Sports

Lionel Messi versus Vozinha. It is the World Cup battle no-one knew they wanted, but which fans now cannot wait to see. Argentina and Cape Verde walk out at the Miami Stadium on Friday (23:00 BST). Arguably the greatest player the world has seen faces a 40-year-old goalkeeper who was a complete unknown three weeks ago. It encapsulates one of ...

Switzerland secured a place in the FIFA World Cup last 16 with a comfortable 2-0 victory over Algeria on Thursday, thanks to goals from Breel Embolo and Dan Ndoye. Breel Embolo opened the scoring after 20-year-old Johan Manzambi burst down the left flank and delivered a low cross into the box for the striker to finish. It was Manzambi’s second ...

Spain advanced to the World Cup round of 16 with a dominant 3-0 victory over Austria on Thursday powered by a double from Mikel Oyarzabal and another outstanding defensive effort. Spain, who arrived at the tournament among the favourites and have yet to concede a goal, will next face Portugal or Croatia for a place in the quarter-finals. The Spaniards ...

Portugal could not rest easy after Gonzalo Ramos’ 94th-minute goal put them ahead. Croatia equalized 10 minutes into added time. Luka Modric burst into joy as the goal was scored. However, that joy did not last long. The goal was ruled out for offside. Portugal won 2-1 after a dramatic final minute. Croatia took the lead in the match with ...

World Cup co-hosts the USA moved into the last 16 of the tournament with a 2-0 defeat of Bosnia-Herzegovina on Wednesday. Folarin Balogun opened the scoring in Santa Clara before being sent off in the second half, but Malik Tillman sealed the win with a goal from a free kick.

England captain Harry Kane said the Three Lions have “hero moments” in them after his late double avoided a huge World Cup upset to beat DR Congo 2-1 on Wednesday. Thomas Tuchel’s men next face the daunting task of co-hosts Mexico on home soil in Sunday’s last 16 clash. But for long spells in Atlanta, it looked like England could ...

Julián Quiñones and Raúl Jiménez scored first-half goals as Mexico defeated Ecuador 2-0 on Tuesday night to end a 40-year wait for a World Cup knockout-stage victory and book a place in the round of 16. Quiñones gave Mexico the lead in the 22nd minute before Jiménez doubled the advantage nine minutes later. It was Mexico’s first win in the ...

Erling Haaland shattered Ivory Coast’s World Cup hopes on Tuesday, netting an 86th-minute winner that sent Norway into the last 16 with a 2-1 victory at Dallas Stadium. Haaland’s fifth goal of the tournament sealed Norway’s progression after Amad Diallo had cancelled out Antonio Nusa’s 39th-minute opener, setting up a mouth-watering clash with Brazil in New York on Sunday. The ...

France uncorked a Champagne performance on Tuesday to sweep Sweden aside 3-0 with a display of attacking verve and precision and book their place in the World Cup last 16. The scoreline flattered Sweden. France’s flamboyant attack might have reached double figures were it not for the woodwork and a series of near-misses measured in millimetres. Paraguay lie in wait, ...

Bangladesh’s national football team has struggled to improve its FIFA ranking because of limited opportunities to play international matches, said State Minister for Youth and Sports Aminul Haque. FIFA rankings are determined largely by the number of international matches a team plays, the quality of its opponents and the results achieved, he said while responding to a question from Cumilla-4 ...