Laine Yamal injected vital energy into Spain’s offense as the World Cup favorites launched their tournament journey with a decisive victory over Saudi Arabia. Yamal netted just 10 minutes into his first start since recovering from a hamstring injury sustained in April. Mikel Oyarzabal contributed two goals early in the match, while Marc Cucurella added the fourth shortly after halftime, allowing coach De la Fuente to rest key players and provide game time to Mikel Merino and Nico Williams. Unai Simón, the goalkeeper, remained largely untested, not making a significant save until the 80th minute.
Ben Fisher reported from Los Angeles, detailing how Belgium and Iran fought to keep their World Cup dreams alive in a match filled with dramatic moments. This outcome means Group G will head into the final day with all four teams still in contention for advancement to the knockout stages.
There was simply no debate over the moment of the match and it is one that Iran will cherish, even more so if they are to progress to the World Cup knockout stage for the first time. Every angle of Alireza Beiranvand’s preposterous save to prevent Belgium taking the lead approaching the hour adds to the miraculous nature of it all. Perhaps the most ludicrous element was that Beiranvand had seesawed to his left in an attempt to intercept Kevin De Bruyne’s rolled cross into the six-yard box and yet, scrambling on the turf, stuck out a left glove to shut the door in the face of Maxim De Cuyper.
Belgium concluded the game with ten men following Nathan Ngoy’s dismissal for a foul on Mehdi Taremi. Should Iran progress to the last 32, they will undoubtedly reflect on Beiranvand’s remarkable intervention. De Bruyne showed brilliance at times, notably when he skillfully controlled Leandro Trossard’s lifted pass near the byline. Beiranvand’s determination to reach De Bruyne’s cross ahead of Romelu Lukaku, who became Belgium’s third-most capped player by starting, was crucial. In the end, Ali Nemati blocked the cross, while Beiranvand thwarted De Cuyper, reinforcing Iran’s belief as they face a troubled Belgium, who were eliminated in the group stage four years ago.
Welcome to the live coverage of the World Cup 2026 match between New Zealand and Egypt at Vancouver Stadium. Kick-off is set for 6 PM local time (9 PM EDT/2 AM BST/11 AM AEST).
Historically, only Honduras has played more matches without securing a win than Egypt and New Zealand. Egypt has played eight matches, while New Zealand has participated in seven. Both teams narrowly missed their opportunities to secure victories; Egypt fell short against Belgium, while New Zealand was twice equalized against Iran.
Ranked 85th globally by FIFA, New Zealand enters the tournament as the lowest-ranked team on paper. However, they displayed promise in their opening match, with Chris Wood standing out as a target man, utilizing his physicality to help the team advance the ball. Given their status as underdogs, coach Darren Bazeley aims to keep strategies straightforward.
In contrast, Egypt focused heavily on defense in their encounter with Belgium, where they effectively neutralized Jeremy Doku’s threat with double and triple marking. Tonight, they must shift their focus to offense to finally live up to their legacy of seven Africa Cup of Nations titles.
With the earlier match in Group G ending in a stalemate, both teams understand that a victory tonight would have historic significance. Stay tuned for team news and updates from the matchday action thus far. You can also follow the exciting debut of Cape Verde as they challenge Uruguay and share your thoughts about the World Cup via email at jonathan.howcroft.freelance@.
