Jonathan Toews, a three-time Stanley Cup champion with the Chicago Blackhawks and two-time Olympic gold medallist with Canada, has retired from the NHL (JONATHAN DANIEL)
Jonathan Toews, a three-time Stanley Cup champion and a two-time Olympic gold medallist with Canada, announced his retirement from the NHL on Friday.
Toews, 38, captained the Chicago Blackhawks to Stanley Cup titles in 2010, 2013 and 2015 in a stellar 15-year tenure with the team.
He returned to the NHL last season after a two-year absence connected to chronic immune response syndrome and long Covid, scoring 11 goals and delivering 18 assists in 82 games for his hometown team the Winnipeg Jets.
"I have to say I'm satisfied, I'm fulfilled," Toews said in announcing his retirement in Winnipeg on Friday. "I'm so thankful and grateful for the career I had."
The Blackhawks congratulated Toews on a "remarkable career" in a post on X that called him the "heartbeat" of the teams he led.
Toews also starred for Canada, winning Olympic gold in 2010 and 2014, a world title in 2007 and the World Cup in 2016.
He finished his 16-season NHL career with 383 goals and 529 assists in 1,149 regular season games for the Blackhawks and Jets.
Winner of the 2010 Conn Smythe Trophy as most valuable player of the Stanley Cup playoffs, he scored 45 goals with 74 assists in 137 career NHL playoff games.
Jorge Martin says persistent front-end issues left him without the “spark to push” after missing out on a direct place in Qualifying 2 for the Czech Grand Prix.
The Spaniard could only set the 11th-fastest lap time during Friday Practice at Brno, ending up 0.6s off the ultimate pace aboard the factory Aprilia.
He was the only rider from the Italian manufacturer who didn’t progress into Q2; Trackhouse’s Ai Ogura topped the times ahead of works rider Marco Bezzecchi, while Raul Fernandez also made the cut while still recovering from appendicitis.
Martin made it clear that his one-lap struggles were not down to his physical fitness, insisting his recent crash at the start of the Hungarian GP had no impact on his performance on track.
Instead, he revealed that he simply lacked the confidence to push due to inexplicable issues with the front tyre on his RS-GP.
“I had good fun on the bike. I was always on the limit,” he said. “Physically, I feel much better than what I expected, so this is really good. I don't feel any limitation at all while riding. For sure, off the track, I feel the pain, but on the track, everything is good.
“Overall, I felt a really low feeling with the front during practice. I think I had some issue with the front tyre.
“Then I lost all that confidence. When I went into time attack, I didn't have that spark to push. I was improving every run, but I didn't have it, and I wasn't able to go to Q2.”
Jorge Martin, Aprilia Racing Team
Jorge Martin, Aprilia Racing Team
Martin said the problem he faced at Brno on Friday was similar to the issue that held him back during the previous two rounds in Italy and Hungary.
"Yes, it's been a few races [where I’ve had this problem]," he admitted. "Mugello, then Balaton, and now here, a bit of the same issue with the front.
“I don't really understand why, but we need to analyse and check what is going on. I feel we improved a lot during the practice, but still I'm far from the other guys, so we need to understand for tomorrow.”
However, Martin remains optimistic about his chances for Saturday, where he will have another chance to make it into Q2.
“I think tomorrow will be another story. Everything will come to normal,” he said. “For sure, we need to work. It's not that it will come just like this, but I feel that the other athletes are going fast. For sure, something was wrong with my motorbike.”
Martin will have to serve a double long-lap penalty in Sunday’s race, with the stewards having found him guilty of triggering the opening lap melee at Balaton Park a fortnight ago.
The 2024 champion tried the long-lap loop several times during practice to prepare, admitting the asphalt was dirty as expected.
Jorge Martin, Aprilia Racing Team
Jorge Martin, Aprilia Racing Team
“It was really dirty in the morning,” he said. “Every lap is a bit better, but you cannot lean like usual. I hope some of the Moto2 riders also have long laps because I was watching the practice, and nobody was going there, just myself.
“But every in-lap, out-lap, I'm going there, and I feel now it's much better than in the morning.
“Overall, in terms of safety, I think it's safer to go on the green [section], because if somebody comes [in my way], I just go there. I don't lose a lot.
“Honestly, I'm cleaning quite a lot, and I hope that I will be losing around 1.5s, so it's not a disaster for each long lap. It's not a disaster, and I think it's one of the fastest things in the calendar.”
The DTM is already battling massive heat on the first day of practice at the Lausitzring, as evidenced by the occasional swimming pool positioned in front of the team trucks. Only Mercedes-AMG seems to be comfortable with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees: DTM leader Maro Engel secured the fastest time of the day in the second session with a 1:20.408, ahead of his Landgraf brand mate Lucas Auer, who was just two thousandths of a second slower.
Third place went to Arjun Maini (+0.079), the best of the two Ford Mustang drivers, who had already dominated the official test day. The Indian driver was the fastest in the first session with a 1:20.986 - set on used tyres. Fourth was Manthey Porsche driver Thomas Preining (+0.212), who recorded an even faster first sector before running into traffic.
Will the tyre-friendly Mercedes-AMG GT3 live up to its role as the favourite in the heat? A strong long run by Auer in the first practice session, where the Austrian consistently stayed below the 1:22 mark, certainly suggests so. "Basically, it should be positive for us, but it is still a bit early to really draw conclusions," says pace-setter Maro Engel, downplaying expectations.
"Changes the handling": The influence of the trucks
"At the Red Bull Ring, the heat was very good for us. In Zandvoort, where you generally switch the tyre on faster, it was rather difficult," he adds, putting things into perspective. According to Engel, track conditions are different from the test two weeks ago, when the asphalt temperature was 25 degrees instead of 45.
"And the trucks with the truck rubber are here, so we still have to adjust a bit," the 40-year-old adds. The racing trucks of the German TGP championship on the support bill play a major role again this year, as the Goodyear truck tyres harmonise well with the DTM tyre - and the Lausitzring, which offers little grip and is rarely used, generally becomes significantly faster over the course of the weekend anyway.
"Basically, the track is faster, meaning more grip. You can definitely feel that," Engel says, describing the influence of the trucks. "But it also changes the handling here and there - and you have to adjust to that a little bit."
Lamborghini: Engstler off-track and strong Paul long run
The practice sessions generally proceeded without major incidents. Abt Lamborghini driver Luca Engstler lost the rear in the second session and ended up in the gravel trap. In the first session, the Kempten-based driver, who finished twelfth overall with a 0.363-second deficit, also reported an incident over the radio: "I hit the wall but no further damage."
The Lamborghini drivers put in a good showing: Mirko Bortolotti was eighth, 0.310 seconds back - placing him ahead of his Grasser teammate Maximilian Paul, who finished ninth (+0.329). The local hero from Dresden caught the eye in the first practice session with a strong long run - his consistent lap times well below 1:22 were even stronger than those of Bortolotti.
The HRT drivers in the Ford Mustang confirmed the strong results from the test, but the big challenge will be the long runs: despite the Evo package, the tyres on the US-built machine tend to overheat, especially at these temperatures - and only three sets of tyres are available per vehicle this weekend.
Glocks run of bad luck continues
For Timo Glock, the streak of bad luck continues: the 44-year-old had to park his Dorr McLaren eleven minutes before the end of the first practice session. "Timo, suspension damage - end of session," race engineer Gerd Kusstatscher radioed to him. In the second session, he finished 17th, 0.611 seconds off the pace, while teammate Ben Dorr took fifth place, just 0.225 seconds back.
