Category: Sports Fox

Pocono Raceway (Long Pond, Pa.) — Denny Hamlin won for the third consecutive week and all from the pole. And like any competitor, he wondered what could have been after his victory on Sunday at Pocono Raceway, which followed wins at Nashville and Michigan the previous two weeks. “I’m just thinking, ‘Holy crap, man, we’re three seconds away from having five in a row with Charlotte with the rain [ending the race before I took the lead],’” Hamlin said in his post-race news conference. Hamlin will take four wins in his last five events, as he won the All-Star Race at Dover the week before the race at Charlotte. Here are my Pocono takeaways: 1. Denny Gets GOAT Motivation Hamlin had an emotional few months prior to this season. He lost the 2025 title on a late caution and pit call, his 23XI Racing won a settlement in a brutal trial against NASCAR and his terminally ill father died in a house fire. He said in the preseason that he wasn’t really ready to race and that the season could go either great or awful. It’s obviously going great. And Hamlin can trace some of it back to a preseason rally for 23XI Racing and something said by team co-owner Michael Jordan. “I never forget Michael, when he addressed 23X1 in the offseason, he’s like, ‘What I’m interested to see is what does Denny do. Because after what happened in Phoenix, you either pick yourself up and you respond or you fold. We’ll find out,’” said Hamlin, who drives for Joe Gibbs Racing while co-owning 23XI Racing. “He’s finding out.” Said Hamlin race team co-owner Heather Gibbs: “He’s a consummate professional. I think for many of us that go through a lot of tough times, being at the racetrack is our home. That’s where we find the most peace and want to be back at the track. That’s normal to him. I think he wanted to be back. He had records to break. He had something to prove. He’s doing it now.” 2. Hamlin Closing In On Reddick With 10 races left in the regular season, Hamlin — with four points-race victories — has cut Reddick’s lead in the standings to just 19 points. Reddick had five wins early in the year and had more than a 100-point lead. The regular-season champion starts the 10-race Chase (postseason) with 2,100 points. The runner-up starts with 2,075 points. Hamlin isn’t as strong as Reddick on road courses and the next two races are on the street course at Naval Base Coroando and the road course at Sonoma Raceway. “There’s a lot of tracks coming up where we’re both going to be very strong at. It’s just going to be a matter of who puts together the better weekend, really, to close the thing out,” Reddick told me and other reporters after a second-place finish at Pocono. 3. Bell Feels OK Christopher Bell said his broken left wrist, suffered in a crash last week at Michigan, impacted him some on restarts and when he wanted to make quick maneuvers in the race at Pocono. Bell was leading until five laps to go, as he tried to stretch fuel until Hamlin caught him. It was a huge roll of the dice and Bell didn’t feel this was a race that slipped away. The JGR driver finished 26th after having to pit for fuel on the white-flag lap. “My wrist is fine whenever I’m by myself, but certainly in like any sort of adverse conditions, like whenever I banged with [Josh Berry], getting into [Turn] 3 and then that wreck in front of me, I just don’t really have the ability to make sharp quick corrections to the car. … [And] I certainly think it affected my restarts,” Bell told me and other reporters. Bell said he didn’t have any pain, and he’ll have to see how he is next week on whether he can race the 16-turn street course at Naval Base Coroando. 4. Three Weeks, Three Wrecks For Keselowski Brad Keselowski has fallen outside the Chase cutoff after three consecutive weeks where his race ended early because of an accident. At Pocono’s incident, he cleared the initial wreckage as several cars tangled. But then Bubba Wallace and Joey Logano had contact, and Keselowski had nowhere to go to avoid Logano. “Guys run really stupid races where they’re like three-wide on Lap 5 in a race where the strategy is going to reshuffle the field three more times,” Keselowski told me and other reporters after being released from the infield medical center. “So you’re just trying not to get caught up in their junk. And I missed the first wave of their junk but not the second.  … We just keep digging the hole. I know we have good cars for these last three races, and we didn’t get any results on, so that’s not good.” 4 ½. What’s Next NASCAR heads to a special one-off event as it conducts a race at Naval Base Coronado. The 16-turn, 3.4-mile street course will be a challenge, as a new event and one with very little room for error. Shane van Gisbergen, who won the inaugural Chicago street race in his NASCAR debut three years ago, is the prohibitive favorite.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Sunday’s four-goal thriller at Dallas Stadium was one that started slowly but undoubtedly came to life in the second half. The Netherlands drew 2-2 against Japan thanks to goals from Virgil Van Dijk and Crysencio Summerville that were then respectively canceled out by Keito Nakamura and Daichi Kamada. This was also a battle between two very high-skilled, fast-playing chess players that took some time to get going as the first half was played at a passive pace due to Japan’s uber-counter-attacking and defensive strategy and the Dutch’s inability to break through. But once the second half arrived, it was clear the message at the break to both dressing rooms was exactly the same: to play at a faster pace and to gamble. In the end, the excellent Japan — a team I have waxed lyrical about for a long time — rescued a point against the Netherlands, who failed to win the opening match at a World Cup for the first time in its history. Here are my takeaways: The 24-year-old winger scored his team’s second goal, and it was a wonderful left-footed shot from inside the box. Throughout the game, he showed lively runs that caused mayhem for Japan’s inverted fullbacks. For West Ham, he plays on the left wing but Koeman smartly placed him on the right and allowed him to cut inside with his quick decision-making. It’s amazing to think that, prior to this World Cup, he had never played a competitive game for the Netherlands before. Consequently, Ronald Koeman calls him up and after impressing, the manager not only takes him to the tournament, but starts him in the first match. Summerville repays the decision with a winning goal for this team. Speaking of West Ham, he won’t be there much longer as multiple clubs are very interested in him. If he carries on playing the same way he is doing, the sky will be the limit. After Summerville’s goal, the Dutch manager, a former defender himself, decided to shut shop — but there were still 26 minutes left, and that was a massive error from the Netherlands as Japan pushed for another equalizer. Crystal Palace’s Kamada capitalized from a corner in the 88th minute and fully deserved it. It’s a lesson for the UEFA side, who now realize that the best form of protection is to keep going. We all know about the imperial presence of Virgil Van Dijk as the Liverpool man is one of the best defenders in the history of the modern game. For his country, just like his club, everything begins and ends with him from the back, but just as shown today thanks to the opening goal, his aerial ability is often unmatched. There is no one who distributes the ball like him in the game. The overlapping strategy that came from Japan’s full backs when penetrating the final third, was also a problem for the Netherlands. Their wing backs play the role of wingers whenever they counter, trying to cross the ball as fast as possible. And the actual wingers cut inside to create an overwhelming line inside the Dutch box. The interesting thing is that all of Japan’s wide players are inverted (left wingers with a stronger right foot looking to come inside and vice versa but love to come inside, hence Nakamura’s goal. It was truly a hard-fought effort from both sides as defenders took center stage. The Netherlands will stay in Texas to face Sweden in Houston on Saturday whilst Japan travels to Tunisia a day later at Estadio Monterrey in Guadalupe. This group is most definitely there for the taking.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Lamine Yamal is in “ideal condition” to play in Spain’s World Cup opener against Cape Verde on Monday, coach Luis de la Fuente said. Yamal is not expected to start the game in Atlanta, but has been cleared to play in his return from a hamstring injury that forced the 18-year-old superstar to miss the final weeks of the season for Barcelona. “We are following the indications of medical staff from Barcelona, his club, and also from the Spanish national team, with the fitness coaches. Everything says that Lamine Yamal is ready to play tomorrow,” de la Fuente said at a news conference. “We don’t know how much. It is a matter of how the game is evolving, the game situation, that gives you a hint of when he might jump on the pitch, but he is in ideal condition to play tomorrow.” Yamal has established himself as arguably the brightest emerging talent in Europe after helping Spain win the European Championship in 2024, despite only turning 17 on the eve of the final. His popularity in the United States has been evident during the opening days of the World Cup. An advertisement with his image towers over Mercedes-Benz Stadium, where Spain kicks off its campaign. On Sunday, fans congregated outside Kennesaw State University where Spain was training, with several children copying his trademark blond curly hair. Fans hoping to catch a glimpse of him Monday may not be disappointed. “Lamine Yamal is ready to play a few minutes and our medical team agree on that decision. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be even on the bench,” de la Fuente said. Spain’s one World Cup title came in 2010, when, like now, it entered the tournament as European champion. It is the co-favorite with France to win the title. “This is just recognition for everything we have done to come this far,” de la Fuente said. “We are humble. We know how difficult it is to win any match and to win the World Cup.” Cape Verde is playing in its first World Cup and is the third-smallest country ever to qualify. It is not expected to pull off a historic upset against Spain. De la Fuente, however, said there was no danger of his players underestimating their opponent. “They might be one of the teams springing a surprise in this World Cup,” he said. Cape Verde coach Pedro Leitão Brito agreed. “I believe the match will be competitive on the field,” he said. “Our will is to play without fear. … When we mention identity, we are talking about who we are as a people.” Reporting by The Associated Press.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

