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Belgium’s golden generation might have ended in 2022, but a younger squad opened its World Cup the way it has opened most things lately: with more questions than answers. Egypt — organized, patient, entirely unfazed by the badge it was facing — held one of Europe’s more talented squads to a 1-1 draw in Seattle on Monday. Emam Ashour put the Pharaohs ahead in the 19th minute. Belgium, which lined up without a recognized striker, spent an hour passing the ball to death without ever threatening to score one. Then Rudi Garcia went for one of the lasting remnants of the past golden generation, and that man shocked audiences with his first touch. Here are my takeaways from Belgium and Egypt’s opening draw: 1. Belgium Needs a Healthy Lukaku — Desperately Belgium started this World Cup match without a striker. Garcia deployed Charles De Ketelaere, usually a second striker or attacking midfielder, as a false nine in front of an attacking midfield three built on flair: Jérémy Doku, Kevin De Bruyne, Leandro Trossard. It produced some decent football but virtually no penalty-box menace. Egypt’s block sat there and dared Belgium to find a center forward. Belgium couldn’t muster a single shot on target during the entire first half. Enter Romelu Lukaku. Within seconds, a Youri Tielemans pass sprang Thomas Meunier down the right. Lukaku’s run through the middle was perfectly timed as the low cross was fed right into the path of the veteran striker. That sequence is Belgium’s entire striker situation in a nutshell. Lukaku is 33. He has played about an hour of competitive football all season after a high-grade thigh tear, surgery and a parade of setbacks at Napoli — a saga ugly enough that he spent half the year rehabbing in Belgium against his club’s wishes. And he is still, comfortably, the most important No. 9 this team has. Belgium’s all-time leading scorer, and it isn’t close. The question for Garcia was never whether Lukaku belongs. It depends on whether his body allows him to be the player this squad is designed around. 2. The Gap At The Top Keeps Shrinking Egypt didn’t park ten men and pray. Hossam Hassan’s side defended with shape, broke with intent and, for long spells, looked like the team with the clearer idea of what it was doing. Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush were deployed to stretch Belgium’s back line all night. This was not a smash-and-grab. And it fits the pattern of these opening days. Canada took its first men’s World Cup point off Bosnia. Cape Verde somehow held Spain to a 0-0 draw. Japan produced a highly entertaining 2-2 result against the Netherlands. The teams that were supposed to make up the numbers in a bloated 48-side field have been landing clean punches on the establishment. Egypt went winless in Russia in 2018. This cycle it conceded two goals in 10 qualifiers. On Monday, it walked off the pitch proudly with a point against the ninth placed side in the FIFA rankings. Pedigree still wins most of these games, but be thankful for the surprises that keep some of these games highly unpredictable. 3. Egypt Is Built To Be A Problem Two goals allowed in ten qualifying matches is not a rounding error. It’s an identity. Hassan has built a side around defensive discipline and two attackers who can punish a single lapse. Salah — who turned 34 on Monday, and is fresh off a quieter final season at Liverpool — is still feared by defenders. Marmoush, now at Manchester City, offers a second runner who threatens in behind the moment a center back steps too high. Ashour’s opener came from exactly the kind of organized, low-risk football this team will live on. The draw has been kind to the Pharaohs, too. They drew the toughest fixture first and came away with a point. Iran and New Zealand are next, and Egypt will fancy itself in both. Second place in Group G is very much on the table — and a Round-of-32 date that could fall against the United States is the sort of thing that makes a federation dream. 4. What Is The Ceiling For Belgium? We have been writing this group’s obituary since 2018, and it keeps refusing to die quietly. De Bruyne is 34. Courtois is 34. Lukaku is 33 and held together with tape. The trophy cabinet is empty. Qatar 2022 ended in a group-stage exit and a dressing room reportedly at war with itself. The brief in 2026 was simple: don’t do that again. A point against a well-drilled Egypt is not that. But in a draw, Garcia’s headline idea — De Bruyne conducting behind a striker-less front three — generated barely any threat. It’s the kind of result that should keep a coach up at night. Talent has never been the issue with Belgium. The coherence has. Iran comes next in Los Angeles, then New Zealand in Vancouver. Both are winnable. Both are also precisely the sort of stubborn, well-organized opponent that just gave Belgium 90 minutes of frustration while wearing a different shirt. Garcia has a week to decide how much he trusts Lukaku’s body — because for an hour on Monday, the alternative looked like nothing at all.