It was also a disappointing day for the Ferrari squad Emil Frey: the Swiss team, which won here last year with Jack Aitken, finished in the lower ranks in both sessions. Zandvoort winner Matteo Cairoli (+0.694) was 19th in the overall standings, while Thierry Vermeulen (+0.738) could manage no better than 20th.
Ferrari and BMW failing to find momentum
Emil Frey technical director Jurg Flach had decided at short notice to attend the official test due to an unfavourable Balance of Performance (BoP), but even the additional boost pressure granted by a BoP change before the weekend does not seem to have the desired effect.
The Ferrari has to run with the maximum rear wing setting; furthermore, the vehicle was raised by two millimetres at the front axle and six millimetres at the rear axle, which has a negative impact in the corners. But things are not looking great for BMW either at the moment: Kelvin van der Linde (+0.403) and Marco Wittmann (+0.753) did not get beyond 14th and 21st places respectively.
It remains to be seen how the first qualifying session on Saturday will unfold: despite the heat, teams expect four to six outlaps before the tyre reaches temperature and fast laps become possible. At that point, the brakes - which are also under heavy strain - could become the limiting factor.
Who: Germany vs Ivory Coast What: FIFA World Cup 2026 Group E match Where: Toronto Stadium, Toronto, Canada When: Saturday, 4pm (20:00 GMT) How to follow: Keep up with all updates on Al Jazeera Sport
One of the most mouthwatering matches in the second round of games in the World Cup 2026 group stage sees four-time champions Germany facing a talented Ivory Coast outfit in Toronto on Saturday evening.
Kai Havertz has scored in four straight major tournaments for Germany, despite not being a recognised No 9 [Annegret Hilse/Reuters]
Germany under the radar?
After disappointing group-stage exits in 2018 and 2022, Germany came into this tournament somewhat under the radar, with the perennial powerhouse ranked only seventh-favourites to lift their fifth World Cup.
While they turned on the style thanks to young stars like Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz to pile on the goals against Curacao – the smallest nation by size and population ever to have taken part in a World Cup – and the goals have flowed in 10 straight wins, this will be a far stiffer test.
Curacao caused the German defence a few problems, especially in the opening half-hour, and it’s their pivotal central-defensive pairing of Jonathan Tah and Nico Schlotterbeck, playing in front of 40-year-old keeper Manuel Neuer, that will ultimately decide how deep the Germans can go in this tournament.
Dynamic Arsenal attacking midfielder Kai Havertz continued his recent goalscoring run for club and country with a double for Germany in the opening game, but he will likely find the Ivory Coast defence a harder challenge than that posed by Curacao’s backline.
By winning their group opener, Germany did what they couldn’t in 2018 and 2022 and appear certain to progress to a first knockout match since the 2014 World Cup Final. Whether they advance as group winners, or limp through in the minor places, might well come down to the result in Toronto.
A win against Ivory Coast would secure direct top-two qualification to the Round of 32 and would likely be enough to top Group E should Ecuador fail to beat Curacao four hours later in Kansas City.
In an alternate scenario, even with a German victory against Ivory Coast, Ecuador – if they can beat both Curacao and then the Germans in Thursday’s group finale – would make things very interesting, with the potential for three teams – Germany, Ivory Coast and Ecuador – to be locked on six points and tiebreakers needed to separate them.
It matters because the team finishing first will play a third-placed qualifier, while the runner-up will face the team finishing second in the group featuring France, Norway, Senegal and Iraq, and the team qualifying third would face a group winner, potentially England or Mexico.
The Elephants might have ridden their luck, but ending Ecuador’s 19-match unbeaten streak across nearly two years in their opening game caught the eye of their fan base and will have raised expectations.
Amad Diallo’s last-minute winner ensured Ivory Coast have now won a game at all four World Cups for which they have qualified, and they can reach the knockout stages for the first time, if they defeat Germany.
In fact, they can seal top spot in Group E should they beat Die Mannschaft and Ecuador fail to beat Curacao in the other group game later on Saturday evening.
A draw against Germany would make for an intriguing group finale on Thursday night, as it would likely leave all three teams in with a chance of finishing first going into the final game, with Ivory Coast potentially needing to beat Curacao by more than six goals to ensure supremacy on goal difference.
How does the group stage work?
Germany, Ivory Coast, Ecuador and Curacao are in Group E.
They will play each other once in the initial stage of the tournament. The top two teams from each of the 12 groups – along with the eight best third-placed teams – will proceed to the next phase, the round of 32, which has been introduced at the World Cup for the first time.
Head-to-head
This will be just the second meeting between Germany and Ivory Coast.
The previous game was a friendly in November 2009, which saw Lukas Podolski score twice, including a last-gasp equaliser in a 2-2 draw.
Form guide:
(Last five games, latest match first)
Germany: W-W-W-W-W
Ivory Coast: W-W-W-W-L
Germany’s thumping win over Curacao last Sunday means they have won 10 straight games going back to September 2025 and have scored two or more goals in nine of those matches.
They have, however, struggled at the opposite end of the pitch, conceding goals in seven straight World Cup matches, their longest run since 1970, and their last clean sheet came in the 2014 final against Argentina in Brazil.
Ivory Coast go in search of a fifth straight victory, and confidence is high after both the Ecuador triumph last Sunday, which followed their 2-1 win against world number-three France in their final warm-up game in Paris on June 4.
Their last defeat came in the AFCON quarterfinal against Egypt in January.
5 - Last night for @equipenatciv vs Ecuador, Yan Diomande became the first player Opta has on record since 1966 to create 5+ chances (5), make 5+ tackles (5), win 10+ duels (11) and have 10+ touches in the opposition’s box (12) in a FIFA World Cup match.
Coach Julian Nagelsmann might well keep faith with the same XI that eventually put Curacao to the sword, but if he does, it might be tough on Deniz Undav.
The Stuttgart forward came off the bench to replace Jamal Musiala with 26 minutes to go and scored and provided two assists as Germany picked up their biggest win since the 2014 semifinal against Brazil. The versatile Undav has scored seven times and added four assists in just 10 appearances for Die Mannschaft.
Team news: Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast coach Emerse Fae likely has more decisions to make.
Elye Wahi started the win over Ecuador up front before being replaced just before the hour by Ange-Yoan Bonny.
He was initially denied entry into Canada for this match due to visa complications. He was linked to a sports betting scandal while playing for Nice in Ligue 1 last month, but has since been authorised to travel and could yet be involved.
Bonny and unused subs from the first game, Oumar Diakite and Evann Guessand, are alternative options in attack.
Diallo came off the bench to win it, and the Manchester United attacking midfielder will be pushing to start, which might mean a switch of flanks for teenage starlet Yan Diomande, who stole the show on the right against Ecuador and will be eager to put on a show against the nation in which he plays for RB Leipzig.
Y. Fofana (goalkeeper); Doue, Singo, Agbadou, Konan; Diallo, Kessie, S. Fofana, Diomande; Bonny, Toure.
You can follow the action on Al Jazeera’s dedicated FIFA World Cup 2026 page with all the latest news, match build-up and live text commentary and keep up to date with group standings, real-time match results and schedules.
Alexander Zverev is through to the semi-finals of the Halle Open, where he will face American Taylor Fritz (CARMEN JASPERSEN)
French Open champion Alexander Zverev will face American Taylor Fritz in the semi-finals of the ATP event in Halle after edging Raphael Collignon in straight sets on Friday.
