Ante Budimir on the mark as Croatia eliminate Panama

Luka Modric’s 200th appearance for Croatia ended in a 1-0 victory over Panama as they kept their World Cup campaign alive. Substitute Ante Budimir supplied the decisive touch, grabbing the only goal early in the second half as Panama’s hopes of qualification were ended.

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Gallant Ghana shutout England to earn famous point

Thomas Tuchel’s stilted side stumbled to a scoreless draw with well-drilled Ghana as England edged closer to the World Cup knockout phase in forgettable fashion. Six days on from the thrilling 4-2 victory against Croatia in Texas, things fell flat in Foxborough as the back-to-back European Championship runners-up failed to break down the Black Stars.

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Ronaldo off the mark as Portugal dismantle Uzbekistan

Cristiano Ronaldo announced his arrival at the 2026 World Cup with two goals as Portugal ignited their campaign with a 5-0 thrashing of Uzbekistan. Portugal and Ronaldo were heavily criticised after an uninspiring 1-1 draw in their Group K opener against DR Congo, but they came alive under the roof at the Houston Stadium on Tuesday.

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Algeria fightback against Jordan to keep hopes alive

Two second-half goals from corners saw Algeria come from behind to beat Jordan 2-1 and keep their hopes of reaching the World Cup last 32 alive. Nadhir Benobuali and Amine Gouiri grabbed the decisive goals in Santa Clara after Nizar Al Rashdan’s opener for Jordan, setting up a clash with Austria to decide who finishes second behind Argentina in Group J.

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Haaland bags brace as Norway edge out Senegal

Erling Haaland ensured the battle for the World Cup’s golden boot is not a two-horse race with an electrifying brace in Norway’s win over Senegal in New Jersey. After Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe added to their tallies for the tournament to five and four respectively, the Manchester City forward kept himself within a goal of Messi as he scored a quickfire couple after the half-time break.

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