For years, the United States has searched for a World Cup squad capable of matching its potential. Through one match, this group looks like it could be the answer. A dominant 4-1 victory over Paraguay has fueled excitement ahead of Team USA’s next test against Australia on June 19. The Socceroos also enter the matchup brimming with confidence after a 2-0 upset victory over Türkiye on Saturday night. Despite their shared World Cup history, the United States and Australia have never faced one another on soccer’s biggest stage. Australia’s dominant win over Türkiye left an impression on FOX Sports analysts Kasper Schmeichel and Bob Bradley, both of whom believe the Socceroos will provide a far sterner test for the United States than many fans realize. “That’s a good lesson for them,” Schmeichel said. “Take this really seriously because they’re [Australia] a difficult team to play against. So I think that just maybe [this win] says to the U.S. team and maybe to the U.S. fans to not take it for granted yet.” Schmeichel praised Australia’s discipline and organization, focusing on its knack for making life difficult for even the tournament’s most talented teams. Its compact defensive shape and commitment to the game plan will be something the United States has to be ready for, which is exactly what Türkiye found out on Saturday night. “There’s still work to do,” Schmeichel said. “It’s more than possible, but don’t get too far ahead because they’re a very well-organized side.” Australia’s performance served as a reminder that its structure travels well against higher-ranked opponents. Both Schmeichel and Bradley agreed the United States will need patience and precision to break them down if they want to come away with the win. However, Bradley believes head coach Mauricio Pochettino needs to make it clear that the United States will have to match Australia’s discipline, arguing that they’re not a team to overlook and should be perceived as a bigger threat than Paraguay. “At some point this week, Mauricio [Pochettino] was going to make the point to the U.S. players that Australia is a good team,” Bradley said. “It’s a little easier for him to make that point after tonight’s result.”​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Several elite teams open their campaigns at the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup on Monday with four games on the docket. Reigning European champion Spain opens the day against debutant Cape Verde in Atlanta. The talented Belgium team then takes on Egypt in Seattle before the action heads to Miami, where two-time champion Uruguay will face Saudi Arabia. Finally, the day concludes in Los Angeles where two veteran-heavy teams in Iran and New Zealand both have eyes on qualifying for their first World Cup knockout round. Spain vs. Cape Verde: How To Watch When: Monday, June 15, 12 p.m. ET Where: Atlanta TV: FOXStream: Watch three days free on FOX One Cape Verde could not have asked for a more difficult assignment in its first ever World Cup game when it takes on one of the pre-tournament favorites Spain in Atlanta on Monday. The tiny island nation off the coast of Africa’s northwest coast has a population of just over 500,000 and was one of the surprises in the CAF qualifying tournament when it convincingly won its group to qualify for the World Cup. During its campaign, Cape Verde went 7-4-1 and finished four points ahead of traditional African powers Cameroon. This was especially surprising given the Blue Sharks’ failure to qualify for the 2025 African Cup of Nations, where it finished last in its qualifying group. Most of Cape Verde’s team plays in the smaller European leagues. Fullback Sidny Lopes Cabral joined Benfica this year and has already featured for the club’s first team. Captain Ryan Mendes, 36, is by far the national team’s most accomplished player, having scored 22 goals for Cape Verde while also having played for clubs such as Lille or Nottingham Forest. Only 12 players on the roster were born in Cape Verde. The remaining 14 players were born in countries such as the Netherlands, Portugal, France, and the United States (backup goalkeeper CJ Dos Santos was born in Philadelphia). With an average of 29.3, Cape Verde has one of the oldest teams at the World Cup. Cape Verde is managed by Pedro Leitão Brito, commonly known as Bubista, who has spent his entire coaching career in Cape Verde. After leading the team to qualification for the World Cup, Bubista was named the 2025 CAF Manager of the Year. Currently ranked 67th in the latest FIFA rankings, Cape Verde will open against second-ranked Spain. Spain qualified for the World Cup without much problem, topping UEFA Group E over Türkiye, Bulgaria, and Georgia without losing a game. Two years ago, Spain won Euro 2024 with knockout wins over Italy, Switzerland and the Netherlands, before defeating England in the final. Spain is managed by Luis de la Fuente, who took over shortly after the team’s lackluster 2022 World Cup where it lost to Morocco on penalties in the round of 16. De la Fuente has a lot of firepower at his disposal, including star players Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams, who both have been dealing with injuries but who should be ready for Monday’s game. Yamal, 18, is arguably the best teenager in the world (ranked No. 1 in our Top 100 World Cup players) and was the Ballon d’Or runner-up in 2025 after leading Barcelona to the La Liga title. With a highly competitive midfield consisting of Rodri, Pedri, and Fabián Ruiz, backed by an elite defensive record featuring five clean sheets in their last six competitive games, Spain is going to be very difficult for any team to defeat, let alone a Cape Verde team that is likely just happy to be at the tournament. Spain vs. Cape Verde: Player to Watch Mikel Oyarzabal: The Real Sociedad forward is de la Fuente’s top striker for good reason. Since the start of 2025, Oyarzabal has 12 goals in 12 games for Spain. In 2024, he scored Spain’s winning goal in its 2-1 victory over England in the final of Euro 2024. Given his form in recent years, he is on the short list of many expert picks to win the Golden Boot at this World Cup. Oyarzabal could start racking up his goals in this game as Cape Verde should have a very difficult time trying to stop him. Belgium vs. Egypt: How To Watch When: Monday, June 15, 3 p.m. ETWhere: SeattleTV: FOXStream: Watch three days free on FOX One The second game on Monday’s docket brings us to Seattle for an intriguing matchup between teams who are widely considered to be the two best in Group G. Belgium, currently ranked ninth in the FIFA World Rankings, is hoping this tournament will mark the arrival of a promising new generation of players. The Red Devils finished third in 2018 at what was the peak moment of its previous and storied generation. In 2022, the aging core remained and Belgium failed to get out of the group stage. Euro 2024 was only a marginal improvement with a second-place group finish and an elimination at the hands of France in the first knockout round. While four players remain from the “old guard” (Thibaut Courtois, Kevin De Bruyne, Romelu Lukaku and Axel Witsel were all on the 2014 team), Belgium’s fate will likely be decided by a talented group of young players that includes Manchester City’s Jérémy Doku who is one of the best wingers in the world. Led by French head coach Rudi Garcia since 2025, Belgium qualified for the World Cup by winning UEFA Group J in undefeated fashion over Wales, North Macedonia, Kazakhstan, and Liechtenstein. The Red Devils have been extremely impressive in its set of 2026 friendlies – defeating the United States 5-2 in March – and then wins over Croatia 2-0 and Tunisia 5-0 in its two tune-up friendlies. That has only raised the expectations for the team at this World Cup. Belgium’s opponents on Monday are 29th-ranked Egypt, who will return to the World Cup for the fourth time after missing out in 2022. The Pharaohs have never advanced out of the group stage but are favored to do so in this 48-team format. Coached by Hossam Hassan (who is the Pharaoh’s all-time leading scorer), Egypt went unbeaten in qualifying with an 8-2-0 record and outscored opponents 20-2 and keeping eight clean sheets. At the African Cup of Nations earlier this year, Egypt advanced to the semifinals before losing 1-0 to Senegal. The top storyline for Egypt at this World Cup is former Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah, who celebrates his 34th birthday on this match day. As one of the most successful players in African history, Salah led Egypt with nine goals in qualifying. His 67 international goals are just two behind Hassan’s record of 69. Belgium vs. Egypt: Player to Watch Jérémy Doku: The Manchester City winger is one of the most talented players at this World Cup and his speed and dribbling ability should alone make Belgium a difficult team to stop. The Antwerp-born Doku, 24, was influential in World Cup qualifiers this cycle scoring two goals apiece in wins over Kazakhstan and Liechtenstein. At Euro 2024, Belgium only played four games, but Doku completed a tournament-leading 34 dribbles. This World Cup will be another huge test for Doku as he will try to prove that he is capable of leading Belgium on a run deep into the knockouts. Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay: How to Watch When: Monday, June 15, 6 p.m. ETWhere: MiamiTV: FS1Stream: Watch three days free on FOX One Two-time World Cup champion Uruguay comes into this tournament ranked No. 16 in the latest FIFA World Rankings and looking to climb back into the elite levels of world soccer. La Celeste will take its first steps in the tournament on Monday when it takes on Saudi Arabia at Miami Stadium in Group H action. Uruguay finished fourth in CONMEBOL’s single-table qualifying tournament and benefited by impressive back-to-back wins over Brazil and Argentina to set the tone the rest of the way. It formally clinched its spot in the tournament in the second-to-last match hday with a 3-0 win over Peru. The friendlies after the World Cup have been up and down for Uruguay as it lost 5-1 to the United States in November but played respectably in draws to England and Algeria in March. Uruguay is led by Argentine head coach Marcelo Bielsa who will be coaching his third World Cup after leading Argentina in 2002 and Chile in 2010. The Rosario native is one of the most influential soccer managers of this generation, and he has helped bring some defensive structure to Uruguay as it moves on from the great attacking players such as Luis Suárez and Edinson Cavani who led the team to so much success the past 20 years. Bielsa’s Uruguay team is led by defenders such as José Giménez of Atlético Madrid, who is expected to earn his 100th cap against Saudi Arabia, or Ronald Araújo, who has been a mainstay at Barcelona since 2019. These players have been a major reason why Uruguay only conceded 12 goals in 18 World Cup qualifiers and will be difficult for opponents to break down this summer. Saudi Arabia, currently ranked 61st by FIFA, comes into this game as a significant underdog. The Green Falcons will be participating in its third straight World Cup and seventh overall. The only time it advanced out of the group stage was at its debut in 1994. But one of Saudi Arabia’s greatest World Cup achievements occurred in 2022 when it defeated eventual champions Argentina in the group stage opener. This past World Cup qualifying was a difficult road for Saudi Arabia and after poor results in the recent March friendlies, head coach Hervé Renard was fired and replaced by Georgios Donis of Greece. Donis has selected a World Cup roster where 25 of 26 players come from the domestic league of Saudi Arabia. The lone exception is Lens fullback Saud Abdulhamid. The hope for Donis is that the players will have more familiarity since they are all coming from the same league. That makes Saudi Arabia a bit of a wild card in this group, and it will likely be Saudia Arabia and Cape Verde vying for third place behind Uruguay and Spain. A third place finish could likely see them go through. Saudi Arabia vs. Uruguay: Player to Watch Darwin Núñez: The former Liverpool forward now plays for Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia and will know most of his opponents on Monday.  