FIFA World Cup recap: Colombia edges Congo; Harry Kane and England are held scoreless

The U.S. is easing its restrictions on Iran’s World Cup team, allowing the squad to travel into the country two days before its next match, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday.

The team will still be required to leave after Friday’s match in Seattle, a department spokesperson said. A spokesperson for the Iran Football Federation confirmed that the team will leave its base camp in Tijuana, Mexico, on Wednesday for Seattle.

“This was planned on our end,” Andrew Giuliani, the executive director of the White House FIFA Task Force, told The Associated Press. “We were going to look at how the first two movements went, and if they went smoothly, we would extend the extra day in light of the longer travel time.”

The policy change was first reported by NBC News and comes as officials from both countries negotiate over how to end the war in Iran.

Iran’s squad has complained about the travel restrictions levied on the team, and the challenges it has faced since the outbreak of war. Iran in March sought to move its group-stage matches to Mexico, with which it has diplomatic ties. Its request to move its base camp from Tucson, Arizona, to Tijuana was granted two weeks before the team’s arrival. Several team officials and members of the support staff have been barred from traveling into the U.S. with the team.

For the first two matches, near Los Angeles, the team was not permitted to travel until the day before. Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei repeatedly said that restriction disadvantaged the team, especially when it had less than 24 hours on the ground before its noon match Sunday.

“Right now we need recovery more than anything,” Ghalenoei said through an interpreter after the 0-0 draw against Belgium. “The conditions have been extremely hard for us.”

It’s not uncommon for teams to travel a day before the match, and it’s in line with FIFA regulations, which state that “each team shall travel from its team base camp to the match venue one day before matchday (MD‑1) and in exceptional cases on MD‑2, and shall return to their team base camp after the match (on MD/MD+1).”

But Iran had asked for more time to acclimate to host cities and recover after matches, especially for the 1,200-mile (1,930-kilometer) trip to Seattle. The team is scheduled to train on Thursday at the University of Washington.

“We don’t ask for much. We just ask for the same procedure as for all the other 47 teams,” Iran captain Alireza Jahanbakhsh said Sunday. “Hopefully we can bring everyone who is involved and help us with us.”

The Iran team has also said it experienced difficulties entering and exiting the U.S. each time it made the 127-mile (204-kilometer) flight between Tijuana and Los Angeles. The typically short trip took five hours the day before its first match against New Zealand, team captain Mehdi Taremi said.

Hours before Sunday’s match against Belgium, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told Fox News the Iranians had “tried to get somebody in yesterday” who had direct ties to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard. In a statement, the soccer federation vociferously pushed back, calling the claim “an outright and undeniable lie.”

Iran’s players and coaches have mostly steered clear of outright commentary on the war. “We are here for football, not politics,” Ghalenoei said Saturday. But the team hasn’t shied from highlighting the victims of a deadly missile strike on an elementary school at the start of the war in the Middle East, likely launched by the U.S.

Players wore gold-colored pins with the number “168” on their jackets when they disembarked in Mexico on June 7, referencing the number of people killed in the attack, mostly young girls. They left a goodbye note in the locker room at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, after their match Sunday, calling for peace “among all nations” and with the hashtags #168 and #minab, the school’s name.

At Iran’s last training session Tuesday in Tijuana before departing for Seattle, four small flags had been stuck into the turf, each bearing the number 168.

It’s unclear whether Iran’s upcoming opponent, Egypt, will also be allowed to arrive in Seattle two days early. After its 3-1 victory against New Zealand in Vancouver Sunday, Egypt asked to fly directly to Seattle. FIFA denied that request, citing a lack of security resources to accommodate the last-minute demand. Egypt returned to its base camp in Spokane, Washington, a 45-minute flight from Seattle.

Egypt’s national team did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

GUADALAJARA, Mexico — Daniel Muñoz helped Colombia break through Congo’s stingy defense and advance to the knockout stage of the World Cup with a 1-0 win on Tuesday night.

Muñoz scored in the 76th minute after the Colombians had been held back by a strong performance from Congo goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi, who made five difficult saves in the first 20 minutes.

Mpasi had no chance to stop Muñoz’s left-footed strike from inside the area after the ball deflected off a defender. It was Muñoz’s second goal in the tournament, and the Crystal Palace fullback was named the man of the match.

Congo twice came close to equalizing in stoppage time, with Colombia goalkeeper Camilo Vargas making a superb save of a long-range strike by Nathanael Mbuku and then stopping a header by Chancel Mbemba off the ensuing corner kick.

Colombia star forward Luis Díaz had two goals called back in quick succession late in the second half, one for a foul in the 79th minute and another for offside in the 80th.

Congo had opened its first World Cup in 52 years with a surprising 1-1 draw against Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal.

Colombia has six points from two matches in Group K, two ahead of Portugal and five clear of Congo. Portugal routed Uzbekistan 5-0 behind a pair of goals by Ronaldo earlier Tuesday in Houston.

Colombia needs a draw against Portugal on Saturday to win the group. That result would also be enough to send Portugal to the knockout stage.

Colombia, which did not qualify for the 2022 World Cup, is ranked 11th in the world, third best among South American teams behind Brazil and Argentina. Los Cafeteros opened with a 3-1 win over Uzbekistan. Congo, ranked 47th, had its World Cup preparations affected because of an Ebola outbreak.

Many Congo fans were prevented from traveling for the tournament because of restrictions tied to Ebola.

