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Kylian Mbappé scored the 13th and 14th World Cup goals of his career Tuesday, moving the France forward past Pelé, Lionel Messi and countryman Just Fontaine and into a tie for third most in tournament history. He also set a scoring record for France’s national team. Mbappé first scored in the 66th minute of France’s 3-1 victory over Senegal after having several good scoring chances denied earlier by goalkeeper Édouard Mendy, including in the second half. He scored again from long range in stoppage time, giving him two in the game and 58 in international play to break a tie with Oliver Giroud for the national team record. Playing in his third World Cup, the 27-year-old Mbappé is now tied with Germany’s Gerd Müller and one behind Brazil’s Ronaldo. Germany’s Miroslav Klose has the record with 16 World Cup goals. Mbappé had little trouble finding room between Senegal defenders several times in the first 14 or so minutes. But he was sloppy with the ball for much of the rest of the first half before he and his teammates started to mesh. Mbappé scored 25 goals this past season with Real Madrid. Reporting by The Associated Press.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

U.S. men’s national team captain Tim Ream has accumulated more than 80 caps at the international level. Yet at age 38, he’s helping to maximize a new challenge. An up-tempo, high-press system. “This style,” Ream said while appearing on FOX Sports’ “The Herd” on Tuesday, “it’s fun to play. It’s enjoyable, but it’s harder than any style or system that I’ve ever played. But when it works, when you see what Friday brought, it is so enjoyable to be a part of.” USA’s 4-1 victory against Paraguay on Friday at Los Angeles Stadium was a result of a high-risk, high-reward system paying off. And paying off because of a wild card that the U.S. has struggled to find, in consistency. A creative and clinical striker, Folarin Balogun. “Flo is a natural striker,” Ream said. “He’s one of those guys that — you saw it on the second goal — loves getting in, and darting behind defenders and getting the ball in front of him and being able to take guys on. But he’s also out of this dimension of being able to hold the ball up and bring other players in. And now you find this connection.” Before the 2026 FIFA World Cup started, Ream emphasized that Balogun put in the effort to make a connection with the midfielders behind him — Christian Pulisic, Weston McKennie, Malik Tillman and others. “It’s a lot of things that are done not in front of the camera that people don’t see,” Ream explained. “Conversations and extra touches, extra drills.” That time together, away from the heat of competition leads to slotting away the chances that present themselves, and — even more crucially to this system — it leads to trust. Each attacker is assured their teammate will press if they lose the ball, giving them the confidence to take risks and make mistakes. Balogun found himself on the receiving end of that collective courage, as he scored two goals on Friday off his own skill but also sublime setups from teammates. The first was a low cross from Pulisic that landed right at Balogun’s foot for a one-time finish. The second was a through ball from Tillman that reached Balogun in stride, giving him the momentum to skirt around defenders and create the angle for a shot. Finishing those chances awarded the aggression the U.S. put forth to winning the ball back in the final third after just losing it there. “We will be attacking and we will lose the ball. Yeah, that’s a given,” Ream said. “But being in the right place before things happen is how you mitigate the negatives of playing that way.” Aside from Balogun, Ream is crucial to USA’s system because he is the eyes at the back, and an extension of manager Mauricio Pochettino on the field. His job has been made easier because of Balogun’s talent, plus team-wide trust. “I don’t really think about being on an island,” Ream said. “Sometimes I just think of, ‘OK, where do I have to be, and where do I have to put guys in order to make sure that we’re in a solid position to not have any crazy counter-attacks?'” The bedrock of that trust, in Ream’s opinion, is the manager, Pochettino. Because he cares for and empowers his players, they play for him in this high-intensity system. “Once you get to know him and his staff, it’s very easy. They’re very charismatic,” Ream said. “They’re very caring about the players. They have an interesting focus about them when we’re on the field, but this idea that they want to connect with the players individually and then that translates into the players connecting off the field in a larger group, in a bigger collective.” The U.S. is coming off an ultimate high — a performance Ream dubbed “one of, if not the best performances the guys have put in over my many years.” Part of that is because, in all Ream’s years, he hasn’t seen such a unique system flowing in synchronicity. He’s confident the U.S. has the pieces, starting with Balogun at the top, down through Ream and Pochettino, to keep the system working on Thursday against Australia, and throughout the World Cup.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

