, before they went on to lose the final on penalties to Argentina. “Morocco are one of the best teams. We played them four years ago in Doha and they also got to the Africa Cup of Nations final,” Deschamps said. He will hope his squad recover quickly from the Paraguay clash, and that key midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni comes back after missing Saturday’s game with a thigh injury. “We have a few days now to recuperate. We have some tired players and a few little knocks too.” Related Story Source link
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Brazil’s Neymar Jr. looks dejected after the match as Brazil are eliminated from the World Cup: REUTERS Neymar’s legendary career for Brazil is over, the forward said following the 2-1 loss to Norway in the round of 16 game on Sunday.The 34-year-old was emotional in an interview with TV Globo as he was in tears at the conclusion of the match in East Rutherford, N.J., where he scored Brazil’s lone goal on a penalty kick in stoppage time.”I tried, I tried. Now it’s over. I started here, I finished here,” Neymar said.He had made his first international appearance for Brazil in a friendly against the United States on April 10, 2010, at MetLife Stadium, the same venue as on Sunday, and scored in his debut.Neymar, if he indeed retires from suiting up for Brazil, finishes as the country’s all-time leading scorer with 80 goals. The legendary Pele, who recorded 77, was the only Brazilian in four World Cups before Neymar matched him on Sunday.Cafu had 142 appearances for Brazil, with Neymar’s 130 second on the all-time list.Neymar’s previous goal for Brazil came in 2023, the last time he played for the national team. Injuries have played a major part as he tore his ACL in 2023 and missed Brazil’s first two group-stage games at the 2026 World Cup because of a right calf injury.He entered as a substitute and played 15 minutes against Scotland on June 24 and came on the field in the 67th minute for the match Sunday against Norway. Related Story Source link
NATO heads of state and government will meet in Ankara, Turkiye, on Tuesday, for a two-day summit of great importance amidst numerous regional crises and global challenges and transformations, particularly in the security and energy sectors.Ankara is hosting the summit 22 years after the last one held on its soil in 2004. Turkiye occupies a strategic importance from geographical, political, and defense perspectives, as well as being a key transit corridor for energy supplies.The summit is expected to discuss the alliance’s defense spending and the Russia-Ukraine crisis. It will reaffirm the commitment to the principle of collective defense and the bonds between member states, in addition to addressing the developments in the Middle East, global challenges related to security, freedom of navigation, energy supplies, and other regional and international issues.The summit is also expected to highlight Turkiye’s prominent diplomatic role, its military contributions, the development of its defense industries, and its crisis management capabilities.In this regard, Assistant Professor at Qatar University, Dr. Abdulla Banndar Al Etaibi, noted that Turkiye has emerged as one of the world’s leading producers of defense equipment, military technologies, and security and intelligence systems. He explained that the country’s defense budget reached approximately $22.8 billion in 2024, representing 2.09% of its GDP. When Turkiye meets NATO’s newly agreed 5% defense spending target, its defense budget would rise to around $70 billion, an increase of approximately $47 billion.Al Etaibi added, in exclusive statements to the Qatar News Agency (QNA), that Turkiye’s hosting of the summit carries significant political and strategic weight. It confirms that Ankara remains an indispensable player within the alliance, despite the disagreements that have strained its relations with some Western countries in recent years.He emphasized that Turkiye’s ability to play a crucial role in mediation efforts has given it added value within the alliance. This is because Turkiye can communicate with parties that other NATO members cannot easily reach. Furthermore, hosting the summit reflects the alliance’s recognition that European security is no longer separate from the security of the Middle East and the Black Sea.For his part, Professor of Critical Security Studies at the Doha Institute Dr. Muhannad Salloum affirmed the significant role that Turkiye has come to occupy within NATO. He pointed out that Ankara is an indispensable ally, both geographically and militarily, for NATO, despite its disagreements with some members of the alliance.For its part, the State of Qatar is keen to strengthen its relations with the NATO, as the two sides have distinguished relations within the framework of the “Istanbul Cooperation Initiative,” which