One fan who missed the first game because of quarantine requirements was Michel Nkuka Mboladinga, who gained fame during the Africa Cup of Nations for posing as a statue of Congo’s assassinated independence hero Patrice Lumumba. He made it to the game in Guadalajara, maintaining his statue pose throughout the match.

Colombia had never been involved in a scoreless draw in 23 World Cup appearances.

The team’s play improved on Tuesday after Juan Quintero came off the bench to replace James Rodríguez, who joined Colombia greats Freddy Rincón and Carlos Valderrama with 10 World Cup appearances.

It was all Colombia at the start, with Los Cafeteros creating several scoring opportunities that Mpasi turned away.

The goalkeeper saved long-range shots by Rodríguez, Johan Mojica and Gustavo Puerta, and close-range attempts by Díaz and Muñoz. He also came up with a big stop on a close-range strike by Díaz in the 50th minute.

“Our goalkeeper was excellent today, but I’m not surprised. He’s been having excellent matches with us,” Congo coach Sébastien Desabre said. “Collectively the defense had a hard time but we did defend well overall, except for the goal. We must recognize that Colombia is superior, even though we could have equalized in the end. Now we have a decisive match ahead of us.”

Colombia 1, Congo 0, 81st minute

Back-to-back turnovers helped Colombia finally break through with the first goal of the match.

Colombia tapped the ball around the top of the box before Juan Fernando Quintero passed to Daniel Muñoz to the right of the box, who fired a shot to the bottom right corner.

Guadalajara Stadium is packed with Colombia fans, who erupted when their team finally scored.

It appeared that Luis Díaz had a second quick goal for Colombia after he chipped the ball in transition over the head of the Congo goalkeeper and into the back of the net, but Díaz was called for a foul while stealing the ball and the goal was quickly erased.

Díaz charged forward on the left side of the pitch in the 81st minute and put the ball away for an apparent goal, but he was offsides.

Colombia 0, Congo 0, 69th minute

Favorite Colombia has had possession 69% of the match and created seven shots on goal, missing two big chances.

Through it all, Congo’s defense has held strong, an impressive pattern among underdogs so far this World Cup.

Colombia 0, Congo 0, 52nd minute

Congo midfielder Noah Sadiki replaced midfielder Ngal’ayel Mukau in the 45th minute.

The early star for the Congo remains goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi, who saved a shot in the 50th minute with his shin.

In the 52nd, Congo had arguably its best run of the game but Samuel Moutoussamy’s shot was high and off target.

Colombia 0, DR Congo 0, 26th minute

Colombia has earned 73% of possession during the opening of its match against the Democratic Republic of Congo and earned five shots on goal, but Congo’s defense directed by goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi has been up to task and kept this game level through the hydration break.

RENTON, Wash. — Belgium forward Jérémy Doku was expected to rejoin the team at its World Cup training facility on Tuesday following the birth of his first child, a boy named Praise.

Doku missed Belgium’s 0-0 World Cup draw against Iran on Sunday because of a respiratory illness, but was cleared to fly to London so he could be with his wife. Ahead of Tuesday’s training session, center back Arthur Theate said Doku would join the team, but he was not present for the portion of practice that was open to the media. Doku missed training on Monday.

“We are very happy to have him (back), of course,” Theate said. “He’s an important player, important part of the group, also, in terms of everything. So, I hope he can help us the best way for the next game.”

Belgium plays New Zealand on Friday at BC Place, a match that could determine whether the Red Devils advance into the knockout round. Belgium played to draws in each of its first two games.

On Tuesday, Doku posted on social media about his appreciation for the kind messages he and his family have received over the past few days.

“Shireen and Praise are doing great, and my heart is full of gratitude,” Doku said. “Welcoming my son into the world is one of the greatest blessings God has ever given me. Thank you to the team for the support, now it’s time to get back to football and represent my country on the biggest stage.”

Doku’s absence prompted a French commentator, France Pierron, to criticize the player’s intention to leave the World Cup for the birth. French sports daily L’Equipe apologized to Doku and said Pierron’s comments did not represent its values. She described childbirth as “a disgusting moment, excuse me, where the dad is useless” during an appearance on the television show “L’Equipe de Choc” on Friday.

On Monday, Belgium captain Youri Tielemans shared his support for Doku, and said he and other players congratulated him.

“I think having a child is the most beautiful thing in the world that you can have, and being there, it’s more than normal as a dad, as a mom, obviously,” Tielemans said. “But yeah, being there as a dad, for myself, I have three and it’s memories you can’t take back. So, yeah, very happy for him.”

Unexpected absences

Neither center back Brandon Mechele nor forward Leandro Trossard were present for the portion of Tuesday’s practice that was open to the media. It is unclear why either player was sidelined.

Both Mechele and Trossard played a full 90 minutes in each of Belgium’s first two World Cup matches.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Ghana midfielder Thomas Partey, who missed his team’s first World Cup match because he was denied a Canadian visa while awaiting trial on rape charges in Britain, returned to the lineup on Tuesday to an apparent snub in the pregame handshake line and a cool reception from fans.

Partey was booed by the heavily pro-England crowd at Gillette Stadium when he touched the ball in the match that ended in a 0-0 draw. Videos also circulated on social media in which England defender Djed Spence appeared to refuse to shake hands with Partey before the match.