The question is whether Nunez can fill the attacking void left by Suarez and Cavani no longer with the team. Núñez led Uruguay in qualifying with five goals but those goals all came in 2023. He has not scored in his last 13 appearances for Uruguay,  dating back to the 2024 Copa América.  At his best, Núñez is a good forward who can be effective at the international level. At his worst, he can be very wasteful. Uruguay’s success at this World Cup likely hinges on his form, and we will learn a lot about where Núñez is at in his game on Monday. Iran vs. New Zealand: How to Watch When: Monday, June 15, 9 p.m. ETWhere: Los AngelesTV: FS1Stream: Watch three days free on FOX One Monday’s slate of games concludes at Los Angeles Stadium where Iran takes on New Zealand in Group G. It features two teams who have both played in multiple World Cups but who have never advanced out of the group stage. With this expanded format in 2026, advancing remains a possibility with just a single win. That makes this game critical for both teams. New Zealand arrives at this World Cup as the lowest ranked team in the FIFA World Rankings at 85. The Kiwis will be playing in their third World Cup and first since 2010, where they drew all three group stage games but failed to qualify for the knockouts. This New Zealand team is still heavily dependent on veteran leadership, with Chris Wood continuing to be the team’s best player and captain. Wood was a member of Kiwi’s 2010 World Cup. At age 34, Wood has earned 90 caps and scored 45 goals for his national team. He is New Zealand’s all-time leader in both categories and led the team with nine goals in World Cup qualifying. After a great season with Nottingham Forest in 2024/25 where he scored 20 Premier League goals, a knee surgery limited him in 2025/26 where he only returned in April, scoring twice in 11 games. The good news for Wood is that in 2026 he now has more support. Attacking midfielder Eli Just, 26, has been providing New Zealand with another point of attack that the team did not have in its previous World Cup campaigns. Just was a finalist for the Scottish Premiership’s player of the season for Motherwell after scoring seven goals and adding seven assists. For the national team, he was the second-leading scorer in World Cup qualifying with four goals, and he scored in a surprising 4-1 win over Chile in March. Iran, currently ranked 20th in the FIFA World Rankings, is at its fourth consecutive World Cup, but has never gotten out of the group stage, despite getting a win at each of the last two World Cups and then against the United States in 1998. Iran was dominant in AFC’s World Cup qualifying with an unbeaten record of 10-4-0. As a country front and center of geopolitical tensions, many people will be watching Iran to see how the players respond. Head coach Amir Ghalenoei has been leading the team since 2023 and has opted to bring a very experienced squad who should not be lost in the moment. On the 26-player roster, 14 were also on the 2022 World Cup team, 10 were on the 2018 team, and two players remain from the 2014 squad. Iranian fans should feel optimistic after the team swept both of its World Cup tune-up friendlies in Antalya, Türkiye. The first was a 3–1 victory over the Gambia and that was followed by a 2–0 win against Mali. Fullback Ramin Rezaeian, 36, scored in both games. Iran vs. New Zealand: Player to Watch Despite the reliance on veterans, New Zealand’s youngest and most promising player is central defender Tyler Bindon, 21, who is signed to Nottingham Forest but spent the most recent season on loan at Sheffield United in the English Championship. On the international side, Bindon scored two goals in World Cup qualifying and featured at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Bindon has an interesting background. His mother, Jenny Bindon, was born and raised in the United States but obtained her New Zealand citizenship and earned 77 appearances as the goalkeeper for New Zealand’s women’s national soccer team. His father, Grant Bindon, was the captain of New Zealand’s national volleyball team. His maternal grandfather served in the United States Army in the Vietnam War and was awarded two Purple Hearts. A dual citizen of New Zealand and the United States, Bindon spent several seasons with the youth teams of Los Angeles FC and even made five appearances with U.S. youth national teams before ultimately deciding to follow the footsteps of both his parents and represent New Zealand on the global stage. He is now part of the country’s new generation that will attempt to lead the Kiwis to its first World Cup win and perhaps a spot in the knockouts.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Germany cruised past the smallest nation ever to reach a World Cup, but the lopsided scoreline over Curaçao doesn’t answer some of the pre-tournament doubts about the four-time champion. Felix Nmecha had the favorites ahead inside six minutes, and by the hour mark, this was a procession. Curaçao did get its moment — and it was a special one for a nation that boasts a population of just 158,000 people. But 7-1 is 7-1. Here are my takeaways from Germany’s opening win: Forget the opponent for a second. Jamal Musiala was finally one of the best players on the field for Germany, and that matters more than the seven goals. He tormented Curaçao for 45 minutes, drifted into every dangerous pocket and finally got his reward after the break, taking a Joshua Kimmich pass and finishing into the far corner past a stranded Eloy Room. This is the version of Musiala that Germany has been waiting for since the leg break that wrecked most of his last year. Florian Wirtz worked well alongside him. These two gelling and creating magic in possession will be the biggest factor in whether Germany makes a deep run at this tournament. Julian Nagelsmann built this squad around a young attacking core, and in the opening match, that core looked exactly as advertised. When Musiala plays and combines like this, Germany can trouble any team at the World Cup. A team representing a country of less than 160,000 people just walked onto a pitch at a World Cup, and for 17 minutes it was level with a four-time champion. Livano Comenencia’s deflected strike — Curaçao’s first goal in tournament history — is exactly the kind of feel good story that most neutrals attach themselves to. Its 78-year-old manager, Dick Advocaat, facing 38-year-old Nagelsmann in the largest age gap between opposing bosses in World Cup history, earned his place in the trivia books too. Here’s the flip side. A 48-team field invites both Cinderella stories and blowouts. For every Curaçao fairytale, the final score reflected the difference between the CONCACAF debutant and a European heavyweight. It’s a gap that makes the final score a sobering reality for the minnow nation. Expect plenty more of these over the next two weeks. It’s an inevitable result of having a bigger party. Resist the urge to take too much away from the final scoreline when evaluating the European giants. Curaçao sat in a deep block, mustered only a handful of shots all night and was never equipped to test this team across 90 minutes. A result like this is often the least informative in football. We didn’t learn whether Nagelsmann has solved his toughest questions, because Curaçao was never going to ask them. The build-up looked slick, but slick against this level of resistance is the baseline expectation, not evidence of anything. The real reading starts against the Ivory Coast on June 20, then Ecuador on June 25. For now, file this one under job done — three points, an otherworldly goal difference and no serious injuries to key players. If there’s one thing to take from this game — and, again, I’m nitpicking — it’s this: Germany switched off for a few minutes and let the smallest nation in the tournament to draw level from basically its first real attack. Comenencia’s goal took a deflection, but the back line was caught flat, and that’s the recurring German flaw nobody has fixed. While Antonio Rüdiger steadies things, the defensive pieces around him aren’t perfect. They lack the gravitas we’ve seen from center backs representing Germany at previous tournaments. The attack scored seven, so the noise will focus on the forwards — but look closer. Nagelsmann still lacks a settled, proven No. 9. Even though one of my breakout prediction players, Deniz Undav, scored once and assisted twice, it’s a case of not getting carried away just yet. Against the Ivory Coast’s pace or a genuine contender in the knockouts, things will be different. The talent is obvious in midfield, but looming questions remain at the back and up front.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Australia stunned Türkiye in Saturday’s World Cup nightcap at BC Place in Vancouver, riding a first-half goal by Nestory Irankunda and another by Connor Metcalfe after the intermission to win 2-0 and upend the expected pecking order in Group D. Here are my four takeaways from the Socceroos’ surprising yet fully deserved victory. 