Lionel Messi has already made history at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but Kylian Mbappé is on his heels. The France star has already broken the federation’s record for the most international goals scored, and he’s within striking distance of Messi’s ever-increasing record for the most goals scored ever at the World Cup. Will Mbappé catch Messi before the World Cup is over? Follow along as we track Mbappé’s road to potentially catching up to Messi: Mbappé At 2026 World Cup: 4 Goals France vs. Iraq Mbappé moved into a tie for the second-most goals scored by a men’s player at the FIFA World Cup after scoring two goals against Iraq on Tuesday. He scored his first goal of the day in the 14th minute, making a strong, left-footed shot from outside the box for his 15th career World Cup goal. Then, after a two-hour-long rain delay, Mbappé scored his 16th career World Cup goal thanks to a mistake by Iraq. The French star was able to go one-on-one with Iraq goalkeeper Ahmed Basil after he turned the ball over in his own penalty box. The goal moved Mbappé back to just two goals behind Lionel Messi for the most goals scored ever in the World Cup. Mbappé’s second goal of the day also helped him break a tie with former Brazil star Ronaldo for the third-most goals scored by a men’s player in the World Cup, while he tied former Germany star Miroslav Klose. France vs. Senegal Mbappé became France’s all-time leading goalscorer with his second goal of the tournament and his 58th for France.  Olivier Giroud, who retired from France’s national team following Euro 2024, was previously France’s all-time leading goalscorer, scoring his 57th goal in March 2024 at the age of 37. Mbappé also eclipsed France legend Just Fontaine and Lionel Messi to Gerd Müller for the third-most goals in World Cup history with 14. France World Cup Schedule FIFA Men’s World Cup All-Time Top Goalscorers Sitting tied for fourth place in all-time World Cup goals, Mbappé is chasing some legitimate legends. At the top of the heap is Argentina’s Lionel Messi, whose memorable hat trick tied him with Germany legend Miroslav Klose. Messi, who won the World Cup in 2022, is in his sixth tournament appearance, while Klose helped Germany win it in 2014 with his fourth and final appearance at the tournament. T1. Miroslav Klose (Germany) — 16 goals T1. Lionel Messi (Argentina) — 16 goals 3. Ronaldo (Brazil) — 15 goals T4. Gerd Müller (Germany) — 14 goals T4. Kylian Mbappé (France) — 14 goals 5. Just Fontaine (France) — 13 goals 6. Pelé (Brazil) — 12 goals Mbappé At 2022 World Cup: 8 Goals At the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, Mbappé had a remarkable tournament, scoring eight goals to win the Golden Boot. His tournament included a historic hat-trick in the final against Argentina, making him the first player to score three goals in a World Cup final since 1966. Nonetheless, Mbappé and France came up short against Argentina, losing on penalties. Mbappé At 2018 World Cup: 4 Goals At the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, Mbappé broke onto the international scene, scoring four goals as a 19-year-old and playing a key role in France’s championship run. During that campaign, he became only the second teenager to score in a World Cup final when he found the net in France’s 4-2 victory over Croatia in 2018.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

People tend to be more honest in the late hours of the night. On that note, FOX Sports Soccer Analyst and global soccer icon Zlatan Ibrahimović took a lie detector test in an appearance on FOX’s “After Hours with James Corden.” What could possibly go wrong here, right? The lie detector test determined that Ibrahimović lied about being the “most handsome” man to play in the FIFA World Cup, that his “self-confidence is a mask” for his true character and respecting “the opinions of all” FOX Sports analysts. You hear that, Alexi Lalas and Thierry Henry? Ibrahimović doesn’t respect your opinions! By the way, that’s not the only stray Henry took. What did Ibrahimović tell the truth about? Well, a lot. For starters, he asserted that a FOX Sports soccer panel of four Zlatans would be better than one with Lalas, Henry, Rebecca Lowe and himself. As for his playing career, Ibrahimović feels that he’s a better player than Henry (another stray is looming for him), Norway star Erling Haaland and England star Harry Kane. Meanwhile, Ibrahimović doesn’t tip 20% in the United States, hasn’t googled himself over the last week and admitted that he hasn’t gotten over a 2010 feud with his former manager, Pep Guardiola. On a nice note, he genuinely enjoyed playing in MLS with the LA Galaxy from 2018-19. And, to put a bow on the matter, Ibrahimović admitted that being on the air with Corden is “beneath” him. Of course, Henry, Lalas and Lowe themselves were able to react to Ibrahimović’s takes, with the Sweden legend jokingly saying it was “all love.” “Rebecca, you look great. Thierry, you look sharp, Monsieur. Alexi … we can discuss,” Ibrahimović quipped. Lowe wasn’t going to allow Ibrahimović to get off that easily. She put Ibrahimović’s anchor skills to the test by having him toss to a commercial break. Let’s keep tabs on how the rapport between these four evolves over the tournament.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