the State of Qatar joined on February 16, 2005. This includes the exchange of visits and political consultations, and participation in the study and training courses provided by NATO in the scientific and military fields.Relations between the State of Qatar and NATO witnessed significant development following the historic visit of His Highness the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani to NATO Headquarters in 2006, the first such visit by a head of state from a member country of the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative.In 2014, relations between the State of Qatar and NATO saw further progress, with the agreement to hold the NATO and Gulf Security Conference in Doha in December 2014 as part of the celebrations marking the 10th anniversary of the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative. Additionally, the NATO Conference on Weapons of Mass Destruction arms control, disarmament and non-proliferation was held in Qatar in March 2015. Related Story Source link
England midfielder Jordan Henderson suffered a wrist injury during the team’s post-game celebration following a 3-2 win over Mexico in the World Cup round of 16 on Sunday night that manager Thomas Tuchel called “serious.”Henderson was seen on video hopping over an advertising board at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City as England headed towards their fans at one end of the stadium to sing “Wonderwall” by Oasis, which has become tradition for the Three Lions. However, Henderson’s hand slipped and he was in clear pain after trying to break his fall. Multiple teammates immediately called for medical assistance and Henderson was later stretchered off the field.”He is at the moment in the hospital, it is quite a serious injury,” Tuchel told reporters Sunday night. “It doesn’t fit with the rest of the evening. I don’t know the procedure.”Henderson, 36, became the first England man to appear in four different World Cups when he came on against Panama during the group stage. He did not get into Sunday’s game, but was shown a yellow card during the second half for actions on the sideline. The Football Association confirmed that Henderson was going to stay in Mexico City on Sunday night with an England staff member while the remainder of the team and staff returned to their training base in Kansas City.England will face Norway in the quarterfinals on Saturday in Miami Gardens, Fla. Related Story Source link
At least eight people, including children, were killed, and several others were injured early on Monday after heavy monsoon rains triggered multiple landslides at refugee camps in southern Bangladesh, officials said.”We’re moving people out of high-risk areas as quickly as possible to prevent any more casualties,” Bangladeshi official tasked with refugee relief and repatriation, Mohammed Mizanur Rahman, said.More than 1.2 million Rohingya live in overcrowded camps in Cox’s Bazar, the world’s largest refugee settlement. Most families live in makeshift shelters made of bamboo and plastic sheets on steep, deforested hillsides that are highly vulnerable to landslides during the annual monsoon season. Source link
England captain Harry Kane said he was proud that his team had found a way to win a nerve-jangling World Cup last-16 match against Mexico in the Estadio Azteca. The Three Lions were on the back foot for a third of the match after defender Jarell Quansah was sent off for a high challenge.Kane, hoarse after celebrating with his teammates and England's supporters, said: ‘It was a crazy game. We had to fight and we had to find something.’I've just been singing, I can't really talk. The occasion, the team, everything against us, we found a way.’ Jude Bellingham scored twice for England in the space of 98 seconds in the first half but then conceded a penalty that the referee awarded after checking VAR images. Kane then scored a penalty on the hour-mark. ‘I thought I got to the ball first, it was one of those days,’ Kane said. ‘The ref gave a lot against us. In the end it didn't matter so I'm happy.’ Source link
At least six people were killed after several buildings collapsed in the eastern suburbs of Mumbai, following heavy rains that disrupted transport and forced schools to close across India’s financial capital.Indian authorities reported that a number of multi-story buildings and houses in a residential area of Mumbai collapsed, killing five children and a woman and causing significant damage to infrastructure.Rains also triggered landslides on the Mumbai-Pune expressway, forcing its closure and disrupting traffic between the two cities. Flights operations and long-distance train services were also canceled.Search and rescue operations remained underway as teams searched for people believed to be trapped beneath the rubble, amid fears that the death toll could rise. Related Story Source link