1. Australia Shows No Fear Coming into Saturday’s match, Türkiye was the obvious favorite. It wasn’t just the bookies who said so, either. “I think we will dominate the game, because we have more qualities and a more talented team,” Türkiye’s captain Hakan Çalhanoğlu said in an on-camera interview on the eve of the match at the home of the Vancouver Whitecaps. “We’ll see what happens.” Clearly, most experts agreed with Çalhanoğlu’s assessment. The comment was still an obvious own goal. The Aussies — who narrowly lost to eventual champ Argentina in the last World Cup’s round of 16 — probably didn’t need any extra motivation in their 2026 tournament opener. Çalhanoğlu gave it to them anyway, and Tony Popovic’s team was intent on making him eat those words. Who cares if the favorites did in fact dominate, badly out-chancing and out-possessing Australia. The latter stunned the Turks with a ruthless counterattack that was expertly finished by Irankunda, forcing the former to take risks going forward in search of the equalizer. It never came. While Türkiye sent its best two chances of the contest straight at keeper Patrick Beach, Australia made no mistake with its opportunities, taking advantage of the space it was afforded to double their lead and seal just its fifth ever World Cup victory on Connor Metcalfe’s strike with about a quarter of an hour left to play. 2. Türkiye’s Captain Eats His Words The last time the Turks played at a World Cup almost a quarter-century ago, they made a stunning run to the semifinals. Despite missing out on the next five editions, their quality was never in question, with the next generation of the country’s stars led by legitimate all-world talents like Real Madrid’s Arda Güler and Juventus’s Kenan Yıldız. Yet their Italian coach, Vincenzo Montella, raised eyebrows by leaving Yıldız on the bench to begin the match (he entered to start the second half), while Güler was ineffective as far as any end-product was concerned. Was it simply inexperience? Maybe. Whatever the reason, now Montella’s side has experience of the wrong type, dropping a match considered the most manageable of the three in the group stage. That doesn’t mean the Turks can’t turn this thing around. The forgiving format of this 49-team World Cup means they could advance as a third place finisher. One would expect them to learn from the unexpected defeat and respond next week against Paraguay. They need to, or their first appearance on the global stage in 24 years will end up being a short stay. 3. Keep An Eye On Irankunda Although he’s not the youngest member of the Aussies’ 26-player World Cup squad — that would be 18-year-old  Colorado Rapids defender Lucas Herrington — Irankunda, 20, is undoubtedly their most exciting. Born in Tanzania and a former prospect for German titans Bayern Munich, Irankunda scored 16 goals as a teenager for A-League mainstay Adelaide United before being signed by the perennial Bundesliga champions. Despite never making a senior appearance for Bayern, English second tier club Watford thought highly enough of Irankunda to ink him to a five-year contract last year. He played in almost 40 Championship matches for the Hornets in his debut campaign in 2025-26, scoring four times. Now he’s a World Cup goalscorer, too. It will be fascinating to see what he can do in the Socceroos final two group games. 4. What’s Next In Group D? With each of the four teams now has played one time, the table is beginning to take shape. The USA sits first on goal difference following Friday’s 4-1 drubbing of the Paraguayans, with the Aussies now right behind. The two leaders will face off next Friday in Seattle, but the other match is significantly more intriguing following the first round of results. Türkiye pretty much must beat the Paraguayans on Thursday at San Francisco Bay Area Stadium in Northern California to maintain their chances of advancing to the knockout stage. The same can be said for the South Americans. That’s the beauty of the World Cup, which just saw its first major upset of 2026.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

With two goals in the U.S. men’s national team’s 4-1 win over Paraguay in the teams’ 2026 FIFA World Cup opener on Friday night in Los Angeles, Folarin Balogun is well on his way to becoming a household name from coast to coast. Nearly 19 million Americans watched the 24-year-old New York native steal the show in his World Cup debut, making it the highest-rated USA men’s match of all time. The moment exceeded Balogun’s wildest dreams; he’d been thinking about what Friday night might be like since he chose to represent the USA over England and Nigeria — the 5-foot-10 striker was raised in London by West African parents — in 2023. Last fall, just a few miles away from the Brooklyn hospital in which he was born, Balogun’s eyes widened when I told him what members of the last American squad to play in a World Cup at home, in 1994, told me: That his life would never be the same again. Yet while Balogun literally became an overnight celebrity this weekend, casual fans don’t know much about him. So who is Folarin Balogun? Let’s let him tell you himself. This story has been edited for length and clarity. You grew up in London, but your American roots run deep. My mom’s sister lives in New York, yeah. I also have family in Atlanta. Did you visit the U.S. often as a kid? We went to see my aunt in Atlanta when I was maybe eight years old, but I have very vague memories. It was a long time ago. But I was in New York a year before I joined the U.S. men’s national team. I wasn’t thinking in terms of making a decision then, but I always feel comfortable in New York — probably because of the similarities between New York and London. And you’ve been back to New York a few times since committing to the U.S., right? I’m always coming back now. If I’ve got vacation, I’ll balance that between New York and London. I’m very fortunate; I just feel so blessed to have a connection with both of those amazing cities. I tell my teammates all the time: After my career, I want to live in New York. So, yeah, I do feel a lot more connected to America now. And I’m very, very proud and happy to represent such a great country. What do you like to do when you’re in town? It’s one of those places where you can just wake up, go walk around, and something will just come to you, you know? There’s been times I’ve even just played pickup games with random strangers. Seriously? I was in Manhattan, looking out from my hotel, and I could see a small football pitch where locals were just playing. I had a shower, took my boots, and just asked if I could play. They didn’t know who I was. Did you take it easy on them? They probably took it easy on me. After a while, they could obviously see that I was maybe not your average player. They started asking me questions, and then I told them what I do and obviously who I represent. The tackles weren’t so hard after that. That’s incredible. It just sums up the city, though. It’s just so free. That’s the sort of thing I love, to just feel like a normal person and go do whatever. So many footballers in Europe love going to New York, because even when you get stopped or recognized, it’s not really too invasive. They just want to see how you are. It’s refreshing. You’ve said often that the messages you got from U.S. fans were part of the reason you chose to rep the USA. How were you welcomed by your teammates? In terms of the energy, I’d never experienced anything like it. Everyone’s super positive. It’s just such a nice environment to be around. You can speak to any of the staff about football, about life, about anything, and everybody will be open to the conversation. Whenever I come into camp, it’s one of the most refreshing feelings I can get as a player. You’ve already played for three different U.S. coaches. Anthony Hudson was the interim boss before Gregg Berhalter returned, and now it’s Mauricio Pochettino. How has the environment changed? It hasn’t. As I’ve been around the group longer, now I know it’s just a norm. Whoever the coach is, they want this to be a safe space for the players. They want everybody to come into camp feeling energized, not having to worry about what’s being said outside. When I first came into camp, that was something very new to me. Honestly, it was a bit overwhelming, just how good an environment they’ve created. I don’t think that’s ever gonna change. Strikers are sometimes known to be selfish, but you don’t seem to play that way. I try to do the right thing all the time, and off the pitch just be a good person before anything. If I’m playing with another striker and I feel he’s in a better position to score than me, I believe doing the right thing is just passing the ball. Where does that come from? That’s just how I’ve always gone about my life and my work. With any teammate, it’s just showing respect and treating people as you’d want to be treated. I just feel like doing the right thing will always pay off. And if you do good things, good things will come to you. What do you want U.S. fans to know about you? As a person, I’m quite introverted. But I appreciate and am grateful for the platform I have and the job and the role I’ve been given. Representing my country is obviously what brings me the most pleasure. I also want to give back. Because I feel like the team, the staff, and even just America as a country has shown so much faith in me.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Brazil and Morocco, two top-10 ranked teams with hopes of deep runs at the World Cup, traded first-half goals to split the spoils at a star-studded contest to open Group C action. Ultimately, the result from New Jersey New York Stadium was the least interesting thing about the night. Here are my takeaways from one of the World Cup’s most highly anticipated group-stage matches: For 30 minutes and his team down a goal, Vinícius Júnior was a passenger, double-teamed by Morocco every time he touched the ball. Then he remembered who he is. Cutting in from the left off a Bruno Guimarães pass, he bent it into the far corner to drag Brazil level. Class. Pure class. But here’s the number that matters: it was his 10th goal in 50 caps for Brazil. Ten. In fifty. Quite poor for a player who nearly won the Ballon d’Or. At Real Madrid, he’s one of the best players on the planet. However, in the signature yellow shirt of his country, he’s spent years looking like he left his form at the airport. The weight of the Seleção has never sat easily on him. Nonetheless, this is exactly the version Brazil have been begging for — the one who decides games instead of disappearing from them. One goal won’t end the debate back home, but it’s a great way for Vini to get on the right track. Forget the plucky-underdog framing. Morocco was the better side for long stretches and never looked remotely intimidated. They out-passed Brazil, pressed them into mistakes, and at one point had the five-time champions camped in their own half with under 30% of the ball. Ismael Saibari’s opener was a thing of beauty: Brahim Díaz threaded the pass, and Saibari chipped it over Brazilian keeper Alisson without breaking stride. Achraf Hakimi showed the form that’s made him one of the world’s finest fullbacks. This is a young, ferociously technical group, and 2022 – when the Atlas Lions knocked off Spain and Portugal to reach the semifinals – was no accident. Saturday’s performance proved this team will back itself against anyone left in this tournament. Whoever Morocco draws in the knockouts will not be happy whatsoever. Take away Vini’s moment of magic and this was an uncomfortable watch. Igor Thiago was invisible as the lone striker, missed a shocking header, and was substituted by the hour mark. Lucas Paquetá was incredibly wasteful in possession and joined him on the bench. Roger Ibañez, a center-back, was asked to play right-back but received a yellow card and did not make it out of halftime. The fix off the bench? Danilo, a 34-year-old in the twilight of his career. There are many tricky, quick wingers in this tournament. Brazil doesn’t have the legs out wide. For a team this stacked going forward, it was disjointed, slow in the build-up, and far too easy to slice open through the middle. Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti will have plenty to fix tomorrow. The good news is that this is only the first game against the most talented opponent in the group. The bad news: this is Brazil. A draw in your opener doesn’t end a World Cup. It doesn’t change the math too much either. Brazil walked in as favorites, and favorites are meant to win these matches. Now they’ll need to take care of Haiti and Scotland to win a group they expected to cruise through. Morocco got precisely what they came for: a point off a giant and proof they belong in the conversation of being a top 10 side according to FIFA. Haiti and Scotland square off later tonight, and both will have watched this and decided Group C is wide open. For Ancelotti, the pressure just increased a notch further. This Brazil doesn’t get the benefit of the doubt, instead, they face ruthless scrutiny back home. This is the most decorated national team in history and the fans are incredibly demanding. That’s the deal when you wear that shirt. Welcome to the tournament. Brazil’s next game in Group C will be against Haiti, who is making its return to the big stage after a prolonged absence. The Haitians’ last appearance at the World Cup was in 1974, its only previous showing. For Morocco, it wil be another intriguing test against Scotland, whose last appearance was in 1994.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

In the biggest edition of the World Cup yet, there’s a good chance we’ll see more goals than ever before – and we’ve already witnessed some bangers and golazos. Messi continues to do what he does best and make history. Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland are joining the fun. And we saw Germany score an eye-opening seven goals in its opener. From own goals to how well a player hit a penalty kick and then the biggest rockets of the tournament, we will have you covered. We are here to let you know which are the best of the best. Here’s every goal ranked. 1. Messi Stuns K.C. With Amazing Finish On a night when Lionel Messi scored an astonishing three goals (his first-ever World Cup hat trick), the first one stood out the most. Algeria gave Messi too much space in the middle of the field, and he made them pay. Argentina’s captain and superstar delivered a magical goal to open his account at the 2026 World Cup. Messi picked up the ball in midfield and was able to turn toward the goal. He dribbled forward, put the ball on his left foot and put the ball in the top corner. It was a moment of magic from Messi, who had a goal ruled out for offside in the early minutes of the game. Two more goals ensued, but this set up what would be an unforgettable night in Kansas City. 2. Mbappé Makes France History In Style After tying the record for most goals in the history of France’s men’s team, Kylian Mbappé set the new mark in style. Mbappé picked up possession after Michael Olise was fouled, but the referee played the advantage. From there, he unleashed a laser past Senegal keeper Édouard Mendy for a record-setting goal. It also put a ribbon on France’s win over a quality Senegal team. 3. Ayari’s Laser Gives Sweden A Lead Sweden got on the board in the seventh minute in its World Cup opener through midfielder Yasin Ayari, who hammered home a shot from just outside the top of the 18-yard box. His first of two goals against Tunisia was a knuckleball that barely moved through the air. It went around the goalkeeper and into the back of the net. 4. Folarin Balogun Goes Top Bin vs. Paraguay Balogun’s coming-out party was on June 12 at Los Angeles Stadium against Paraguay, and his second goal of the game for the USA was the cherry on top. The AS Monaco striker delivered a dominant first-half performance, imposing his will on Paraguay’s defense. He had already scored when midfielder Malik Tillman put him through on goal. He fought off one defender, dribbled past another and then used his weaker left foot to place a shot perfectly in the top corner. 5. Muñoz Delivers Acrobatic Finish Colombia dominated Uzbekistan for 39 minutes, but it needed a moment of brilliance to finally break through against a stingy defense. Colombian star Luis Díaz played a great lofted pass down the field as right back Daniel Muñoz made a run into the Uzbekistan box. Muñoz, who plays for Crystal Palace, only needed one touch to use the momentum of the pass to carry it past Uzbekistan goalkeeper Utkir Yusupov. 6. Gio Reyna Caps Win With Trivela The exclamation point at the end of the United States’ win over Paraguay came from Reyna, who put his impressive technique on display in the final minute of the match. Reyna, a source of controversy at the 2022 World Cup, came on in the 82nd minute for Tillman. The USA was keeping the ball while seeing out the win over Paraguay when the ball moved up the field down the right wing. Alex Freeman gave the ball to Reyna for what was the 26th pass of the attack, and Gio hammered it home with the outside of his right foot. 7. Nmecha Combines With Wirtz For Brilliant Goal The Germans opened their account quickly against Curaçao, to the surprise of no one. One of the best teams in the field facing the smallest country in the tournament was always going to be a mismatch, and it only took Germany six minutes to take the lead. Midfielder Felix Nmecha picked up the ball just outside the 18-yard box on the left side of the field. He played a pass to star Florian Wirtz — among the top-25 players in our ranking of the World Cup’s 100 best — who pushed a slick pass back to Nmecha. The Borussia Dortmund man finished a clever one-two with a beautiful curling finish. 8. Hwang Equalizes In Style South Korea controlled its opening match against Czechia but found itself behind in the second half after the Czechs took a first-half lead. Hwang In-beom was all over the pitch in this match, but his equalizing goal truly stood out. He was played into the 18-yard box by PSG midfielder Kang-In Lee, then he stopped on a dime, put the ball on his right foot and chipped Czechia goalkeeper Matěj Kovář. It was a brilliant goal that the Koreans needed badly. 9. A Poignant Goal For Canada Canada’s fourth goal in its 6-0 win over Qatar proved to be emotional for all gathered in Vancouver as it occurred mere moments after Ismael Kone was carted off the field with a serious leg injury. Nathan Saliba, who came on for Canada for Kone, took a bending free kick that landed just inside the woodwork past the Qatar keeper. Instead of an usual celebration, Saliba held up the jersey of his teammate in what will be a lasting image of Canada’s World Cup run. 10. Vinícius Júnior Delivers Golazo vs. Morocco The Real Madrid star came into this tournament knowing he needed to be at his best for Brazil. After Morocco took a first-half lead, he stepped up. Vini Jr. picked up the ball near the touchline after a pass from midfielder Bruno Guimaraes. He cut inside onto his preferred right foot and nearly put the ball through the net with his finish. 11. What A Volley! Mahmić Buries Debut Goal Ermin Mahmić wasted no time making his presence felt for Bosnia and Herzegovina, even with his team down a player and down multiple goals. Moments after coming into the game, the substitute slammed a volley past Swiss keeper Gregor Kobel, who had punched the ball right into Mahmić’s wheelhouse. Even in Bosnia’s eventual loss, this was one of the game’s best moments. 12. Ashour’s Thunderous Strike Puts Egypt Ahead Egypt entered its first game of the tournament against Belgium as a big underdog, but it got off to an early lead through a fantastic strike from Emam Ashour. Ashour, who plays for Al Ahly SC in Egypt, got a pass from birthday boy and Egypt captain Mohamed Salah about 25 yards from goal. Then, he unleashed a powerful strike that went past world-class goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. 13. Baturina Equalizes In Style vs. England After falling behind because of a Harry Kane penalty, Croatia grew into its matchup against England very well and was rewarded. A long ball was played forward to Petar Sucic, who laid the ball off to Martin Baturina. Baturina delivered a great strike that England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford could only get a hand to. 14. Jordan Shocks Austria With Fantastic Goal Austria midfielder Xavier Schlager lost the ball in midfield, and Jordan immediately began a counterattack. Noor Al-Rawabdeh fed winger Ali Iyad Olwan on the left wing, and he dribbled the ball 50 yards into the 18-yard box before curling a fantastic goal into the far post. It was a fantastic way for Jordan to score its first-ever World Cup goal. 15. Saibari Runs Through Brazil’s Defense Morocco delivered a brilliant goal to open the scoring in its star-studded matchup with Brazil. Real Madrid playmaker Brahim Diaz picked the ball up and found Ismael Saibari in between Brazil center backs Gabriel and Marquinhos, two of the best defenders in world soccer. With his first touch, the Moroccan striker lifted the ball over Alisson, one of the best goalkeepers in the world, for a brilliantly executed opening goal. 16. Messi. Hat Trick. Greatness. The goal is quintessential Messi – collecting at the top of the box, a quick shift to the left and letting it rip – but its significance is what stands out. Messi doesn’t have many more “firsts” in him, but this goal gave him three on the night for his first hat trick at the World Cup. With 16 goals in his sixth appearance at the tournament, he tied Germany legend Miroslav Klose for the most ever scored at the men’s World Cup. 17. Nakamura Equalizes Against The Dutch Down 1-0 after Virgil van Dijk gave the Netherlands a lead, Keito Nakamura stepped up with a massive goal for Japan. And what a hit it was. Nakamura picked up the ball just inside the 18-yard box, got it under control and then unleashed an impressive right-footed hit to beat Dutch goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen. The most impressive part was that Nakamura’s momentum was going away from goal when he struck the ball. 18. Ayari Scores His Second Banger vs. Tunisia Yasin Ayari, have a day. The Brighton midfielder and Swedish national star delivered two goals, the second of which got commentator Maurice Edu to proclaim, “Bangers only.” Ayari could have represented Tunisia internationally, as his father is from the country. What an occasion for him to score twice. 