When England coach Thomas Tuchel was asked after the game about the encounter, the team’s media officer, Andrew Walker, interrupted and said, “I’m sorry, but for legal reasons we’re not going to be discussing that today. So let’s move on.”

In the videos, Spence shook hands with the player in front of Partey and the player after him, but appeared to put his hand in his pocket when the embattled midfielder passed.

Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz denied that there was any snub.

“Look, this did not happen,” Queiroz said. “We refuse to be part of people that try to bring dust and politics inside the game. We fight to keep the four lines sacred. It’s difficult sometimes, but it happens.”

Partey, who played five seasons for Arsenal in the Premier League and spent last season at Spanish club Villarreal, has been accused by four different women of sexual assault and rape.

A lawyer for Partey said in March that the 33-year-old Ghanaian intends to plead not guilty to two new charges of rape in Britain after a woman alleged Partey twice raped her on the same day in December 2020. Partey had separately been awaiting trial on five counts of rape related to two other women and one count of sexual assault involving another woman, and the new allegations arose after the first set of charges were publicized.

The charges led Canada to deny Partey a visa for Ghana’s opening match in Toronto on Wednesday, a 1-0 victory over Panama. Ghana’s final group match is also in the U.S., on Sunday against Croatia in Philadelphia.

“When we saw him starting the game, we are all happy,” Ghana midfielder Kwasi Sibo said. “We are all with him to let him stay focused and help the team, because he’s our main man and we’ll always be with him.”

Partey, who did not speak to reporters on Tuesday, said after the team’s training session on Monday: “Things happen outside football that you cannot control. So for me now, I feel OK and I’m ready to play.”

And his team was glad to have him back.

“He is a great person,” Sibo said. “He has experience playing in the top leagues, so every time training with him or training camps, we learn a lot from him.”

Croatia 1, Panama 0, final

Panama couldn’t make the most of a free kick in stoppage time and lost 1-0 to Croatia Tuesday in Toronto.

It was Panama’s second 1-0 loss of the tournament, ending the team’s chance of advancing at the World Cup.

Croatia still has work to do during its final group stage match, but it did put itself in stronger position with a win going into its showdown with Ghana.

Croatia 1, Panama 0, 58th minute

Croatia had controlled possession about 64% of the game, but none of the runs toward goal led to quality looks at goal until the 53rd minute.

Josip Stanisic dribbled up the right side and delivered a perfect ball into the box. Ante Budimir buried the ball into the back of the net and Croatian fans in Toronto Stadium erupted, celebrating the hard earned goal.

In the 57th minute, Croatia stole the ball at the top of the box from Panama after a corner kick. Marco Pasalic ran free up the middle of the field and tried to get the Panama goalkeeper Orlando Mosquera to commit before shooting. Pasalic’s shot was blocked and he skied the putback over the top of goal.

Panama 0, Croatia 0, 53rd minute

Forward Ante Budimir replaced forward Petar Musa and forward Andrej Kramaric replaced defender Josko Gvardiol.

Both teams were disciplined during the first 10 minutes of the second half, with no breakthroughs allowed on either side.

Panama earned a corner kick in the 52nd minute, but the short kick and attempt at build up was deflected by Croatia and did not ultimately lead to a shot.

Panama 0, Croatia 0, halftime

Panama created one shot, while Croatia earned two shots with one on goal.

While there were few chances, both teams moved with urgency because the loser of this game is eliminated from the World Cup.

Panama 0, Croatia 0, 10th minute

There is a lot at stake today in Toronto, with the loser of this match eliminated from the World Cup.

Panama and Croatia have both made early runs.

Panama earned a free kick just outside the box, but Croatia headed it out of bounds and Panama had to reset it’s push toward goal off a sideline inbound play.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — England and Ghana coach Carlos Queiroz have met before at the World Cup, with the result being quite a bit different.

This time, Queiroz’s team earned a point that could end up being enough for a spot in the round of 32.

England dominated possession on Tuesday but came up empty on several late scoring opportunities in a rain-filled 0-0 draw.

“Our plan was to block and frustrate them from the first minute,” Queiroz said. “We did it.”

Four years ago at the World Cup in Qatar, Queiroz was coaching Iran when his team faced England and lost 6-2.

England, which has not lost to an African country at the World Cup in nine meetings, outshot Ghana 19-1 but failed capitalize on multiple chances in the closing minutes.

“Frustrated a little bit with how they defended, how they set up,” England midfielder Jude Bellingham said. “They got exactly out of the game what they played for. Couldn’t quite break them down, even with all corners, all the possession, all the shots on goal from distance.”

Both teams won their opening matches at this year’s tournament, with Ghana beating Panama 1-0 and England defeating Croatia 4-2. Now both still have work to do in Group L before securing a spot in the knockout round at the first 48-team World Cup.

England ended up losing to France in the quarterfinals at the 2022 tournament. Ghana hasn’t made it to the knockout round since reaching the quarterfinals at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

But with the expanded tournament this year, the best eight third-place teams will advance, giving both teams a good chance heading into their final group matches.

England will next play Panama on Saturday in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Ghana will take on Panama at the same time in Philadelphia.

The Three Lions had a chance to take the lead in the 86th minute when Nico O’Reilly’s header hit the crossbar. Harry Kane gathered the rebound but couldn’t get enough on it with his left foot and shot high.

Ghana’s best chance came in the 78th minute came when Abdul Fatawu outfought England midfielder Eberechi Eze for the ball and raced down the sideline. He fed the ball to Prince Adu, but he was challenged from behind by Ezri Konsa before he could get off a shot. Adu wanted a penalty but didn’t get it.

