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Spain's ghosts of recent World Cup horror shows reappeared in Atlanta as the European champions were held 0-0 by debutants Cape Verde in their opening game on Monday. Lamine Yamal was left on the bench as the Barcelona superstar is eased back to fitness after nearly two months out with a hamstring injury and even his appearance as a second-half substitute failed to break down Cape Verde's dogged defence. Since winning the World Cup for the first time in 2010, Spain have not won a knockout game and their inability to make dominance of possession count was reminiscent of their meek exits in 2018 and 2022. ‘Reality has to sink in,’ said Spain boss Luis de la Fuente. ‘This is a World Cup. We know that some teams, on paper, they are not better than us and we thought that we were far better than them. But then it's a struggle to win.’ Blessed with what coach De la Fuente claimed is the best squad in the competition, Spain were considered among the pre-tournament favourites to go all the way and lift the World Cup on July 19. But the importance of Yamal and Nico Williams to their chances of success was underlined by a flat performance. Williams also had an injury-disrupted season at Athletic Bilbao and was not introduced until the 87th minute. Ranked 67 in the world, Cape Verde were making their debut on the global stage and did a nation of just over 500,000 people proud. In stark contrast to the searing temperatures faced by some other sides, Atlanta's state-of-the-art air conditioned stadium meant there was no excuses for the slow tempo of Spain's build-up. Indeed the mid-half hydration break was met by boos with fans frustrated at the break in play despite the cool conditions. It took until six minutes before half-time for Spain to seriously threaten. Marc Cucurella, fresh for sealing his move from Chelsea to Real Madrid, sent over a teasing cross that Ferran Torres turned onto the crossbar and Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha got back on his feet to turn Mikel Oyarzabal's looping header over the bar. Torres tested Vozinha again moments later before Aymeric Laporte's header from a corner was also clawed away by the Cape Verde number one just before half-time. The break came at a good time for the Blue Sharks and they comfortably held out in the second period until Yamal's entrance after the second hydration break. Billed as one of the stars of the tournament, the 18-year-old's appearance instantly lifted the crowd and injected life into the pedestrian Spanish attack. His first involvement set up a decent opening for fellow substitute Mikel Merino which was too close to Vozinha. Yamal also began the move that saw Oyarzabal's effort deflected over with Spain's best chance of the second half. Cape Verde nearly snatched a famous victory in the final minute of the 90 when Dani Borges planted a header too close to Unai Simon. But even without a winner, 40-year-old Vozinha was reduced to tears at full-time as Cape Verde produced the biggest shock of the tournament so far. ‘I've worked all my life for this, for this moment, for this dream,’ said Vozinha, who plays for Chaves in the Portuguese second division. ‘A lot of generations in the past dreamed of this, they didn't achieve it,’ he added. ‘The dream came true, for all of us.’ Spain's road to victory in 2010 also began disappointingly with defeat to Switzerland, but they have much to work on ahead of facing Saudi Arabia in Atlanta once more on Sunday. Cape Verde next take on Uruguay in Miami. Source link
Goalkeeper Mahmoud Abunada, who made his international debut last year, made six saves as Qatar grabbed a dramatic 1-1 late equaliser against Switzerland to earn their…
Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku came off the bench after the hour to force Egypt’s Mohamed Hany into an own goa in Seattle. (AFP) Belgium and Egypt drew 1-1 in their World Cup opener after a second-half Belgian equaliser spoiled Mohamed Salah’s 34th birthday.Emam Ashour opened the scoring early in the first half in Seattle, before Romelu Lukaku came off the bench after the hour to force Egypt’s Mohamed Hany into an own goal.With the draw, seven-time Africa Cup of Nations champions Egypt’s wait for a first victory at a World Cup goes on.This is their fourth participation in the global showpiece and with Group G fixtures to come against Iran and New Zealand, they will hope to break that hoodoo in North America.For Belgium, this tournament is likely the last chance for the remnants of their golden generation to better their third-placed finish in Russia eight years ago and finally win silverware.Veterans Kevin De Bruyne, Thibaut Courtois and Lukaku are the main protagonists of that group still involved in Rudi Garcia’s squad.With all eyes in the Pacific Northwest on Salah and De Bruyne, it was the ex-Manchester City playmaker that created the first moment of note in the match when he dragged a sharp effort narrowly wide in the seventh minute.However, it was Ashour who upstaged the pair just before