19. Manzambi Buries Close-Range Volley Coming on as a second-half sub for Switzerland, Johan Manzambi broke open what felt like a stalemate with a brilliant finish. Swiss midfielder Rubén Vargas looped the ball across the net that a Bosnian defender attempted to clear out via a header. Instead, the ball falls right in front of Manzambi, who twists his body past his marker and slams it past an outstretched Nikola Vasilj. 20. Cunha Goes Off-Balance To Bag A Brace Cunha’s second goal against Haiti once again set up Vinícius Júnior, this time on a counter-attack. The Real Madrid star sprinted down the pitch with the ball at his feet to then slide a pass to the Manchester United playmaker, who initially took a wide touch. But Cunha found the narrow angle and slammed it into the roof of the net as he tumbled onto the pitch. 21. Summerville Finishes Great Run With Curling Finish Cyrienco Summerville is likely on the move this summer after West Ham United were relegated from the Premier League. His price tag will have gone up after his goal against Japan. Ryan Gravenberch found Summerville on the right wing, and he cut in on his weaker left foot and unleashed a curling effort that beat Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki. It was a fantastic effort that gave the Netherlands a lead that wouldn’t last. 22. Elanga Clips It Home For Sweden Down four goals to the Netherlands, at least Anthony Elanga gave Sweden a brief lifeline. Alexander Isak slipped a wonderful throughball into Elanga from the halfway line. The Newcastle United playmaker raced down the pitch and finished it off with shot past Dutch keeper Bart Verbruggen. 23. Schmid Drills Austria Into Lead Austria took an impressive lead against Jordan in its first match after a wonderful strike from Romano Schmid. Austria kept possession impressively before midfielder Xavier Schlager teed up Schmid from just inside 25 yards out. He delivered a wonderful strike into the top corner, which gave Jordan goalkeeper Yazeed Yazeed Abulaila no chance. 24. Mbaye Puts French Defender On The Floor Ibrahim Mbaye gave Senegal hope in stoppage time against France with a great run down the right wing, which ended with France left back Theo Hernández on the floor. Mbaye drove at Hernández and cut right so quickly that the defender fell to the ground. From there, he unleashed a powerful finish past France goalkeeper Mike Maignan, who assumed the shot was going toward his far post. Mbaye is only 18 years old and played for PSG in France. 25. Saibari Scores On Absolute Strike vs. Scotland It didn’t take Morocco long to secure the lead against Scotland. Just 70 seconds into the match, Ismael Saibari scored on an impressive strike to give Morocco a 1-0 lead in the second minute. 26. Paraguay Hits Early vs. Türkiye Türkiye entered its matchup against Paraguay in need of a good start. The Turks needed a win after losing to Australia in their opening match and with their next game coming against the United States. Instead, Matias Galarza finished a great move from Paraguay and finished well in the bottom corner from 25 yards out. It was a great finish and shocker to open a crucial game for both sides. It was the fastest goal scored at the World Cup. 27. Rashford Stays Calm vs. Croatia Two substitutes combined for England for its fourth goal against Croatia. Bukayo Saka seized possession on the right wing and saw Marcus Rashford in acres of space on the left wing. Rashford was composed and faked a shot with his left foot to put it on his favored right. From there, the finish was inevitable. 28. Metcalfe Sends Socceroos Into Frenzy Australia’s second goal over Türkiye sealed what will be one of the most notable upsets of the summer. Late in the second half, İsmail Yüksek turned it over in midfield with dire consequences. Connor Metcalfe retrieved it for Australia and ran to the edge of the box, where he shot low and hard inside the bottom right corner to beat keeper Uğurcan Çakır. 29. Mbappé Scores Off Amazing Olise Pass Kylian Mbappé made history during France’s World Cup opener against Senegal after getting on the end of a brilliant pass from Michael Olise. Mbappé tied Olivier Giroud for the most goals ever for France’s men’s national team. Olise picked up the ball on the right wing, put it on his favored left foot and played a brilliant ball through to Mbappé. From there, France’s captain finished very cleverly past Senegal goalkeeper Édouard Mendy. 30. Kane Scores On Stunning Header Croatia had just equalized against England. Step forward, Harry Kane. Declan Rice played an out-swinging corner kick in from the right wing right to the penalty spot. From there, Kane met the ball brilliantly and delivered a stinging header past Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic. It was Kane’s second goal of the game and an important one to potentially give England the lead late in the first half, although it didn’t lead at halftime. 31. Australia Hits On Counter vs. Türkiye Nestory Irankunda was played in down the left wing by midfielder Paul Okon-Engstler. The Watford attacker cut inside and finished past goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır very nicely. It was a smooth counter-attack and great finish from Irankunda, who showed great composure in front of goal. It was a great moment for Australia, which took one step toward a big upset win over the Turks, who are the favorites in Group D along with the USA. 32. Barcola’s Deft Finish Doubles France’s Lead Not long after Mbappé converted his one-on-one chance against Senegal, Bradley Barcola did the same. Barcola was played through on goal by midfielder Adrien Rabiot, and the PSG playmaker composed himself very well to chip Mendy in the Senegal goal. 33. Gakpo Drills It In Dutch Rout The second of Cody Gakpo’s brace in the big win over Sweden was the best of the Dutch’s four-goal performance. The Liverpool winger showed his ability to create space when he took a touch inside from Summerville’s pass and then drilled into the bottom corner. 34. Jiménez Gets His World Cup Goal Raúl Jiménez entered the World Cup ranked third all-time in goals for the Mexican national team, but he had never scored on the biggest stage. That changed against South Africa. Mexico winger Roberto Alvarado delivered a fantastic cross to the far post that put the ball on a platter for Jiménez, who headed home to give El Tri a 2-0 lead. It was a wonderful moment at Mexico City Stadium for Mexico’s most reliable player in recent memory. 35. Musa Scores Against England Croatia trailed England just seconds before the halftime whistle when it got its second equalizer of the game. Midfielder Mario Pasalic played a lofted pass to Ivan Perišić in the England 18-yard box. He headed it down to Petar Musa, who plays for FC Dallas in MLS and buried his shot at the home of the Dallas Cowboys. 36. Isak Hits Tunisia On The Counter Arsenal striker Viktor Gyokeres fed Liverpool’s Alexander Isak in what could prove to be a lethal combination during the World Cup. Isak cut inside from the left wing and doubled Sweden’s lead against Tunisia. Tunisia goalkeeper Abdelmouhib Chamakh will think he could have done better with the shot, but Isak’s quickness and ability were on full display. 37. Czechia Scores Without Using Its Feet Everyone knew that Czechia was going to be a tough team to defend on set pieces, but no one thought it would score its first goal of the tournament on a throw-in. Fullback Vladimir Coufal delivered an impressive toss toward the six-yard box, where captain Ladislav Krejčí rose highest to give the Czechs a lead. South Korea had been in control of the ball and the game up to that point, so it came as a shock. Unfortunately for Czechia, though, it could not maintain the lead. 38. Undav Breaks Through For Germany Deniz Undav got the needed equalizer against the Ivory Coast when he made the run from deep to volley into the goal off Amiri’s cross into the penalty area. A well-timed finish for one of the World Cup’s rising stars. 39. Balogun Opens His World Cup Account Balogun’s best goal in the USA’s opening win against Paraguay was his second, but his first was nothing to scoff at. The striker finished a great move by the Americans, which started with a pass from left-back Antonee “Jedi” Robinson that played Christian Pulisic in behind the Paraguayan defense. Balogun delayed his run to create space, and Pulisic found him at the penalty spot for an emphatic finish. 40. Havertz’s Chip vs. Curaçao Seals 7-1 Win Curaçao coughs it up in the midfield and German playmaker Deniz Undav pokes a through-ball to a racing Kai Havertz, who deftly chips it past beleaguered keeper Eloy Room for Germany’s final act of that game. In the end, it was two goals at opposite ends of the highest-scoring game for the Arsenal star. 41. Dutch Captain Heads Home Virgil van Dijk is one of the best defenders in the world, and his quality is often on display at both ends of the field. In the Netherlands’ game against Japan, he showed it in attack to open the scoring. The Liverpool star was at the end of a cross from club teammate Ryan Gravenberch to deliver a header at the far post for the first Dutch goal. It was especially impressive because van Dijk was moving away from where the cross was coming from. 42. Bellingham Given Too Much Space vs. Croatia England midfielder Jude Bellingham was played a long ball down the right wing, and he was never challenged before scoring his first goal of the tournament. Elliot Anderson played the long ball to Bellingham, who had a Croatian defender in front of him. That player chose to cover the middle of the field in case the Real Madrid man opted for a pass. He didn’t, though. Bellingham carried the ball all the way into the box, where he didn’t hit the ball cleanly – but it didn’t matter. 43. Ghana Finds Stoppage-Time Winner Substitute Brandon Thomas-Asante burst down the left wing and skipped past a defender. He dribbled into the 18-yard box and played a low cross into the path of 20-year-old midfielder Caleb Yirenkyi. He tapped in one of the easier finishes he’ll ever have. It was a great moment in a game that looked destined to finish 0-0. 44. Curaçao’s First Ever World Cup Goal – Against Germany! History for the Caribbean squad! German defender Nico Schlotterbeck tried to clear the ball in his defensive 18-yard box, but the ball only went as far as Curaçao striker Jurgen Locadia. From there, Livano Comenencia picked it up and made World Cup history. The shot took a deflection off Germany captain Joshua Kimmich, but it was a magical moment in Arlington. The crowd went wild as the smallest nation ever to compete at a World Cup showed it’s there to compete. 