“It was a clear penalty, if not a red card,” Queiroz said. “We have no doubts about that.”

England coach Thomas Tuchel said they were a bit surprised with how Ghana was aligned, defending in a 4-5-1 formation. He called Ghana’s efforts one of the most physical that he’s seen in the tournament.

“They defended with a lot of determination. A lot of discipline,” Tuchel said.

Tuchel added he doesn’t believe England was too dependent on Kane, the striker who won the Golden Boot at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

“He was not involved as much as we would like to, but it was so narrow,” Tuchel said. “It was difficult to find space. The little moments that he had were just so unlucky.”

In the first half, England had 60% of the possession but only five attempts on goal, with Kane missing inside the box just before the end of the half.

Ghana picked up the pace in the second half, getting a chance in the 50th minute when Marvin Senaya got a touch in the box, but couldn’t quite get much behind a header as it was blocked by the England defense.

Ghana goalkeeper Benjamin Asare earned a clean sheet in his first World Cup start.

“I think we did our best to get the best possible result that we were hoping for,” Ghana midfielder Kwasi Sibo said. “It’s just the plan of the coach and we did follow the coach.”

England 0, Ghana 0, 86th minute

Harry Kane held his hands in his head after an England shot hit the cross bar and fell to Kane’s feet in front of goal. He skied the ball over goal and was clearly frustrated by the fumbled opportunity.

England 0, Ghana 0, 71st minute

England pinballed the ball in frequently but could not get a quality shot home against Ghana before the hydration break.

Forward Fatawu Issahaku replaced forward Iñaki Williams and forward Prince Adu replaced forward Jordan Ayew for Ghana.

Forward Anthony Gordon replaced Bukayo Saka and defender Djed Spence replaced Nico O’Reilly for England.

England 0, Ghana 0, 57th minute

Both teams have had early chances, but none have been on target. No subs have made so far in this match, but you’d imagine some would be on deck soon.

Nothing doing through the first 45 minutes in Foxborough, Mass. England controlled possession and had six total shots, though none were on target. England committed nine fouls, compared to eight for Ghana, and England’s Declan Rice received a yellow card in the 41st minute.

England opened its World Cup with a surprisingly comfortable win over Croatia behind two goals from captain Harry Kane. But the Three Lions are only equal atop the table with Ghana, which got a goal deep in stoppage time from Caleb Yirenkyi to beat Panama. If there’s a winner, it probably will decide the group. A point likely sends both teams through.

The World Cup has reached that stage when mental gymnastics come into play to determine who’s in, who’s out and what’s needed to advance to the next round.

This year’s supersized tournament, up from 32 teams to 48, has changed the format of the competition and how teams are separated by tiebreakers in the group phase.

For instance, there’s an extra knockout round of 32 teams, where as previously the group phase was immediately followed by a round of 16.

There are also lifelines for teams to advance if they miss out on the top two places in their respective groups.

Here’s what to know about qualification for the round of 32.

How to advance from the group phase

The expanded tournament means there are more groups and more games than ever before at a World Cup. By the time the group phase is completed 72 matches will have been played to eliminate 16 teams.

The top two in each of the 12 groups advance automatically and then there are places for the eight best third-placed teams.

It is the first time since 1994, when only 24 teams competed, that there has been a lifeline for third-placed teams.

Head-to-head results before goal difference

For the first time at a World Cup, FIFA will prioritize head-to-head results if two or more teams are tied on points.

The steps to determine the final placings if a tiebreaker is needed will be deployed in the following order:

— Head-to-head results between the teams concerned.

— Goal difference in the games between the teams concerned.

— Highest number of goals scored in those games.

— Overall goal difference in all group games.

— Overall highest number of goals scored in the group.

— The fewest number of red or yellow cards (including team officials) received during the group phase.

— FIFA ranking.

Making the final cut

Coaches, players and fans will be assessing what’s required to make the cut as one of the eight best third-placed teams. This is where goal difference is likely to be crucial.

For instance, Scotland’s chances of advancing from the group stage for the first time in its history may depend on it avoiding a heavy loss against Brazil. It won its first match against Haiti and was then beaten by Morocco.

The third-placed teams with the highest number of points advance, but if teams are level on points, goal difference is the primary tiebreaker, followed by goals scored, disciplinary record (red and yellow cards) and finally FIFA ranking.

HOUSTON — Cristiano Ronaldo had a simple but strong message as the final whistle sounded after Portugal’s big win at the World Cup on Tuesday.

“I’m back,” he said directly into the television camera. “I’m back.”

Ronaldo became the first player to score in six different World Cup tournaments by getting two goals in Portugal’s 5-0 win over Uzbekistan, quieting critics after his forgettable performance in the team’s 1-1 draw with Congo in the opener.

Even though criticism isn’t anything new to the 41-year-old superstar, he admitted that the intense negativity directed toward him this week was difficult.

“But it’s always like that,” he said in Portuguese. “It doesn’t matter, because it’s been 23 years on the job and when things go well, ’Cristiano is good,’ when things go bad, ‘Cristiano is a retired player, is old.’ It will always be like that. But we responded well today, me and my teammates, which is what we wanted.”

Ronaldo made history in the sixth minute when João Cancelo crossed the ball to him and he shot with his right foot to make it 1-0. He ran toward the bench and celebrated with his teammates.

