Category: Top News

Japan marked the 1,000th game in the history of the FIFA World Cup with a 4-0 thrashing of Tunisia on Saturday to close in on a place in the last 32 of the 2026 edition.

Ayase Ueda scored twice while Daichi Kamada and Junya Ito were also on target as the Asian giants joined the Netherlands on four points at the top of Group F.

Tunisia, who were thumped 5-1 by Sweden in their first game of the tournament, can no longer hope for a place in the knockout rounds.

The Blue Samurai, who held the Netherlands to a 2-2 draw in their Group F opener, were always in control against Tunisia at the Monterrey Stadium.

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The result marked a losing start for new Tunisia manager Herve Renard, who was hastily appointed to take over the World Cup campaign after predecessor Sabri Lamouchi was sacked in the wake of the Sweden drubbing.

But Renard’s team never looked like threatening a technically superior Japanese side that were quickly into their trademark, smooth passing game.

Daichi Kamada opened the scoring after just four minutes, finishing from close range after deft interplay from Ao Tanaka and Keito Nakamura.

The Japanese almost scored again moments later, with only a desperate goalline clearance from Dylan Bronn denying the Asian giants a second goal.

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Tunisia goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen was also working overtime, and had to claw away a shot that just went agonisingly short of crossing the goal line.

Japan, though, finally added to their tally in the 31st minute, with striker Ueda taking advantage of some hesitant Tunisian defending to surge forward and thunder a low shot into the bottom corner from the edge of the area.

The rout continued in the second half, with Junya Ito latching onto a brilliant through ball to calmly finish on 69 minutes before Ueda scored again with a looping header in the 83rd minute.

READ: Germany come from behind against Ivory Coast to seal knockout place

TORONTO: Substitute Deniz Undav’s late magic inspired Germany comeback against a spirited Ivory Coast, securing their place in the Round of 32 stage at the FIFA World Cup 2026.

The Die Mannschaft secured a 2-1 victory, with Undav scoring a brace in the 68th and four minutes into stoppage time to guide his team home.

The result marks the first time since 2014 that Germany have reached the knockout rounds after back-to-back first-round eliminations in the 2018 and 2022 tournaments.

Germany had not advanced from the group stage since winning the 2014 tournament in Brazil, and coach Julian Nagelsmann had been under huge pressure to make that breakthrough.

A first-half goal by Franck Kessie gave the Ivorians a 30th-minute lead.

Kessie turned in from close range following strong work by teenage Ivorian phenomenon Yan Diomande, who is in the sights of some of Europe’s top clubs, including Liverpool.

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The Germans thought they had found the net twice in the first half.

Nathaniel Brown’s corner in the 21st minute was knocked into the goal by Aleksandar Pavlovic, but Paraguayan referee Juan Gabriel Benitez immediately called it back — charging Pavlovic with fouling Ivorian goalkeeper Yahia Fofana.

Then, in the 38th minute, German forward and Arsenal star Kai Havertz had the ball in the net, but it was disallowed because of a foul by Bayern Munich’s Jamal Musiala.

When the second half began, the Germans applied relentless pressure.

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The vaunted Ivorian defence held firm till the 68th minute, but ultimately the Germans broke through.

Undav, of VfB Stuttgart, volleyed in a cross by Nadiem Amiri in the 63rd minute.

His second sent Nagelsmann and the German crowd into a frenzy as the Germans snapped a string of disappointments at the last two World Cups.

READ: Netherlands’ Gakpo scores 100th goal of FIFA World Cup at record pace

Kyle Jamieson took three wickets as New Zealand pressed for a series-levelling win, despite another landmark day for Joe Root, after leaving England with a record-breaking run-chase at the Oval.

England were 182-5 at stumps on Saturday’s fourth day of the second Test, needing a further 281 runs to reach a mammoth target of 463.

The highest winning fourth-innings total in 149 years of Test cricket is the West Indies’ 418-7 against Australia at St John’s in 2003.

