Also known as: 2018 World Cup finals · summer World Cup · T20 Cricket World Cup · T20 Cricket World Cup 2026
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The Namibian
Qatar’s Boualem Khoukhi stunned Switzerland with a late equaliser as the sides played out a 1-1 draw in their opening match at the World Cup on Saturday. …
Qatar earn first ever World Cup point with late goalThe Namibian
Mexico ignited their World Cup party with a dominant 2-0 victory over nine-man South Africa on Thursday as the biggest ever edition of the global footballing showpiece kicked off at the iconic Estadio Azteca. …
Mexico beat South Africa to kick off World CupThe Namibian
Portugal beat Nigeria 2-1 in a World Cup warm-up on Wednesday, with goals from Pedro Neto and Francisco Conceicao making up for an off night for Cristiano Ronaldo. …
Portugal beat Nigeria in World Cup tune up despite Ronaldo woesThe Namibian
South Africa coach Hugo Broos has challenged his players to block out an expected wall of sound on Thursday when they take on co-hosts Mexico in their World Cup opener. …
South Africa brace for Azteca test against MexicoNamibian Sun
BBC Somali referee Omar Artan says he was subjected to an 11-hour immigration interview before being denied entry to the United States for the World Cup despite holding the "righ... …
I have right papers and visa - barred referee ArtanThe Namibian
Olympic chief Kirsty Coventry said on Wednesday she was confident for the successful hosting of the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles despite what she described as “challenges” for the World Cup. …
Olympic chief confident for LA Games despite World Cup ‘challenges’The Namibian
Martin Odegaard scored a second-half equaliser as Norway came from behind to force a 1-1 draw with African giants Morocco in a World Cup warm-up match on Sunday. …
Odegaard on target as Norway draw with MoroccoThe Namibian
Coach Darren Bazeley called it “really disappointing” as his New Zealand side suffered a demoralizing 4-0 World Cup warm-up defeat to fellow qualifiers Haiti on Tuesday, in a match delayed by lightning in Florida. …
‘No hiding’ as Haiti thrash New Zealand in pre World Cup friendlyThe Namibian
Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu backed his team to grind out wins at the World Cup after edging Iceland 1-0 in their final warm-up friendly in Tokyo on Sunday. …
Japan edge Iceland in final pre World Cup friendlyThe Namibian
Mohamed Salah has unfinished business in what could be his final World Cup as Egypt’s superstar seeks to deliver a first win at the tournament for the Pharaohs. …
Egypt eye World Cup breakthrough in Salah’s likely last World CupJapan defeated Tunisia 4-0 on Saturday, with goals from Ayase Ueda (twice), Daichi Kamada, and Junya Ito, moving level with the Netherlands on four points at the top of Group F. Tunisia, already eliminated after losing 5-1 to Sweden in their opener, never threatened the technically superior Japanese side.
21 June 2026 · The Namibian →
Japan defeated Tunisia 4-0 on Saturday, with goals from Ayase Ueda (twice), Daichi Kamada, and Junya Ito, moving level with the Netherlands on four points at the top of Group F. Tunisia, already eliminated after losing 5-1 to Sweden in their opener, never threatened the technically superior Japanese side.
21 June 2026 · The Namibian →
Germany defeated Ivory Coast 2-1 in a dramatic comeback, with substitute Deniz Undav scoring twice including an injury-time winner, to reach the World Cup knockout phase for the first time since 2014.
21 June 2026 · The Namibian →
The United States defeated Australia 2-0 in a Group D match, advancing to the last 32 of the World Cup with a game to spare. A Cameron Burgess own goal and an Alex Freeman header secured the victory for Mauricio Pochettino's side.
19 June 2026 · The Namibian →
The United States and Australia will compete in Group D on Friday in Seattle, with the winner advancing to the knockout rounds. The USA defeated Paraguay 4-1 in their opening match, while Australia upset Turkey 2-0, leaving both teams in confident form ahead of their clash.
19 June 2026 · The Namibian →
Mexico became the first team to reach the knockout round of the World Cup with a 1-0 victory over South Korea, while Canada thrashed Qatar 6-0 to move towards the last 32 and secure their first ever World Cup victory.
19 June 2026 · The Namibian →
Cristiano Ronaldo had his fewest touches (25) in a full match at a major tournament for Portugal in a 1-1 draw with the Democratic Republic of Congo, with coach Roberto Martinez defending his decision to keep the 41-year-old on the field despite Portugal searching for a winner.
18 June 2026 · The Namibian →
Uruguay dominated but settled for a 1-1 draw against Saudi Arabia in Miami, with Abdulelah al-Amri giving the Saudis a first-half lead and Maxi Araujo equalizing in the second half, leaving Group H with all four teams on one point after Spain's 0-0 draw with Cape Verde.
16 June 2026 · The Namibian →
Japan scored an 89th-minute equaliser to earn a 2-2 draw with the Netherlands in their World Cup opener in Texas, with both teams twice trading goals in an entertaining second half.
15 June 2026 · The Namibian →
Germany won their first opening match at a World Cup since 2014, defeating Curacao 7-1 in their Group E opener in Houston. After Curacao equalized early, Germany scored six more goals to secure victory.
14 June 2026 · The Namibian →
Scotland marked their first World Cup appearance since 1998 with a 1-0 victory over Haiti, with Aston Villa captain John McGinn scoring in the first half at Gillette Stadium outside Boston. The win tops Group C and is Scotland's first World Cup victory since 1990.
14 June 2026 · The Namibian →
Qatar's Boualem Khoukhi scored a late header to earn the side their first ever World Cup point in a 1-1 draw with Switzerland, after Breel Embolo had opened the scoring with a penalty in the first half.
13 June 2026 · The Namibian →
Mexico won 2-0 over South Africa in the opening match of the World Cup at Mexico City's Estadio Azteca, with goals from Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez. South Africa finished with nine men after two players were sent off.
11 June 2026 · The Namibian →
Portugal defeated Nigeria 2-1 in a World Cup warm-up fixture, with goals from Pedro Neto and Francisco Conceicao securing the victory despite Cristiano Ronaldo wasting several chances. Portugal will face the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uzbekistan, and Colombia in Group K of the World Cup, opening their campaign on June 17 in Houston.
11 June 2026 · The Namibian →
South Africa coach Hugo Broos has challenged his players to block out the noise of Mexican supporters when they take on Mexico in their World Cup Group A opener at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City on Thursday. Broos regards the match as pivotal to South Africa's chances of advancing from the group stage and believes Mexico are the team to beat in Group A.
11 June 2026 · The Namibian →
BBC Somali referee Omar Artan says he was subjected to an 11-hour immigration interview before being denied entry to the United States for the World Cup despite holding what he claims were the correct papers and visa.
11 June 2026 · Namibian Sun →
Olympic chief Kirsty Coventry expressed confidence in the 2028 Los Angeles Summer Games despite "challenges" affecting the 2026 World Cup in North America, including the US refusal of entry to African referee Omar Artan and other visa-related disruptions.
10 June 2026 · The Namibian →
Martin Odegaard scored a second-half equaliser to earn Norway a 1-1 draw with Morocco in a World Cup warm-up match, with Brahim Diaz having given Morocco an early lead.
8 June 2026 · The Namibian →
New Zealand suffered a 4-0 defeat to Haiti in a World Cup warm-up friendly at Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Tuesday, a loss coach Darren Bazeley called "really disappointing" and New Zealand's heaviest in nine years. The match was delayed 30 minutes due to lightning, and New Zealand faces England next before the World Cup begins.
3 June 2026 · The Namibian →
Japan defeated Iceland 1-0 in Tokyo on Sunday in their final warm-up before the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Coach Hajime Moriyasu said the win, secured by a substitute Koki Ogawa goal in the 87th minute, demonstrated that Japan can grind out victories at the tournament, despite a flat performance and Iceland's dangerous counter-attacking chances.
31 May 2026 · The Namibian →
Mohamed Salah, 33, leads Egypt at what is likely his final World Cup, seeking a first tournament victory for the Pharaohs after three previous campaigns without a win. Salah recently ended his nine-year Liverpool career with 257 goals before joining Al-Ittihad.
28 May 2026 · The Namibian →
Canada, co-hosts for an upcoming World Cup, are targeting their first-ever tournament victory after losing all six previous matches across appearances in 1986 and 2022. Coach Jesse Marsch's squad, featuring Bayern Munich's Alphonso Davies and Juventus's Jonathan David, reached the 2024 Copa America semi-finals and will face Bosnia-Herzegovina, Qatar, and Switzerland in their group.
26 May 2026 · The Namibian →
Lionel Messi was diagnosed with muscle fatigue in his left hamstring after leaving Inter Miami's match on Sunday, with no clear return date announced. The injury comes weeks before the World Cup, which kicks off June 11 with Argentina's first match scheduled five days later against Algeria.
26 May 2026 · The Namibian →
England defender Harry Maguire said he was "shocked and gutted" to be left out of Thomas Tuchel's World Cup squad for the tournament in North America. The 33-year-old Manchester United centre-back, who has 66 caps, had been included in the England squad in March but will not be travelling to the World Cup.
21 May 2026 · The Namibian →
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has received pledges of support from the African and Asian football confederations ahead of his expected candidacy for a fourth term in 2027. The two confederations account for 101 votes out of 211 in FIFA's presidential election.
30 April 2026 · The Namibian →
Bosnia defeated Italy 4-1 in a penalty shootout to qualify for their second World Cup, sparking celebrations across the country with thousands gathering in stadiums and streets waving flags and singing.
2 April 2026 · The Namibian →
Iraq's national football team qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1986 after a 2-1 victory over Bolivia, sparking celebrations across Baghdad despite the country's involvement in the Middle East conflict that has killed over 100 people. The win was described by residents as a source of national unity during dire economic circumstances and ongoing violence.
2 April 2026 · The Namibian →
Iraq defeated Bolivia 2-1 in an intercontinental playoff in Mexico to secure the 48th and final World Cup berth, marking their first appearance at the finals since 1986. Despite disruptions from the regional conflict and a gruelling journey from Baghdad, Iraq will compete in Group I alongside France, Senegal, and Norway.
2 April 2026 · The Namibian →
The Democratic Republic of Congo defeated Jamaica 1-0 after extra time in an intercontinental playoff to secure their first World Cup appearance in 52 years. Axel Tuanzebe scored the decisive goal in the 100th minute, sending the Leopards to this summer's finals where they will face Portugal, Colombia and Uzbekistan in Group K.
2 April 2026 · The Namibian →
Scotland fell to a 1-0 defeat against Ivory Coast, with Nicolas Pepe scoring in the 12th minute, marking the second 1-0 loss in four days ahead of their first World Cup in 28 years. Manager Steve Clarke will be concerned about his team's lack of goals in the final third.
1 April 2026 · The Namibian →
Australia's Watford striker Nestory Irankunda scored twice as the Socceroos defeated World Cup qualifier Curacao 5-1 in Melbourne, securing a strong finish before heading to North America for the tournament. Curacao, the smallest nation ever to make a World Cup, face a difficult group including Germany, Ivory Coast and Ecuador.
31 March 2026 · The Namibian →