分类： sports

As the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup moves into its second round of group-stage play on Sunday, June 21, all eight teams competing across the four scheduled fixtures head into the day still searching for their first victory of the tournament – all having opened their campaigns with hard-fought draws.

Four opening matches on the previous Monday produced four draws, a rare result that marks the most draws on a single men’s World Cup matchday since 1958. This historic run of stalemates has left both Group G and Group C completely open, with no team yet able to lock in an early advantage going into the second round of group play.

Sunday’s first fixture, kicking off at 12 p.m. EDT in Atlanta, Georgia, pits second-ranked Spain against Saudi Arabia in a Group H showdown. Spain kicked off its tournament with a surprising 0-0 stalemate against Cape Verde, while Saudi Arabia earned a 1-1 draw against Uruguay, with defender Abdulelah Al-Amri netting the Arab side’s opening goal of the competition. Young star Lamine Yamal will lead Spain’s line as the European side looks to lock in its first win and cement its status as a title contender.

The second match of the day, at 3 p.m. EDT at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, sees 10th-ranked Belgium take on Iran in a Group G clash. Belgium will be missing key starting winger Jérémy Doku, who has been ruled out of the fixture due to an illness. The Manchester City speedster, who played 86 minutes of Belgium’s opening 1-1 draw with Egypt, has been in the headlines in recent days after revealing he would leave the tournament temporarily if needed to attend the birth of his first child, due in early July during the knockout stage. Without Doku, the Red Devils will rely heavily on star forward Romelu Lukaku to secure a crucial three points to stay on track for group advancement. Iran opened its run with a 2-2 draw against New Zealand, and will also be hungry for its first win of the competition.

At 6 p.m. EDT in Miami Gardens, Florida, Uruguay faces off against Cape Verde, the tournament’s debutant side from the small archipelago off West Africa, in the second Group H fixture of the day. Already holding a draw against second-ranked Spain, a win for Cape Verde would go down as one of the biggest upsets of this World Cup, catapulting the underdog debutants into the knockout stage conversation. Uruguay, for its part, will look to bounce back from its opening draw with Saudi Arabia and lock in the win to climb the group table.

The final fixture of Sunday closes out the day at 9 p.m. EDT in Vancouver, British Columbia, with New Zealand facing Egypt in the remaining Group G matchup. New Zealand held Iran to a 2-2 draw in its opener, while Egypt also opened with a 1-1 stalemate against Belgium. All four of the day’s games will be broadcast across Fox, FS1, Telemundo and Peacock.

In other World Cup news from Saturday, the Netherlands became just the eighth national men’s side in World Cup history to hit the 100-goal milestone at the tournament, after striker Brian Brobbey netted a first-half brace in the Oranje’s 5-1 lopsided win over Sweden. The Dutch side joins elite company including Brazil, Germany, Argentina, France, Italy, Spain and England as the only nations to reach the 100-goal mark in World Cup competition.

HOUSTON – In a dominant display of attacking football that pulled the Netherlands to the top of Group F at the FIFA World Cup, Brian Brobbey and Cody Gakpo each netted two goals to power the Dutch side to a lopsided 5-1 victory over Sweden on Saturday. The convincing win marked a sharp rebound for the Oranje, who were left frustrated by a 2-2 draw with Japan in their tournament opener just days earlier.

Brobbey set the tone for the match early, putting his name on the scoresheet twice inside the opening 18 minutes to give the Netherlands a comfortable two-goal advantage before halftime. The forward’s first strike came in the 5th minute, when he connected cleanly on a first-time right-footed finish from Gakpo’s well-placed cross into the penalty box, sending the ball into the back of the net before tumbling to the turf. Twelve minutes later, Brobbey doubled his tally, sliding to meet a cross from Denzel Dumfries and tapping the ball past the Swedish goalkeeper with the tip of his right boot to find the far post.

A late first-half scare for the Dutch was averted when Gustaf Lagerbielke’s 44th-minute header was ruled out for offside, keeping Sweden off the scoreboard heading into the break. The Swedish center-back, who comes from a prominent noble family in the country with his father and grandfather holding the title of count, was unable to turn his side’s first solid chance into a goal before halftime. Dutch goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen also turned away four Swedish efforts in the opening 45 minutes, turning in a standout performance to preserve his side’s clean sheet heading into the second half.

Just two minutes after play resumed, Gakpo extended the Netherlands’ lead to 3-0, converting Denzel Dumfries’ cross in the 47th minute to add his name to the scoresheet. Seven minutes later, the winger matched Brobbey’s two-goal haul, drilling a right-footed shot from the left side of the penalty box to push the lead to 4-0, with Crysencio Summerville notching an assist on the play. Gakpo also picked up an assist on Brobbey’s first goal of the afternoon, turning in a complete all-around performance.

Sweden finally got on the board in the 59th minute, when Anthony Elanga slotted home a left-footed strike to cut the deficit to 4-1 and avoid a total shutout. The result marks a devastating fall for Sweden, who impressed in their opening match with a 5-1 blowout win over Tunisia. Saturday’s defeat is Sweden’s heaviest World Cup loss since a 7-1 defeat to Brazil back in 1950.

