SuperNewsAffiliate

South Korea came from behind to beat the Czech Republic in their World Cup opener Substitute Oh Hyeon-gyu scoring the winner 10 minutes from time. Author | Ajay  Stadium | Estadio Guadalajara Son Heung-min and his team-mates dominated much of the contest against a Czech side that failed to register a shot on target until the 59th minute. Their captain, Ladislav Krejci, broke the deadlock when he rose highest to head in a long throw from Vladimir Coufal. Former Tottenham forward Son, captaining his country, was at the heart of South Korea's attacking play. He accounted for five of their eight first-half attempts, although his best opportunity was denied by goalkeeper Matej Kovar. South Korea responded swiftly  They were level just eight minutes later through Feyenoord midfielder Hwang In-beom. Picked out inside the area by the impressive Lee Kang-in, Hwang wrong-footed Kovar, who had rushed from his line, with a clever dummy before delicately lifting the ball into the empt...

And we're off... Mexico overcome South Africa in fiery World Cup opener as three players see red Author | Jack L Stadium | Azteca Stadium Three players were sent off as World Cup co-hosts Mexico beat South Africa in a dramatic opening match in front of a packed crowd.  South Africa ended the contest with nine men, while Mexico were reduced to 10 players in the closing stages. Brazilian referee Wilton Sampaio produced a flurry of red cards, dismissing South Africa's Yaya Sithole for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity and Themba Zwane for striking an opponent, before showing Mexico defender Cesar Montes a red card for a late challenge. Before the match started, there was the bright and vibrant opening ceremony. For everything wrong with this tournament, it was nice to see people come together. Watch | Opening Ceremony | Posted by Media Focus  Record breaking for the wrong reasons... Only four red cards were shown across the entire Qatar 2022 World Cup, while a tournament op...

A positive performance from England They moved through the gears in their final World Cup warm-up match, producing an accomplished display to beat Costa Rica in Orlando. Author | George B Stadium | Inter&Co Stadium After kick-off was delayed by an hour because of storms, Declan Rice gave England an early advantage with a deflected effort, capitalising on impressive work from new Barcelona signing Anthony Gordon. Bellingham shines Jude Bellingham was preferred to Morgan Rogers in the number 10 role and delivered a lively performance as he strengthened his case to start England's World Cup opener against Croatia in Dallas on 17 June. The midfielder slipped Noni Madueke through on goal in the first half, only for the Arsenal forward to strike the post after rounding Costa Rica goalkeeper Patrick Sequeira when a goal appeared certain. Watch | Highlights from ITV Sport Bellingham's surging run then played a key part in England's second after 68 minutes. His driving break led...

We asked some of our readers two simple questions... Who's going to win the World Cup and why? Author | Ajay Gaz France, although there is a caveat. It depends on whether they can avoid any dressing-room tensions. The quality they have in attacking areas means two or three major players will miss out in every game, so it comes down to how they handle that situation. Jeff It's difficult to look beyond France given the attacking talent at their disposal, especially when you consider the impact of extra time in hot conditions against tiring opponents. Players such as Rayan Cherki, Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue cannot all start, but they can be match-winners when introduced after 70 minutes in 30-degree heat. Olise could also be a key player for them. Is Olise going to shine at this summer's World Cup? supernewsaffiliate.blogspot.com/2026/06/worl... [image or embed] — Super News Affiliate ( @supernews1.bsky.social ) 9 June 2026 at 18:39 Oliver For me, the two strongest ...

An emotional night for the France manager but there was still a job to be done Olise hits hat-trick as France sign off World Cup preparations with win over Northern Ireland Author | Jack L Stadium | Stade Pierre-Mauroy Michael Olise scored the first international hat-trick of his career as France completed their World Cup preparations with a 3-1 victory over Northern Ireland in Lille, in what was Didier Deschamps' final home match in charge of Les Bleus. In France's last warm-up fixture before travelling to the United States, Olise proved the difference against a spirited Northern Ireland side that frustrated the hosts for long periods despite the celebratory atmosphere surrounding Deschamps' farewell on home soil. The breakthrough did not arrive until the 43rd minute. France's opening goal came in scrappy fashion as Ousmane Dembele's effort was deflected into the path of Olise, who reacted quickest to steer the ball into the net from close range. Olise's second...

A useful exercise for Thomas Tuchel. The England head coach fielded completely different teams in each half as preparations for the World Cup continued with a narrow victory over New Zealand Author | George B Stadium | Raymond James Stadium Harry Kane, England's ever-reliable captain, headed home his 79th international goal in 113 appearances just moments before half-time. Tuchel then made sweeping changes, opting to assess the majority of his squad as the countdown continued towards England's opening group-stage match against Croatia in Dallas on 17 June. Watch | Highlights from ITV Sport Liverpool's 17-year-old winger Rio Ngumoha, who is not part of the 26-man World Cup squad, was handed his senior debut, becoming the fifth-youngest player to represent England. The experimental nature of Tuchel's side was reflected in a subdued contest played in sweltering conditions, but it will have served as a valuable acclimatisation exercise ahead of Wednesday's final pre-Wor...

Lionel Messi will appear at a sixth World Cup after being named in Argentina’s squad for the 2026 tournament The holders will be wanting o defend the title they won in Qatar four years ago. Author | Jack L The forward, who turns 39 during the competition, captains Lionel Scaloni’s 26-man squad after inspiring Argentina to a third world title with their dramatic penalty shootout victory over France in 2022. Messi already holds the record for the most World Cup appearances by any player with 26 matches, and will join Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo, now 41, as the only men to feature in six editions of the tournament. A closer look at Argentina’s squad Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, who won the Golden Glove in Qatar, has also been selected, alongside Manchester United defender Lisandro Martínez and Tottenham’s Cristian Romero, despite the latter missing the closing stages of the Premier League campaign through a knee injury. Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister and Chelsea’s ...