the hydration break when he received the ball in a similar position to De Bruyne but his sweetly-struck effort left Courtois no chance as it whistled into the bottom-right corner.It was just the second time in their history that Egypt had taken the lead in a World Cup match — after Salah opened the scoring in a 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia in 2018.De Bruyne came within inches of levelling early in the second period when he whipped a close-range free-kick over the Egyptian wall, only to see it rocket off the outside of the post.Salah responded at the other end as he ghosted into the box but had his downward header punched away by Courtois with Ashour getting his follow-up effort all wrong.The match became stretched as both sides came close on a couple of occasions, including a screaming left-footed volley by Belgian captain Youri Tielemans.With 65 minutes gone, Rudi Garcia decided to send on Lukaku.The change immediately paid dividends as Belgium’s all-time top goalscorer showed his predatory instincts to dash in on a Thomas Meunier cross, with his presence enough to destabilize Hany who put through his own net.Salah departed the field with 15 minutes remaining as Egypt sought to shut up shop and ultimately held out for a point. Related Story Source…
Tunisia suffered a heavy 5-1 defeat to Sweden in its opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, during the game played at Monterrey Stadium in the Mexican city of Guadalupe as part of the first round of Group F.Sweden’s five goals were scored by Yasin Ayari in the 7th and 96th minutes, Alexander Isak in the 30th minute, Viktor Gyokeres in the 59th minute, and Mattias Svanberg in the 84th minute.Tunisia’s lone goal was scored by Omar Rekik in the 43rd minute.With this result, Sweden tops Group F with its first three points, while Tunisia sits at the bottom of the group with no points, awaiting its upcoming matches in the tournament.In the second round, Sweden will face the Netherlands in a highly anticipated match on June 20, while Tunisia will take on Japan on June 21 in an important fixture as it seeks to recover from its opening-round defeat and revive its hopes of advancing to the next stage. Source link
Sri Lanka’s Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage threw a national record of 92.62m to win the Diamond League meeting in Rome on June 4. Doha’s reputation for producing high quality javelin competitions looks set to continue as world leader Rumesh Tharanga Pathirage of Sri Lanka – who threw a national record of 92.62m to win the Diamond League meeting in Rome on June 4 – will line up at the Qatar Sports Club on Friday.He will join an elite field, which includes Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem and Trinidad’s Keshorn Walcott, the reigning Olympic and world champions respectively. Indian star Neeraj Chopra will not compete this year in Doha, where he breached the 90m mark last year.In a field bursting with talent, the trio are joined at the Doha Meeting by a host of stars including former two-time world champion and Olympic bronze medallist Anderson Peters of Grenada, and world bronze medallist Curtis Thompson of USA.The precedent has been set for standout results. Twelve months ago there was a stadium-wide celebration as 2021 Olympic champion Chopra threw beyond 90m for the first time to set a national record of 90.23m, but in one of the greatest javelin competitions of all time, Julian Weber of Germany responded with 91.06m on his sixth and final throw to take the win in a new world lead and personal best (at the time).On that occasion, Peters finished in third (85.64m), Walcott in fourth (84.65m), and Ahmed Sameh Mohamed Hussein of Egypt – who also returns for this year’s event – in fifth (80.95m).Pathirage – the first Sri Lankan male javelin thrower to reach a World Athletics Championships final, finishing seventh in 2025 – is an exciting young talent and will compete in Doha for the first time.His 92.62m at the Diamond League meeting in Rome added more than two metres to Andreas Thorkildsen’s 20-year-old meeting record and moved him to eighth on the world all-time list. It was the best throw in the world since the 2024 Olympic final in Paris and he is now the second-best Asian thrower in history behind Nadeem who threw 92.97m on that occasion to win gold.“Competing against the world’s best athletes is a dream come true for me and I’m incredibly excited to line up in Doha where we’ve witnessed many memorable javelin competitions over the years,” said the 23-year-old former cricketer who made his Diamond League debut in Rabat in May.“I’m in a good place right now both physically and mentally and I’ve got big goals ahead. The conditions in Doha are great for javelin throwers and if everything falls into place we can expect to witness more incredible performances.”Julius Yego of Kenya, former world champion and Olympic silver medallist, and Jakub Vadlejch of Czech Republic, former Olympic and world silver medallist, complete the field.The Doha Meeting is the seventh meeting of the 2026 Diamond League. The series comprises 15 of the most prestigious events in global track and field across four different continents and began in Shanghai/Keqiao on May 16 (as a result of the Doha Meeting being rescheduled).It concludes with a single final across two days in Brussels (September 4-5). Related Story Source…
Qatar players celebrate after showing remarkable resilience to secure a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Switzerland at the San Francisco Bay Area Stadium on Saturday. From the brink of defeat to a moment that could redefine their World Cup journey, Qatar refused to let their dream die.A dramatic stoppage-time equaliser on Saturday in Santa Clara secured a historic 1-1 draw against Switzerland, earning the Asian champions their first-ever point at the FIFA World Cup and convincing head coach Julen Lopetegui that his side had “earned the right to keep dreaming.”Four years after a disappointing debut on home soil ended without a single point, Qatar showed resilience and belief to rescue a result that leaves Group B finely balanced, with all four teams level after the opening round of matches.Captain Boualem Khoukhi rose alongside Swiss defender Miro Muheim to meet Homam Ahmed’s cross deep into stoppage time, with Khoukhi’s header taking a decisive deflection off Muheim before finding the net and cancelling out Breel Embolo’s first-half penalty.The dramatic equaliser sparked wild celebrations among the Qatar players after they had spent much of the contest absorbing relentless Swiss pressure through disciplined and determined defending. Qatar…
Germany’s Jamal Musiala scores against Curacao in Houston, Texas. (AFP) Germany won their first opening match at a World Cup since lifting the trophy in 2014 as they eased to a 7-1 win against debutants Curacao in their opening Group E match in Houston on Sunday. The Germans will face stiffer tests against group rivals Ecuador and Ivory Coast but the win against the tiny Caribbean nation puts them in a good position to progress to the knockout stages for the first time since 2014. An early German goal by Felix Nmecha was cancelled out by a deflected strike from Livano Comenencia which had the Curacao fans, known as the Blue Wave, out of their seats in Houston. However, Nico Schlotterbeck, Kai Havertz with a double, Jamal Musiala, Nathaniel Brown and Deniz Undav scored to put to bed any possibility of one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history. “It is indescribable,” said 22-year-old Brown of his first ever goal for his country. “To score in the first World Cup match, my family is there, then to celebrate with the guys — simply incredible.” Germany settled early, Nmecha scoring a beauty in the sixth minute, receiving the ball from Florian Wirtz and curling the ball round a Curacao defender and past goalkeeper Eloy Room. The goal had coach Julian Nagelsmann letting out a huge roar. Nmecha, who like Musiala played for England at junior level before choosing Germany, went close minutes later with a rasping effort from outside the box. German goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who at 40 is the oldest German player ever to appear at a World Cup and is playing in his fifth global tournament, had had little to do until Comenencia struck with a shot which took a deflection. While Germany’s senior citizen shook his head ruefully, the oldest coach to ever appear at the finals, 78-year-old Dick Advocaat, was up out of his seat arms raised. The drinks break allowed the Germans to regroup. “The goal we conceded was unnecessary, but that’s part of it,” said Brown. “I’m proud that we didn’t let our heads drop.” Soon after the restart Schlotterbeck’s header was brilliantly turned over the bar by Room. The four-time world champions huffed and puffed round the Curacao goal, but time and again desperate defending frustrated their Germans. However, the Curacao defence cracked in the 38th minute when an unmarked Schlotterbeck headed home from a corner for his first goal for his country. The Germans went into the break with a two-goal advantage as Havertz stroked home a penalty after Nmecha had been brought down by Riechedly Bazoer. Germany struck 69 seconds into the second half, Musiala running on to Joshua Kimmich’s pass and scoring from a tight angle. It should have been 5-1 just after the hour mark but Leroy Sane sent his effort wide with only Room to beat. Where Sane came up short Brown did not as the fullback fired home just before the second hydration break. Substitute Undav made it six with his seventh goal in his last seven international appearances. Havertz rounded it off with his 24th goal for Germany to replicate the same scoreline as they famously recorded against hosts Brazil in the 2014 semi-finals. Related Story Source link
India’s Deepti Sharma celebrates after taking the wicket of Pakistan’s Nashra Sundhu to win the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 match at Edgbaston Cricket Ground,…
Australia’s Cooper Connolly celebrates after scoring a century (100 runs) during the third one-day international against Bangladesh at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka on June…
Team Qatar successfully completed its first-ever appearance at the 24 Hours of Le Mans on Sunday, reaching the chequered flag after an impressive and determined performance in one of motorsport’s most prestigious events. Competing at Le Mans for the first time, Team Qatar by Iron Lynx rose to the challenge of the iconic endurance race with pace and professionalism, bringing home the Mercedes-AMG LMGT3 entry after more than 320 laps of the Circuit de la Sarthe. Starting 12th on the LMGT3 starting grid, the car shared by Abdulla al-Khelaifi, Julian Hanses and Giuliano Alesi established itself in the fight from the opening stages of the race, immediately settling into the rhythm of the twice-around-the-clock contest. Team Qatar climbed the order of the ultra-competitive class, rising to as high as second place at one stage – a remarkable achievement for a team making its Le Mans debut. As the race evolved, in hot, clear conditions, the team executed its strategy perfectly, with Hanses taking over from Abdulla’s initial triple stint, before Alesi continued the momentum into the night. Navigating traffic, yellow flags, Safety Cars, and more than 30 pit stops for fuel, tyres and driver changes, Team Qatar remained firmly in contention for a strong finish. CAR INTO GARAGE FOR REPAIRS But as the 24-hour race continued, suspension issues forced the car into the garage for repairs. Despite losing valuable time, the decision was taken to rectify the problem and continue to the finish, underlining the perseverance and resilience that have characterised the team’s efforts throughout the week. To epitomise how gruelling this race is, eight runners from the class were forced to retire. “It was an emotional rollercoaster from beginning to end. I was very happy that we stuck to the race and made it to the finish. I’m really proud of my team-mates and everyone at Team Qatar and Iron Lynx,” said Abdulla al-Khelaifi. “This is a historic moment for the whole team, and to get to the finish, we never gave up.” Giuliano Alesi said: “The whole event with Team Qatar was really special, and I really enjoyed working with the team and experiencing the energy of the track, the car, the fans, and the night sessions as well. Everything was amazing! Overall, it was a positive race and I’m super happy to get to the finish which was our ultimate goal.” “The 24 Hours of Le Mans was unbelievable, I learnt so much throughout the whole race: about race strategy, managing tyres – it was incredible,” said Julian Hanses. “At the beginning fighting for positions was very enjoyable and then getting back on track and collect as much data and as many laps as possible to gain experience and learn from this race. Thanks to the whole of Team Qatar, Iron Lynx and Mercedes-AMG Motorsport for the great support.” The Team Qatar by Iron Lynx Mercedes-AMG ultimately crossed the finish line to complete the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the LMGT3 class, but the final result only told part of the story. From securing a place in Hyperpole qualifying to demonstrating pace throughout the race, reaching the finish on Team Qatar’s first attempt represented a historic moment for Qatari motorsport. With a project developed through the vision and support of the Qatar Motor and Motorcycle Federation, a debut Le Mans entry has provided a platform for Qatar’s Abdulla al-Khelaifi to compete on one of motorsport’s biggest stages, alongside some of the most famous manufacturers and top drivers in the world. ‘IMPORTANT MOMENT FOR QATARI MOTORSPORT’ “This weekend represents an important moment for Qatari motorsport. We set out a vision to compete at the highest levels of international racing, and to see Team Qatar reach the finish of the 24 Hours of Le Mans for the very first time is a source of enormous pride,” said Abdul Rahman bin Abdul Latif al-Mannai, President of QMMF and LIC. “Over the course of the week, we have demonstrated pace, professionalism and resilience, competing alongside some of the best teams in endurance racing.” “I would like to congratulate Abdulla, Julian and Giuliano as well as Morgan Caron, the QMMF Racing Team Manager and every member of Team Qatar by Iron Lynx for their determination, dedication and hard work across the week and in particular over the past 24 hours. I have been impressed by how everyone has responded to adversity, remained united and determined to achieve our goals. Those qualities reflect the values of Qatar and will inspire future generations.” The LMGT3 class was ultimately won by the TF Sport Corvette Z06 piloted by Jonny Edgar, Nicky Catsburg and Ben Keating. In LMP2, victory went to the number 43 Oreca-Gibson run by Inter Europol piloted by Tom Dillmann, Nicholas Yelloly and Jakub Smiechowski. The outright winner of the 94th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans went to the Toyota TR010 driven by Mike Conway, Kamui Kobayashi and Nyck De Vries. Related Story Source link