Crysencio Summerville put the final nail in the coffin for the Dutch in the 89th minute, netting the team’s fifth goal of the match and celebrating with NBA star Stephen Curry’s viral “night night” gesture that has become popular across global sports. In total, 68,777 fans packed into Houston’s stadium for the match, with the overwhelming majority supporting the Netherlands. Many of the Dutch supporters traveled 2.5 miles from Rice University to the venue on Saturday morning as part of the traditional Oranje Fanwalk. The match also drew two high-profile special guests: King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, who watched the match from a private luxury suite.

Heading into the final round of Group F matches, Netherlands sit atop the group standings with four points, while Sweden hold three points. The final group fixtures are scheduled for next Thursday: Sweden will face Japan at Dallas Stadium, while the Netherlands will take on Tunisia in Kansas City.

SOUTHAMPTON, England — The Australian women’s national cricket team extended its perfect run at the Women’s Twenty20 World Cup on Saturday, securing a dominant third consecutive victory with a 98-run defeat of first-time qualifier the Netherlands at the Rose Bowl.

In a historic batting performance, Australia crossed the 200-run mark for the first time in tournament history, posting an equal tournament-record total of 219 runs for the loss of six wickets. The Dutch side was only able to muster 121 runs for the loss of three wickets in response, never coming close to challenging the massive target set by the defending favorites.

Australia’s run chase got off to a promising start, but delivered an early scare when star opening batter Beth Mooney was forced to retire hurt on 74 runs off 42 deliveries after complaining of a stiff back. Speaking to reporters after the innings, Mooney downplayed the injury, saying the withdrawal was purely a precautionary measure. The issue, she explained, likely stemmed from the extensive bus travel the team has undertaken throughout the tournament, to which she has not yet adjusted.

Despite Mooney’s early exit, Australia’s batting line-up held firm to deliver a record-breaking total. Mooney shared a 50-run opening stand off just 28 balls with Georgia Voll, who scored 17, before building a 101-run partnership off 55 deliveries with all-rounder Ash Gardner, who returned to the side following a recent ankle sprain and finished with 58 runs. It was spinner Georgia Wareham who pushed Australia across the 200-run threshold, bludgeoning 41 runs off 18 deliveries, with 32 of those coming from boundaries.

Mooney’s early departure created an unexpected gap behind the stumps, as the team’s usual backup wicketkeeper Phoebe Litchfield was already sidelined with a quad injury. The gloves were handed to opening batter Voll, who stepped up seamlessly to the role, pulling off a clean catch in just the second over of the Netherlands’ innings. Australian pace bowler Kim Garth capitalized on the early opportunity, taking two wickets for just 10 runs in her opening two overs to put the Dutch side on the back foot immediately.

Making their first-ever appearance at the Women’s T20 World Cup, the Netherlands never looked likely to chase down the target of 220 runs. However, the side delivered a gritty middle-order performance, with captain Babette de Leede and batter Sterre Kalis putting together a 96-run partnership from the fourth over through to the 19th. Kalis, who was dropped twice while on 21 and 40, was eventually bowled for 44 runs. De Leede remained unbeaten on 56 runs off 57 deliveries to close out the innings alongside Robine Rijke, with the pair both playing their 100th Twenty20 international match in the historic fixture.

Speaking after the match, de Leede framed the clash against the world-leading Australian side as a landmark moment for her team. “This is a massive moment for us,” she said. “Australia are a quality team, so to learn from them, see how they go about their innings, it’s just incredible.”

The match was the first of four fixtures scheduled for Saturday at the tournament, with subsequent group stage matches between Pakistan and Bangladesh, and hosts England against Scotland kicking off later in the day.

On the fourth morning of the ongoing Test match at London’s iconic Oval ground, New Zealand’s all-rounder Daryl Mitchell anchored a resilient batting performance to extend his side’s already formidable first-innings lead, putting the Black Caps in a nearly unassailable position against host nation England on Saturday.

When play got underway under overcast skies, New Zealand lost three early wickets before conditions cleared, reaching 345 for the loss of six wickets by the lunch break. This gave New Zealand an overall lead of 445 runs, with Mitchell remaining unbeaten on 66. He was joined at the crease by fast bowler Nathan Smith, who had already posted a quickfire 30 runs off just 35 deliveries by the interval.

New Zealand’s 345-run second innings total at lunch already gave them a second-innings lead well beyond England’s historic record for the highest successful fourth-innings chase, which stands at 378 runs. The Black Caps added 93 runs in 25 overs on Saturday morning against an England attack that extracted significant seam movement from a 60-over-old ball, particularly from seasoned fast bowlers Jofra Archer and Josh Tongue.

Mitchell survived a scare on the very first delivery of the day: he drove loosely at a full delivery from Archer and edged the ball toward second slip, only for the chance to slip through the outstretched fingers of Harry Brook. That drop would prove costly for England, as it remained the only mistake Mitchell made for the entire morning session.