He added another in the 39th minute when he got a pass from Bruno Fernandes and scored with his right foot just inside the near post to make it 3-0.

“As a defender you need to be ready and you need to be close to him in the box,” said Uzbekistan coach Fabio Cannavaro, a standout defender in his playing days who led Italy to the 2006 World Cup title. “If you give him one centimeter in the box you are dead.”

Ronaldo was named man of the match for his performance, the latest of many in his incredible career.

Portugal coach Roberto Martínez raved about the professionalism and poise Ronaldo showed this week amid calls from outsiders to bench him.

“He’s a human being,” Martínez said. “He’s allowed to have emotions. He’s allowed to have feelings. What is impressive with him is the answer. Whatever he feels, the answer is to get back on the training ground and practice and work and demand from himself. That professionalism is what’s (led) to the longevity.”

The goals on Tuesday make him the second-oldest player to score at a World Cup behind Cameroon forward Roger Milla, who was 42 when he scored at the 1994 tournament in the United States.

Ronaldo and Argentina captain Lionel Messi became the only men in history to play in six World Cup tournaments this year. Ronaldo’s scoring streak started in his debut in 2006 and he also netted goals in 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022.

While he shares the record for most tournaments with Messi, he stands alone in scoring a goal in each edition after Messi failed to score at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Ronaldo’s two strikes against Uzbekistan gave him 10 career goals in the tournament. Messi has 18 after a hat trick in Argentina’s opener against Algeria and two more goals Monday against Austria that made him the all-time leading scorer in tournament history.

Ronaldo’s latest performance extended his record by giving him 145 international goals, and his 10 career goals in the World Cup moved him past Eusébio’s nine to make him Portugal’s all-time scoring leader at the tournament.

Tuesday’s game was the 230th of Ronaldo’s international career, which is the most in history.

This is likely to be the final World Cup for Ronaldo, who won the European Championship with Portugal in 2016 and the Champions League five times with Manchester United and Real Madrid.

Rafael Leao scored in the 87th minute to give Portugal a 5-0 lead over Uzbekistan in Houston.

Uzbekistan put itself in a deeper hold in the 60th minute on an own goal by Abduvohid Nematov that made it 4-0 Portugal in Houston.

Cristiano Ronaldo staked Portgual to a 3-0 lead over Uzbekistan with his second goal of the match, this one coming in the 39th minute.

Uzbekistan appeared to get on the board in the 29th minute on a goal by Azizjon Ganiev but the score was wiped out by a foul, keeping it a 2-0 game in Houston.

Portugal added a second goal in the 17th minute when Nuno Mendes took the free kick instead of Cristiano Ronaldo and banged it home to give his side a 2-0 advantage over Uzbekistan in Houston.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored in the sixth minute to put Portgual ahead, 1-0, against Uzbekistan. The Portugal captain becomes the first player to score in six different World Cups.

Portugal, fresh off a listless draw against the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is trying to rectify things quickly against Uzbekistan in Houston, threatening in the opening minutes — including an opportunity by Cristiano Ronaldo.

Cristiano Ronaldo entered this World Cup with visions of winning his first title. But he’ll go home early and empty-handed unless fifth-ranked Portugal improves on the listless performance it had in a draw with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Uzbekistan, playing in its first World Cup, was not intimidated by the big stage, weathering a withering Colombia attack in a 3-1 loss. Expect it to bunker in again against Portugal.

In many ways, the most ambitious World Cup in history — which kicked off Thursday in Mexico City — has inspired more angst than anticipation, more fear than fervor.

The competition, returning to North America for the first time in more than three decades, has expanded to 48 teams and 104 matches, to be played over 39 days in 16 cities in the U.S., Mexico and Canada. The complex planning was eight years in the making.

SEATTLE — If a pregnant Nigerian woman had been allowed to board a plane 25 years ago, the U.S. team’s path through this summer’s World Cup may have unfolded much differently. Instead, a gate agent turned her away, insisting it wasn’t safe for her to fly from New York to London.

So Florence Balogun returned to Brooklyn, where she had been visiting relatives, and waited for her second son to be born. And when Folarin arrived a few weeks later, entering the world just hours before Independence Day dawned, he did so as an American citizen.

GUADALAJARA, Mexico — It’s been goals galore so far at the World Cup.

The tournament has been one of the highest-scoring in history so far and produced nearly 25% more scoring than the same span of games in the previous World Cup.

One reason for the increase in scoring might be the ball that FIFA is using for this tournament.

FIFA says the ball has been designed with deep seams to produce “optimal in-flight stability,” and players and coaches say it has been rocketing toward goalkeepers at a high velocity. There is also added grip to help striking and dribbling in wet or humid conditions.

“This ball is as fast as a cannonball. I think today and the last couple of days, you saw if you kick the ball in the right position, it’s extremely difficult to save,” Austria coach Ralf Rangnick said.

The games are also running longer because of increased stoppage time related to hydration breaks that are new for this tournament, allowing more scoring opportunities. And the tournament has a bigger talent gap because of the expanded 48-team field that debuted this year.

Colombia coach Néstor Lorenzo said he was not surprised by the number of goals considering the talent of the players at the World Cup. He said also said attackers are more protected by officials than they used to be.

“They didn’t have this protection some 20, 30 years ago, when they were hit a lot more, when rough play was a lot more common,” he said Monday. “Today, any team that defends well and uses counterattacks and tries to play, can manage to do well.”

The result: Fans were treated to 121 goals in the first 40 games of the tournament, and many of them came from internationally known players.

Premier League players are scoring the most

More than half the goals scored so far in the tournament were by players from the top three professional leagues in England, Germany and Spain. The English Premier League leads the way.

The trend was on full display over the weekend in the match between the Netherlands and Sweden, a 5-1 triumph for the Dutch. All six goals were scored by players who competed in the Premier League in the 2025-26 season.

“I think the Premier League is more intense than this World Cup,” said Gabriel Martinelli, a Brazil player from Arsenal. “But it’s certainly still a very beautiful World Cup, with high-quality and intense matches.”

Real Madrid, Inter Miami of Major League Soccer and Liverpool were the clubs whose players have produced the most goals. Miami, of course, is all because of one man — Lionel Messi, who has five goals in two games.

In addition to the nearly 30 goals from English clubs, 16 came from the German league, 11 from the Spanish league, seven from the French league and five from the Italian league.

MLS saw its players score eight times. Messi had a hat trick in Argentina’s opening match and another two on Monday. The other MLS goals came from FC Dallas’ Petar Musa of Croatia, Atlanta United’s Matías Galarza of Paraguay and the Portland Timbers’ Finn Surman of New Zealand.

When FIFA announced the official squads, there were 200 players based in England at the club level, nearly two times more than the 109 players based in Germany.

The tallies for the goals were made based on the players’ clubs when the official squad announcements were made.

Real Madrid and Liverpool at the top

Real Madrid players scored seven times — four from France’s Kylian Mbappé, two from Brazil’s Vinícius Júnior and one from England’s Jude Bellingham.

Madrid did not have any players called up for Spain’s national team for the first time. It signed Marc Cucurella from Chelsea during the tournament, though, making one of its own a part of the World Cup with La Roja.

Liverpool got three goals from Dutch players — two by Cody Gapko and one by Virgil van Dijk. Another goal came from Sweden’s Alexander Isak, and the other was scored by Egypt’s Mohamed Salah, who was still listed as a Liverpool player when the squads were announced.

Bayern Munich had four goals — two by England’s Harry Kane and one each by Germany’s Jamal Musiala and Colombia’s Luis Díaz.

Bayern was the team with the second-most players called up for the tournament with 18. Manchester City was the first with 19, though its only four goals at the World Cup so far came from Norway’s Erling Haaland.

How many goals are we talking about?

With 121 goals scored by 88 players in the first 40 games of the tournament, the average per game was at three goals. There were only three 0-0 draws, and eight of the goals were own-goals.

The tournament is on pace to shatter the 172-goal record from Qatar in 2022. The records aren’t an apples-to-apples comparison because the 2022 edition only had 64 matches compared with 104 this year.

But the pace for 64 matches this year is at almost 194 goals, well beyond the record from four years ago.

The trend in scoring goes beyond the World Cup. The Champions League has set records in the past two seasons: 3.27 goals per game in 2024-2025 and then 3.47 goals per game in 2025-2026.

SEATTLE — Growing up the son of an NFL wide receiver, Alex Freeman said he felt a lot of pressure to play the American version of football, not the one the rest of the world plays.

“I always got asked if football was the path,” he said last summer. “But I always had a secret love for soccer.”

And he had to keep it a secret because he wasn’t sure his father Antonio, a Super Bowl winner with the Green Bay Packers, would understand.

SEATTLE — Jaysen Dickinson flew to Seattle from Vermont to cross an item off his lengthy bucket list.

“To see the World Cup and the U.S. play in the World Cup,” he said.

Kim Fletcher and her 17-year-old son Kelan caught a 5 a.m. flight from Sacramento last week for the same reason.

“It’s a must-do right now,” she said.

The run-up to the World Cup in Los Angeles was marked by anxiety over how immigration enforcement, travel restrictions and anti-Trump backlash would affect the spirit and attendance of the games.

But on the streets of L.A. over the last week, something very different has happened.

Fans from a kaleidoscope of cultural backgrounds have come together to act out the kind of world — and city — they want to live in.

SEATTLE — Cristian Roldan and Haji Wright grew up less than three years and 30 miles apart, Roldan in Pico Rivera and Wright in Culver City. The odds that they would go on to become teammates on not one, but two, U.S. World Cup teams seem astronomical.

Yet despite starting at the same time and place and arriving together at the same destination, the two players followed completely different paths to get there.

The Los Angeles Organizing Committee has collaborated with an array of agencies to create one primary fan festival and 10 official fan zones throughout the L.A. area during the 39-day World Cup.

Match broadcasts there will be available via Fox and Telemundo, allowing attendees to follow the tournament live throughout the competition. Each venue will have different programming.

Brenda Jaimes pushed her way through an ecstatic crowd in downtown Santa Ana Thursday night, stopping in the middle of Fourth Street and calling attention to herself by shouting, “Me! Me!”

An hour earlier, Mexico beat South Korea 1-0 in the World Cup. Jaimes, a 22-year-old Santa Ana resident, was one of thousands of people who crowded into the neighborhood’s many bars and restaurants to watch the thrilling victory then spilled onto the streets to party.

VANCOUVER, Canada — When the first men’s World Cup game played in Canada kicked off last week, Anthony Totera sat in the stands and wept.

“It was a dream come true,” said Totera, who has spent most of his 57 years on earth promoting Canadian soccer. “I can’t describe the emotions. It was something surreal.”

If the 1994 World Cup, the first held in the U.S., forever altered the direction of American soccer, this summer’s tournament, which Canada is sharing with the U.S. and Mexico, has the potential to do the same for that country.

MEXICO CITY — “GOOOOOOOOOAL!”

The thunderous cry rings out over a crowd gathered in front of a television propped up on plastic tables and past a maze of vendors lining a bustling working-class neighborhood in downtown Mexico City. It echoes over fans across the Latin American nation, who roar as they watch Mexico’s national team win another match in the World Cup with eyes glued to screens set up in plazas, below highway underpasses and tucked away in taco stands.

Priced out of stadium tickets to the tournament their country is hosting alongside the U.S. and Canada, many Mexicans are reclaiming the event and staging their own celebrations on the streets.

“Honestly, there’s nothing like going to the stadiums, but I prefer being here in the street. … For me it’s like watching the game from my living room,” said Esmeralda Serrato, who watched a TV in the street with dozens of neighbors. “I feel the blood rushing through my veins saying ‘This is the World Cup.’”

Ticket prices exclude most Mexican viewers

World Cup festivities in Mexico have generated an almost incalculable buzz as hundreds of thousands of people gather in mass celebrations in host cities including Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey following the country’s two consecutive victories.

But the street parties also come after months of scrutiny as FIFA has faced searing criticism across the globe for soaring World Cup ticket prices. In Mexico, where the average worker earns around $433 a month and soccer is considered a sport that unites people across class, the gap between who can and cannot get into games is felt acutely.

That has fueled social tensions and left many Mexicans feeling as if “it’s a party we weren’t invited to,” said Diego Merla, fiscal justice coordinator for Oxfam Mexico.

“The World Cup is built around the logic of squeezing as much value out of it as possible,” Merla said. “It’s about getting those who are willing and able to pay the absolute maximum. And that ends up excluding a lot of people.”

Earlier this year, tickets went on sale at prices ranging from $140 to $8,680, but have since skyrocketed, with some tickets to the World Cup final costing around $32,970.

In the wake of mounting criticisms, FIFA President Gianni Infantino has defended high ticket prices as fitting the U.S. market.

“You cannot go to watch in the U.S. a college game, not even speaking about a top professional game of a certain level, for less than $300,” Infantino said. “And this is the World Cup.”

Fans hold homegrown celebrations

For fans like Guillermo Ramírez, the solution was to take things into their own hands.

Ramírez, 49, is a native of Tepito, the working-class Mexico City neighborhood that is home to sprawling street markets packed with pirated World Cup jerseys.

Here, soccer is a symbol of resistance and local identity in an area of the city most commonly associated with crime. Nestled in the heart of the dense markets is a soccer field named after Bernardo Manolete Hernández, a renowned Mexican soccer player born in the neighborhood.

Just a block away from the field, Ramírez, wearing a bright green and white Mexico jersey, set up a TV screen and speakers on top of two plastic tables in front of his house and small corner shop before Mexico faced off against South Korea. He remembers as a young boy watching the 1986 Mexico World Cup from TVs set up by neighbors unable to get into stadiums.

“There are a lot of us who simply can’t afford to go to the stadium,” Ramírez said. “Tepito is a soccer barrio, and when there’s a match on, everyone takes out their TVs to watch, especially now during the World Cup.”

Throngs of neighbors crowd around his screen, wearing green and red lucha libre masks, cradling their kids and cracking open a beer from Ramírez’s corner shop.

When their team wins, Ramírez’s neighbors and large swaths of Mexico City erupt, with tens of thousands of people flooding the streets and flocking to Mexico City’s central monument, the Angel de la Independencia.

Mexico’s president promotes public watch parties

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has also criticized the costs and said last week that FIFA leaders should reflect on their pricing decisions.

“Soccer has to be something else,” Sheinbaum said.

Sheinbaum has encouraged fans to gather in free public watch parties set up by local governments and FIFA in Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey. Nearly 20 such venues dot the Mexican capital, including in lower-income areas of the city.

For one game, over 200,000 Mexican and foreign fans packed into the city’s main plaza, the Zocalo, as a sea of Mexico jerseys threw crowd surfers into the air.

Armando Soriano, his wife and two children traveled from the fringes of the city to a smaller Fan Fest in a plaza just a mile from where Ramírez lives, where locals rolled up to the screen before them on motorcycles and beer, tequila and snacks were sold from plastic tubs strapped to moving carts.

To him, it felt more Mexican than the central FIFA event, he said.

“I want (my family) to be swept up in the spirit — to feel, more than anything, what it means to be Mexican, and to experience the traditions that people here live and breathe,” Soriano said.

Sometimes it takes a visitor or six million to remind folks of treasures in their own backyard.

How else to explain the fascination of World Cup fans from 47 other countries expressing unabashed delight on social media for destinations and products woven deeply into American life but hardly considered cutting-edge: ranch dressing, Waffle House, Boston Lager on tap, Texas barbecue, ubiquitous supermarkets — the list goes on.

Two games, two wins and the U.S. is already through to the knockout stage of a World Cup it is hosting.

For forward Folarin Balogun, things couldn’t be going any better.

“You know, if someone said before the tournament, two games and you’d be through to the knockouts, I think we all would have taken it,” he said. “We’re delighted.”

“Do you have an extra ticket?” a man shouted outside SoFi Stadium last Thursday.

The World Cup has been drawing fans from around the globe. But for many, getting a seat in the stadium has come at a steep price.

VIDEO | 01:28

How much did people spend to go to the World Cup?

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Some were lucky enough to nab $400 to $500 tickets through official World Cup lotteries, others paid thousands of dollars to catch the action IRL. Tickets for the upcoming USA versus Turkey match were selling for more than $1,400 on resale sites.

The demand has been so high that authorities have been warning fans about how to avoid ticket scams.

As crowds flocked into the stadium, we asked attendees about how much they paid to get into the most-watched sporting event in the world. Here’s what they shared.

GUADALAJARA, Jalisco — Before the World Cup, critics and fans of the Mexican national team debated whether Javier Aguirre’s third stint as head coach was the right decision. Two games later, the coach has led Mexico to the tournament’s knockout round.

Thursday’s 1-0 victory over South Korea at Guadalajara Stadium made the World Cup co-host the first in the tournament to advance while also clinching the top spot in Group A with one group play game remaining. After South Korea’s goalkeeper fumbled a ball, Luis Romo scored the goal that gave the Mexicans six points and pushed them to the top of the standings.

How it started: A dream. A French machine-gun officer in the trenches during the First World War. A man named Jules Rimet, who believed an international soccer tournament would bring the nations together with the goal of peace.

How it’s going: The world’s biggest party. A 48-nation celebration of the world’s most beloved sport. Expected to generate about $8.9 billion, it’s become such a big deal that it’s being hosted by three countries — one of which, yes, launched a war on a competing nation in the months before the tournament.

The United States’ war with Iran, costly in all the profound ways that war is, also laid the groundwork for an uneven — and possibly precedent-setting — playing field.

Here’s the results of every match played at the 2026 FIFA World Cup heading into Tuesday’s matches:

It’s crunch time at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with teams throughout the 48-strong field looking to stay in contention for the knockout stage or improve their placing in the round of 32.

The U.S., Mexico, Argentina, Germany, Brazil and Switzerland have already clinched spots in the round of 32 by winning their respective groups. France, Norway, Canada, Colombia, Morocco, Bosnia-Herzegovina and South Africa also are advancing. Haiti, Tunisia, Turkey, Jordan, Uzbekistan, Panama and Czechia, however, have been eliminated from knockout-round contention.

Here’s everything you need to know about World Cup matches being played Thursday and Friday across the U.S., Mexico and Canada (all times Pacific).

The first 12 days of the 2026 FIFA World Cup offered plenty of memorable moments.

Check out The Times’ daily recaps ahead of Tuesday’s four-game slate:

Soccer

FIFA World Cup Day 12 recap: Lionel Messi breaks scoring record; Algeria wins

Live updates from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Monday. Get the latest news, results, standings and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.

June 22, 2026

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FIFA World Cup Day 11 recap: Mo Salah and Egypt defeat New Zealand

Live updates from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Sunday. Get the latest news, results, standings and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.

June 22, 2026

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FIFA World Cup Day 10 recap: Japan, Netherlands dominate; Curaçao makes history

Live updates from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Saturday. Get the latest news, results, standings and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.

June 20, 2026

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FIFA World Cup Day 9 recap: U.S. wins its group after Paraguay defeats Turkey

Recapping what happened at the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday. Get the latest news, results, standings and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.

June 19, 2026

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FIFA World Cup Day 8 recap: Switzerland, Canada and Mexico win

Live updates from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday. Get the latest news, results, standings and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.

June 18, 2026

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FIFA World Cup Day 7 recap: Colombia fends off Uzbekistan; Harry Kane ties record

Harry Kane tied a World Cup record during England’s win, Cristiano Ronaldo was held scoreless during a draw, Ghana stunned Panama and more during Day 7.

June 17, 2026

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FIFA World Cup Day 6 recap: Austria beats Jordan; Lionel Messi scores hat trick

Stars Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland and Lionel Messi all scored while leading France, Norway and Argentina to wins on Day 6 of the 2026 World Cup.

June 16, 2026

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FIFA World Cup Day 5 recap: Spain plays to a draw with Cape Verde

Follow along for live updates from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Monday. Get the latest news, results, standings and highlights from the 48-team tournament.

June 15, 2026

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FIFA World Cup Day 4 recap: Sweden dominates; Netherlands plays to draw

Follow along for live updates from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Sunday. Get the latest news, results and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.

June 14, 2026

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FIFA World Cup Day 3 recap: Australia and Scotland win their openers

Follow along for live updates from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Saturday. Get the latest news, results and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.

June 13, 2026

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FIFA World Cup Day 2 recap: Canada plays to draw; U.S. wins its opener

Follow along for live updates from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Friday. Get the latest news, results and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.

June 12, 2026

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World Cup recap: U.S. defeats Paraguay with dominant offensive display

Folarin Balogun scores twice and Christian Pulisic sets up two goals to lead the U.S. to a 4-1 win in its World Cup opener over Paraguay on Friday.

June 12, 2026

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FIFA World Cup Day 1 recap: Mexico and South Korea open with victories

Follow along for live updates from the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Thursday. Get the latest news, results and highlights from the 48-team, 39-day tournament.

June 11, 2026

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World Cup: Mexico defeats South Africa in game marred by 3 red cards

Mexico defeats South Africa 2-0 in a game that featured three red cards. Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez scored for Mexico in front of 80,824 fans.

June 11, 2026