Houston, June 24 (SANA) Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice as Portugal moved closer to the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a commanding 5-0 victory over Uzbekistan in their Group K match in Houston on Tuesday.
Ronaldo opened the scoring in the sixth minute before Nuno Mendes doubled Portugal’s advantage 11 minutes later.
The veteran forward struck again in the 39th minute to put Portugal firmly in control before an own goal by Uzbekistan defender Abdukodir Khusanov in the 60th minute extended the lead. Substitute Rafael Leão completed the rout with a late goal in the 87th minute.
The match marked another milestone for Ronaldo, who became the first player to score in six different World Cup tournaments. The two goals also took his international tally to 144.
The victory leaves Portugal top of Group K on four points, one point ahead of Colombia in second place. DR Congo is third with one point, while Uzbekistan remains bottom of the standings without a point after two matches.
Budimir strike keeps Croatia’s World Cup hopes alive with win over Panama
Toronto, June 24 (SANA) Croatia revived its hopes of reaching the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after securing a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Panama in their Group L match in Toronto on Tuesday.
Ante Budimir scored the decisive goal in the 54th minute, finishing from inside the penalty area to hand Croatia its first win of the tournament.
The victory lifted Croatia to three points and third place in the group standings, keeping qualification to the Round of 32 within reach ahead of the final round of matches.
Panama, meanwhile, suffered its second straight defeat and remains bottom of the group without a point, leaving its chances of advancing hanging in the balance.
England and Ghana share the top two spots in Group L with four points each after two matches.
The final round of group fixtures is set to decide the remaining qualification places, with Croatia still in contention for a place in the knockout phase.
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Mbappé scores twice as France beats Iraq to reach World Cup knockout stage
Philadelphia, June 23 (SANA) Kylian Mbappé scored twice as France defeated Iraq 3-0 on Monday to secure a place in the Round of 32 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Playing at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, France took control early when Mbappé opened the scoring in the 14th minute. Ousmane Dembélé doubled the lead shortly after halftime before Mbappé added his second goal of the match in the 66th minute to seal the victory.
The match was interrupted by severe weather conditions at halftime, with play suspended for nearly two hours before resuming. The delay extended the total duration of the game to almost four hours.
The win lifted France to six points from two matches and ensured qualification from Group I with one game to spare.
Norway is second in the group on three points, while Senegal and Iraq remain without a point after two rounds of matches.
France’s qualification reinforces its status as one of the tournament favorites, with Mbappé once again playing a decisive role in the team’s campaign.
Haaland scores twice as Norway joins France in World Cup knockout stage
Washington, June 23 (SANA) Erling Haaland scored twice as Norway secured a place in the Round of 32 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a 3-2 victory over Senegal on Monday, joining France in advancing from Group I.
Norway took the lead through Marcus Pedersen in the 43rd minute at MetLife Stadium in New York before Haaland struck twice early in the second half to put his side in control.
The Manchester City forward scored in the 48th and 58th minutes, while Senegal’s Ismaila Sarr found the net in the 53rd minute and again in stoppage time (90+3), but his efforts were not enough to prevent Norway from claiming all three points.
The win moved Norway to six points from two matches, level with France, which had already secured qualification from the group.
France leads Group I on goal difference, with Norway second on the same number of points. Senegal and Iraq remain without a point ahead of the final round of group-stage matches.
Norway’s qualification marks a significant achievement for a side led by Haaland, whose goals have been central to the team’s campaign as it advances to the knockout stage alongside the 2018 world champions.
Algeria keeps World Cup hopes alive with comeback win over Jordan
California, June 23 (SANA) Algeria came from behind to defeat Jordan 2-1 on Monday and keep its hopes of reaching the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup alive.
Playing at Levi’s Stadium in California’s San Francisco Bay Area, Algeria overturned a first-half deficit to claim a crucial victory in Group J.
Jordan opened the scoring in the 36th minute through Nizar al-Rashdan and held the lead until midway through the second half.
Nadhir Benbouali leveled the score in the 69th minute before Amine Gouiri completed the comeback with the winning goal in the 82nd minute.
The result moved Algeria to three points from two matches, level with Austria in the race for qualification to the Round of 32.
Argentina became the first team from Group J to secure a knockout-stage berth after winning its opening two matches and collecting six points.
The battle for the remaining qualification spots will be decided in the final round of group-stage fixtures, with Algeria and Austria tied on three points and Jordan still in contention.
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Messi scores twice as Argentina beat Austria, extends World Cup scoring record
Washington, June 23 (SANA) Lionel Messi scored twice as Argentina defeated Austria 2-0 on Monday to move closer to the knockout stage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while extending his record as the tournament’s all-time leading scorer.
The match, played at AT&T Stadium in Texas, was Argentina’s second Group J fixture and secured a second consecutive victory for the defending champions.
Messi opened the scoring in the 38th minute before adding a second goal deep into stoppage time (90+4), taking his World Cup tally to 18 goals. The Argentine captain had already surpassed former Germany striker Miroslav Klose‘s record of 16 goals after reaching 17 goals earlier in the tournament.
The 38-year-old forward has now scored 18 goals across six World Cup appearances, including one goal at Germany 2006, four at Brazil 2014, one at Russia 2018, seven at Qatar 2022 and five so far at the 2026 tournament.
Messi matched Klose’s record during his 200th international appearance for Argentina, scoring a hat trick in a 3-0 victory over Algeria in his first match of a record sixth World Cup campaign.
Argentina moved to six points at the top of Group J and is on the verge of securing a place in the Round of 32. Austria remained on three points in second place ahead of the group’s other match between Algeria and Jordan.