When an Argentinian commentator called New Zealand defender Tim Payne the “least known player” in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, millions of soccer fans acted as if it were a personal insult and acted on Payne’s behalf. Payne has seen his Instagram following grow from less than 5,000 to more than 5 million since social media personality “El Scarso” called him the tournament’s least-known player in late May. The two have made amends in the time since then, though, with Payne meeting El Scarso earlier in June. Payne even gifted El Scarso a kit, and thanked him for the attention he’s received in a social media post. “The past week has been a crazy ride, but thanks to @elscarso for everything he has done for myself, my family and NZ football,” Payne wrote. “Great meeting you in person today mate.” So, as Payne has quickly become one of the most followed players at the World Cup, here’s what you should know about the New Zealand defender. El Scarso’s comment about Payne actually might have come from a good place. Ahead of the World Cup, El Scarso said he wanted to find a player that would “unite us all.” In order to find that player, El Scarso said he scoured the social media accounts of every player set to play in the World Cup and tried to find which one had the fewest number of followers. “After analyzing them one by one, I found him. In Group G, in New Zealand, there is Tim Payne,” El Scarso said. “He really is the least known. He doesn’t even have 5,000 followers!” A couple of days after El Scarso’s initial comment, Payne thanked the influencer in an Instagram post. “It’s been a crazy 48 hours, to say the least,” Payne said. “I just wanted to also express that I’m very grateful.” Payne made his first cap for New Zealand’s senior squad in 2012, but he hasn’t been a mainstay during that time. The 32-year-old from Auckland, New Zealand, has 52 career caps for his country ahead of New Zealand’s opening matchup in the 2026 World Cup against Iran on Monday. Payne also has three goals during that span. His most recent goal came in New Zealand’s 7-0 win over Fiji in World Cup qualifiers, adding three assists. Payne has been a member of Wellington Phoenix in Australia’s A-League Men since 2019, recording 143 caps and four goals during his time with the team. He’s currently under contract through the 2027-28 season. Prior to joining Wellington Phoenix, Payne played for Eastern Suburbs AFC of New Zealand’s Northern League from 2016-19. He had a stint with the Portland Timbers’ reserve squad for a year in 2015-16 as well. Payne’s 5.8 million Instagram followers as of Tuesday afternoon is a pretty impressive number. However, that number lags a good bit behind some of the most-followed accounts in soccer. Cristiano Ronaldo is the most-followed soccer player on Instagram, holding 666 million followers as of Monday. Lionel Messi has 506 million followers. Still, Payne has become a well-known name among soccer fans online and in New Zealand. He’s among the most-followed Kiwis on Instagram. His 5.7 million followers isn’t too far away from singer Lorde (11 million) as he continues to gain influence.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

“A thing of beauty is a joy forever, its loveliness increases, it will never pass into nothingness.”  — John Keats Sometimes, the timing of things is so perfect that you can’t help but think about its poetic significance. A butterfly landing on your shoulder or the sound of ocean water crashing against the backdrop of a sunset. For me, when it comes to this game of ours — and as the defending champion Argentina prepares to debut at this World Cup against Algeria on Tuesday night in Kansas City — I can’t help but think about Lionel Messi and what’s about to come. Or what’s about to end. Exactly 20 years ago to this day, making his World Cup debut in 2006 at 18 years and 358 days old, a young, long-haired Messi came on as a substitute during Argentina’s 6-0 victory over Serbia and Montenegro. With Diego Maradona cheering from the stands in Germany, the Argentinian crowd held a banner that read, “This Is My Dream,” as Messi held the World Cup trophy. Messi — like a bolt of lightning — created havoc, only taking three minutes to set up Hernán Crespo for his goal. Ten minutes later, Carlos Tevez assisted La Pulga for his first goal at a World Cup. A lot has happened since then, and as a 20-year-old World Cup journey comes to an end in North America, I want us all to reflect on the fact that the light on Messi’s remarkable career is dimming down. And for this World Cup, whatever comes Argentina’s way as it tries to do something only two other nations have done before in the history of the competition — which is, win back-to-back World Cup titles — I implore you all to savor every moment Messi takes on the pitch. Because I promise you this: We will never see another player like him on the world’s stage. Back in 2023, I had the honor of sitting down with Messi when I interviewed the World Cup champion for my book. I asked him about his career, his sense of happiness and his new chapter in Miami. It was only a few months after the historic World Cup victory in Qatar. He was happy to answer my questions, which were about his personal and professional life. But what struck me the most was his sense of calmness about where he was in his life. He was completely at ease, and I’d like to think that a lot of it had to do with the fact that he made peace with himself, knowing that the end was slowly approaching. Years later, ahead of the 2026 World Cup, this is why he didn’t make a big announcement about returning for a record sixth tournament. This wasn’t about breaking records, but rather closing doors the right way and saying goodbye to a friend. When Messi, therefore, steps on the pitch on Tuesday night, I will put my phone down. I will take no texts or calls, pay no attention to anything else — aside from the fact that, for one last dance, one final glorious entrance on center stage, Lionel Messi, the greatest player I have ever witnessed, will say goodbye to the World Cup. And it will begin against Algeria. But in retrospect, I don’t believe that sadness will enter me, but rather a sense of tranquility. Because after all is said and done, I will forever remember the eternal memories of what Messi gave us. And as John Keats reminds us, something beautiful never gets lost in nothingness. It stays with us forever. As will Lionel Messi.​Latest Sports News from FOX Sports

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