In the knockout stages of the World Cup, statistics can provide confidence, but never guarantees. History has shown time and again that the team looking superior on paper does not always emerge victorious. A single misplaced pass, a corner kick, a sudden counter-attack, or a moment of individual brilliance from a player can completely rewrite the narrative of the entire tournament. On this very stage of uncertainty, four European powerhouses—Spain, Austria, Portugal, and Croatia—will battle for a ticket to the quarter-finals on Thursday (July 2).

An eight-year-old footballer, Manu Litvi, wrote a heartwarming letter on the Argentine superstar's birthday (June 24) and created a storm on social media. But the story didn't end there—an even bigger surprise awaited him.

Spain took a 1-0 lead at half-time in the crucial match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 32 at the Sofitel Stadium in Los Angeles with a gift of daputa football. Despite dominating possession throughout the first half of the match, which started at 1 am Bangladesh time, Spain had to wait until the 36th minute to see a goal. Finally, with the help of Marc Cucurea, Mikel Oyarzabal shook the opponent's net and brought relief to the team.

Sir Keir Starmer has rejected a plea made to parents by England manager Thomas Tuchel to “write an excuse” for school to let children watch England’s early-morning match against Mexico on Monday. England’s win over the Democratic Republic of Congo on Wednesday confirmed a clash with the co-hosts in Mexico City that will kick off at 1am BST.

The Bangladeshis' craze for Argentina is nothing new when it comes to World Cup football. However, this time, the Qatar-based media outlet Al-Jazeera has particularly caught the eye. In a report published on Thursday (July 2), the media outlet wrote that Bangladesh, which is about 17,000 kilometers away from Argentina, will become a 'small Buenos Aires' during the World Cup.

Austria will face a strong Spain in the round of 32 of the World Cup. This much-awaited match will be held at the Los Angeles Stadium on Thursday (July 2) at 1 am. Spain, ranked second in the FIFA rankings, is considered one of the tournament's title contenders. On the other hand, Austria, ranked 22nd, has made it to the knockout stage as an emerging power in Europe.

United States striker Folarin Balogun received a direct red card during their knockout stage match against Bosnia and Herzegovina. While his exit was a major blow for the team on the pitch, this very card has turned into a stroke of good fortune for soccer fans in the country. True to their word, the popular pizza brand Domino's is now distributing $1 million (approximately 12 crore Bangladeshi Taka) worth of "Emergency Pizzas" to supporters!

Senegal was leading by two goals in the first half, but a complete disaster followed as they conceded three goals. With an incredible 3-2 victory, Belgium knocked Senegal out to secure their place in the Round of 16 of the World Cup.

A video capturing a security screening at the airport has gone viral on social media after the Argentina national team arrived in Miami, USA, for their Round of 16 match against Cape Verde in the 2026 World Cup. The footage shows Argentine captain Lionel Messi sharing a light-hearted smile while undergoing a routine security check with a handheld metal detector.

Senegal's departure from the World Cup unfolded as a heartbreaking saga. In the Round of 32 match held in Seattle, the 'Tricolor Lions' were ahead 2-0 against Belgium, thanks to goals from Habib Diarra and Ismaila Sarr; victory seemed imminent with only five minutes remaining in regulation time. However, fate had a different plan. Goals from Romelu Lukaku in the 86th minute and Youri Tielemans in the 89th minute pushed the match into extra time. Ultimately, in the dying moments of extra time, Tielemans scored in the 125th minute from a penalty awarded by VAR, leading Senegal to exit the World Cup in tears, losing 3-2. This late goal, the latest winning goal in World Cup history, shattered their dreams. Even Belgium's coach Rudi Garcia acknowledged post-match that Senegal merited the win.

In the knockout stages of the World Cup, statistics can provide confidence, but never guarantees. History has shown time and again that the team looking superior on paper does not always emerge victorious. A single misplaced pass, a corner kick, a sudden counter-attack, or a moment of individual brilliance from a player can completely rewrite the narrative of the entire tournament. On this very stage of uncertainty, four European powerhouses—Spain, Austria, Portugal, and Croatia—will battle for a ticket to the quarter-finals on Thursday (July 2).

An eight-year-old footballer, Manu Litvi, wrote a heartwarming letter on the Argentine superstar's birthday (June 24) and created a storm on social media. But the story didn't end there—an even bigger surprise awaited him.