Talismanic Mohamed Salah scores twice to help Egypt rally to 3-1 win over New Zealand on Sunday.
Mohamed Salah scored and assisted as Egypt came from behind to beat New Zealand 3-1 in Vancouver, securing the country's first-ever FIFA World Cup victory and moving top of Group G.
Mostafa "Zico" Mohamed, initially planning a summer vacation, received an unexpected call-up to the Egyptian national team for the World Cup. He has since become a standout performer, scoring and assisting in Egypt's historic 3-1 victory over New Zealand, their first-ever World Cup win, and is now crucial to their knockout stage aspirations.
Belgium drew 1-1 with Egypt in their World Cup opener after Romelu Lukaku's second-half introduction led to an own goal. Egypt had taken an early lead through Emam Ashour, and despite Belgium's numerous chances, they struggled to equalise until Lukaku's impact. Both coaches reflected on the match, with Belgium's coach highlighting the importance of their next game against Iran, and Egypt's coach feeling his side was closer to victory.
FC Barcelona have signed Egypt forward Hamza Abdelkarim on a three-year deal, the LaLiga club said in a statement on Tuesday.
Egypt's coach Hossam Hassan expressed pride in his team's performance after a 1-1 draw against Belgium in their World Cup opener. Despite coming close to a historic win, Hassan highlighted the team's quality, ambition, and the strong contributions of players like Mohamed Salah and Omar Marmoush, asserting that Egypt is not just there to "make up the numbers." The draw is seen as a significant step in reinventing the national team's identity.
Iran's players say adversity has united Team Melli after a resilient 0-0 draw against Belgium kept their World Cup knockout hopes alive. A win over Egypt could secure a historic first-ever place in the last 32.
Foreign Ministers from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Egypt convened in Antalya to explore avenues for enhanced cooperation across various sectors of mutual interest, reaffirming their commitment to regional peace and stability.
Spanish police investigate Islamophobic chants during Spain vs Egypt friendly, drawing condemnation from government and football authorities over racism in stadiums.
Four matches, four draws and a slice of World Cup history.
Iran threatened to halt its matches at the World Cup if unauthorised flags are displayed or slogans targeting the national team are chanted at stadiums, Iranian media reported, citing Sports Minister Ahmad Donyamali, following criticism of the team's presence at the tournament.
US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are scheduled to meet on the sidelines of the G-7 summit in France, marking their first bilateral meeting since February last year. Both leaders will be attending the summit, with Trump also meeting other world leaders.
Brazilian defender Wesley has been ruled out of the World Cup squad due to a left thigh muscle injury sustained during a friendly match.
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met with his counterparts from Egypt and Turkiye in Islamabad ahead of a quadrilateral summit, including Saudi Arabia, to discuss the ongoing conflict in West Asia and explore avenues for peace.
Iran's Football Federation will lodge an official protest with FIFA after the United States reportedly denied the national team's request to travel to Los Angeles two days before their FIFA World Cup 2026 Group G match against Belgium, citing geopolitical tensions and previous visa issues.
New Zealand's football coach Darren Bazeley lauded his team's performance in a 2-2 draw against Iran at the World Cup, where they came close to securing their first-ever win. Elijah Just scored twice for New Zealand, but Iran equalised late, leaving all Group G teams with one point.
Iran's World Cup team conducted open training in Tijuana, Mexico, after relocating their base camp due to geopolitical tensions.
'Thank you Los Angeles for your hospitality'
New Zealand midfielder Sarpreet Singh, the first Sikh footballer to play at a FIFA World Cup, hopes his historic appearance will inspire more players of Indian and South Asian heritage to reach football's biggest stage.
Manchester City and Belgium footballer Jeremy Doku became a father, welcoming a baby boy named Praise with his wife Shireen. He temporarily left the national team's FIFA World Cup camp in the USA to be present for the birth in London, a decision supported by the Belgian Football Association despite some public criticism.
Multi-champions Brazil, Argentina and Germany all won their preparatory games for the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Saturday, although by small margins, with former champion England and hopeful Portugal also securing victories.
Belgium, who missed a slew of scoring chances against Iran on Sunday, have taken only two points from their opening two matches despite entering the tournament as favourites to progress from the group.
Iran twice came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw with New Zealand in their opening World Cup match on Monday after an end-to-end contest played against the backdrop of Iranian fan protests against the government in Tehran.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday signed the historic peace deal between the United States and Iran as a guarantor; the agreement will see the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the lifting of the US naval blockade.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is set to attend the BRICS National Security Advisors meeting in New Delhi on June 22-23. The high-level gathering will address international security challenges, regional issues, and prepare for the upcoming BRICS Summit in India. Wang Yi is also expected to hold bilateral talks with India's NSA Ajit Doval, focusing on India-China border issues.
Points Table Of FIFA World Cup 2026.
Pakistan is set to host a quadrilateral summit of foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkiye to discuss the ongoing conflict in West Asia and explore avenues for peace negotiations.
A record eight players aged 40 or older have been selected to play at the tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States - one more than at all the past 22 tournaments combined.
The 2026 World Cup has witnessed an unusual number of own goals in its opening 10 days, with seven already recorded, making it the second-highest tally in tournament history. The United States has benefited from two such incidents. This trend is notable given the tournament's expansion and could surpass the 2018 record of 12 own goals. Several players from different nations have contributed to this statistic, highlighting a peculiar aspect of the early matches.
Belgian winger Jeremy Doku faces a personal dilemma during the World Cup as his wife is due to give birth to their first child. He hopes to be present for the birth, potentially requiring him to leave the tournament.
At the Iran-Belgium FIFA World Cup match, least one attendee wearing a pre-revolutionary flag shirt was detained for trying to run onto the pitch and Iranian player Alireza Jahanbakhsh said after the match that he doesn't want to keep focusing on the challenging situations faced by his team.
The Iranian football team is facing significant travel restrictions in the US during the World Cup, requiring them to enter and leave within 24 hours of matches. This has led the Football Federation of Iran to lodge a formal complaint with FIFA, citing concerns over fair play and technical preparation, while US authorities maintain the measures are for safety and security.
Andrew Giuliani, executive director of the White House Task Force for the World Cup, confirmed that the US will continue to assess Iran's travel arrangements for the tournament despite their complaints about restrictions.
Ten-man Belgium dominated possession but could not break down a disciplined Iranian defence, with goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand producing a string of saves to preserve the result in the Group G encounter.
South Africa will look to bounce after a 2-0 loss to co-hosts Mexico in their opening FIFA World Cup match.
'Actual implementation of the 14-point agreement is proving hard to achieve let alone striking and sustaining a long-term treaty or deal.'
Morocco outmuscled Scotland for a 1-0 win thanks to the tournament's fastest goal on Friday, taking control of Group C in the World Cup and moving into top spot with one match left to play.
Iran's World Cup football team has finally received visas to enter the United States, just days before their first match in Los Angeles.
US President Donald Trump announced that a deal to end the war with Iran would be signed on Sunday, with the strategic Strait of Hormuz immediately becoming 'open to all'. This follows indications from Pakistan that negotiations were in their final stages, though Iran has yet to comment on the timeline.
Iran's coach and their key player said the national team will strive to bring joy and unity to Iranian people around the world, despite war and other tensions making their FIFA World Cup adventure uniquely challenging.