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Cape Verde delivered the biggest shock of the World Cup thus far after its draw against Spain in Atlanta on Monday. I’ve given my kudos to Cape Verde (an archipelago nation off the coast of Africa making its tournament debut), but now let’s focus on La Roja and what’s now at stake after this historically disappointing result from Luis de la Fuente’s team. Spain’s draw now means that in order to top the group, its margin for error has practically been brought to zero. This group features two other stout squads – Uruguay will take on Saudi Arabia to conclude the first matchday of Group H – but trust me when I tell you that De La Fuente will want nothing less than two victories for their remaining fixtures in the group stage. Spain knows that topping the group is extremely important in order to avoid a major, giant obstacle in the knockout stages and Monday’s result gets in the way of this objective. Because any other setbacks could set up an earlier-than-expected date with a very familiar face. If Spain ends up as runner-up, then it has the possibility of facing Lionel Messi Argentina in the Round of 32 (if La Albiceleste tops Group J) and that’s far from ideal. Now, there’s a reminder here that Argentina itself lost the opening match of the World Cup back in 2022, which was coincidentally against Saudi Arabia (Spain’s upcoming opponent, and we all know how that ended.) In addition, back in 2010, when Spain won its first World Cup, it actually lost the first match, a 1-0 loss to Switzerland, and after that, it won every game, which concluded the journey with the trophy. All is not lost, therefore. But Spain knows it has to do better, both in strategy and mentality. It was a passive performance where patience was confused with stagnation. Too many players, from Ferran Torres to Mikel Oyarzabal, were not clinical enough. I also thought the substitutions came too late against Cape Verde so De La Fuente too needs to be more aggressive with his management. If all the eggs are placed in Lamine Yamal’s basket, then Spain will continue to fail. It has to believe in the collective. As mentioned, Spain faces Saudi Arabia on Sunday, before ending the group action against Uruguay next Friday. And I am not sure if a desperate battle against a team managed by Marcelo Bielsa – whose well-earned El Loco nickname comes from his high-pressure style of tactics – is what Spain wants. There’s a lot to do for Spain and there is no doubt it can do it. It is, after all, a magnificent team. But talent is not the question here. This is about application.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

U.S. World Cup Team Training Base (IRVINE, Calif.) — Although U.S. men’s national team forward Christian Pulisic participated in a “modified training” session on Monday after leaving last week’s 2026 FIFA World Cup-opening win over Paraguay with a sore calf, midfielder Tyler Adams insisted that Pulisic “will be ready” for the Americans’ second Group B match against Australia on Friday in Seattle. After setting up the USA’s first two goals en route to a record-smashing 4-1 victory over the Paraguayans, Pulisic — the Stars and Stripes’ headliner and their most irreplaceable attacking player — was subbed out of the match at halftime with a sore left calf. “We’re hopeful the next game he’ll be available,” coach Mauricio Pochettino said on Friday after the game. Adams expects that he will. “Come on, Christian will be ready,” Adams said with a chuckle before the Americans trained as a group for the first time since last Friday’s triumph. “Everyone, let’s relax.” Despite Pochettino’s revelation that Pulisic “could not walk when he finished the first half,” the 27-year-old AC Milan star wasn’t noticeably limping when he strode to a microphone to answer questions about 30 minutes following the final whistle. The players who started against Paraguay, including Pulisic, went through a light “regeneration session” on Saturday before a team barbecue at the team’s swanky ocean-front hotel. Pulisic’s leg wasn’t taped in pictures of that event posted to social media. Yet when training began on Monday, Pulisic wasn’t on the field with the rest of the other 25 members of the USA’s squad. He was in the gym working out instead and did  individual work on the field later in the session here at Great Park. Pochettino told FOX Sports sideline reporter Jenny Taft that the Pennsylvania native was removed as a precaution from the opener, which the World Cup co-hosts were leading 3-0 at the time. The former Paris Saint-Germain manager gave his players Sunday off, allowing them to rest mentally as well as physically. “He picked up a knock a few days before the game, and I think he got kicked in the same spot again during the game,” Adams said of Pulisic on Monday. “And when you go into halftime, things obviously get tight within the 15-20 minute break. “He’ll be fine.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Who could have seen that coming? Spain, the betting co-favorite to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup, opened its tournament with a scoreless draw against Cape Verde, which made its World Cup debut on Monday at Atlanta Stadium. Going into the match, Spain had -1500 odds to beat Cape Verde. There have been stunning upsets in World Cup history, but where does Cape Verde’s result against Spain rank all-time? Here are the most shocking results — win, loss or draw — in World Cup history based on FIFA ranking, which was introduced in 1992. This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners. If you sign up or place a wager, FOX Sports may be compensated. Read more about Sports Betting on FOX Sports. 5. Spain 1, Russia 1 (2018) Russia FIFA Rank: 70Spain FIFA Rank: 10Difference: 60 spots The best moment in Russia’s World Cup history. Against a stacked Spain side that was on a 23-match unbeaten streak entering the Round of 16, the host nation knocked Spain out of the 2018 World Cup through a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw. Spain took the lead in the 12th minute off an own goal from Sergei Ignashevich, but Artem Dzyuba brought Russia level after converting his penalty kick just before the halftime break. With both sides unable to separate themselves from each other in regulation and extra time, it went to penalties, where Russian goalkeeper Igor Akinfeev became a national hero, famously saving penalties from Koke and Iago Aspas to send his country to the quarterfinals. 4. Cape Verde 0, Spain 0 (2026) Cape Verde FIFA Rank: 67Spain FIFA Rank: 2Difference: 65 spots What a way to make your tournament debut. Cape Verde, the second-smallest country in the tournament by population size (529,000), held Euro 2024 champions Spain to a scoreless draw in its first-ever World Cup match at Atlanta stadium. Spain dominated possession in the first half with 70% to Cape Verde’s 30% but was unable to score. In an effort to break the deadlock, Spain coach Luis de la Fuente subbed on Lamine Yamal, but even the teenage superstar was unable to break the tie. Instead, the Man of the Match honors went to Cape Verde’s 40-year-old veteran goalkeeper Vozinha, who stopped all seven of Spain’s shots on target. 3. South Africa 1, Mexico 1 (2010) South Africa FIFA Rank: 83Mexico FIFA Rank: 17Difference: 66 spots South Africa marked the opening match of the first-ever World Cup on African soil with an unforgettable 1-1 draw against Mexico at Soccer City in Johannesburg. Mexico dominated the first half and sent the host nation into the halftime break with a lot to figure out, and South Africa responded almost immediately with an absolute rocket of a goal from Siphiwe Tshabalala in the 55th minute. Mexico would still manage to play spoiler in the 79th minute, when an unmarked Rafael Márquez equalized for El Tri, but for South Africa, it was close to a dream start in a tough Group A with Mexico, France and Uruguay. 2. Italy 1, New Zealand 1 (2010) New Zealand FIFA Rank: 78Italy FIFA Rank: 5Difference: 73 spots This match between the defending world champions and a group of mostly semi-professional players didn’t go the way many people predicted, and certainly not the way Italy had hoped. Italy, which lifted the World Cup trophy in 2006, needed a win against New Zealand to put itself in a comfortable position to advance after a shock 1-1 draw against Paraguay in its group stage opener, and it had every reason to believe it would get one against a New Zealand side that failed to stack up on paper. Instead, Italy was humiliated, conceding in the 7th minute of the match and failing to mount a comeback despite an aggressive attacking strategy from head coach Marco Lippi. New Zealand would be eliminated from the tournament after managing just three points in two matches, but so too would Italy, and with the added shock value of finishing last in the group with two points. For the All Whites, history. For the Azzurri, a low point that they’ve been unable to rebound from since. 1. South Africa 2, France 1 (2010) South Africa FIFA Rank: 83France FIFA Rank: 9Difference: 74 spots France’s nightmarish run at the 2010 World Cup hit rock bottom when tournament hosts South Africa pulled off arguably the greatest upset in World Cup history at Vodafone Park. Arriving at its final group game amidst an internal mutiny against its manager, Raymond Domenech, Les Bleus finally imploded, allowing South Africa to take a 2-0 lead in the first half through Bongani Khumalo and Katlego Mphela and going down 10 men due to a straight red card that was shown to Yoann Gourcuff. Though Florent Malouda pulled one back for France in the second half, Bafana Bafana held on for a historic victory, and France’s tumultuous 2006 World Cup was put to a merciful end.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

It’s always impressive when you see a player go an entire game without an incomplete pass attempt, but that’s not something a center back will necessarily strive to achieve. No center back is going to go out there with the idea of, “I want to improve my completion percentage.” That’s not the job of a defender over 90 minutes. A center back’s primary focus entering a game is, obviously, the defensive responsibilities. On the ball, you’re looking to make plays on the ball that are creating attacks. You’re also trying to be reliable and consistent so you can say at the end of the match, “I had a positive impact.” There’s definitely a fine balance between picking your moments and determining when you have an 80% chance of squeezing a pass through and creating a potential opportunity going forward. Chris Richards’ 83-for-83 passing mark was an opportunity provided to him by Paraguay in the teams’ 2026 World Cup opener. Chris’ defensive partner, Tim Ream, was 84-of-90 with his passing and had the most touches of any player on the pitch with 102. To put that number into perspective, the player with the most passes attempted in the USA midfield was Tyler Adams, who was 52-of-59. The USA’s opponent last Friday night wasn’t pressing very high up the field and was content to sit in a low block and defend. The U.S. was able to play the ball around its back line, feeding Alex Freeman on the right side of defense or Antonee Robinson a little further up the field on the left. A big key for us for creating numerical mismatches in wide positions, and it’s easier for the center backs to find guys in those positions than it is further up the field. Paraguay was always going to sit back and allow the USA to have the ball in spots on the field that aren’t immediately dangerous. It was the kind of game that definitely catered to Chris and Tim being able to keep a lot of possession. The last thing on your mind in a game like that is, “Oh, what am I going to do with the ball?” That’s because you’re always in control. What did surprise me is that Paraguay did not step up the pressure after the second USA goal, which was Flo Balogun’s first of the game. At that point, I expected more of a sense of urgency from Paraguay, but it remained content to sit back and defend – and paid for that mentality. It shows how reliable Richards is. His return was a boost to the American backline, and it’s clear how comfortable he is next to Ream. Chris is also playing different kinds of passes compared to Tim. The USA captain played a more progressive game because Robinson was further up the field on his side compared to Freeman on the right side next to Richards. Expect a different kind of game for the USA backline on Friday against Australia. While Australia will also be content to defend, the difference between the Socceroos and Paraguay is that they can hurt you even more in transition. Australia has more speed going forward. We saw winger Nestroy Irankunda put his speed and dribbling on display with his goal against Türkiye on Saturday night, which gave the Aussies a 1-0 lead. If he gets more people in one-on-one situations in the rest of the tournament, there will be more of that. Australia will play with five defenders and three in midfield who will sit pretty deep. A lot of the time when we have the ball, there will be eight or nine players behind the ball.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The name of the Cape Verde goalkeeper who shut out Spain is only one word, and it isn’t “Him,” although that might be more appropriate following his performance on Monday. Vozinha, whose real name is Josimar José Évora Dias, recorded seven saves in Cape Verde’s stunning 0-0 draw against Spain in Monday’s Group H opener. The 40-year-old had a string of leaping and diving saves late in the first half before making a few big stops late in the second half. As a result, Vozinha won man of the match. So, who is Vozinha, the star who gave Cape Verde a point in its World Cup debut? Here’s what to know about the Cape Verdean goalkeeper. While Vozinha isn’t his real name, the Cape Verdean goalkeeper said he got the name at a young age thanks to his grandparents. In an interview with FIFA, Vozinha said that his grandparents opted to call him Vozinha as he was raised by them and not his parents. Vozinha said that his father was serving in the military and his mother had to work. However, the name Vozinha wound up sticking for a different reason. When he moved to Angola to play for Progresso, Vozinha had a decision to make with his name. “When I arrived in Angola, there was another goalkeeper named Josimar and I said I am not going to put Josimar II on the shirt — if everyone knew me as Vozinha in Cape Verde, that’s what I would be,” Vozinha told FIFA. Vozinha was emotional when the final whistle blew in Monday’s match, appearing to hold back tears as he was embraced by his teammates. In a post-match interview with FOX Sports’ Alex Aljoe, Vozinha explained why he was emotional following the match. “I worked for all my life for this, for this moment, for this dream. A lot of generations in the past was dreaming with this. They did not shift,” Vozinha said. “Now, the dream come true. All of us are here because we worked a lot to be here. We deserved to be here today. A great game against Spain because it’s one of the best national teams in the world.” In terms of FIFA rankings, Cape Verde’s draw was the fourth-most surprising result in the history of the World Cup. Cape Verde entered the tournament ranked 67th and Spain entered the tournament ranked second. As for Vozinha, he became the third-oldest goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet in a men’s World Cup match, after Peter Shilton (40 years, 281 days) and Dino Zoff (40 years, 130 days), per FOX Sports Research. Vozinha is the oldest goalkeeper to keep a clean sheet in his World Cup debut and just the second goalkeeper aged 40 or older to make at least seven saves in a World Cup match since 1966, per OPTA. Vozinha has already seen his social media following grow in a major way in the hours following Monday’s match. His followers on Instagram have gone from 50,000 to 2.2 million as of 4:30 p.m. ET on Monday. Vozinha had 90 international caps for Cape Verde prior to Monday’s match, beginning his senior international career in 2012. He recorded nine clean sheets for Cape Verde over the previous year before blanking Spain. He logged three clean sheets in five matches for Cape Verde in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. Vozinha currently plays for Chaves in Liga Portugal 2, Portugal’s second division of soccer. He’s spent the bulk of his club career with Progresso (2012-15) and AEL Limassol (2017-22), though. Vozinha logged 116 caps during his time with AEL Limassol, a club in the Cypriot First Division.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

How do you describe what we saw in Atlanta? An inspiring performance? A powerhouse squad playing too one-dimensionally? Whichever way you want to call it, Cape Verde making its World Cup debut in the grandest of fashion by stalling mighty Spain will forever be remembered. Cape Verde, an archipelago nation off the coast of Africa and the third-smallest country ever to World Cup to qualify based on population, made history after earning a 0-0 result against Spain, a tournament favorite and European powerhouse. What an ending to the match, what a story. What a World Cup. Here are my takeaways: It was a heroic and relentless performance that will forever be remembered by Cape Verdeans (and soccer fans in general) everywhere around the world. For context, here are some numbers. Cape Verde is ranked 67th in FIFA World Rankings compared to second-ranked Spain – the ninth-largest gap ever in a World Cup fixture and a difference of 65 spots. What’s more, all 26 players of Cape Verde’s national team have a combined transfer value of approximately $63.1 million. Compare that to Spain’s teenage superstar Lamine Yamal, who made a second-half appearance, who has a reported value of $232.1 million. Or Spain’s midfielder Gavi at $174 million. The Blue Sharks delivered a fantastic, heroic performance, frustrating Spain’s possession and its 27 shots. Cape Verde did not allow the European side to get out of first gear throughout the match. But this is not a Cinderella story. Cape Verde is a team that plays without nerves. It committed its players to any presure from Spain and remained extremely well organized. Monday’s result is a testament to commitment and heart, and I am so insanely proud of this achievement … and I absolutely have no connection to the country. What’s more, the African side even had some chances to enter the final third. It wasn’t until the last five minutes that Spain truly threatened at goal. Which brings us to … In a tournament that includes several 40-year-old players across the field (Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modrić, Edin Dzeko), we didn’t expect to be talking about a Cape Verde keeper who plays in the Portuguese second division. But Vozinha produced seven excellent saves to keep his clean sheet and give his team the result. He was playing the match of his life and would continue throughout. What a performance. He deserves all the flowers. The resilience continued in the second half as Spain remained thwarted by Cape Verde. That team felt like it wanted more and was determined to create history. It rallied around the keeper to help keep Spain’s attack at bay. Fresh from recovery after a hamstring injury, Yamal entered the pitch and the energy around the stadium — and on the pitch — immediately changed. His mere presence ignited a much-needed spark and every time he touched the ball on the right wing, the crowd erupted. Cape Verde, therefore, needed to put two and even three men on the young phenom from Barcelona because they knew the danger he possessed. But still, Cape Verde held strong. Let’s be very honest here. In the first half without Yamal or Williams, Spain was one dimensional, with the usual amount of possession (70%) but with nothing to show for it. Cape Verde, as said, needs to take a lot of the credit here but regardless, let’s also call it as it is: it was not good enough for a team who is favored as a team who can win it all. Something I always stress with teams like Spain is the fact that possession without intent is meaningless and that’s exactly what we saw in the first half and it shouldn’t take the introduction of Yamal to get the team going. And even when he came on, there was not enough aggression. I hope De la Fuente shows his team highlights from two years ago when Spain won the Euros, because that’s exactly what they need – to inject some direct energy going forward. Pretty patterns are just that: pretty. And when it comes to weapons, it can’t just fall to two players. For now, however — I am doing nothing else but saluting Cape Verde, its goalkeeper Vozinha and the manager, Bubista — who, as a former captain, knows too well the mountains his team had to climb to get here. This is what the World Cup is all about. It’s a tournament where heroes are born on the pitch. For Spain, La Roja stays in Atlanta with a Sunday matchup against Saudi Arabia, whilst Cape Verde travels to Miami to face Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay on the same day.  And with eight third-place teams from the 12 groups advancing to the World Cup knockout rounds, Cape Verde has added its name to the mix.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Bob Bradley woke up Monday morning and sent a text to Egypt national team superstar Mohamed Salah. He had two wishes for the player he once coached: Good luck in Egypt’s 2026 World Cup opener — and Happy Birthday. Salah — Egypt’s captain and arguably its best player ever — turned 34 years old the same day as his team’s match against Belgium in Seattle, kicking off what could be his last World Cup. And Bradley is rooting for him. “I haven’t gotten to see him in a while, and we always talk about how we’ve got to figure out a way to get together, but in the meantime, we stay in touch,” said Bradley, who previously coached the U.S. men’s national team, along with the Pharaohs, and is now a FOX Sports World Cup analyst. Expectations are high for Salah and Egypt, which aims to not only win its first World Cup match but also to advance to the knockout round of the tournament for the first time. With 67 goals and 116 appearances for Egypt ahead of the Belgium opener, the Liverpool legend also has the second-most men’s national team goals and is two away from tying current coach Hossam Hassan’s record of 69. On Salah’s birthday and ahead of the Pharaohs’ first 2026 World Cup match, we spoke with Bradley about his time coaching the Egyptian star and what makes him the beloved icon he is. This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity. Mo Salah made his Egypt national team debut as a teenager about a month before you took over as manager in 2011. When you look back, what characteristics did you see that indicated what type of player he would grow into? Two things. First, from the very beginning in training, you could see how quick and powerful he was, really dynamic. And I was fortunate that I had coached a great player named Hristo Stoichkov [on the Chicago Fire], and Hristo was also strong and powerful and is left-footed. Hristo is a player that would start in wide positions — but not stay wide and play like a winger, but find ways to make really hard runs into the box to be a goal-scoring threat. And when I got to see Salah up close, the bells in my head went off. There are so many similarities with Hristo. The second thing is how much he wanted to be coached and challenged and how you could tell he was so motivated to get better. I think that’s been something that has been evident throughout his career. He’s just constantly looking for ways to improve. You once said you “immediately” knew Salah was special. What else pointed to that for you? It was the power and the speed that he had. You could tell that he was young, but he was still strong and could get away from defenders and get into good positions. Those things just stood out immediately. When you look back, is there a favorite on-field moment that comes to mind first when you think of him? Yes. At that time in Egypt, on February 1, 2012, there was a [riot] in the stadium in Port Said, where 72 young fans were killed in the stadium after a game. When that happened, the [Egyptian Premier] League shut down, and we could only have friendly matches. We had to work very hard because our first [2014] World Cup qualifier was in June, and friendly matches had to be outside the country. So it was a really tough time, but the players were incredible. It was a time when none of them knew what was going on in their careers. They probably weren’t being paid, but they still were so committed to the national team. And it was during that period that, in these camps and with these friendly matches outside Egypt, the team started to take shape. The player who had been a big part of the team for years — African player of the year — was [Mohamed] Aboutrika. And you could see on the field the way Aboutrika and Salah developed a very good understanding. So we played the first World Cup qualifier in Alexandria against Mozambique in an empty stadium, which was obviously quite strange, and we won, 2-0. For the second World Cup qualifier, we had to travel and play in Guinea. We were down, 1-0, and then [Aboutrika] scored two goals to make it 2-1. Near the end, Guinea scored, so it looked like a 2-2 game. [Salah] played mostly on the right, and we had worked really hard on his movement — I always use this expression — from outside, meaning you’re wider on the field, to inside. After the game was 2-2, we moved forward with the ball, and he made a very strong move without the ball from outside to inside [and] received a great pass. He’s left-footed, so when he’s coming in from the right, he worked very hard on his ability to curl a ball into the far corner. So he scored the winning goal in that fashion, and I think from that moment on, he was a star, with Aboutrika, on the national team. Off the field, is there a memory that encapsulates him as a leader or as just who he is as a person, rather than a player? His teammates love him. He’s humble, and he’s just a guy with a fantastic personality. Just to see how much his teammates love him. We stay in touch, in part, because he’s always appreciated everything, and in all ways, he’s, for me, a great guy. Why do you think he’s so beloved by his teammates? How does he endear himself to them? He’s funny, he’s down to earth. He’s just good to be around and makes everybody better in a real way. Salah is obviously a huge international star, but is there something you think the masses don’t know about him but should? Probably two things. The first one is out there a little bit because people have written about it, but as a young player, he played at a team called Al Mokawloon. In English, they would call it Arab Contractors. He lived in a village outside Cairo, so it took him three to four hours to get into training and to get home. And when you travel in Egypt, there’s something called microbusses. It’s a little van [for] public transportation, but people pack inside microbusses, and he had to take a number of different microbusses and get off and get on. So his commitment just to get from where he lived in and out to training every day was incredible. And then the second thing is — and he does it very quietly — he finds many, many ways to give back to causes in Egypt. Egyptians are very proud people, and they love their country. That shows in the way he conducts himself and also in the way that he quietly supports many, many, many good causes. From a global perspective, what do you think Salah’s legacy is for the game? His legacy is that when he got to Liverpool, he exploded. And there were steps along the way, but it all came together. Everyone got to see him playing on one of the best teams in the world and become a global star that people mention with the best names in football. For that to happen for a player from Egypt, that was new, and to do it with style and class and grace and a smile, I think made it even better. In what could be Salah’s last World Cup, what are your expectations for him and for Egypt as a team? For sure hope that they can play well, that they can get out of the group [stage] and have a chance to go far in the tournament. I know that that would be his dream and his goal for himself and for the team. Do you think they can do it? I hope so. We’ll see. What three words would you use to describe Mo Salah? Humble, proud, positive.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

The fourth day of the 2026 FIFA World Cup delivered plenty of goals, a historic German blowout, and late-game heroics that shattered records and unbeaten streaks alike. From Amad Diallo’s dramatic 90th-minute winner to Japan fighting back from behind twice to snatch a point, the drama kept going right until the final whistle. Here is everything you might have missed from Day 4 of the World Cup: Germany vs. Curaçao Netherlands vs. Japan Ivory Coast vs. Ecuador Sweden vs. Tunisia BEST OF THE DAY Save Of The Day With all due respect to Ivory Coast goalkeeper Yahia Fofana, who was the only player that managed to keep a clean sheet on Sunday, the crossbar was called into action more than him against Ecuador. While Fofana only recorded one save against Ecuador in the 68th minute, the crossbar denied Ecuador from scoring not once, but twice! Congratulations on this prestigious honor, crossbar. Assist Of The Day Koki Ogawa might have been going for goal when he struck the ball in the 88th minute of Japan’s thrilling catchup with the Netherlands on Sunday, but he caught his teammate Daichi Kamada’s head instead. Luckily for him, he struck it hard enough to where it found the back of the net in the end, he just didn’t get credit for it. Hopefully an assist is just as meaningful for him — this one should be. Goal Of The Day There were 19 goals scored on the fourth day of the 2026 FIFA World Cup — the first one of the day is our Goal of the Day. Germany midfielder Felix Nmecha started the play by passing the ball to Florian Wirtz, and Wirtz gave it right back to a darting Nmecha, who struck it well to the far right post, well outside the reach of Curaçao goalkeeper Eloy Room. Moment Of The Day Entering the fourth day of the World Cup, everyone had the matchup between the Netherlands and Japan circled on their calendars. Thankfully, it lived up to the hype and then some. While there was no winner, it had everything else: star power, drama, great energy and four goals, including an 88th-minute match-winner from Daichi Kamada. And with Sweden’s dominant win over Tunisia, Group F is wide open.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

For 37 minutes on Sunday, Curaçao stayed with four-time champion Germany, with the World Cup first-timers daring to believe they could pull off the unimaginable. Livano Comenencia tied it with his left-footed shot through traffic from the center of the box in the 21st minute to give Curaçao its first goal in the tournament and send fans of the Blue Wave into a frenzy. But Germany broke a 1-1 tie in the 38th minute and overwhelmed this tiny Caribbean nation after that, running away with the game for a 7-1 victory in the group stage. “This is not a disgrace,” Curaçao coach Dick Advocaat said. “I think we can still be proud.” It was an emotional day for the 78-year-old Advocaat, a World Cup veteran who previously coached the Netherlands in 1994 and South Korea in 2006. He wept before the game as his team from a country of just 158,000 made history with its debut in the tournament. “This is related with the joy of the people in Curaçao,” he said. “It may be a matter of my age, but this is when the emotion comes to the surface. I don’t really like it … [but] the joy of the people is fantastic.” He became the oldest man to ever coach a World Cup game and did it against Germany’s 38-year-old coach Julian Nagelsmann, who is the youngest in this year’s tournament. Comenencia’s goal gave Curaçao confidence early and was yet another milestone in the team’s historic run. “The goal was absolutely fantastic for all of us, for the nation as well,” winger Kenji Gorre said. “It’s more history being made. The first goal ever scored on the world stage. It’s just phenomenal, and we’re all grateful that we were here to experience it [with] all the people in the stadium.” Nagelsmann was impressed with the fight shown by Curaçao and noted that it can be dangerous when an underdog gets confidence. “The opponent played better than many had expected in Germany,” he said. “They played with a lot of courage.” While Curaçao was proud to have stuck with a powerhouse like Germany for most of the first half, there was disappointment at the final score. Curaçao had the biggest goal difference in a defeat of a nation making its World Cup debut since South Korea lost 9-0 to Hungary in 1954, according to Opta. “Mixed emotions, mixed feelings. On one side, you think, ‘Wow, we’ve made history by coming to the World Cup,’” Gorré said. “On the other it’s like, ‘Wow, we wish that we could have got some points.’ But we’re playing against the world’s best and the world’s best punish you at every opportunity they can, and you see that they punished us seven times from mistakes that we made.” Curaçao hopes that the experience gained Sunday will help as it continues in the tournament against Ecuador on Saturday in Kansas City. “We still have matches to go and things can still end up differently,” Advocaat said. Reporting by The Associated Press.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports