Global Pulse

标签： South America

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  • Neymar – the return of Brazil’s forgotten hero

    Neymar – the return of Brazil’s forgotten hero

    On a sweltering June evening in Miami Gardens, Brazilian football fans clad in the iconic canary yellow of their national team packed Miami Stadium to the rafters, and their roar was loud enough to reach low-Earth orbit. The object of their unbridled adoration? Neymar, the global superstar making his first appearance for Brazil in nearly three years following a devastating long-term injury. It was a moment that overshadowed even Brazil’s decisive 3-0 Group C victory over Scotland, a result that has left Scotland’s 2026 World Cup campaign hanging by a thread.

    Neymar’s journey back to the international pitch was anything but easy. In October 2023, the forward suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus during a World Cup qualifier, an injury that sidelined him for months and left him starved of competitive match fitness through his recovery. At 34, he is no longer the young, undisputed leading light of the Brazilian national squad that he was at previous tournaments, but his popularity among supporters remains undimmed.

    Brazil dominated the first 75 minutes of the match, with rising star Vinicius Jnr netting two first-half goals before Matheus Cunha added a third late in the second half to seal the win. But long before Neymar stepped onto the pitch, every mention of his name on the stadium’s giant four display screens, every hint of his upcoming substitution, drew deafening cheers that drowned out even the celebrations for Brazil’s goals.

    When Cunha was substituted off in the 76th minute and Neymar finally walked onto the pitch to replace him, the stadium erupted. The star spent just 20 minutes on the pitch, recording 24 touches and one shot on target – a stat line that understates the electric atmosphere his presence created. For the crowd, the moment itself mattered more than the numbers.

    After the match, Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti defended the decision to bring Neymar into the fold, praising the forward’s relentless work ethic through his recovery. “He trained and worked hard to recover, with professionalism,” Ancelotti told reporters in the post-match press conference. “For this World Cup, I think that he can help the team with his qualities. I think he played well, the few minutes he was on the pitch. Neymar needs no ulterior motivation. Everyone loves him here. He needs no motivation to wear the colours of Brazil. Neymar is still the same, and at 34, he has the same passion he had as a kid.”

    The moment capped a jubilant night for Brazil, who moved to the top of Group C with the three points. As five-time World Cup winners, Brazil have not lifted the sport’s biggest prize since 2002, and the nation is hungry for a sixth title to add to its storied history. Under Ancelotti, the team has struggled for consistency of late, dropping matches to elite sides including Argentina, France and Morocco heading into the tournament, but this dominant display against Scotland offered a glimpse of the attacking swagger the side is capable of.

    For fans leaving the stadium, the biggest talking point was not just the three points or the top spot in the group – it was the return of their beloved hero. One long-time supporter told BBC Sport, “Pele is the best player of all time. No comparison. He won three World Cups for Brazil. Neymar will be among the best ones. He could be in the same level as Ronaldo or Ronaldinho if he wins the World Cup. I think he’s able to open up the field and bring out jogo bonito [play beautifully], as they say. They have to respect who he is and who he once was, because if you don’t, he’ll make you pay, that’s for sure.”

    For Scotland, the result leaves their World Cup dream in tatters, sitting at the bottom of Group C on the brink of elimination heading into the final matchday.

  • Rescuers search through rubble for Venezuela earthquake survivors

    Rescuers search through rubble for Venezuela earthquake survivors

    A devastating sequence of back-to-back earthquakes has rocked Venezuela’s capital Caracas, leaving a crumpled collapsed building in its wake and triggering urgent large-scale rescue operations. Emergency response teams have deployed to the disaster site, where crews are methodically sifting through piles of concrete and twisted metal debris in the hopes of locating and pulling trapped survivors to safety.

    The twin seismic events caught residents off guard, and the collapse of the structure has sparked fears that multiple people may still be trapped beneath the rubble. Local emergency management authorities have not yet released updated figures on casualties or the full scope of infrastructural damage across the city, but the immediate activation of search-and-rescue protocols underscores the severity of the seismic event.

    Rescue teams are working around the clock, utilizing specialized equipment to detect signs of life beneath the wreckage. The disaster has prompted calls for coordination between local and national response agencies, as well as offers of mutual aid from neighboring regions that stand ready to support relief efforts if needed. As operations continue, rescue workers remain focused on their primary mission: finding any survivors who may still be clinging to life in the ruins of the collapsed building.

  • Venezuela reeling after powerful twin earthquakes kill at least 32 people as promises of aid pour in

    Venezuela reeling after powerful twin earthquakes kill at least 32 people as promises of aid pour in

    On Wednesday evening, two large-magnitude earthquakes struck northern Venezuela within one minute of each other, leaving at least 32 people dead and more than 700 injured, with widespread damage to infrastructure and communities across the South American nation, according to the country’s acting president Delcy Rodríguez. As rescue teams continue to comb through collapsed buildings and emergency crews work to reach cut-off, hard-hit areas, Rodríguez has warned the final casualty count is likely to climb. The events rank among the most powerful seismic events to hit Venezuela in more than 100 years, with shaking felt as far as 1,700 kilometers away in Brazil’s Amazon region.

    Rodríguez declared a national state of emergency late Wednesday, confirming that the quakes left a trail of destruction across multiple Venezuelan states. As of early Thursday, casualty data did not include the worst-affected region: La Guaira, a coastal state roughly 30 kilometers north of the capital Caracas that Rodríguez has labeled a full disaster zone. “Dozens of buildings have collapsed there, and we are currently carrying out intensive rescue operations to save lives,” she stated in a national address.

    The country’s primary international gateway, Simón Bolívar International Airport near Caracas, suffered significant damage and was forced to close immediately after the quakes. Caracas also suspended all subway operations and cut natural gas service to prevent safety hazards, while all school classes across the nation have been canceled for several days. The Ministry of Education announced that undamaged school facilities would be repurposed as emergency shelters and donation collection points to support displaced residents. Rodríguez urged all Venezuelans to report infrastructure damage via a government mobile application, called on medical professionals to report to hospitals to support care for the injured, and appealed for national calm and unity: “We urge our population to remain calm. We urge unity.”

    Data from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) confirms the details of the back-to-back events. The agency initially recorded the first quake at magnitude 7.1, later revising its measurement to 7.2. That first seismic event originated 168 kilometers west of Caracas, off the Caribbean coast west of the town of Morón, at a depth of 22 kilometers. Just 60 seconds later, a larger 7.5 magnitude quake hit 16 kilometers southwest of Morón at a shallower depth of 10 kilometers, amplifying the damage caused by the first shock. In the northern coastal state of Falcón, Governor Víctor Clark reported 32 people hospitalized and 15 residents trapped in collapsed structures in the immediate aftermath of the quakes.

    Eyewitness accounts from Caracas paint a picture of widespread chaos and fear. Residents described buildings swaying violently, forcing thousands to evacuate into the streets as walls crumbled and dust plumes rose over busy commercial neighborhoods. For hours after the quakes, many people remained gathered outside, too afraid to return to damaged structures, with some sitting on the ground clutching their pets. Collapsed structures, fallen power poles and scattered debris blocked major roads, while sections of the capital lost electricity and cellular phone service, leaving many families unable to check on loved ones—including the more than 7.7 million Venezuelans who have relocated abroad during the country’s long-running political and economic crisis. “It started off gently and then gradually grew, and in the end, we all had to leave our houses, go outside and gather together,” said Caracas resident Hector Ricci. Fellow resident Roberto Gamas added: “The building I was in really shook from side to side. Unreal. The force was incredibly strong.”

    Venezuela’s Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello confirmed the quakes were felt across multiple states, and urged civilian motorists to yield the right of way to ambulances and emergency response vehicles. He reported collapsed homes and buildings in Caracas’ Altamira neighborhood, confirming injuries in the area, and noted that response teams were following established emergency protocols to accelerate rescue and aid delivery. Cabello also warned residents to stay outside of damaged structures due to the risk of additional damage from aftershocks, reminding the public to prioritize safety for vulnerable groups including children and older adults. Even in exile, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado shared a message of solidarity on social media platform X, asking for strength and unity for all Venezuelans navigating the crisis.

    Seismologists note that major earthquakes are extremely rare in Venezuela. While the country sits near multiple tectonic boundaries, its position between the South American and Caribbean plates means large seismic events are far less frequent than in other Latin American nations along the Pacific Ring of Fire, the geologically active belt that produces 90% of the world’s earthquakes, per USGS data. Even so, the recent quakes were felt across a wide swathe of northern South America: buildings were evacuated in three Amazonian Brazilian cities hundreds of kilometers from the epicenter, while shaking was reported in Colombia’s Caribbean and northeastern regions with no immediate reports of damage or injury there. The U.S. Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued brief tsunami alerts immediately after the quakes that were lifted within hours as no threat materialized.

    In the wake of the disaster, dozens of nations have extended offers of international assistance to Venezuela, including countries with long-running political differences with the current administration. The United States, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Panama and Uruguay have all publicly pledged support. U.S. Undersecretary of State for Foreign Assistance Jeremy P. Lewin announced that the State Department has mobilized a dedicated disaster assistance task force to coordinate search-and-rescue teams, medical supplies, and other humanitarian resources in coordination with Venezuela’s interim government. El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, who has previously been openly opposed to Venezuela’s sitting government, shared a message of solidarity on X: “We send you all our solidarity and our prayers. Stay strong, Venezuela.” Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa added that he had ordered immediate delivery of humanitarian aid, noting: “Ecuador will respond with the speed and commitment this moment demands because, despite our enormous differences, humanity must always guide the actions of a leader.” Even Bolivia, which was just days ago grappling with its own national state of emergency following widespread anti-government protests, has offered any assistance required. Brazilian authorities confirmed that no Brazilian citizens have been reported injured in the quakes.

  • Vinícius Júnior silences critics with 2 more goals, giving him 4 in this World Cup for Brazil

    Vinícius Júnior silences critics with 2 more goals, giving him 4 in this World Cup for Brazil

    MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Coming into this year’s FIFA World Cup, Brazilian soccer sensation Vinícius Júnior faced a persistent line of criticism from pundits and fans alike: the dynamic winger who consistently finds the back of the net for Real Madrid could never replicate that scoring form on soccer’s biggest international stage. On Wednesday night, he delivered a resounding response that left no room for doubt, bagging two goals in Brazil’s dominant 3-0 victory over Scotland to cement his status as one of the tournament’s most dangerous attacking threats.

    With his two-goal haul, Vinícius has now notched four goals through the group stage, pulling him into a tie for second place in the Golden Boot race alongside France’s Kylian Mbappé and Norway’s Erling Haaland. Only Argentina’s Lionel Messi sits ahead of him with five tournament goals. For the 24-year-old star, the breakthrough has been a long time coming, rooted in unshakable belief in his own ability.

    “Faith that I was going to improve, for the talent that I have … I was sure that at the right moment I would shine again with the Brazilian team shirt,” Vinícius said after the match. “Nothing is better than going back to the World Cup, to the place where I always dreamed of being. To be able to represent my family, to be able to represent a country as important as Brazil, I believe that there is nothing better.”

    Wednesday’s finish also etched Vinícius into Brazilian World Cup history. He became just the fifth Brazilian ever to score in all three of his team’s group stage matches, and the first player to achieve the feat since the legendary pair of Ronaldo and Rivaldo did so during Brazil’s 2002 World Cup triumph. For years, Vinícius acknowledged, he struggled to showcase his signature attacking style on the international stage, making this run all the more satisfying.

    “There were always times when I couldn’t show my football,” he said. “It brings a certain relief.”

    Much of Vinícius’s reinvigoration on the international level has been credited to his familiar coaching dynamic with Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti, who guided the winger at Real Madrid from 2021 to 2025. During that tenure, Ancelotti nurtured Vinícius into a global superstar, collecting two Champions League titles, two La Liga crowns and one Copa del Rey along the way, a run of success that has led Vinícius to call Ancelotti the best coach in world football.

    The shift in Vinícius’s scoring output for Brazil since Ancelotti took charge is stark: across 39 appearances under previous managers, he scored just six goals for the national side. In just 13 matches under Ancelotti, he has already found the net seven times.

    “I had no question in my mind of how far or well he’d come to this World Cup,” Ancelotti said. “It makes him happy to play for the national team. He’s doing a brilliant job.”

    After scoring in Brazil’s second group stage match against Haiti, Vinícius joked that he needed to listen to his coach more often. “For sure when we get to the dressing room, he’ll say he knows a lot about football,” he quipped.

    But Vinícius has proven he knows how to finish just as well as his manager knows how to coach, and the star says his best is still yet to come as Brazil advances deeper into the knockout round. “I will also evolve and improve in the competition,” he said. “And the hope only increases between us, between our fans and between our family.”

  • Rescuers race to find survivors as Venezuela reels from massive quakes: Everything we know so far

    Rescuers race to find survivors as Venezuela reels from massive quakes: Everything we know so far

    On a national holiday celebrating Venezuela’s foundational fight for independence, a rare double seismic event shocked the South American nation, leaving a trail of destruction and sparking a large-scale urgent rescue operation.

    On June 24, 2026, starting at 18:04 local time (22:04 GMT), the greater Caracas region was hit by two major earthquakes separated by less than one minute. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) confirmed the first tremor registered a magnitude of 7.2, with its epicenter located near Montalbán, a small region just west of the capital’s city limits. Just 39 seconds after the first quake subsided, a second, stronger magnitude 7.5 temblor struck the same general area at a depth of roughly 10 kilometers. While neither epicenter was directly within Caracas proper, the shaking was felt intensely across the populous capital of more than 2 million people, and was even detected as far as Bogotá, Colombia, located more than 1,000 kilometers away from the impact zone.

    The event coincided with Venezuela’s annual national holiday marking the 1821 Battle of Carabobo, the decisive victory led by independence icon Simón Bolívar against Spanish colonial rule. The timing, when many residents were gathered in public spaces for celebrations, did not prevent immediate panic: as buildings swayed and multiple structures collapsed in neighborhoods across the capital, crowds rushed into open streets to seek safety.

    In the immediate aftermath of the quakes, interim President Delcy Rodríguez issued a national state of emergency, unlocking access to additional emergency funding, personnel and resources for search and recovery operations. In a televised address to the nation, Rodríguez extended immediate condolences to families affected by the disaster, though she did not confirm an official death toll in the hours immediately following the event.

    Local officials have given early on-the-ground accounts of the destruction: Gustavo Duque Saez, mayor of the Caracas metropolitan municipality of Chacao, confirmed that at least two full building collapses occurred within his jurisdiction. As of initial reporting, 18 people have been pulled alive from rubble, with more than 500 first responders working around the clock to reach additional trapped residents. Photographs and video footage from the scene show concrete and debris scattered across city streets, with audio capturing trapped survivors calling out for help from collapsed structures.

    Venezuela’s interior ministry has issued urgent guidance for residents across the capital, urging people to evacuate damaged homes over safety concerns. Officials noted compromised building integrity and potential damage to gas lines, prompting precautionary measures including a temporary halt to fuel shipments into the capital. Multiple reports of widespread internet outages have also been recorded in impacted areas, complicating initial rescue coordination.

    As of the latest update, Venezuelan federal officials have not released any official confirmed counts of deaths or injuries. The USGS, however, has warned that catastrophic outcomes are highly likely due to the region’s particular vulnerability. According to the agency’s post-event assessment, most residential and public buildings in the affected area are constructed from reinforced brick masonry and adobe blocks, construction materials that cannot withstand the force of magnitude 7+ earthquakes. The USGS calculated that there is a 44% probability that the final death toll could reach 10,000, and a 30% probability that fatalities could exceed 100,000.

    Shortly after the earthquakes, the U.S. Tsunami Warning System issued a regional tsunami advisory for Venezuela’s Caribbean coastline, as well as for island territories including the U.S. Virgin Islands and British Virgin Islands. The advisory has since been lifted, with officials confirming the quakes do not pose a continued tsunami risk to the region.

    Emergency crews remain on the scene working through the night to clear debris and locate any people trapped, as authorities continue to work to assess the full scope of the damage across the region.

  • ‘I saw the windows moving’ – Venezuelans describe panic as tremors hit

    ‘I saw the windows moving’ – Venezuelans describe panic as tremors hit

    On a national holiday in Venezuela that left many residents at home mid-week, the capital city of Caracas was shaken by two powerful back-to-back earthquakes on Wednesday, registering magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5 just seconds apart. The unusually strong seismic event has left widespread visible damage across the city, including collapsed buildings, downed utility poles, and cracked infrastructure, while search and assessment teams are still working to confirm the full scale of casualties and destruction.

    Local journalist Nicole Kolster, who resides in Palos Grandes — an upscale central district of Caracas that counted among the hardest-hit areas — described the terrifying experience of riding out the quake in her seventh-floor apartment. When the shaking began, she immediately positioned herself between her front entryway and a stone wall to shield herself from falling debris, recalling that the movement was so violent she could visibly see windows bending and shifting.

    “It’s the strongest quake I’ve ever felt in my life,” Kolster told BBC Mundo. “It was so strong that I thought the building was going to fall on top of me.” She remained trapped in her protective position for several minutes before neighbors began alerting residents to evacuate the damaged buildings. Even an hour after the initial tremors, thousands of residents gathered in the city’s streets, too afraid to return to their homes amid fears of potentially dangerous aftershocks.

    Because the quakes struck on Venezuela’s national holiday marking the 1821 Battle of Carabobo — a key victory for independence leader Simón Bolívar against Spanish colonial rule — many workers had the day off and were already at home when the shaking began. Firsthand accounts and visual media from the impacted zones capture a city on edge: some residents are seen embracing for comfort, while others weep openly in the streets. Many residents were unable to retrieve beloved pets from damaged buildings, leaving them distraught and feeling powerless, while others rushed to pull their vehicles out of underground parking garages to avoid being trapped if further tremors hit. Kolster also confirmed that cries for help could be heard coming from the rubble of one nearby collapsed building.

    Other local residents confirmed widespread disruptions to basic services. Palos Grandes resident Maria Elise reported that the shaking cracked interior walls in her apartment, and downed power and communication lines have left her neighborhood with no electricity and no cell phone service. For many long-term Caracas residents, this week’s seismic event has drawn unavoidable comparisons to the devastating 1967 Caracas earthquake, a 6.6-magnitude event that killed more than 200 people and destroyed dozens of buildings in the same Palos Grandes and Altamira districts impacted this week. Even residents who lived through the 1967 quake say this latest event was far more terrifying and powerful.

    Coro Martinez, a 56-year-old resident of eastern Caracas, told Reuters that the shaking was accompanied by a deafening crash that sent household items tumbling across her home, including glass containers inside her refrigerator. “I’ve never experienced anything like it,” she said. Eighty-year-old pensioner Maria Romero echoed that assessment, saying simply, “This earthquake was horrible, even worse than the one in 1967.” As of Wednesday afternoon, emergency response teams have begun deploying to the hardest-hit neighborhoods, but the full scope of human and structural damage remains unconfirmed.

  • Undav has 3 goals and 2 assists off bench and still can’t gain spot in Germany’s starting lineup

    Undav has 3 goals and 2 assists off bench and still can’t gain spot in Germany’s starting lineup

    EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – In a 2024 FIFA World Cup Group E storyline that has captured global soccer attention, 29-year-old German striker Deniz Undav boasts one of the most electrifying scoring rates in the tournament – yet he remains stuck on Die Mannschaft’s bench heading into the final group stage match against Ecuador.

    Across just 69 minutes of World Cup game time, Undav has notched three goals and two assists, meaning he contributes to a goal roughly every 13.8 minutes. That astonishing rate outpaces some of the biggest names in world soccer: Lionel Messi (37.4 minutes per contribution), Kylian Mbappé (48.8) and Erling Haaland (51.2) all trail far behind the in-form German forward.

    For many players, being benched despite such elite production would spark frustration and public pushback. But Undav says he has fully embraced his role as a super-sub for the tournament favorites.

    “If I weren’t happy, if I wasn’t content, I wouldn’t be here,” Undav told reporters at a Wednesday press conference, a day ahead of the Ecuador matchup. “I accept the role.”

    Germany enters the match already having secured top spot in Group E, marking a major turnaround after consecutive early group stage exits following the country’s 2014 World Cup title. Die Mannschaft will kick off their knockout round run next Monday in Foxborough, Massachusetts, against the third-place finisher from another group, likely either Paraguay or Australia. A win against Ecuador would give Germany its 12th consecutive victory, tying a national team record set between 1979 and 1980.

    For Ecuador, the stakes could not be higher. The South American side has just one point from its first two group matches, meaning only a full three points from a win over Germany will keep their knockout round hopes alive.

    German head coach Julian Nagelsmann confirmed Wednesday he plans only mandatory lineup rotations for Thursday’s match, forced by two key defensive absences. Center back Nico Schlotterbeck will miss the remainder of the tournament after tearing a ligament in his left ankle during Saturday’s win over Ivory Coast, while left back Nathaniel Brown is sidelined with an adductor injury. Real Madrid’s Antonio Rüdiger is expected to step in for Schlotterbeck, and Hoffenheim’s David Raum will take Brown’s place at left back.

    “We want to prepare ourselves for the knockout phase,” Nagelsmann explained. “We all say that Deniz really would deserve to be in the starting lineup but we have an idea for the team, we talked about it with Deniz and other players, and tomorrow we will do the rotations that are necessary.”

    Undav’s path to World Cup contention has been far from conventional. The striker cut his teeth in Germany’s lower divisions, playing for Havelse, Braunschweig and Meppen between 2017 and 2020, before moving to Belgian second-tier side Union Saint-Gilloise, where he helped the club earn promotion to the top flight. He earned his first move to a top European league in 2022, signing with England’s Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League, before switching to VfB Stuttgart for the 2023-24 Bundesliga season.

    Last season, Undav enjoyed a breakout campaign in Germany’s top flight, finishing second in the league with 19 goals – trailing only Tottenham Hotspur star Harry Kane’s 36. He made his senior Germany debut in March 2024, and has an incredible nine goals in 11 international appearances to date, with just three of those outings coming as a starter.

    His World Cup performances have followed this same super-sub pattern: he entered the 7-1 opening win over Curaçao in the 64th minute, immediately notching one goal and two assists, then came off the bench in the 60th minute against Ivory Coast, scoring twice to lead Germany to a 2-1 comeback victory.

    Nagelsmann sparked controversy earlier this year after a March friendly against Ghana, when he commented that Undav only scored the match-winning 88th-minute goal because he came into the game with fresh legs, and lacked the stamina to start. The coach apologized for the remarks shortly after, and on Wednesday both he and Undav appeared fully aligned on the striker’s role.

    “Whether I’m in the starting lineup or coming on later, it doesn’t matter,” Undav said, sitting alongside Nagelsmann at the press conference. “It’s important that the team wins. I joined from the bench twice and we won both games. I’m very happy about that.”

    In another lineup confirmation, Nagelsmann announced he will stick with 40-year-old veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer between the posts for the remainder of the tournament. Neuer returned to the national team for this World Cup after a two-year absence, pushing backup Oliver Baumann out of the starting spot. Nagelsmann added that goalkeeper coach Andreas Kronenberg spoke directly to Baumann about the decision, and the backup understood the call.

    “Oliver really understood,” Nagelsmann said. “I understand completely from the human side, and if we only approached it that way it would be obvious, but we have to look at the large picture. It’s not always pleasant to make these decisions but those decisions have to be made.”

    Undav’s breakout tournament has even created an unexpected supply issue for German kit supplier Adidas. The company briefly ran out of the letter “V” to print fan jerseys, due to soaring demand for shirts with Undav’s name alongside fellow fan favorites Kai Havertz and Aleksandar Pavlovic. Stock has since been restocked, and Undav says he is honored by the outpouring of support.

    “My friends, my family already have a jersey. I really didn’t have to order anything new,” Undav joked. “I’m very honored by it.”

    While Germany is focused on fine-tuning for a deep tournament run, Ecuador is fighting to avoid an early exit. The South Americans entered the World Cup on a 19-game unbeaten streak, but suffered a brutal 1-0 opening loss to Ivory Coast after conceding a 90th-minute winner. They followed that result with a scoreless draw against Curaçao, outshooting their opponents 28-10 but being denied by 15 saves from Curaçao goalkeeper Eloy Room, including two first-half shots off the crossbar from John Yeboah and Alan Minda.

    “I am convinced that we have a chance to meet our goals,” Ecuador head coach Sebastián Beccacece said Wednesday. “We’ll have the taste of happiness if we win and the taste of sorrow if we don’t, and that’s life for you.”

    Beccacece also addressed an incident following Saturday’s match at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium, where his wife and daughters were confronted by an angry Ecuador fan frustrated with the team’s results. The coach said his family was unharmed, and he framed the confrontation as a product of passionate fan disappointment.

    “I talked to my wife, my daughters. They told me what happened. I haven’t seen it,” Beccacece said. “The first thing I asked was whether anything serious had happened. They said no. Nothing. And at the end of the day, I interpret this as a fan feeling hurt because of the results. I think anyone should be able to express themselves without reaching this level of confrontation.”

  • Ivory Coast eyes knockout stage of World Cup with striker Elye Wahi expected back amid investigation

    Ivory Coast eyes knockout stage of World Cup with striker Elye Wahi expected back amid investigation

    CHESTER, Pennsylvania — For the Ivory Coast men’s national soccer team, the Philadelphia metropolitan area has emerged as an unexpected and fruitful home base during the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The West African side set up its training camp and team accommodations in the region, even hosting a pre-tournament friendly that drew roughly 10,000 local supporters, and has already kicked off its group stage campaign with a statement 1-0 win over Ecuador.

  • Scotland fans brave the heat and humidity to support their team at the World Cup against Brazil

    Scotland fans brave the heat and humidity to support their team at the World Cup against Brazil

    MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – For thousands of die-hard Scottish football supporters, the trip to the 2024 World Cup marked a historic moment: their nation’s first appearance on the sport’s biggest global stage in 26 years. But for the kilt-clad, bagpipe-playing members of the iconic Tartan Army, the first lesson of their South Florida adventure came fast – summer heat in Miami is unlike anything most have ever experienced.

    In the days leading up to Scotland’s highly anticipated group stage matchup against Brazil this Wednesday, the faithful took over Miami Gardens’ beachside spots, waterfront bars and public spaces, ready to celebrate their team’s long-awaited return. What greeted them was a mercury peak hitting 93 degrees Fahrenheit (34 degrees Celsius), paired with unforgiving afternoon humidity hovering between 63 and 66 percent.

    “Right now in this kilt, I am sweating. Absolutely sweating. It’s crazy heat,” said Hayden Sutherland, one of the thousands of fans who traveled across the Atlantic for the momentous occasion. Sutherland and the Tartan Army have worked their way across the U.S. East Coast ahead of the match, starting with a fan tour stop in Boston before heading south to Florida. While partial cloud cover over the Hard Rock Stadium – home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins – offered a small reprieve from the scorching sun, many fans said the swelter has been nonstop since their tour began.

    Ironically, the traveling supporters would not have found much cooler comfort back home. Scotland is currently facing an unseasonable, rare heat wave of its own, with Tuesday temperatures hitting an unexpected high of 84 degrees Fahrenheit (29 degrees Celsius). Even so, Miami’s combination of heat and thick humidity has proven to be a far greater test.

    “I’ve been to warmer places, but the humidity is just killing me,” noted Peter Wright, another traveling Scottish supporter. “Here, I can walk 100 meters and I’ve got a bit of sweat on. In Boston, I was walking miles and it was lovely.”

    Nearly all the traveling fans have held fast to beloved tradition, sporting the iconic knee-length Scottish kilt to matches and fan gatherings. Opinions are split on whether the traditional garment helps or hurts in the heat: some fans say the breathable woven fabric offers unexpected relief, while others report the thick material traps heat and adds to their discomfort.

    Outside the stadium, fans crowded into whatever shaded spots they could find, fanning themselves with program booklets, hats and any available flat surface. When asked how the group was coping with the extreme conditions, Wayne Sutherland – Hayden’s father – joked with a classic Scottish response: “Just beer. We’re two Scots. No water, just beer.”

    That heavy demand for cold beer has already left bars scrambling along the Tartan Army’s tour route. While Miami rolled out the welcome with a dedicated “beer barge” for the traveling supporters, Boston-area bars struggled to keep up as the group of thousands drank through local stock during their earlier stop.

    If the heat has dampened the group’s legendary enthusiasm, though, there is no sign of it. Despite Scotland falling to Brazil 3-0 after conceding a goal in just the seventh minute of play, the stands filled with Tartan Army supporters barely sat down for the full 90 minutes. All day long, from pre-game tailgates to the final whistle, the iconic fan chant “No Scotland, No Party” echoed across Miami Gardens – proof that even sweltering heat and a tough loss cannot dim the spirit of the world-famous Scottish fanbase that has waited 26 years for this moment.

    This report was contributed by Gracie Fisher, a student at the University of Georgia’s Carmical Sports Media Institute, as part of Associated Press World Cup coverage.

  • Vinícius Júnior scores 2 goals as Brazil beats Scotland 3-0 to reach World Cup knockout stage

    Vinícius Júnior scores 2 goals as Brazil beats Scotland 3-0 to reach World Cup knockout stage

    MIAMI GARDENS, Florida — In a commanding group stage finale that secured their place in the tournament’s knockout round, five-time FIFA World Cup winners Brazil delivered a dominant 3-0 victory over Scotland on Wednesday, powered by a sparkling brace from star forward Vinícius Júnior and a late welcome return of talisman Neymar from injury.

    Vinícius Jr. continued his scorching hot run of form across Brazil’s group stage campaign, becoming the only member of the squad to find the back of the net in all three of the team’s preliminary matches. He opened the scoring for Brazil just seven minutes into the contest, then grabbed his second of the night right before the halftime whistle. That double pulled him level with France’s Kylian Mbappé on four tournament goals, leaving him just one strike behind Argentina captain Lionel Messi, who currently leads all scorers at the competition with five goals. Midfielder Matheus Cunha added the third goal for Brazil to cap off the scoring.

    The most anticipated moment of the night came in the 76th minute, when 34-year-old Brazilian icon Neymar made his tournament debut after a right calf injury forced him to sit out the team’s first two group stage matches. Even before Neymar officially left the bench to start warming up along the sideline mid-way through the second half, the majority-Brazilian crowd packed inside Hard Rock Stadium began chanting his name in a thunderous show of support. When the forward finally trotted out onto the pitch to enter the match, the stadium erupted into deafening cheers from the home away from home crowd.

    Neymor currently stands as Brazil’s all-time leading goal scorer at the international level, with 79 goals across 130 appearances for the Seleção. The veteran forward has featured in every World Cup for Brazil over the past 16 years, notching eight total goals across his three previous tournament appearances.

    For Scotland, the match marked the end of their first World Cup campaign in 26 years, after qualifying for the tournament for the first time since 1998. The side quickly earned a reputation as one of the tournament’s most beloved underdog stories, drawing global attention for the passionate, party-like energy brought by their loyal fanbase, nicknamed the Tartan Army. Before the match, fans from Scotland had turned areas of Boston and Miami Gardens into lively celebration zones ahead of their team’s final group stage fixture. Despite the valiant effort, Scotland fell short of advancing out of the group stage for the ninth consecutive World Cup qualification attempt, extending their decades-long knockout round drought.