But stand-in England skipper Root, in charge after captain Ben Stokes was dropped for breaking a team curfew following the hosts’ win in the first Test at Lord’s, was 75 not out, having joined India’s Sachin Tendulkar as just the second batter to score 14,000 Test runs.

Not for the first time in his 165-Test career, however, Root came in with England deep in trouble — they were 13-2 after towering fast bowler Jamieson struck twice in five balls.

Root and Harry Brook (58) kept New Zealand at bay before Matt Henry ended the Yorkshire duo’s entertaining stand of 97.

Jamieson returned to have James Rew, one of three England debutants at the Oval, lbw on review shortly before stumps as he ended the day with fine figures of 3-37 in 14 overs.

“It’s nice to have them five down rather than four and it sets us up for tomorrow (Sunday),” Jamieson told Sky Sports after stumps. “We have been pretty good for the most part as a bowling unit, which is what is needed on this wicket. We have to stay ruthless.”

England’s situation was tailor-made for the kind of counter-attacking innings associated with Stokes, who made 95 for county side Durham on Saturday and will reportedly return for next week’s series finale in Nottingham.

Root will have debutant Jordan Cox for company at the start of Sunday’s play, with only a long tail to come as England try to stop New Zealand from levelling this three-Test contest.

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The fourth over of England’s chase saw Emilio Gay (11) clip Jamieson to midwicket and four balls later the paceman had No.3 Jacob Bethell plumb lbw for a duck.

Root, the England captain before Stokes took over four years ago, needed just two runs to join Tendulkar in an exclusive club and a quick single off Henry took him to the milestone.

The retired Tendulkar’s 15,921 runs from 200 Tests could be Root’s next target.

Ben Duckett, meanwhile tried to hook a Will O’Rourke delivery way above his head and holed out to short midwicket, with England’s top three managing a mere 20 runs between them.

New batter Brook, showed better judgement in what to hit, with England needing to attack to have any chance of victory.

He lofted Nathan Smith for a superb legside six and went down the pitch to drive Jamieson for four during a 33-ball 50 featuring 10 fours and a six.

Brook, however, only managed seven more runs from his next 21 deliveries as the Black Caps regained control, and he eventually edged Henry, who took five wickets in England’s first innings, to slip.

Root, who overturned being given out lbw on 44, went to his 50 by elegantly guiding Jamieson to the third man rope for an eighth four in 81 balls faced.

Earlier, New Zealand were dismissed for 362 in their second innings after resuming on 252-3.

Henry Nicholls, in for retired New Zealand great Kane Williamson, added just two runs to his overnight 119, but Daryl Mitchell kept the runs coming with 68 after being dropped off Saturday’s first ball.

READ: Yashasvi Jaiswal’s century powers India to clean sweep over Afghanistan

HOUSTON: The Netherlands completed a resounding 5-1 victory over Sweden in the 33rd match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 at the Houston Stadium on Saturday. 

The dominant victory has mathematically guaranteed them a place in the knockouts of the mega event.

Striker Brian Brobbey’s induction into the side paid dividends as he scored a brace, while winger Cody Gakpo stamped Dutch authority with a double later in the match. Memphis Depay netted the final goal of the night to cap off a fabulous performance.

Brobbey started the proceedings, giving his side an early lead in only the fifth minute of the game, running down the side of the field and sending it into the nets to score his second international goal.

He doubled the lead in the 17th minute, converting a low cross from Denzel Dumfries and sending it into the bottom corner.

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At halftime, the Oranje remained firmly in control, with Sweden on the receiving end.

The break did little to Sweden’s fortunes, who again came in the firing line, and this time from Codey Gakpo, who scored twice in a span of six minutes to make it 3-0.

The substitute Crysencio Summerville came on and made an immediate impact, using his quick footwork on the right side of the box and passing to Denzel Dumfries, who then sent a low cross into the area. Gakpp seized the oppurtunity and scored an easy goal in the 47th minute.

Summervile continued to impress, who glided forward and passed it to Gakpo, who rifled a low shot from an angle.  This was also the 100th goal of the World Cup.

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The only highlight for Blagult was the lone goal from substitute Anthony Elanga in the 59th minute, converting a through-ball from Alexander Isak to race away from the break through Dutch defense and register the first goal for his side.

The game was long done and dusted, but Summerville ensured that his side made it a statement win. The West Ham winger latched onto a pass, drove towards the box, made space, and sent a low shot inside the post for his second goal of this World Cup.

The Netherlands will face Tunisia on 26 June in the final Group F match, while Sweden will face Japan at the same time at Dallas Stadium in Texas.

READ: Brazil star Ronaldinho comes out of retirement

HOUSTON: The FIFA World Cup 2026 match between the Netherlands and Sweden has marked a historic milestone, with 100 goals scored in just the 33rd match of the tournament.

It is the first time since the 1958 FIFA World Cup that the same tally has been achieved in 32/33 games, with two matches kicking off at the same time. The record for fastest century of goals was set in the first 19/20 games of the 1954 edition.

The 2014 World Cup in Brazil was also a high-scoring affair, with 100 goals reached in 35 matches.

The Netherlands made a strong start in the match, with Brian Brobbey opening the scoring inside six minutes. The forward added a second before half-time to put the Dutch in control at the break.

Cody Gakpo extended the lead after the interval, with The Orange continuing to dominate proceedings.

Catch all FIFA World Cup 2026 live updates here!

The 100-goal milestone of the tournament was reached in the 54th minute when Gakpo struck again, finishing a swift counter-attack after Sweden’s Alexander Isak was dispossessed in his own half.

Crysencio Summerville was involved in the build-up, driving forward before setting up Gakpo, who finished low at the near post. With this, Cody Gakpo also surpassed the Netherlands legend Johan Cruyff in terms of goal scoring.

In addition, the fixture made the Netherlands the eighth team to score 100 goals in the mega event’s history.

Most Goals by a team in FIFA World Cup history

1st) Brazil – 241
2nd) Germany – 239
3rd) Argentina – 155
4th) France – 139
5th) Italy – 128
6th) Spain – 108
7th) England – 108
8th) Netherlands – 100

READ: Brazil star Ronaldinho comes out of retirement

Former Ballon d’Or and World Cup winner Ronaldinho is set to come out of retirement aged 46 to play for Ravenna in the Italian third tier, according to reports in Italian daily Gazzetta dello Sport.

The sports daily said that Ronaldinho was scheduled to sign a deal in Miami on Tuesday and that he was already in the United States for the FIFA World Cup 2026.

Consulted by AFP, a source close to the deal confirmed the news.

“I can’t wait to get back dancing with the ball again and to write a new story with Ignazio Cipriani (the Italian-American owner of Ravenna) and his entire family,” Gazzetta quoted Ronaldinho as saying.

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“Football has always been a source of joy for me. I want to bring the same spirit to Ravenna,” added the former Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona star.

However, Ravenna vice-president Ariedo Braida, told Italian media that Ronaldinho’s signing was more a marketing ploy than a piece of squad-building and he may never actually play.

“He’s a magical player, who will have his registration, that’s a huge coup for us,” he said.

“Will he play at 46? That depends, but he’ll be registered.”

Ronaldinho has not played since a two-month stint at Fluminense in 2015.

READ: Paraguay’s Almiron sent off under new FIFA ‘mouth-covering’ rule

Pace bowler Prasidh Krishna’s 5-23 and an unbeaten 110 by Yashasvi Jaiswal powered India to a nine-wicket win over Afghanistan in the third ODI and sweep the series 3-0 on Saturday.

Krishna registered his first five-wicket haul in ODIs to help bowl out Afghanistan for 218 in 44.2 overs despite skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi’s 102 in Chennai.

The left-handed Jaiswal and Rohit Sharma then put on 170 for the first wicket, and the hosts romped home in 28.4 overs.

Jaiswal raised his second ODI ton with a six and put another one over the fence to take India to victory after senior partner Rohit departed on 79 off 69 balls.

The series — the first bi-lateral ODI fixture between the two nations — kickstarts the road to the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

“A lot of the boxes were ticked,” said India skipper Shubman Gill.

“We spoke about keeping the intensity in the middle overs and how as batters we can push for extra runs. Going to England the conditions will be a little closer to what we will get in South Africa.”

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India play two T20 internationals in Ireland later this month before they move to England for a white-ball series.

Krishna started India’s domination as he took the first four wickets as Afghanistan slumped to 36-4 before Shahidi struck his maiden ODI ton.

Afghanistan elected to bat first, but Krishna sent back Rahmanullah Gurbaz (5), Rahmat Shah (5), and Ibrahim Zadran (11), all three batters caught by Rohit.

Darwish Rasooli was next out for one before Shahidi and Azmatullah Omarzai, who made 50, put on 105 for the fifth wicket to thwart the opposition bowling.

It was only temporary, though, as Prince Yadav broke through to dismiss Omarzai after the batters’ ninth ODI half-century.

Mohammad Nabi made 21 in another stand with Shahidi before wickets tumbled.

Shahidi, a left-hand batter, suffered cramps in hot and humid Chennai and limped towards the back end of his innings, but reached his hundred with a four off Washington Sundar.

The captain soon fell to Krishna, who took his fifth to wrap up the innings.

“I think we have talented guys, but when it comes to India, playing in India, (which) is a tough side and we were not good,” said Shahidi. “We will learn from that. And moving forward, I think we are a quality side.”

Jaiswal and Rohit came out and hit regular boundaries to pummel the opposition attack and put India on course.

Rohit miscued a pull to be caught at deep mid-wicket off spinner Mohammad Nabi but Jaiswal kept up the pace.

He added 54 with Shreyas Iyer, who made 20 not out, to take the team home. It gives India a sweep across formats after they hammered Afghanistan in the one-off Test.

READ: Joe Root moves closer to Sachin Tendulkar’s all-time Test record

SOUTHAMPTON: Bangladesh weaved spin magic to outplay Pakistan by 23 runs in the ICC Women’s World Cup 2026 clash at the Rose Bowl on Saturday.

Chasing a stiff 124, Pakistan suffered a dramatic collapse and could only muster 100-8 in 20 overs.

Pakistan were well placed at 70-3 in 11.2 overs when Sanjida Akter Meghla dismissed Ayesha Zafar (11) to spark a collapse that they could never recover from. They lost five wickets for just 14 runs in nine overs, handing Bangladesh a comprehensive win.

Muneeba Ali and Gull Feroza laid a solid foundation with a 49-run stand in eight overs. Ali made 25, hitting a four and a six, while Feroza scored 23 off 18 with the aid of four boundaries.

Nahida Akter removed the pair to give Bangladesh an opening, which was ably supported by Sanjida Akter Meghla.

Pakistan skipper Fatima Sana, who bats lower down the order, could not help much after registering a half-century against South Africa in the previous match. She was caught after scoring 10, a wicket that proved to be the final nail in the coffin.

For Bangladesh, Nahida Akter and Sanjida Akter Meghla shared six wickets between them.

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Earlier, Pakistan captain Fatima Sana led a bowling attack that restricted Bangladesh to 123 in 20 overs during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2026 clash on Saturday.

Opting to bat first, Bangladesh avoided a miserable start and posted a respectable total, largely due to Shorna Akter’s blitz.

Fatima Sana provided the Green Shirts a dominant start, taking two in her first over to leave Bangladesh two down for just five runs. Sana accounted for Dilara Akter’s (5) and Sharmin Akhter’s (0) dismissals.

Bangladesh were further pegged back with the wicket of Juairiya Ferdous, who made just seven in the fifth over.

After a jittery start, skipper Nigar Sultana and Sobhana Mostary tried to revive the innings, adding a 35-run partnership for the fourth wicket.

However, Pakistan struck through with Mostary’s wicket at the halfway mark of the innings. She made 22 off 19.

With Nashra Sandhu and Tasmia Rubab in the attack, it was never easy for Bangladesh batters to get going, as they lost wickets at regular intervals.

Bangladesh were reeling at 92-6 in 17.2 overs, but Shorna Akter’s 39* off just 22 balls with the aid of five fours ensured that her side reached a respectable total.

For Pakistan, Fatima Sana remained the pick of the bowlers, picking up two, while the rest of the four bowlers picked up one wicket each.

READ: India suffer major blow ahead of England tour

LONDON: England star batter Joe Root on Saturday crossed 14,000 runs in Test cricket during the second Test against New Zealand at the Oval. 

Root reached the landmark with a single in the seventh over of England’s second innings. He became only the second batter in history, after Tendulkar, to achieve the feat.

The right-handed batter achieved the milestone in 302 innings, compared to Tendulkar, who completed it in 279 innings. The 35-year-old trails Sachin Tendulkar by 1921 runs.

Overall, Root has notched up 41 Test hundreds with 66 half-centuries since making his debut against India in 2012.

It took Test cricket 5734 days for another batter to reach the 14,000 run mark after Sachin Tendulkar achieved the milestone in 2010 against Australia.

Most runs in Test cricket

Sachin Tendulkar- 15,921 in 279 innings
Joe Root- 14,000* in 165 innings
Ricky Ponting- 13,378 in 168 innings
Jacques Kallis- 13,289 in 166 innings
Rahul Dravid- 13,288 in 164 innings

England need to record 463 runs to win the series after New Zealand were bowled out for 362 in their second innings on day four of the match.

Henry Nicholls top-scored with 121 while Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell scored 76 and 68 respectively.

For England, pacers Matthew Fisher and Jofra Archer shared six wickets between them.

It is worth mentioning that the highest fourth-innings total made to win in 149 years of Test history is West Indies’s 418-7 against Australia at St John’s in 2003.

READ: India suffer major blow ahead of England tour

MUMBAI: India ace all-rounder Hardik Pandya has been ruled out of the forthcoming white ball series against England.

The England tour will begin with a five-match T20I series on July 1, followed by three ODIs, set to begin on July 14.

Pandya suffered an injury during his horror Indian Premier League (IPL) season, ruling him out of several fixtures. The all-rounder’s form nosedived as he scored only 206 runs in 10 innings at an average of 22.88, with a strike rate of 138, and could take only four wickets.

Under his leadership, the franchise won only four of 14 games and finished ninth out of 10 teams.

The Indian news agency ANI reported that Pandya had been declared fit by the Center of Excellence (COE). He submitted his report to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)  two days before the team’s departure.

However, during his final session before leaving COE, he faced an issue with his fitness.

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Meanwhile, ace batter Virat Kohli is also on the sidelines after sustaining an injury during RCB’s final in IPL 2026. The right-hander is expected to undergo a fitness test on June 26 ahead of the England series.

For those unware, India are involved in a three-match ODI series against Afghanistan.

India tour of Ireland and England Schedule

T20I series schedule

vs Ireland

June 26: 1st T20I, Belfast

June 28: 2nd T20I, Belfast

vs England

July 1: 1st T20I, Chester-le-Street

July 4: 2nd T20I, Manchester

July 7: 3rd T20I, Nottingham

July 9: 4th T20I, Bristol

July 11: 5th T20I, Southampton

ODI Series

July 14: 1st ODI, Edgbaston, Birmingham

July 16: 2nd ODI, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff

July 19: 3rd ODI, Lord’s, London

READ: Carlo Ancelotti provides positive Neymar update ahead of Scotland clash