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Four-time winners Germany are out of the 2026 World Cup They lost to Paraguay in a dramatic penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw after extra time. Author | Ed Stadium | Boston Stadium Arsenal forward Kai Havertz and Newcastle striker Nick Woltemade both saw their penalties saved by goalkeeper Orlando Gill. Paraguay were handed two opportunities to seal victory but Antonio Sanabria fired wide before Fabian Balbuena's effort was kept out by the evergreen 40-year-old Manuel Neuer. In sudden death, Jonathan Tah blazed his penalty over the bar before defender Jose Canale calmly converted the decisive spot-kick to secure a 4-3 shootout victory and send Paraguay into the quarter-finals. A closer analysis of what happened Earlier, former Brighton and Ipswich forward Julio Enciso had given Paraguay a surprise lead with a header in the 42nd minute. Germany responded with far greater urgency after the break and levelled when Havertz glanced home a header from a pinpoint cross by Liverpool mi...

A missed opportunity for England  They were unable to reproduce the fluent football that swept aside Croatia in their opening World Cup match as they were held to a frustrating draw by Ghana  Author | George B Stadium | Boston Stadium Thomas Tuchel's side knew victory would have secured their place in the last 32, but they were thwarted by a disciplined and well-organised Ghana team. England took 57 minutes to register a shot on target and once again looked vulnerable at the back, surviving several nervy moments as Ghana threatened on the counter-attack in a disjointed contest. The subs didn't really work... Tuchel turned to Bukayo Saka, whose minutes are being carefully managed because of an ongoing Achilles issue, and introduced Morgan Rogers in place of Jude Bellingham in an effort to inject fresh impetus. Saka forced an excellent save from Ghana goalkeeper Benjamin Asare, while fellow substitute Nico O'Reilly headed against the crossbar. Marc Guehi also saw a header cle...

Scotland conceded after just 70 seconds as they slipped to defeat against a polished Morocco side However, their hopes of reaching the World Cup knockout stages for the first time remain in their own hands Author | Sean M Stadium | Boston Stadium Head coach Steve Clarke had called for the "footballing Gods to be smiling down on us", knowing that a point would have all but secured progression, but the Scots made the worst possible start. Slack defending allowed Ismael Saibari to fire the Africa Cup of Nations champions, ranked sixth in the world, into a stunning lead inside the opening two minutes. Watch | Another spine-tingling rendition of the Scottish national anthem Clarke reshuffled his side following Saturday's win over Haiti, with Celtic defender Kieran Tierney deployed on the left of midfield in an apparent attempt to keep Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi quiet. That plan quickly unravelled when centre-backs Grant Hanley and Jack Hendry allowed Saibari to burst in beh...

Norway start World Cup with emphatic win They overcame a determined Iraq side in their opening Group I encounter as Erling Haaland marked his World Cup debut with two goals.  Author | Sean M Stadium | Boston Stadium The 25-year-old took his international tally to 57 goals in 51 appearances as Norway returned to the World Cup for the first time in 28 years. He came close to becoming the 55th player to score a World Cup hat-trick, only for Jalal Hassan to produce an excellent late save. Competing on football's biggest stage for the first time in 40 years, Iraq more than matched their opponents during the opening 25 minutes. However, the breakthrough arrived just 58 seconds after the first-half hydration break when David Moller Wolfe surged down the left and delivered a low cross that Haaland slid in at the far post. Iraq deservedly drew level in the 39th minute. Amir Al-Ammari's cross was met by Aymen Hussein, whose powerful downward header found the corner. Hussein had already s...

A memorable night for Scotland They held out to beat Haiti and get their first World Cup win in a generation, but will they regret not scoring more goals? Author | Sean M Stadium | Boston Stadium John McGinn repaid head coach Steve Clarke's faith by firing Scotland to their first World Cup victory in 36 years as they edged past Haiti on their return to the men's tournament after a 28-year absence. Clarke said before the match that selecting the Aston Villa captain ahead of Ryan Christie was "probably the hardest decision I've ever had to make" and challenged the 31-year-old to justify his choice. It is fair to say McGinn did exactly that, sending his country to the top of Group C and taking a significant step towards reaching the knockout stage for the first time, even if it came on a tense and nerve-racking night. A difficult selection decision for the Scotland boss Usually among the first names on the teamsheet, McGinn's place had come under scrutiny after C...