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Almiron red card fails to derail Paraguay as Turkey crash out of World Cup Miguel Almiron became the first player to be sent off for covering his mouth at a World Cup, but Paraguay held firm to boost their hopes of reaching the next stage Author | Jack L Stadium | San Francisco Bay Area Stadium Paraguay struck after only 64 seconds when midfielder Matias Galarza drilled home from outside the area to score the fastest goal of the tournament so far, with his effort ultimately proving decisive. From that moment on, however, it was largely one-way traffic as Turkey pushed relentlessly in search of an equaliser. Their task appeared to become easier when former Newcastle United midfielder Almiron placed his hand over his mouth during a confrontation with Turkey defender Mert Muldur in first-half stoppage time. Following a video assistant referee review, Salvadoran referee Ivan Barton produced a red card under a new regulation introduced ahead of the tournament. Both sides arrived in need...

Colombia marked their return to the World Cup with a victory over debutants Uzbekistan. Former Liverpool forward Luis Diaz and Crystal Palace defender Daniel Munoz both found the net. Author | Jack L Stadium | Azteca Stadium Having missed out on the 2022 tournament, Colombia secured all three points at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico City to move to the top of Group K. A closer analysis of what happened Munoz opened the scoring with an outstanding full-stretch volley after meeting a superb forward pass from Diaz, who had earlier struck the post. Uzbekistan, managed by Italy's World Cup-winning defender Fabio Cannavaro, levelled on the hour when Abbosbek Fayzullaev headed home from close range after Colombia goalkeeper Camilo Vargas had pushed away Eldor Shomurodov's effort. But the South Americans restored their advantage almost immediately, with Diaz's shot finding the net despite Uzbekistan keeper Utkir Yusupov getting both hands to the ball. Uzbekistan, ranked 50th in the w...

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...

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...

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 ...

The first in a series of articles where our writers explore who might win the World Cup First up, we exmaine the chances of the 2010 winners Spain Author | Jack L Among fans around the world, Spain remain the favourites to win the tournament. There have been a few concerns, most notably the hamstring injury suffered by teenage winger Lamine Yamal, the player many are most eager to see. While the Barcelona star is expected to recover in time to be included in Spain’s squad, any setback could leave them facing a difficult campaign. Spain still possess an abundance of quality and should be capable of easing their way through the World Cup, particularly with a kinder group than some of their rivals. Watch | Spain in qualifying action | Footage from GOALTIME on YouTube  Despite that easy group and some fantastic performances in qualifying, nothing is taken for granted at this level, and shocks remain part of the enduring appeal and mystique of the competition. Can the European champions...

Emotional Messi scores twice in final match in Argentina Lautaro Martinez also scored as the hosts beat Venezuela 3-0 in a World Cup qualifier in Buenos Aires. Author | Jack L Stadium | Estadio Mâs Monumental Messi, 38, was joined by his three sons and received a standing ovation from a crowd of 80,000 in moving scenes before the match. The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner captained Argentina to their third World Cup triumph in 2022 and has scored a record 114 goals in 194 games for his country. A closer look at what happened Lionel Messi opened the scoring at the Estadio Monumental, collecting a pass from Julián Álvarez before rifling into the top corner. Argentina, already assured of their place at the 2026 World Cup and leading the South American qualifying table, extended their advantage through Lautaro Martínez ’s diving header, with Messi adding a second soon after. The 37-year-old, Argentina’s record appearance holder, admitted afterwards that he has yet to decide wheth...

More updates from Salford Red Devils Salford Red Devils’ ownership group have insisted the troubled Super League club “will not close” despite a worsening financial crisis. Author | Jack L A rare win for Salford Red Devils over Castleford Tigers earlier this season. A consortium headed by businessman Dario Berta took control on the eve of the season, but the campaign has been marred by late wage payments, a spate of player departures and a run of heavy defeats. READ MORE | Updates from Salford Red Devils on GM Super News Sunday’s thrashing at Hull FC came at the end of a turbulent week in which Chris Hankinson, Chris Hill, Jack Ormondroyd and Ryan Brierley all left the club. With a squad hastily assembled from loan players, Salford were overwhelmed 80-6, conceding 14 tries. In a statement , external issued late on Monday evening, the group said that bridge funding would be "available and settled" by the end of August, and that they remained "fully committed" to supp...

A very controversial announcement from La Liga  Villarreal’s league match against Barcelona in December could become the first European league fixture to be played abroad. Author | Jack L A classic La Liga match between the sides  Spain’s football federation approved plans to move the game to the United States. The RFEF will now seek permission from Fifa and Uefa to stage the match at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, which is due to host seven games at the 2026 World Cup. The fixture is currently scheduled for 21 December at Villarreal’s Estadio de la Cerámica. The proposal has met strong resistance from supporters. Spain’s football fans’ association, FASFE, has joined with Barcelona and Villarreal fan groups to express “absolute, total and firm opposition” to the move. They have urged the federation and the national sports council to “stop this madness” and warned they would take legal action if the plan is approved. READ MORE | News and stories from European Super Football ...

Inter Milan start the club's new era with a draw A familiar face to European football fans helped Monterrey earn a point  Author | Jack L Sergio Ramos rolled back the years with a trademark header as Monterrey earned a 1-1 draw against Inter Milan in their Club World Cup opener in California. The 39-year-old defender, who lifted a previous iteration of the Club World Cup four times with Real Madrid, rose highest at a corner to nod the Mexican side in front after 25 minutes. Inter, still reeling from their 5-0 defeat by Paris St-Germain in last month’s Champions League final, found a response just before the interval when Lautaro Martínez turned in from close range. READ MORE | Match Reports from across the Club World Cup READ MORE |  Boca Juniors 2 - 2 Benfica  Monterrey almost snatched victory in stoppage time, but Nelson Deossa could only find the side netting with his effort. The match marked a new era for Inter, with Cristian Chivu taking charge for the first time...

Let's have a look at how Harry Kane helped Bayern Munich regain their Bundesliga crown  This was the first major honour of Kane’s career. Author - Jack L For all his goals and personal accolades, Harry Kane has long been dogged by one persistent criticism: he had never won a major trophy with club or country. That narrative shifted this weekend, albeit in somewhat ironic circumstances. Suspended due to a fifth yellow card of the season, Kane watched from the stands as Bayern Munich faced RB Leipzig on Saturday. He was even on the touchline, ready to join the celebrations, until a late equaliser for Leipzig delayed any title confirmation. READ MORE: News and stories from across Germany via European Super Football. Instead, the decisive moment came the following day. Bayer Leverkusen’s 2-2 draw at Freiburg ensured Bayern were crowned German champions, clinching the Bundesliga title and finally allowing Kane to lift the first major trophy of his senior career. It marks a signific...

Ruthless England scored 10 tries in a thumping 68-14 victory against Wales This wasn't enough to clinch the Six Nations title though  Author - Jack L Steve Borthwick’s men produced their best performance of the campaign to leapfrog Ireland at the top of the Championship table Source | Guinness Six Nations YouTube account This left France needing to beat Scotland in the final Super Saturday match to become champions. Les Bleus duly obliged leaving England without a title in five years. England were clinical in Cardiff and set the tone inside three minutes as Maro Itoje scored, while Tom Roebuck, Tommy Freeman, Chandler Cunningham-South and Will Stuart also crossed for tries in the first half. Fantastic pre match atmosphere England’s tries came in quick bursts but, in-between, Wales were more than a match for the visitors and, had they had the rub of the green and shown composure at the right moment, they would have scored plenty of points themselves. However, they tired in t...