France's Ousmane Dembélé wrote his name into the history books at Gillette Stadium in Boston. By completing a hat-trick in just 32 minutes, the French winger secured the record for the second-fastest hat-trick in World Cup history, overtaking England legend Gary Lineker's 35-minute hat-trick against Poland in the 1986 World Cup.
Daizen Maeda gave Japan the lead and Anthony Elanga took it away six minutes later, giving Sweden a 1-1 draw Thursday night that sent both teams to the knockout round of the World Cup. Japan is advancing out of the group stage for the third consecutive World Cup and fifth time in seven tries since first reaching the round of 16 as co-hosts in 2002. The Japanese team finished second in Group F behind the Netherlands and will play Brazil in Houston on Monday.
The Netherlands have topped their World Cup group after a 3-1 win over Tunisia. Ronald Koeman made one change for the final group game with Nathan Ake coming in at left-back to replace Micky van de Ven.
MetLife Stadium is witnessing one of the most exciting nights in World Cup history. Ecuador is currently leading Germany in the last match of Group E, leaving them 2-1 ahead.
The Ivory Coast beat Curacao 2-0 to reach the knockout stage of the World Cup for the first time. Nicolas Pepe opened the scoring in the first half after fine work from the teenage talent Yan Diomande.
The World Cup group stage is much like the opening chapter of a long novel. It begins with dreams, expectations and the glow of endless possibilities. But after just two matches, the colours of that story begin to change. Some teams can already see the brightness of knockout qualification ahead, while others find themselves staring at the prospect of elimination. And then there are those still waiting for a fate-defining final battle.
The Portuguese superstar has written a new chapter in football history. By scoring a goal right after taking the field in the 2026 World Cup, Ronaldo has become the first footballer ever to score in six consecutive World Cups, achieving this unparalleled record.
Every sunrise of the World Cup brings a new story. Somewhere a new hero is born, somewhere a legend raises his legacy even higher. And somewhere a superstar stands at a difficult crossroads to survive. The day of the second matches of the FIFA World Cup-2026 is just such a dramatic canvas, where the story of history, dominance and the struggle for survival is written at the same time.
Lionel Messi has etched his name deeper into World Cup history, becoming the tournament’s outright top scorer after netting against Austria in Dallas to move past Germany’s Miroslav Klose.
The incident involving 18 students who fell ill after consuming food from the school feeding program at Salim Dolpara Government Primary School in Chapainawabganj Sadar Upazila has once again brought to light a troubling question: why does a program intended to provide nutritional support for children repeatedly pose health risks to them?
Every match on the World Cup stage is like a new chapter. The first match only opens the door to possibilities, and the second match often writes the outline of fate. Sometimes it is a life-or-death equation, sometimes a story of the wings of dreams expanding further. In that reality, Spain is entering a difficult test of survival, and the Netherlands and Japan have strengthened their position on the road to the title with big wins. In the same atmosphere, the current world champion Argentina is also facing a new challenge.
History is sometimes written through a single game of football. A single goal can change the fate of a nation. A single defeat can leave such a deep wound in the hearts of millions that the pain is carried for generations. On July 16, 1950, such a day arrived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil — a day that would be forever etched in history as the 'Maracanazo'. But history does not only tell stories of wounds. It also tells stories of rebirth. The story of a nation that rises from destruction is truly extraordinary. And the hero of that rise was Pelé.