Having already scored a quick 32 runs off 43 deliveries during Friday evening’s closing play, Mitchell adapted perfectly to Saturday’s bowler-friendly conditions, picking up just 34 additional runs off 59 balls to reach his half-century. He brought up his 50 in the over after the mid-session drinks break off 68 deliveries, a milestone that came as little surprise to cricket observers.

Mitchell has built a reputation as England’s nemesis, holding a phenomenal batting average of 56 against the Three Lions in Test cricket, far above his career Test average of 42. This innings marked Mitchell’s eighth half-century and third century against England across just 12 Test matches, underlining his exceptional record against the side.

While Mitchell anchored the innings from one end, wickets fell consistently at the other end. Brook made amends for his earlier dropped catch when he held onto a defensive edge from overnight centurion Henry Nicholls off Archer’s bowling. Nicholls, who posted an unbeaten 119 on Friday, had just been struck on the fingers by a short delivery from Tongue, and only added two runs to his overnight score before falling.

Tom Blundell became Tongue’s next victim after the New Zealand batter tried to glide a fine tickle down the leg side for 16 runs. The ball looped to Joe Root at first slip, who fumbled the catch, only for debutant wicketkeeper James Rew to snatch the rebound. The dismissal ended with Root accidentally falling on top of Rew, prompting a playful celebratory scrum among England’s players — a light moment that also served to encourage the debutant, who has already conceded 33 byes, the most by an England wicketkeeper in a Test match in 12 years.

First-innings centurion Glenn Phillips was the next batter to depart, out for just 3 runs when he edged Archer to Jacob Bethell at the gully position. That brought Smith to the crease to join Mitchell, and the pair stemmed the flow of wickets to head into lunch unbeaten. Smith hit four boundaries and a towering six over long-on off Bethell, setting the stage for New Zealand to extend their lead further in the afternoon session when clearer weather is expected to make batting easier.

CHENNAI, INDIA – In a historic first bilateral one-day international series between the two cricketing nations, India has secured a perfect 3-0 series sweep, wrapping up the final contest with a dominant nine-wicket victory over Afghanistan on Saturday. The result extends Afghanistan’s winless drought against India across all international formats.

The day belonged to Indian pace bowler Prasidh Krishna, who delivered a career-defining performance to claim his first five-wicket haul in ODI cricket. After Afghanistan won the pre-match toss and elected to bat first, Krishna tore through the opposition’s top order with the new ball, leaving the Afghan batting lineup reeling early. By the 10th over mark, Afghanistan had slumped to 36-4, having lost four key wickets to Krishna’s sharp seam movement. Indian captain Rohit Sharma supported Krishna’s early burst by holding three catches at first slip, sending Afghanistan’s top-order batters Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmat Shah back to the pavilion for scores of 5, 11 and 5 respectively.

Afghanistan’s captain Hashmatullah Shahidi rescued his side from total collapse with a resolute maiden ODI century. Holding firm at one end for 131 deliveries, Shahidi struck 13 fours and one six to reach 102 not out, and built a crucial 105-run fifth-wicket partnership with all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai, who contributed a steady 50 off 56 balls. The lower order failed to build on Shahidi’s foundation however, with veteran Mohammad Nabi’s 21 the only other double-digit score in the Afghan innings. Krishna eventually wrapped up the innings after 44.2 overs, finishing with outstanding figures of 5 wickets for just 23 runs, and bowling Afghanistan out for a total of 218.

India’s chase got off to a flying start, thanks to a 170-run opening stand between Yashasvi Jaiswal and captain Rohit Sharma. The opening pair put India 81 runs up without loss after the first 10 powerplay overs, putting the target well within reach from the earliest stages of the innings. Rohit notched his 61st ODI half-century, scoring 79 runs off 69 deliveries, before falling caught to Mohammad Nabi in the 23rd over, just short of a century.

Jaiswal, playing only his fifth ODI and filling in as an opening batsman, remained unbeaten through the entire chase to score his second ODI century, finishing on 110 not out. The young batsman brought up his half-century off just 38 balls, hitting seven fours and a six, before adding another 50 runs from 45 deliveries to bring India across the finish line. After Rohit’s dismissal, Jaiswal and Shreyas Iyer (20 not out) added an unbroken 54-run partnership from 35 overs to seal the win, with India reaching 224 for 1 loss after just 28.4 overs, a full 21.2 overs remaining in the allotted 50 overs.

Speaking after the match, Jaiswal emphasized his focus on making the most of every opportunity he receives in the national side. “I really enjoyed batting out there,” he said. “I got runs in the powerplay so I just wanted to keep going. Selection is not in my control, but I try to work hard as much as I can. I have support from the team management and the communication has been good. I am only trying to convert whatever chances I get.”

India had already secured the series win well before the final match, taking an unassailable 2-0 lead following a seven-wicket win in a rain-truncated opening fixture in Dharamshala, and a dominant 170-run victory in the second match in Lucknow. Saturday’s win capped off a flawless campaign for India, while Afghanistan will leave the series still searching for their first ever win against their South Asian neighbor across all international formats.