The world number three and top seed won 7-6 (12/10), 7-6 (7/3) on the lightning-fast grass, with both men holding their serve throughout the match in the traditional Wimbledon warm-up ATP event.
Zverev converted his second match point against his Belgian rival to win in just over two hours in warm conditions in Germany's west.
"It was an incredible match, with a very high level of play from both players," Zverev said, adding: "those two sets could have easily gone the other way."
The German will face Fritz in the semi-finals in his bid to win a maiden grass court title of his career, just weeks after breaking through for a debut Grand Slam victory.
Zverev, who made the final in Halle in 2016 and 2017, has a poor recent record against Fritz, having lost his past six matches against the American.
Earlier on Friday, Fritz battled past Ben Shelton in three sets, exacting revenge on his countryman five days after losing the title match in Stuttgart.
World number nine Fritz won 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (10/8), 7-6 (7/3) in two hours and 45 minutes.
Shelton, the world number five, beat the 29-year-old Fritz to claim his first career title on grass in the Stuttgart ATP tournament last Sunday.
It was a battle between the two American big servers, neither player was broken throughout the match, with each set win coming through tiebreaks.
Shelton triumphed in the opening set. Fritz, a career grass court specialist, fought back to claim the second, saving a match point to force a deciding set.
Shelton fell to the grass midway through the third set and limped back to his bench but was able to continue.
Fritz grew more confident as the match went on and was in control to win the third and final tiebreak.
Later on Friday, world number four Felix Auger Aliassime plays Frances Tiafoe and fourth seed Daniil Medvedev faces Daniel Altmaier in the remaining quarter-finals.
MotoGP is not currently holding any discussions over adding further street circuits to the calendar, with the series stressing that Adelaide will remain a standalone case for the foreseeable future.
Earlier this year, the championship sparked a major debate by announcing that Adelaide will replace the popular Phillip Island Circuit as the venue for the Australian Grand Prix in 2027.
The proposed event will see the next-generation 850cc bikes racing around the city centre and Victoria Park, on a site previously used by Formula 1 from 1985 to 1995.
Following initial concerns from fans about rider safety at a fully urban venue, MotoGP had already clarified that the Adelaide project didn’t mark a shift to broader city-based tracks.
Now, MotoGP SEG sporting director Carlos Ezpeleta has reiterated that position, revealing that the series is not discussing the possibility of replicating that concept in other cities at present.
“There are two very distinct sorts of scenarios,” Ezpeleta told select media at Brno.
“One is Buenos Aires, which is a huge opportunity for us with an urban population of 14 million people, and a permanent circuit in the centre of that.
“That is easier than something like Adelaide, where there's a specific geographical feat about the city where they can build something and take it down.
“With regards to Adelaide, we're not having any other conversation like that at the moment.
Carlos Ezpeleta, Dorna Sports
Carlos Ezpeleta, Dorna Sports
“The world has to sort of see what that looks like, and it's an incredible opportunity also for MotoGP to showcase that it is possible.
“We're really, really excited, but we're not having any other conversations like that.”
Under new owner Liberty Media, MotoGP is pushing on bringing the series closer to fans, with the addition of both the Adelaide street circuit and the revamped permanent track in Argentina’s capital city a part of the same strategy.
Separately, Liberty is also exploring the possibility of bringing MotoGP to Miami, which has become an important commercial destination for F1.
MotoGP is indeed holding discussions to race at the Miami Autodrome in the long term, but Ezpeleta clarified that he doesn’t view the Florida venue as a bona fide street circuit.
“I consider Miami and Adelaide very different,” he said, referring to the temporary circuit built around the Hard Rock Stadium.
Mercedes has identified an issue with its battery that is at the heart of its recent Formula 1 race retirements which have cost both George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, and is working on a permanent fix.
After Russell’s Mercedes conked out while he was leading the Canadian Grand Prix last month, Antonelli suffered the same fate while running in second place in the Barcelona GP last weekend. Both were linked to a failure with Mercedes' battery.
While not specifically linked to the works team’s problem, customer squad McLaren has also suffered a run of electrical trouble; Lando Norris needed a battery change during the Monaco GP weekend and retired from the race with power unit settings being noted as the cause of his DNF, while both Norris and Oscar Piastri failed to start the Chinese GP with separate electrical issues.
Speaking immediately after the Barcelona GP, Wolff said Mercedes can’t afford the run of retirements in the battle for the F1 world titles and the team would “leave no stone unturned to understand” what was causing the unreliability.
After diagnosing Antonelli's car after the Barcelona race, Mercedes technical director James Allison said the team has pinpointed the issue to its power unit’s battery and a permanent fix is being worked on.
“I think anyone who's a keen watcher of the sport will have seen that this has laid a few Mercedes engine cars low over the season so far,” Allison said on Mercedes’ Nu Silver Arrows Radio Show. “They're not all identical, but they do sort of originate in the same broad part of the battery.
George Russell, Mercedes
George Russell, Mercedes
“I think that most of the areas of risk have been understood. And with a bit of luck, when we start to sort of phase in the new modules into the racing season – then our fortunes as a fleet should pick up.
“Obviously for us, that's an important thing. These DNFs are very, very painful.”
Speaking more broadly about how the team designs and builds parts with reliability in mind, Allison explained how the team aims to identify failures either in testing or in engine rigs to avoid being exposed in races – but inevitably, when pushed to extremes and in different racing conditions, previously unidentified weaknesses can appear.
“You accept that there will be failure. We try to make sure that failure happens in testing or on rigs and that it happens as little as possible when you're out there trying to earn championship points,” Allison said.
“Now, clearly it doesn't always work because occasionally the car will DNF and that is definitely a failure of our process and all of our attempts to deliver performance without the downside of that performance.
“But when a failure like that does happen, then in the first instance and perhaps before it's fully understood, then the team will tend to take a slight half-step backwards to be more cautious with the equipment, to push it slightly less hard, just to give a little bit of resilience to the kit that's obviously suffering.
James Allison, Mercedes
James Allison, Mercedes
“But a different part of the team will try to figure out what was the root cause of that failure to design that out, prove that out and put something back on the table that is sufficiently robust.
“So you do a first intervention that is just to try to sort of give the vulnerable thing an easier life while then working on a proper cure that lets you really cane it.”
Mercedes hasn’t given a timeline on when the “proper cure” will be ready as it begins preparations for four race weekends across five weeks, starting with the Austrian GP next weekend.
But given its two DNFs in Canada and Barcelona have effectively cost 43 points - ignoring changes of positions for the sister car after the retirements - Mercedes' dominant position in the F1 world constructors' championship has been eroded to 72 points by Ferrari.
Cam Waters and Tickford Racing have put a tough mid-season behind them with a first win of the season in the first of three Supercars races at Hidden Valley in Australia’s Northern Territory.
In the first-ever Friday race at the Darwin circuit, Waters and his Ford Mustang came from fourth on the grid and pitted later than early leader Brodie Kostecki (Dick Johnson Racing Ford) to take the lead at Turn 1 and come home to a narrow victory, in a race that featured a one-lap dash to the flag after a late safety car.
“A long hard slog, for sure,” said Waters, whose victory ended a 47-race winless streak. “We haven’t had the best start to the year but we have been there or thereabouts.
“I thought he [Kostecki] was going to make it a little bit harder for me but I had a fresher tyre. Amazing to get a win, it has been a hard year."