45. Just Scores Second vs. Iran For the second time, Elijah Just gave New Zealand the lead. Just drove toward the 18-yard box and played a pass to Chris Wood, who got him the ball back. Then, Just finished strongly. It was a great move that gave New Zealand its second of the game. 46. Simple And Sweet For Vinícius Jr. Brazil got its third against Haiti when Luis Paqueta caught the backline sleeping, which allowed Vinícius Jr to slip behind and charge toward the 18-yard box. He found himself one-on-one with Haiti keeper Johny Placide and knocked a simple curler into the far corner. 47. Quiñones Scores Tournament’s First Goal The goal that opened the tournament. Mexico’s Julián Quiñones was the Saudi Pro League’s leading goalscorer this past season, and he kept his prolific record going against South Africa. Midfielder Érik Lira found the attacker around the penalty spot, which is a dangerous place for a goalscorer like Quiñones. Mexico never looked back from there. 48. Musiala Slides A Smooth One Against Curaçao, Germany right back Joshua Kimmich found Bayern Munich teammate Jamal Musiala in a perfect position and played a pass to the midfielder. Musiala picked it up and netted a beautiful goal in the back-left corner, past diving goalkeeper Eloy Room. This was Musiala’s first World Cup goal ever, but his 10th overall for Germany in 43 appearances at the time. 49. Larin Rescues Canada Canada dominated play against Bosnia and Herzegovina in its World Cup, but the co-hosts found themselves behind after a well-executed corner. Then, on came Cyle Larin. The 31-year-old former No. 1 overall pick in the MLS SuperDraft was making his 91st appearance for Canada. He picked up the ball from fellow substitute Promise David, and he hit his shot well enough that it took a deflection to deliver a fantastic moment in Vancouver. Canada came away from a strong performance with at least its first World Cup point ever. 50. Diallo Wins It For Ivory Coast Ecuador only gave up five goals in 18 games during World Cup qualifying, so breaking through against that defense was always going to be a difficult task. It took almost 90 minutes, but Ivory Coast did it. Center back Wilfied Singo made an impressive run down the right wing and played a ball toward the top of the 18-yard box. It found Diallo, who slotted his shot just inside the post for the win. 51. Mohebi Heads Home Impressively Ramin Rezaeian had a great game against New Zealand in Iran’s World Cup opener. He scored the first goal and then delivered a fantastic cross for the second. The ball came in from the right wing and found Mohammad Mohebi, who headed home very well to tie the game at 2. 52. Messi Slots In His Second Of The Opener Lionel Messi continued to put on a show in Kansas City when he nabbed his second goal of the night by doing what he does best – finding himself in the best spot at the right time. Alexis Mac Allister took aim at the goal from outside the box, only to see Algeria’s Luca Zidane parry the shot right toward Messi, who knocks in the ball past the keeper into the bottom corner. 53. Neves Heads Home Brilliantly Portugal got on the board early thanks to its 21-year-old midfield dynamo. João Neves got on the end of a cross from Chelsea winger Pedro Neto and sent it impressively into the far corner. It gave Portugal a lead that only lasted about 30 minutes against DR Congo. 54. Wood Sets Up Just For New Zealand Opener New Zealand is the lowest-ranked team in the World Cup at 85th in the FIFA Rankings. Naturally, it opened the scoring in its first match. Striker Chris Wood got the ball in the 18-yard box and gave a slight touch to winger Elijah Just. The 26-year-old, who plays for Motherwell in the Scottish Premier League, controlled the ball very well and set himself up for a quick finish. 55. Hussein Heads Home For Iraq Iraq equalized against Norway with a well-constructed move down the left wing. Midfielder Amir Al-Ammari was played into the 18-yard box and played a great left-footed cross toward the penalty spot. From there, Ayman Hussein headed home for his 27th international goal. 56. Undav’s Brace Completes Comeback A superb effort in stoppage time for Germany’s win over the Ivory Coast. Felix Nmecha picks out Deniz Undav with a powerful pass through traffic and Undav uses his first touch to fire it past keeper Yahia Fofana. 57. Vargas Sweeps It In For A Clean Finish A well-executed play created by Breel Embolo who turns just enough off his defender to feed the ball to Rubén Vargas. A cool clinical finish glides into the net to give Switzerland a second goal in its win over Bosnia. 58. A Team-Effort Exchange For Czechia Czechia got on the scoreboard early its second group-stage match on a goal that caught South Africa’s defense off guard. Adam Hložek motored to the corner to chase down the long throw, and delivered the ball to the edge of the 18-yard box. Michal Sadílek and Alexandr Sojka exchanged passes to cross up South Africa’s defenders before Sadilek delivered a low shot and into the net. 59. Bosnia Executes Flawless Corner Canada started its World Cup opener well, creating chances and controlling play against Bosnia and Herzegovina. All of that was undone by a well-executed corner kick, though. Sead Kolašinac got on the end of a corner kick at the near post and flicked it on into the six-yard box, where striker Jovo Lukić was perfectly placed to head home the game’s opening goal. It wasn’t flashy, but it was an impressive goal that did not involve the ball touching the ground following the corner kick. 60. Undav’s Sweet Sixth For Germany Deniz Undav scored the SIXTH goal for Germany in its 7-1 blowout win over Curaçao. With the game already in hand, the tempo took on a training session feel. In this buildup, Joshua Kimmich lays the ball to Undav, who finds himself right in front of the net. The youngster gets enough power on it to drill the ball past three defenders on the line. 61. Jonathan David Plucks From The Sky On his way to a hat trick against Qatar, Canada’s Jonathan David banked his first with a nifty volley off an attempt by Tajon Buchanan that deflected off a defender. David latched onto it as the ball came down. No question there. 62. Schlotterbeck Rises Highest To Head Home After failing to clear the ball before Curaçao’s opening goal, Schlotterback made a strong impact on the other end of the pitch. The German defender from Borussia Dortmund’s run and leap was found by Nathaniel Brown’s corner kick, and his header found the back of the net. The goal restored Germany’s lead over Curaçao, which looked like it might be on the verge of a shocking result with its first-ever World Cup goal. 63. ‘Good Night’ For Summerville A clinical run and finish for Crysencio Summerville, who gathers the ball deep in Sweden’s territory and then brilliantly places the ball into the bottom-left corner. 64. DR Congo’s First-Ever World Cup Goal After Portugal opened the scoring with a header, DR Congo answered a half hour later. After playing a short corner, Arthur Masuaku delivered a high left-footed cross toward the far post. Newcastle attacker Yoane Wissa leaped highest and beat Portugal keeper Diogo Costa. It was a great moment that showed DR Congo is at this tournament to compete. 65. Colombia Header For A Third Goal The third Colombia goal featured a great header but was all about the work that went into it from Cucho Hernández. He fought for the ball on the right wing and won the ball after falling to the ground. From there, he delivered a great cross to the far post, where Jaminton Campaz headed home to seal Colombia’s win. 66. Gakpo Delivers A Tap-In A total-team effort here as Crysencio Summerville delivered a deft pass into Denzel Dumfries, whose delivery across allows Cody Gakpo has the simplest of tap-ins at the back post. 67. Cunha Scraps In Goal For Brazil Matheus Cunha got Brazil rolling against Haiti with a close-range goal and his first in World Cup action.Vinícius Júnior got the play going when he dribbled into the box and then curled in a shot that Haiti keeper Johny Placide spilled to Cunha, who blasted the ball into the net. 68. Haaland Scores First World Cup Goal Norway got on the board in its World Cup opener against Iraq, and it was exactly who you’d expect. Erling Haaland met a cross from left back David Møller Wolfe at the far post and tapped in. The goal gave Haaland 55 goals in 51 appearances for Norway, which is an unbelievable record at the international level. 69. Gyokeres Finishes Emphatically Gyokeres assisted Isak’s goal in the first half of Sweden’s matchup against Tunisia, and they swapped roles in the second half. After Sweden won possession in its attacking third, Isak dribbled the ball forward before a touch put it right into Gyokeres’ path. From there, a goal was inevitable. 70. Kamada Unknowingly Scores Daichi Kamada scored a huge goal to make it 2-2 in Japan’s game against the Netherlands, but he did not know much about it. Japan had a corner kick in the 89th minute that found the head of defender Koki Ogawa, who headed it downward toward goal. The ball immediately bounced off Kamada’s head and found the back of the net, which gave the Crystal Palace midfielder his first World Cup goal. 71. Paraguay Gets On The Board vs. USA Paraguay was dominated on Friday night in Los Angeles, but it did have a nice second-half move that resulted in its first World Cup goal since 2010. Paraguay got possession after U.S. defender Chris Richards couldn’t win a long ball. Playmaker Julio Enciso picked up possession and played Mauricio through on goal, and he delivered a composed finish past USA’s goalkeeper Matt Freese. 72. Oh Completes South Korea’s Comeback After Hwang’s moment of brilliance got South Korea on the board, Oh Hyeon-gyu used sheer willpower to win the game. Oh came into the game in the 69th minute in place of Son Heung-min, who is Korea’s all-time-leading goalscorer. It was a bold decision that paid off. Hwang added to his goal earlier in the half with a great pass from the left wing that found Oh in the middle for a crucial finish that ultimately gave Korea the win. 73. Undav’s Nifty Move Gives Brown His First Goal The build-up was better than the actual goal in Germany’s fifth against Curaçao. Deniz Undav uses a crafty back-heel pass to Nathaniel Brown, with the German-American defender having slipped behind the backline and guiding it into the far corner. A quick VAR check and Germany kept the momentum going. 