In unseasonably cool conditions (it even rained lightly during the second part of Qualifying), Kostecki took the early lead from the Team 18 Chevrolet Camaro of Anton De Pasquale – the pair shared the front row for the fifth time of their careers. Both lost positions in the race, with the Grove Racing Fords of Kai Allen and Matt Payne pushing the 2023 champion back to fourth in one fell swoop on lap 32.
Allen, who scored a podium at the track a year ago, said: “I love this track.
“I need to get the qualifying a little better but the race car was really good. I got to the back of Brodie’s rear bar and we tried to get a double podium, and it worked out.”
Payne rued the loss a couple of seconds when a rear wheel stuck during his pitstop.
“Kai was making the moves for us,” he said. “I thought the car was pretty speedy but we just had a hiccup during the pitstop.”
Earlier, Kostecki shrugged off a problem with his engine’s throttle body, which stranded him in the garage for the opening 15 minutes of the sole Practice session, and a bout of flu, to take pole position. But his car lacked the race pace of the other Fords and he had to settle for fourth place at the finish.
Will Brown took fifth for Triple Eight Racing, thereby giving Ford a sweep of the top five places at a track that has previously featured only Chevrolet wins during the Gen3 era.
The best of the rest was De Pasquale, just ahead of the Toyota GR Supra of Walkinshaw TWG’s Chaz Mostert. The defending Supercars Champion just missed making the Qualifying cut to the top 10 session and started 11th, before passing team-mate Ryan Wood on his way to seventh.
Points leader Broc Feeney, the winner of six of the eight previous Gen3 races at the circuit, started from 13th on the grid after a tricky qualifying session. He did his cause no good at all by running off immediately when rejoining after his pitstop and complained of a lack of straightline speed during the race, finishing 14th. As a result, the 90-point lead he brought to the event has been reduced to 59.
The Supercars teams and drivers will return to action on Saturday and Sunday with two 70-lap, 200km races.
Thomas Tuchel put himself on the spot in front of his England players by throwing a ceremonial first pitch in the Kansas City Royals baseball team’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals.
England head coach Tuchel and members of his squad were guests at the Kauffman Stadium to watch the Royals barely 24 hours after winning their opening World Cup game against Croatia in Dallas.
Having seen captain Harry Kane score from the spot with a retaken penalty against Croatia, Tuchel put himself on the spot by throwing a ceremonial first pitch to Royals manager Matt Quatraro.
The moment was captured on film by delighted fans at the game after the stadium announcer welcomed the England players on the stadium’s big screen.
England head coach Tuchel, donning a Royals shirt, throws a ceremonial first pitch - Ed Zurga/Getty Images
In a reversal of roles, England’s players were able to sit back and assess their head coach’s technique, as Tuchel tossed a right-handed pitch to Quatraro.
Against Croatia, Tuchel had inspired his team’s 4-2 victory with an inspiring half-time speech after being unhappy with elements of the first-half performance.
Kane, who was welcomed by name at the Royals, scored twice against Croatia with Jude Bellingham and substitute Marcus Rashford also getting on the scoresheet.
England captain Harry Kane watches on as Tuchel throws from the mound - Charlie Riedel
Tuchel and his players were relaxing on Thursday night between World Cup games after flying straight back to their Kansas training base from Dallas.
The England squad face Ghana in their next Group L game next Tuesday, which gave the players and Tuchel an opportunity to switch off ahead of stepping up their preparations for the game in Boston.
Kane and vice-captain Declan Rice are both confident they will be fully fit to face Ghana. Rice went off against Croatia with some pain in his lower back that may need managing, while Kane experienced some cramp.
Iran’s 2026 World Cup team will lodge a complaint with FIFA claiming they are being subjected to travel restrictions during the tournament in North America, the Iranian football federation spokesperson said on Thursday.
“Despite having submitted its preparation schedule for the tournament well in advance, Iran’s national football team has once again encountered restrictions imposed by the organisers, affecting the implementation of its technical staff’s plans,” the spokesperson said, according to AFP news agency.
Iran wanted to fly from their base camp in Tijuana, Mexico, to the United States two days before their next group match against Belgium in Los Angeles on Sunday. But the Iranian federation claims its request was turned down.
Iran drew 2-2 with New Zealand in their opening World Cup match on Monday in Los Angeles [Patrick T Fallon/AFP]
“Given that the game will be played at 12pm local time in Los Angeles, the football federation of Iran requested that the team be allowed to travel to Los Angeles two days before the match,” the spokesman said.
“The aim was to provide sufficient time for players to adapt to the match conditions, complete their final training session, and finalise preparations.
“Despite the technical reasons presented by the federation, the request was once again denied.”
After Iran’s first World Cup game on Monday – in which they drew 2-2 with New Zealand in a politically charged encounter – US officials said that the team will have to leave the country within hours of the full-time whistle at their World Cup group games in Los Angeles and Seattle.
The Iranian delegation left the US hours after the match in LA ended at about 8pm local time (03:00 GMT) and returned to their base camp in Mexico, prompting criticism of the US handling of their visas, as the team did not get a day to recover at their hotel.
Mehdi Taremi #9 and other Iran players walk out of the tunnel for the warm-up before the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group G match against New Zealand at Los Angeles Stadium on Monday [Richard Heathcote/Getty Images/AFP]
‘Match day minus one,’ says US government
The US administration has pushed back against the Iranian claims.
Andrew Giuliani, the executive director of the White House FIFA Task Force, said on Monday that Iran had been informed in advance that they would be allowed to come into the US only on the day before the game.
“The team will be allowed to come in, match day minus one, so the day before the match,” Giuliani told CBS News.
“They’ll be asked to leave the day that the match wraps up, so the evening of the match. And they’ll be able to do that again in Los Angeles.”
He added that the procedure would be the same for Iran’s final group game against Egypt in Seattle on June 26.
Iran, who are in Group G, kicked off their campaign this week in North America after months of uncertainty over the team’s participation in the World Cup amid the US-Israel war on Iran.
In a rare move, NASCAR moved the start time for last weekend's race at Pocono up a full two hours, which they were only able to do thanks to flexibility provided by Prime Video as a streaming service.
On this week's edition ofInside the Race, both Steve Letarte and Kyle Petty praised NASCAR and Prime for the proactive measure, which allowed for all 400 miles/160 laps of racing to take place without a single delay.
"Bravo to Prime," remarked Letarte, a former Daytona 500-winning crew chief. "I know I work for them, but bravo because I will tell you, about five minutes after we got off the post-race stage, there would have been no racing. The rain was there."
Petty agreed, saying: "There's a million fans you could probably call up on the phone right now that have sat in the grandstands for five or six hours to see the last half of a race, saying 'oh my gosh I wish they would have moved it up so we could see the whole race.' I applaud Amazon, NASCAR, everybody. We are very blessed to be with Amazon in this period of time, when they can make that adjustment. Some networks can't make that adjustment, some networks can't. I completely understand that, but to be with a partner like Amazon who can adjust for the fans and the competitors, everybody won in this."
'Inside the Race' will be live from San Diego this Sunday, hosting a post-race show from Naval Base Coronado. Our Senior NASCAR Editor Matt Weaver will make an appearance on the show, which you can watch live on Motorsport.com following the conclusion of Prime's final broadcast of the 2026 season.
Top-ranked Scottie Scheffler, left, and caddie Ted Scott celebrate after Scheffler made par at the 18th hole in te first round of the 126th US Open at Shinnecock (Warren Little)
Top-ranked Scottie Scheffler struggled to a two-over par 72 in Thursday's first round of the US Open, saying "good" shots were not good enough in punishing winds at Shinnecock.
Scheffler, needing a victory this week to complete a career Grand Slam, followed bogeys with birdies on the next hole three times in his round, but a three-putt double bogey at the ninth was crucial.
"It felt like a day where a lot of good shots were going to get punished is what it felt like," Scheffler said.
"You had to be hitting a 'great' shot if you wanted to avoid a punishment. I think 'good' would put you in some tough spots."
There was, however, one saving grace in his struggles.
"It's a little easier sometimes in a US Open because it's happening to everybody," Scheffler said.
With memories of watering the greens between groups in 2004 and 2018 US Opens at Shinnecock, the US Golf Association dialed back the maximum green speeds -- more than Scheffler expected.
"I would say the greens were maybe a little softer than I expected, but I think with the wind that was forecasted, you always want to err on the side of caution," Scheffler said.
"The last thing that they wanted was having balls blowing off greens, so they might have put a little extra juice on them last night to slow them down."
Scheffler rated most of the greens as fine but warned of outliers where balls struggled to hold their positions.
"There's a couple greens where there's so much pitch that (if) you get the wind going down the slope it can roll off pretty easily," said Scheffler.
"It was probably maybe a little softer than I thought. Just I had imagined it would be firm and slow, I guess."
Even with less than the maximum test the US Open has typically been, the wind and greens and dense rough were more than enough to send scores soaring.
"Any time you get conditions like this, I think the scores are going to be high," Scheffler said. "It's an interesting golf course. Part of the challenge so far is judging the conditions as well, judging how this course is going to play.
"This course can change pretty rapidly from day to day. That's also part of the challenge of the tournament is adjusting to those conditions."
The result left Scheffler within reach but needing to adjust to make a charge for the top.
"It was a really challenging day," he said. "Overall it was a good battle. Get some rest, and we'll see how the course changes."
Former Formula 1 driver and Sky Sports analyst Martin Brundle has branded the handling of the Monaco Grand Prix pitlane penalties and Pierre Gasly's reinstated podium "a mess with no easy solution".
Writing in his regular post-race column following the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix, which saw Lewis Hamilton secure his maiden grand prix victory for Ferrari, Brundle commented on the Monaco penalty situation.
Several drivers were handed penalties during the Monaco Grand Prix for speeding in the pitlane. While the majority of those drivers served the penalties during the race, Gasly, who finished third on the road, had the time added after the chequered flag and lost the podium as a result.
Alpine lodged a right of review, which was ultimately successful after the French team was able to provide evidence clearing Gasly that was not available to the stewards at the time. Gasly's podium was subsequently reinstated ahead of the Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix.
McLaren and Red Bull, whose drivers either served their penalties during the race or were affected by the reinstated podium, have now begun the appeals process. Mercedes had, but has since withdrawn.
Martin Brundle
Martin Brundle
"That's a very complicated and uncomfortable decision," Brundle wrote of Gasly's reinstated podium. "Other drivers in Monaco had served their penalties and adjusted strategies accordingly, and Russell's race was destroyed, but because they were not post-race penalties nothing was changed for them retrospectively in the results.
"This will now be appealed by Mercedes, McLaren and Red Bull who all lost out. Ferrari are not too bothered as it cost Mercedes and McLaren points. This also sets a precedent of not serving marginal in-race penalties to preserve the right to contest them post-race.
"It's all a mess with no easy solution. It turns out one of the timing loops in the Monaco pit lane was 77cm shorter than calibrated hence lots of 60.1kph recordings when the limit was 60kph."
He concluded: "Lessons will be learned no doubt and the story will presumably run a while."
American Sam Stevens fired a two-under par 68 to grab a one-stroke lead in the first round of the 126th US Open at Shinnecock (Warren Little)
Unheralded American Sam Stevens grabbed the early clubhouse lead in Thursday's first round of the US Open with Rory McIlroy and Ludvig Aberg only one stroke adrift.
Gusting winds under overcast skies at Shinnecock combined with thick rough and greens slightly softened by watering to baffle the world's top golfers.
Stevens, who has never won a PGA Tour event, sank a birdie putt from just outside six feet at the ninth hole, his last of the day, to fire a two-under par 68.
The 29-year-old Texan, in only his eighth major start, began with a double bogey at 10, waited through a two-hour fog delay then solved Shinnecock for six birdies against two bogeys.
"Got off to a weird start but made a birdie on the very next hole. Felt like I settled in after that," Stevens said.
"Drove the ball well. Hit my irons really well. Had a lot of birdie looks. The greens were a little bit softer. They had to water them. Made a few nice putts."
American amateur Ryder Cowan was at two-under through five holes.
McIlroy, another back-nine starter, closed with back-to-back bogeys after making an 11-foot eagle putt on the par-five fifth to shoot 69 and share second in the clubhouse with Sweden's Aberg and Americans Max Greyserman and Brian Harman.
"Overall, a really good day," McIlroy said. "Obviously it stings a little bit to finish the way that I did, especially not feeling like I hit particularly bad iron shots on eight and nine there."
McIlroy, who won his sixth career major at the Masters in April, stayed patient in tough conditions.
"It was obviously a really tricky day and just a day to stay patient and hang in there, and I hit enough good shots to give myself some chances," he said. "I think anything in red figures today was a good effort."
Second-ranked McIlroy could become just the seventh player to capture the Masters and US Open in the same year, the first since Jordan Spieth in 2015.
Aberg, a back-nine starter chasing his first major title, sank a birdie putt from just inside 30 feet to briefly lead but fell back after a bogey at the fourth after finding the left rough.
"The wind is definitely a big factor," Aberg said. "Pleased with the way I was hitting it, pleased with the way I was scrambling when I had to. Yeah, it's a tough test."
A field of 156 chased a record top prize of $4.5 million from a record $22.5 million purse.
Organizers kept green speeds below maximum and watered greens between waves to help balls stay on the putting surfaces amid the gusting winds.
In the 2004 and 2018 US Opens at Shinnecock, brutal winds and high green speeds had groundskeepers watering greens between groups in a bid to keep the course playable, many complaining that organizers had "lost the course."
- Scott's run hits 100 -
Adam Scott, the 2013 Masters winner, made his 100th consecutive major start, joining Jack Nicklaus with 146 in a row as the only men to reach the milestone. The 45-year-old Australian fired a 73.
Top-ranked Scottie Scheffler, seeking a victory to complete a career Grand Slam, shot 72.
The two-time Masters winner won captured last year's British Open and PGA Championship to give himself a first chance at the career Slam at Shinnecock on Sunday, his 30th birthday.
Brooks Koepka, chasing his sixth major title on the same course where he won the 2018 US Open, fired a 73.
"Conditions were tough," Koepka said. "It's just weird how soft the greens are. I understand why they're soft. Not complaining. It's just a difficult day."
The 36-year-old American is fighting an ulnar nerve issue that numbed his left ring finger and pinky and forced him to withdraw from last week's PGA Canadian Open.
Lionel Messi’s father is recovering from a health issue and “evolving favourably”, his family said in a statement.
The family said on Thursday that Jorge was “under medical follow-up” and asked for privacy. It did not specify the nature of the health issue.
Speculation about the health of Jorge intensified after Lionel wiped away tears with his shirt after scoring Argentina’s first goal against Algeria at the World Cup last Tuesday.
“My tears after the first goal? I’ve had some tough days. It wasn’t related to football. And those feelings were because of that,” Messi said. “I thank my teammates, the coaching staff and the delegation for helping me.”
The family statement, released by Messi’s media office, came on the same day that reports of Jorge’s death circulated in Argentina.
“At times like these, we ask for responsibility, prudence and humanity,” the family said. “A person’s health and the peace of mind of their loved ones should not be the subject of speculation or irresponsible media interest.”
Jorge Messi played a key role in his son’s career, acting as his agent and managing his business affairs off the field.
He accompanied the young Messi to Barcelona in the early 2000s for a tryout at La Masia, the Spanish club’s youth academy.
His father also negotiated Messi’s contracts with Barcelona and then his transfers to Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Miami, while also managing his son’s image rights and several investments in real estate, hotels and restaurants.
In 2016, Messi and his father were convicted in Spain on tax evasion charges but avoided prison time because the sentence was less than two years.
While Messi is with his teammates at Argentina’s base camp in Kansas City awaiting their second group match against Austria on Monday in Dallas, his family expressed their “sincere gratitude for the outpouring of affection, respect and concern received”.
“We request that the privacy and confidentiality of Jorge and his entire family be respected during this process,” the statement said.
Argentina will continue their title defence with a Group J game against Austria on Monday.
South Africa scored a penalty seven minutes from full-time as they fought back to draw 1-1 with the Czech Republic at the World Cup after falling behind early in the Group A clash.
Teboho Mokoena slotted home the spot kick after Pavel Sulc’s handball handed the South Africans a lifeline on Thursday as they were staring at potential early elimination.
The Czechs led from the sixth minute when Michal Sadilek struck home after a clever slipped pass from Alexandr Sojka following Adam Hlozek’s delivery from the right wing.
Both teams now have a point after losing their respective opening games – two behind cohosts Mexico and South Korea, who face-off later on Thursday.
South Africa next face South Korea, while the Czech Republic take on the daunting task of playing Mexico in the Estadio Azteca.
Both sides started with disappointing performances and defeats on the World Cup’s opening day, but the Czechs quickly set about making amends.
Patrik Schick is the biggest name in a Czech side lacking the star quality of previous generations but the Bayer Leverkusen forward missed a glorious chance inside the first minute when he planted a header wide.
Miroslav Koubek’s men only had to wait another five minutes to take the lead.
Adam Hlozek’s cross was classily cushioned by Alexandr Sojka into the path of Sadilek, who calmly stroked the ball past Ronwen Williams.
Sadilek celebrates scoring for Czechia [Nathan Ray Seebeck/Reuters]
Now in their fourth attempt, South Africa have never progressed beyond the group stage at the World Cup.
Hugo Broos has overseen an upturn in Bafana Bafana’s fortunes since taking charge five years ago.
The 2010 hosts had not qualified for the World Cup since 2002 but finished third at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
Their return to the global stage has exposed a lack of quality, though, particularly in forward areas.
The Czechs were left to rue not making more of their chances to kill the game off early in the second half.
Vladimir Darida took too long to get his shot off with a big chance before Lukas Cerv’s long-range effort was tipped over by Williams.
There were thousands of empty seats on show at the futuristic home of the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, but those that were in attendance loudly booed the mid-half hydration breaks in an enclosed and air-conditioned stadium.
The majority of the crowd were backing South Africa and finally had something to cheer seven minutes from time.
Thapelo Maseko’s shot hit the arm of the unfortunate Pavel Sulc and referee Tori Penso, part of an all-female officiating team, pointed to the spot.
Mokoena confidently drilled home the spot-kick for his nation’s first World Cup goal in 16 years.
They came close to a second five minutes later when Matej Kovar saved from Relebohile Mofokeng.
But both sides had to settle for a point that could yet prove vital come the end of Wednesday’s final Group A games.
Peugeot is planning a major upgrade of its 9X8 Le Mans Hypercar for next year’s World Endurance Championship.
The French manufacturer is aiming to take advantage of a new Hypercar class regulation introduced for this year that allows additional evo joker updates in cases where there is a “demonstrated significant lack of performance”.
Peugeot did not make any performance upgrades for 2026 because it is understood to have used up the five evo jokers allowed to each manufacturer over the initial lifespan of each LMH and LMDh design.
Olivier Jansonnie, motorsport boss of Peugeot parent company Stellantis and formerly technical director of the Peugeot Sport in-house competitions department, said: “We must deliver performance on track, we must evolve and we must be allowed to do an evolution of the car.
“The rules have changed for this year to allow this kind of thing; they [series organisers the FIA and the Automobile Club de l’Ouest] are adapting the rules to re-homologate cars that are showing they are missing performance.
“We have been preparing this for some time now and hopefully should get it on track next year.”
#93 Peugeot Totalenergies Peugeot 9X8: Paul Di Resta, Stoffel Vandoorne, Nick Cassidy
#93 Peugeot Totalenergies Peugeot 9X8: Paul Di Resta, Stoffel Vandoorne, Nick Cassidy
Peugeot joined the WEC after Le Mans in 2022, but has yet to win a race. The best result for the 9X8 so far is a second at Fuji last year, while it also took a solitary third-place finish in each of the 2023, ’24 and ’25 seasons.
A major overhaul of the car was undertaken in time for the Imola round of the WEC in April 2024 when the 9X8 swapped from equal-size wheels and tyres all round to the narrower fronts and wider rears option raced by fellow LMH competitors Toyota and Ferrari.
That was followed by further updates for 2025, which are believed to have used up its final jokers.
Jansonnie stressed that Peugeot is not planning a new car, which is also allowed under the regulations, but he explained how the car is homologated is “completely in the hands of the ACO and the FIA”.
When Toyota undertook a series of updates to its GR010 HYBRID LMH (now known as the TR010) for 2023, the car was re-homologated as a new car.
Jansonnie would not be drawn on which areas of Peugeot’s WEC contender, which was dubbed the 9X8 2024 after the switch to wider rear tyres, will focus on.
Peugeot remains committed to the WEC through to the end of the homologation period of existing LMH and LMDh machinery at the climax of the 2029 season.
Company CEO Alain Favey said: “Peugeot is 216 years old and is extremely resilient, and that is what we want to demonstrate in our involvement in the WEC and at Le Mans 24 Hours.
“Therefore we confirmed that we will be part of the championship until 2029 in the knowledge that something would happen to the rules for 2030.”
Jansonnie added that the announcement of the broad principles of the 2030 rules during Le Mans week was good news for the championship because it offered stability.
He explained that the ability of manufacturers to continue to build their own chassis and develop their own hybrid systems under the new regulations was also important to Peugeot.
But he stated that there are two areas in which Peugeot is “challenging” the ACO and the FIA, one concerning the technological road map for the series and the other regarding the Balance of Performance.
The FIA and the ACO announced that a 20kW (26bhp) increase in maximum power, up from the current 520kW (697bhp), would be introduced for 2030 but that it could come only from the internal combustion component of the hybrid powertrain.
A first-ever hat-trick for Lionel Messi, heavyweights Spain stunned by tiny Cape Verde, and DR Congo silencing Cristiano Ronaldo-led Portugal.
What more could you ask from the opening week of a FIFA World Cup?
After the first round of group matches, here are our top 10 takeaways:
Last dance? Perhaps not, Lionel Messi has more in store
Before the tournament kicked off in North America, many thought Lionel Messi would be gearing himself up for his final act. But after his first-ever World Cup hat-trick – one that also matched the record for most World Cup goals – Messi has reminded us his story is not over just yet.
Where is Cristiano Ronaldo? Portugal star goes missing
While the Messi mania dominated headlines over recent days, his longtime rival, Cristiano Ronaldo, also made the news, albeit for the wrong reasons. “Is he past his prime?” was the collective question of viewers after his mostly anonymous display in Portugal’s 1-1 draw with DR Congo on Wednesday.
There is no stopping Kylian Mbappe
Becoming France’s all-time leading scorer always seemed a matter of when, not if, for Kylian Mbappe, and achieving the feat in their opening World Cup match was further proof of his extraordinary talent. The 27-year-old, now just two shy of matching the all-time haul for most World Cup goals, is making a habit of chasing records.
The Golden Boot race is taking shape
Long-range rockets, tap-ins, headers and more. There was no shortage of goals, and Argentinian legend Messi is the outright leader with three strikes. As many as seven players – including England’s Harry Kane, Norway’s Erling Haaland and France’s Mbappe – are tied for the second spot with two goals each.
Lionel Messi has taken the early lead in the race for the Golden Boot, an award handed to the tournament’s highest goal scorer [Amy Kontras/EPA]
The title favourites are having a hard time
This is, by far, the upset of the tournament. Spain – the absolute frontrunners for the World Cup – stumbled at their first hurdle, being held to a shock goalless draw by Cape Verde, the archipelago west of the African continent of about half a million people, and whose team sits 65 places below the World No 2 in the FIFA world rankings.
Do not write off DR Congo
Yoane Wissa‘s first-ever goal, DR Congo’s first at a World Cup, sparked joy among millions from Kinshasa to Niangara. And for the other teams competing in the tournament, the 1-1 draw with No 5-ranked Portugal sent a warning that the underdogs are out to challenge some of football’s best sides, especially when the world is watching.
Dear Curacao, welcome to the World Cup
The 7-1 thrashing by Germany did little to dampen the spirit of Curacao fans, many of whom made the journey to the United States. For the Caribbean tiny island – the smallest-ever country to play at a World Cup – defeat meant nothing in comparison to the happiness of seeing one of their own score at the sport’s biggest stage. Livano Comenencia is a hero for all of Curacao.
Pink boots are everywhere
Pink seems to be the colour of the month, well, at least at the World Cup. Several players were seen wearing the vibrant, monochromatic boots – or cleats, as Americans would say – regardless of the manufacturer. Be it Nike, Adidas or Puma, sportswear giants have joined this trend of making their boots “electric fuchsia”.
The Portugal team in the famous bright pink boots [Phil Noble/Reuters]
From beats to booze, fans bring the party to the World Cup
It’s safe to say a World Cup is the biggest celebration of football. And some countries just do it better than others.
With their green-and-yellow shirts, flags and pounding drums, Brazil fans brought a slice of Rio to New York, while Moroccans later joined the party, the red smoke from the flares lighting up the World Cup mood. In Boston, Scotland’s famous Tartan Army chugged pint after pint, nearly draining some pubs of all their beer in the first weekend during their World Cup occupation of the city.
Meet Mexico’s unofficial mascot: Merlin the duck
To best sum up the football craze in tournament co-host Mexico, the fandom is not limited to humans. A domesticated duck named Merlin, sporting a miniature Mexico shirt and custom duck socks, has waddled his way into the hearts of many, becoming an unlikely unofficial mascot for the country’s World Cup campaign.
Merlin, a duck wearing a Mexico national football team (‘El Tri’) jersey, shot to fame after a chance encounter on Reforma Avenue in the capital went viral following the World Cup opening match between Mexico and South Africa on June 11 [Paola Garcia/Reuters]
Canada's Ismael Kone waves to the crowd as he is carried off the field after suffering a serious injury during the heavy victory over Qatar (Fran Santiago)
Canada thrashed nine-man Qatar 6-0 to secure their first ever World Cup victory on Thursday as Switzerland reignited their campaign with a resounding defeat of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Tournament co-hosts Canada had lost all six of their previous matches at the World Cup, at the 1986 and 2022 finals, but brought that run of losses to a halt in spectacular fashion at Vancouver's BC Place Stadium.
With Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney -- wearing a replica Canada shirt -- among a fired-up crowd, Jesse Marsch's side ran riot to secure a win that leaves them needing only a point against Switzerland to finish top of Group B.
A hat-trick from Juventus striker Jonathan David, one goal apiece from Cyle Larin and Nathan Saliba, and a Mohammad Manai own goal sealed Canada's win.
The victory was marred though by a serious left leg injury to midfielder Ismael Kone, who was stretchered off after being clumsily upended by Qatar's Assim Madibo in the 51st minute.
Madibo was initially shown a yellow card for the challenge which was subsequently upgraded to red. The stricken Kone was given oxygen as he was carried off the field, waving to fans.
"It was a great game even before (Kone) got hurt, but I think after he got hurt it was tough to focus on the game, even finishing the game... we just wanted the game to end so we could all be together," David said.
"It will take a few days to sink in but obviously we know that what we've done today is historical for the country, our first win in the World Cup, and to do it in that fashion is really amazing."
Madibo's dismissal left Qatar down to nine men after Homam el-Amin was also sent off in the first half for denying a goalscoring opportunity.
Canada duly made their numerical advantage count, scoring three times in the second half to crucially boost their goal difference.
The Canadians are level with Switzerland on four points at the top of the group, but their superior goal difference means they will win Group B if they draw when the two sides meet in Vancouver on June 24.
- Switzerland on track -
Earlier Thursday, Switzerland got their campaign back on track with a 4-1 drubbing of Bosnia-Herzegovina at the SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles.
Johan Manzambi scored twice while Ruben Vargas and Granit Xhaka were on target in a late flurry of goals for the Swiss, who are dreaming of advancing beyond the last 16 for the first time at this World Cup.
Bosnia, who upset Italy in a playoff to reach this this year's tournament, are on the brink after a damaging loss that leaves them with one point from two games.
In other games on Thursday, South Africa, who had two men sent off in an abject 2-0 defeat to Mexico in Group A last week, resurrected their slender qualification hopes with a 1-1 draw against the Czech Republic in Atlanta.
Teboho Mokoena's penalty earned a point for South Africa after Michal Sadilek opened the scoring for the Czechs.
But Mokoena's late spot-kick kept both teams in the hunt for the last 32, although they will almost certainly have to win their final Group A fixture to advance.
Both sides move onto one point, two behind co-hosts Mexico and South Korea, who face off later on Thursday.
Both South Korea and Mexico won their opening group games last week, and meet in a potential group decider in Guadalajara that has been shrouded in intrigue after Mexican authorities brought down a drone that was spotted hovering over the South Korean training camp earlier this week.
Colombia opened their World Cup Group K campaign with a 3-1 victory over Uzbekistan at the Estadio Azteca on Wednesday, as Daniel Munoz, Luis Diaz and Jaminton Campaz struck to overcome a spirited second-half response from the tournament debutants.
Uzbekistan were disciplined for long periods under their Italian coach Fabio Cannavaro, but Colombia’s greater quality stood out in front of a crowd of over 80,000 on a cool, rain-tinged evening in Mexico City.
Colombia, the Copa America runners-up, had early sights of goal through Jhon Arias and James Rodriguez, but Uzbekistan sat deep, scrapped gamely and waited for mistakes. Bekhruz Karimov almost profited when he burst forward, only for Jhon Lucumi to intervene before he could shoot.
Diaz had the clearest chance of the opening half when he struck the post, before Abdukodir Khusanov slid in after the winger had knocked the ball past him, taking out both the Colombian player and a pitchside cameraman who required medical treatment.
Uzbekistan’s resistance finally cracked in the 40th minute. Diaz gathered the ball after an attack had broken down and clipped a fine pass into the path of Munoz, who guided home a neat finish for his third international goal.
The large Colombian contingent erupted, their yellow shirts making the Azteca look and sound almost like home. Chants of “Vamos Colombia”, adapted from a Club America-style chorus, rolled around the ground, while Uzbekistan’s small band of supporters answered with drums of their own.
Colombia’s Luis Diaz celebrates scoring their second goal [Eloisa Sanchez/Reuters]
Fayzullaev scores Uzbekistan’s maiden World Cup goal
Uzbekistan improved after the break and equalised on the hour with the country’s first World Cup goal.
Dostonbek Khamdamov fed Eldor Shomurodov, whose shot from the right side of the box was saved low by Camilo Vargas. The goalkeeper could not hold it, however, and Abbosbek Fayzullaev nodded in the rebound from close range.
Abbosbek Fayzullaev celebrates scoring Uzbekistan’s first World Cup goal [Eloisa Sanchez/Reuters]
However, Uzbekistan’s joy lasted only five minutes.
Gustavo Puerta released Diaz in the 65th minute, and the forward side-footed across goal to restore Colombia’s lead. The crowd responded with chants of “Lucho, Lucho”.
Uzbekistan kept pushing. Akmal Mozgovoy shot narrowly off target in stoppage time, Karimov hit the bar with an effort from distance, and Azizbek Amonov had a shot blocked after Otabek Shukurov’s pass.
But Colombia had the final word, Campaz scoring in the ninth minute of stoppage time to settle a contest in which Nestor Lorenzo’s side had 15 attempts to Uzbekistan’s nine, and extended their strong recent group-stage record to seven wins in eight World Cup matches.
Colombia face DR Congo on Tuesday in Guadalajara, after Uzbekistan play Portugal on the same day in Houston.
Colombia’s Jaminton Campaz celebrates after the match [Eloisa Sanchez/Reuters]
The FIFA World Cup begins on June 11. You can follow the action on Al Jazeera’s dedicated World Cup 2026 page with all the latest news, match build-up and live text commentary, and keep up to date with group standings, real-time match results and schedules.
Spectators at the stadium in Philadelphia to watch the Ivory Coast against Ecuador World Cup group game (CHARLY TRIBALLEAU)
From Lionel Messi rolling back the years to full stadiums and a Cape Verde team that shocked Spain, here is what we learned after the first round of games at the World Cup:
- Messi's still got it -
Lionel Messi's World Cup odyssey appeared to reach its perfect climax in Qatar four years ago when he lifted the trophy. Or so we thought.
As his 39th birthday approaches, the Argentina captain could not resist one last crack at football's biggest prize and he produced a memorable hat-trick in Kansas City.
Messi's goals against Algeria -- two thunderous strikes and a poacher's finish -- took him level with Miroslav Klose's all-time World Cup record of 16 goals.
France forward Kylian Mbappe is two goals behind.
"In the end, it's just a statistic and nothing more," a delighted Messi said.
No set of numbers can adequately sum up Messi's genius, but they help tell the story of a man who continues to dazzle on the global stage.
Against Austria on Monday, Messi has the chance to claim the record outright, further strengthening his case as the greatest player the game has ever seen.
- Toothless Ronaldo -
Cristiano Ronaldo took centre stage in Portugal's opening match against the Democratic Republic of Congo after three of football's biggest stars lit up the first round of matches.
Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland both scored twice as the race for the Golden Boot got off to a flying start, while Lionel Messi outshone them all with a hat-trick.
Saudi-based Ronaldo, however, was largely a bystander in the first match of his sixth World Cup as Portugal laboured to a 1-1 draw in Houston.
The 41-year-old's 25 touches were his fewest in a game at a major tournament for Portugal when playing the full match.
And Ronaldo, who is closing in on 1,000 career goals for club and country, has now gone 10 consecutive games at major tournaments without finding the net.
Coach Roberto Martinez faces an unenviable decision over whether to drop a player who has enjoyed one of the most remarkable careers in the history of the game.
- Cape Verde make case for 48-team tournament -
Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha breaking down in tears as he was embraced by his team-mates was one of the defining images of the opening round as the archipelago of just over 500,000 people shut down European champions Spain in a goalless draw.
La Roja were expected to stroll to victory in Atlanta but came up against the inspired 40-year-old keeper and a nation determined to make a mark on their World Cup debut.
In doing so Cape Verde also landed a blow to critics of the expanded 48-team tournament, including UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin who claimed the format would lead to "completely uninteresting" matches.
Vozinha's heroics made him an instant social media sensation.
From having 50,000 Instagram followers before the match, he now has nearly 13 million, more than NFL icon Patrick Mahomes and NBA star Victor Wembanyama.
- Full stadiums despite costly tickets -
The sight of Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, which hosted the Super Bowl this year, packed to near-capacity for the meeting of Austria and Jordan on Tuesday -- perhaps not the most glamorous fixture -- proved that high ticket prices are not putting off spectators at this World Cup.
FIFA said the official attendance of 68,527 was part of the total 281,223 fans who passed through the turnstiles on Tuesday, surpassing the previous World Cup record for a single day of 277,070, established on June 28, 1994.
Referees rein in the red cards
Only four red cards were shown at each of the last two World Cups, in 2018 and 2022, in a notable decrease from previous tournaments.
It looked like we might be on course for a free-for-all flurry of sendings-off this time when three players were dismissed in the opening game as 10-man co-hosts Mexico beat nine-man South Africa 2-0.
But it appears that performance from Brazilian official Wilton Sampaio has led to FIFA encouraging referees to be more prudent about reaching for the red.
Not a single player was sent off in the next 23 games.
South Africa coach Hugo Broos told critics of his tactics in last week’s World Cup opener to “shut up” and insisted he would continue to do things his way when planning for his team’s Group A clash against Czechia.
There was an outcry in South Africa when Broos took a rare defensive approach in the tournament’s opening match against Mexico last Thursday, which his team lost 2-0 without creating any genuine chances of their own.
Bafana Bafana, as South Africa’s team is known, also finished down to nine men, with two players sent off in the second half, and left little positive impression.
“I’ve been a coach for 40 years, and I know it’s a part of the job that you will be criticised. So for the moment, I’m criticised, but people have to know… and for those who still don’t know it… I do it my way,” Broos said at a news conference on Wednesday.
“I never listen to the trash of the social media. I never listen to people who feel they are important enough to criticise the team. When I look back at what they achieved before, I think it should be better that they shut up,” he said in a reference to former player pundits.
“I know what went wrong against Mexico. The players know it, and that’s the most important thing, and for the rest, I will do it my way,” Broos repeated.
The veteran Belgian coach said it was imperative for South Africa to win on Thursday in Atlanta to stand any chance of advancing. The Czechs also lost their first Group A game to South Korea last week.
“I think our situation is clear. If we don’t win tomorrow, we play our last game against South Korea for nothing.
“This is something we must avoid. We know the mistakes we made in the first game, and some people said the coach is too soft on his players, but I don’t like to blame my players in front of a camera. So, sometimes you have to lie a little bit as a coach.”
Broos had said after the Mexico match that he felt his team could be confident after the performance, also prompting derision among some South African supporters.
“We know what went wrong in the game against Mexico, and we will try to improve that tomorrow, but we can only improve that if we have the ball,” he added, giving some insight into the possibility of a different tactical approach on Thursday.
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