74. Brobbey Initiates His Goal Brian Brobbey put in the work for his first goal against Sweden. He first wins an aerial ball, lays it off to Tijjani Reijnders, who quickly moves it wide to Cody Gakpo on the left. The ball is sent into the for Brobbey to side-foot into the net. 75. McGinn Scores Via Deflection Scotland’s first World Cup goal since 1998 wasn’t exactly a beauty. Winger Ben Gannon-Doak played a cross into the box that was cleared toward the top of the 18-yard box, where McGinn picked up possession. He did not strike his left-footed shot very cleanly, but he fortunately got a massive deflection before nestling in the back of the net. They all count the same, so Scotland won’t care how the goal came. 76. David Taps In Contest Ball Jonathan David’s second goal of his hat-trick performance was a definite fox-in-the-box effort. Canada’s Cyle Larin forced Qatar keeper Mahmud Abunada into a stunning save at the near post. But Canada’s striker is there to finish it off into an empty net. 77. Ivory Coast Stuns Germany Ivory Coast put Germany on the backfoot for the first time at the 2026 FIFA World Cup when Franck Kessié pounced on the rebound and slotted a shot into the back of the net. Wonderkid Yan Diomande had an impact on the goal as his cross sliced through Germany’s defense. 78. Tunisia Heads Home Tunisia got on the board against Sweden with a well-executed cross and header in the first half. Burnley midfielder Hannibal Mejbri swung in a ball from the right wing that center back Omar Rekik headed home. 79. Svanberg Scores Seconds After Subbing In Matthias Svanberg scored on his first touch of the game after coming on as a substitute against Tunisia. A free kick was played in and flicked on by Isak. Svanberg pounced and scored within 30 seconds of coming on. 80. Switzerland’s Manzambi Bags a Brace Some nifty passing against a tired defense sees Switzerland’s Johan Manzambi become the youngest sub ever to score twice in a World Cup game. Granit Xhaka connected with Rubén Vargas, who then cuts the ball back for Manzambi. The 20-year-old finds himself with plenty of space and just enough time for the finish. 81. Larin In the Right Place For Canada The first in Canada’s six-goal win over Canada began when Jonathan David puts some heat on a ball from outside the penalty. Qatar keeper Mahmud Abunada gets his gloves on it but the ball bounces right toward Cyle Larin, who prods it in from close range. 82. Uruguay Finally Breaks Through Uruguay was knocking on the door the entire second half against Saudi Arabia. Finally, in the 80th minute, the two-time World Cup champions broke through. Striker Federico Vinas unleashed a shot right at Saudi Arabia goalkeeper Mohammed Al Owais. It was saved right into the path of Maxi Araujo, who slotted home with his left foot to tie the game. 83. Double Dutch For Brobbey Brian Brobbey’s second goal on the day against Sweden saw him stretch out to get enough of his boot on the ball and push it past the keeper. A lovely first-time cross to from Denzel Dumfries to set it up. 84. Saudi Arabia Gets On The Board Saudi Arabia took a surprising lead over Uruguay off a corner kick. Abdulhamid headed a shot right at Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera, who parried the shot right into the path of Abdulelah Al Amri. He tapped home and gave Saudi Arabia the lead. 85. Østigård Heads Home Norway’s Third Goal Leo Østigård had been on the field for a couple of minutes when he scored Norway’s third goal against Iraq. Martin Odegaard played in a corner kick from the right wing, and Østigård headed home from about four yards out. 86. David Completes Hat Trick His third and final goal in Canada’s 6-0 win over Qatar, Jonathan David was able to control the ball after it landed at his feet following David Saliba’s attempt. David swiveled around and booted it past the keeper. 87. Kessié Smashes Goal Past Neuer Yan Diomande flashed some brilliance with a cross to Amad Diallo, whose effort is somehow blocked by Germany’s Nathaniel Brown, before the ball falls to Franck Kessié, who makes no mistake and fires it past Manuel Neuer. 88. Iran Equalizes Against New Zealand Iran tied its game against New Zealand at 1-1. Right back Ramin Rezaeian found possession after a scrappy sequence and finished past goalkeeper Max Crocombe for the finish. 89. Haaland Pounces On Goalkeeping Blunder Iraq equalized 10 minutes after Haaland’s first goal, and then it gifted the Norway superstar his second goal of the game. Iraq defender Zaid Tahseen played a weak pass back to goalkeeper Jalal Hassan, who overestimated how hard the pass was played. Instead of the ball making it to his feet, Haaland pounced and tapped in to give Norway another lead. 90. Qatar’s Shocking Equalizer On An Own-Goal Switzerland was in control on Saturday afternoon against Qatar. The Swiss had 26 shots to Qatar’s six and had 68% of the ball, and they led for 77 minutes of game time. Then, an unfortunate mishap by Swiss defender Miro Muheim provided a surprising equalizer for Qatar. Left back Homam Elamin delivered a great cross to the back post as Qatar captain Boualem Khoukhi put pressure on Muheim, who unbelievably headed the ball past Switzerland goalkeeper Gregory Kubel. Qatar was thrilled with the tie, and Switzerland was left shell-shocked for not winning a game it had dominated. 91. Díaz Opens World Cup Account Luis Díaz was played through down the left wing with Colombia on the counterattack and in need of a goal after Uzbekistan’s ugly equalizer. It wasn’t the smoothest finish, but Uzbekistan goalkeeper Utkir Yusupuv couldn’t do much with it. The keeper will think he should have done better as he watched the ball trickle in. 92. Uzbekistan’s First World Cup Goal Substitute Dostonbek Khamdamov was sent a cross at the far post and was able to put a shot on frame while moving away from goal. He put a shot on goal that deflected off Colombia goalkeeper Camilo Vargas and hit the post. The ball then went up in the air to the far post, where Abbosbek Fayzullayev headed home. 93. VAR Gives Freeman Goal vs. Australia For a few moments, it appeared USA defender Alex Freeman’s third international goal wouldn’t count. In the 43rd minute of the USA’s Group D match against Australia, Freeman was able to connect on a header following a deflection on a set piece. It was initially ruled that Freeman was offside, disallowing the goal. However, a VAR check determined that Freeman was onside before heading the ball in the net, giving him the goal and the USA a 2-0 lead. 94. Romo Pounces On Botched Save That was a tough break for South Korea keeper Kim Seung-gyu, who gifted Mexico the goal that helped the co-hosts clinch the group in Guadalajara. It started when Mexico’s Raul Jimenez nodded the ball up into the air inside the box. That prompted Kim to come off his line to collect the ball, but he ended up coughing it up over the back of Lee Gi-hyuk. Luis Romo was there to chip it into the empty net. 95. Embolo Slots Home Penalty Embolo did his job on the penalty kick that gave Switzerland a golden chance to score its opening goal. Qatar goalkeeper Mahmud Abunada dove the wrong way, and Embolo calmly slotted the penalty well to his left. 96. A Clutch Penalty Saves South Africa Deep into the game against Czechia, South Africa’s Teboho Mokoena knocks in the ball from the penalty spot with a whipping shot into the bottom-left corner, sending keeper Mateji Kovar the wrong way. A confident attempt for Mokoena who helped South Africa rescue a point. 97. Havertz Nails His PK Germany’s Kai Havertz made the most of stoppage time before the half against Curaçao. About two minutes into extra time, a Curaçao trip opened the door for the PK, which Havertz planted perfectly in the back of the net, giving Germany a 3-1 halftime lead. 98. Arnautović Scores Late Penalty vs. Jordan Austria was awarded a penalty deep into second-half stoppage time, and its all-time-leading goalscorer stepped up. Marko Arnautović slotted the penalty home for his 48th career international goal. 99. Xhaka’s PK Caps Off Swiss Rout The final act in Switzerland’s 4-1 rout of Bosnia and Herzegovina in a game that saw five goals in a span of 16 minutes. A foul in the 18-yard box deep into stoppage time gave the Swiss the penalty. Instead of Johan Manzambi getting a chance at a hat trick, it was team captain Granit Xhaka who converted the shot. 100. Paraguay’s Own Goal Gives USA The Lead The first own goal of the tournament isn’t ranked last on this list because of the play that caused it. Christian Pulisic was unplayable in the first half for the USA against Paraguay. For the game’s opening goal, he dribbled past two defenders and then found a pass around two more to Weston McKennie. The midfielder then tried to lay it off to Folarin Balogun, but the ball instead went off Paraguay midfielder Damián Bobadilla. 101. USA’s Balogun Causes Own Goal vs. Australia After scoring twice in the USA’s opening win over Paraguay, Folarin Balogun helped create another goal in the opening minutes of its match against Australia. As Balogun attacked, he delivered a cross as he neared the net. His pass to Ricardo Pepi was intercepted by Australia’s Cameron Burgess in front of the net. However, Burgess wasn’t able to gain full control of the ball, directing it into his own net to give the USA a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute. 102. Lukaku Forces Own Goal Romelu Lukaku came on and was in the thick of the action right away. Belgium midfielder Youri Tielemans played right back Thomas Meunier in down the right wing. Meunier played a low cross into the box toward Lukaku, whose presence was enough to force Egypt defender Mohamed Hany to put the ball into his own net. 103. Jordan OG Gives Austria The Lead Austria just had a goal chalked off due to a handball that was spotted by VAR. Not long after, Marcel Sabitzer whipped in a corner kick that was headed into the Jordan goal by Yazan Abu Al-Arab. It wasn’t spectacular, but Austria will take it. 104. Qatar Gives Up Own Goal In Loss to Canada It wasn’t Qatar’s day in Vancouver and giving up an own-goal against Canada didn’t help matters. Jacob Shaffelburg takes an attempt inside the box on a first-time volley. It looks to be heading wide of the upright but gets diverted by Mohamed Al Mannai into his team’s net. 105. Hussein Gives Norway An Own Goal Earlier in the match against Norway, Aymen Hussein’s goal had canceled out Erling Haaland’s opener. But in the closing moments of the game, he gifted one back to the Norwegians when it mistakenly bounced off his chest while trying to clear out a cross. 106.  Kane Scores Penalty On Second Attempt Harry Kane was a lucky boy against Croatia. After Noni Madueke won a penalty, Kane stepped up and had his first attempt saved by Croatian goalkeeper Dominik Livakovic. Unfortunately for Croatia, VAR reviewed Livakovic’s positioning and determined both of his feet were off the goal line. With that, Kane was allowed to retake the penalty and scored to give the Three Lions a lead. Needing two bites at the apple to score is not ideal.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports