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Lionel Messi scored his 17th and 18th World Cup goals to set a new tournament scoring record as defending champions Argentina secured a place in the knockout stage with a 2-0 victory over Austria on Monday. Messi had an early chance to break the record in the ninth minute but sent his penalty kick wide of the right post. The Argentina captain made amends in the 38th minute when he capitalised on a move involving Thiago Almada and Facundo Medina, catching Austrian goalkeeper Alexander Schlager off guard to put his side ahead. Messi added his second goal in injury time, extending his record tally to 18 World Cup goals and moving two clear of former Germany striker Miroslav Klose. The win ensured Argentina's progression to the knockout stage as they continued the defence of their World Cup title.

Lionel Messi set a new World Cup scoring record by netting his 17th goal for Argentina in their match against Austria on Monday, just about 30 minutes after missing a penalty kick. The milestone goal gave defending champions Argentina a 1-0 lead in the 38th minute, coming two days before Messi’s 39th birthday and amid concerns over his father’s illness back home. The goal also marked the sixth consecutive World Cup match in which Messi has scored, placing him alongside France’s Just Fontaine and Brazil’s Jairzinho as the only players to achieve such a streak. Messi had earlier missed a chance to break the record in the ninth minute when his penalty attempt went narrowly wide of the right post. He has now converted four of seven World Cup penalty kicks in regulation time, including misses in three straight tournaments. The penalty was awarded after Lautaro Martinez was brought down in the box following a challenge involving Xaver Schlager and Stefan Posch, with Posch judged to have committed the foul. Play continued briefly before officials reviewed the incident. Messi had previously equaled Germany’s Miroslav Klose’s record of 16 World Cup goals with a hat-trick in Argentina’s 3-0 win over Algeria in the Group J opener. That performance came in his 200th international appearance and on the 20th anniversary of his World Cup debut. The match also marked Messi’s 28th appearance in FIFA World Cup history, a tournament record, surpassing Klose’s 24 matches. Messi’s father, Jorge Messi, 68, has been undergoing medical treatment for an undisclosed illness, according to a family statement, and has played an important role in the star’s career as his agent and advisor. The Argentina captain had previously spoken emotionally after earlier matches, saying personal difficulties off the field had affected him.

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Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland are among the biggest names set to feature in Monday’s World Cup fixtures, as group-stage matches continue across multiple venues. Messi’s Argentina will face Austria in their second Group J encounter, while France, led by Mbappé, take on Iraq in Group I. Norway’s Erling Haaland is also in action as his side meets Senegal, with Jordan playing Algeria in the day’s other Group J fixture. Argentina enter the match in strong form after Messi’s hat-trick powered a 3–0 win over Algeria in their opening game as they aim to defend their World Cup title. Messi, who turns 39 this week, now shares the record for most men’s World Cup goals (16) with Germany legend Miroslav Klose, while Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo sits just behind on 15. France also made a winning start to their campaign with a 3–1 victory over Senegal, in which Mbappé scored twice. The French side are looking to go one step further after finishing runners-up to Argentina in the 2022 final. Haaland continued his strong form with two goals in Norway’s 4–1 win over Iraq in their opening match. The Manchester City striker, who scored 27 Premier League goals last season, remains one of the tournament’s most dangerous forwards. Jordan, meanwhile, are still searching for their first point after losing their opening game against Austria. Algeria, their next opponents, have had mixed World Cup history, reaching the round of 16 only once in four previous appearances. Matches on June 22Argentina vs Austria — Arlington, Texas (1 p.m. EDT)France vs Iraq — Philadelphia (5 p.m. EDT)Norway vs Senegal — East Rutherford, New Jersey (8 p.m. EDT)Jordan vs Algeria — Santa Clara, California (11 p.m. EDT) Posch Cleared to Play for Austria Austria defender Stefan Posch has been declared fit for the match against Argentina despite suffering a broken jaw in the team’s opening game. Coach Ralf Rangnick said Posch, who has trained in a protective brace, could feature either as a starter or substitute. Posch sustained the injury during Austria’s 3–1 win over Jordan in their Group J opener but was initially expected to miss the remainder of the tournament. Senegal Weighing Tactical ChangesSenegal coach Pape Thiaw has remained tight-lipped over possible lineup changes ahead of the clash with Norway. He acknowledged his team’s difficult situation after the opening defeat to France but insisted there is still everything to play for in the group. Senegal, who also face Iraq in their final group match, are treating the Norway fixture as a must-win encounter. Goalkeeper Édouard Mendy conceded three goals in their previous match, but Thiaw refused to confirm whether he would retain his place in the starting XI.

While Mohamed Salah's club career is still undecided, he's building his legacy with Egypt. Salah scored his 68th goal in international play, a total now just one goal shy of current Egypt coach Hossam Hassan’s career record for the Pharaohs, in a 3-1 World Cup victory Sunday night over New Zealand. It was his third World Cup goal after he netted two at the 2018 tournament in Russia. Three goals at the World Cup gives the 34-year-old Salah the most ever for an Egyptian player. Salah played for Liverpool for nine seasons, winning two Premier League titles and becoming the league's leading foreign goal scorer. But he had a dip in form this season and amid tensions, announced his contract with the squad would be ended a year early. His departure from Anfield sparked discussion as to where the striker would be going next. For now, he plays for Egypt with his future plans still uncertain. While between clubs, Mo Salah has etched his name further into the history books as the captain of the first Egyptian team to win a World Cup match. “What happened today is history for us as Egyptians,” Salah said. “We see a lot of teams win games, but for us as Egyptian, it doesn’t happen often, first time in history.” Fans would have to wait to see the Salah they grew to expect at Liverpool. He started slow in the first half, missing wide left on a direct free kick and watching New Zealand take an early lead, but he would not be denied for long. Salah scored Sunday on a pass from Mostafa Ziko in the 67th minute. The ball slid underneath a defender and past New Zealand goalkeeper Max Crocombe to give the Pharaohs a 2-1 lead. Salah wasn’t done adding to his resume quite yet, getting an assist in the 82nd minute on the Pharaohs’ final goal, his second assist of this game. He also had an assist on Egypt’s lone goal in its 1-1 draw against Belgium earlier in the tournament. “He’s a good player,” New Zealand captain Chris Wood said. “You have to keep an eye on him.” The four-time Premier League Golden Boot winner scored nine goals in 10 matches to qualify the Pharaohs for this World Cup. Salah became the career scoring leader in African World Cup qualifying history. Salah should have his share of clubs interested in his talents after a strong start to the World Cup. “Salah worked hard on the pitch,” Egypt manager Hossam Hassan said. “I am sure we are going to see more from him.”

Mohamed Salah scored the go-ahead goal and Egypt went on to defeat New Zealand 3-1 on Sunday night and secure its first-ever World Cup win. Salah celebrated his 68th international goal by pumping his fist before he was mobbed by his teammates in the 67th minute, to the thrill of the red-clad Pharaohs fans in the sellout crowd at BC Place Vancouver. When Salah was subbed off in the 85th minute he was treated to a standing ovation. Egypt moved to the top of the standings in Group G with the win, but was not yet assured a spot in the knockout round. The Pharaohs will play a deciding game against Iran on Friday in Seattle, needing at least a draw to advance. Egypt is making its fourth World Cup appearance after missing the field in Qatar four years ago. Salah scored a pair of goals in the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Finn Surman put New Zealand in front in the 15th minute with a flying header off a corner kick delivered by Instagram sensation Tim Payne. It was the third international goal for the 6-foot-3 defender who plays for the Portland Timbers in MLS. Omar Marmoush dropped a free kick off to Salah in the 35th minute but it went just wide and bent into the side netting. Egypt turned up the pressure coming out of the half and Mostafa Zico broke through with equalizer, finding space between Surman and Payne for a header that goalkeeper Max Crocombe got a hand on but couldn’t stop in the 58th minute. Zico celebrated by gesturing for the fans in the crowd to cheer. Salah took a back-heel pass from Zico for his goal, which puts him just one away from tying his coach Hossam Hassan for the national team's all-time scoring lead. Trezeguet's diving header wrapped up scoring for Egypt in the 82nd. Egypt’s Hamdy Fathy was subbed off late in the first half after an apparent injury away from the ball. He was replaced by Ramy Rabia. In the opener against Belgium, Emam Ashour scored the early goal for Egypt but then Romelu Lukaku subbed into the match and caused chaos in the box, resulting in an own goal for a 1-1 draw. New Zealand twice took the lead against Iran in their group opener, only to cede it for a 2-2 draw in the end. Elijah Just scored both goals for the All Whites. New Zealand previously appeared at the World Cup in 2010 and drew all three of its games. Iran and Belgium played to a scoreless draw earlier in the day in Inglewood, California, giving both teams two straight draws at the tournament. New Zealand returns to Vancouver on Friday to face Belgium.

Haitian fans watch the match between Scotland and Haiti from up in a tree during a World Cup viewing party in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Saturday, June 13, 2026. Photo: AP

Cape Verde's magical start to its first World Cup isn't over. It might just be getting started. The tiny island nation that stunned tournament favorite Spain last week did it again against Uruguay — a two-time World Cup champion — on Sunday, coming from behind for a 2-2 draw. Kevin Pina scored on a free kick for Cape Verde's first-ever goal in the World Cup, and Helio Varela scored the equalizer for what has become one of the most surprising teams of the expanded 48-team tournament — a club now with a legitimate chance of getting into the knockout stage. “This is something we owe to other smaller national teams,” Cape Verde coach Pedro Leitão Brito said through an interpreter. “Teams that struggled to qualify for a world tournament. We’re also here to show that a country may be small, may struggle financially, but if they are resilient, if they can endure struggle, they can also stand shoulder to shoulder with other major teams and with players who are on another level.” The group of islands off Africa’s West coast have about 4,000 square meters (about 2.5 miles) of landmass and approximately a half million inhabitants, making Cape Verde the third-smallest nation by population to qualify for the World Cup. Even as a large number of fans at Miami Stadium chanted for Uruguay throughout Sunday's match, Cape Verdean players seemed undaunted. “Once you’re on the pitch, a lot of things become equal,” Leitão Brito said. Cape Verdean fans who watched their squad pull off one of the stunners of the tournament last week by holding Spain to a scoreless draw continued their celebrations when Pina split Uruguay's wall and blasted a strike past diving goalie Fernando Muslera for a 1-0 lead in the 21st. Maxi Araújo and Agustin Canobbio scored late first-half goals to put Uruguay ahead. But Varela, minutes after coming into the game in the second half, took advantage of a bad pass by Mathias Olivera and caught Muslera way off his line for a tying open-net goal and his first international score. Varela celebrated by hopping into his teammates' arms and flexing atop their shoulders as Muslera and other Uruguay players dropped their heads in disappointment. “The result, I think, was quite deserved,” coach Marcelo Bielsa said afterward through an interpreter. It was Uruguay's second draw after a 1-1 finish against Saudi Arabia in their opener. La Celeste face Spain in their group stage finale, with an uphill climb to reach the knockout stage after failing to capitalize on several late chances to take the lead. “The organizational mistakes that were made — that a squad makes — they always fall upon the driver,” Bielsa added. “What I mean by that is the head coach. ... There is no magical recipe whatsoever to fix them. It goes without saying we paid a very high cost for those mistakes.” It was another special moment for Cape Verde's Vozinha, who became one of the tournament's breakout stars after shutting down Spain. The 40-year-old goalie had his mother in the stands for Sunday's match; she was unable to attend Cape Verde’s opening draw against Spain because she couldn’t obtain a visa. It was also the first World Cup match with two starting goalies aged 40-plus. Muslera, who made his 18th World Cup appearance, turned 40 on June 16. Vozinha waved at the crowd after the final whistle as his teammates ran to a section of Cape Verdean fans, who cheered and danced on their way out of the stadium as if they were celebrating a victory. “You show up, you believe, and we work very hard as a team,” said Cape Verde defender Stopira. “I think all the world can see we play, we play very good, and we also have quality in the team. So now it’s on to the next game, and to try to reach the next one.”  

Welcome to the World Cup, Lamine Yamal. Welcome to the World Cup, Spain. Teenage superstar Yamal scored 10 minutes into his first start on soccer's biggest stage and Spain kickstarted its campaign with the 4-0 demolition of Saudi Arabia on Sunday. The 18-year-old forward slid in at the far post to touch home a low cross for the opening goal in Atlanta. He became the eighth youngest scorer in World Cup history and more importantly settled Spanish nerves after the team was held to a surprise 0-0 draw by Cape Verde in its opening game. In a tournament that has already seen Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Harry Kane get off to flying starts, Yamal's strike saw him join the party. The Barcelona winger is already considered one the world's top players and helped Spain win the European Championship in 2024 despite being just 16 years old when the tournament started. He is tipped to take over from Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo as the sport's biggest star but came into the World Cup with questions over his fitness after he missed the end of the season with a hamstring injury. Yamal, who was only used as a second-half substitute against Cape Verde, was thrown in from the start against Saudi Arabia and wasted no time in making his presence felt. He had already repeatedly sliced through the Saudi defense before turning home Mikel Oyarzabal's cross. A full house at Atlanta Stadium was mainly filled with Spain fans who had roared in celebration just at the sight of Yamal emerging for the pre-game warm up. And the cheers were even louder as he raced away to celebrate his goal, dropping to his knees, praying and kissing the turf. It was just the impact Spain coach Luis de la Fuente wanted from his star player, having been inundated with questions about when Yamal would be ready to start. Those questions felt even more anxious after Spain, one of the pre-tournament favorites, was shut out by Cape Verde. After all, Spain has failed to advance beyond the round of 16 since lifting the World Cup in 2010, winning just three games during that run. But Yamal's opener sparked a flurry of first-half goals. Oyarzabal, who was criticized for not touching the ball at all in the first 30 minutes against Cape Verde, not only provided the assist for Yamal, but scored two more with close range strikes in the 21st and 24th. So dominant was Spain's lead that De la Fuente had seen enough and took both his scorers off at halftime. Inside four minutes of the second half, the lead was extended when Marc Cucurella's shot rebounded off Hassan Altambakti for an own goal.

Ayase Ueda struck twice as Japan hammered Tunisia 4-0 in their Group F match on Saturday, moving a step closer to reaching the FIFA World Cup knockout stage for the fourth consecutive time. The four-goal victory marked Japan's highest-ever tally in a World Cup match as the Samurai Blue outclassed a struggling Tunisian side that had changed coaches after its opening-game defeat. Daichi Kamada and Junya Ito were also on target as Japan joined the Netherlands on four points in the group, although the Dutch remained top on goal difference, having scored one more goal in two matches. The defeat eliminated Tunisia from the tournament, while Japan are assured of finishing at least third in the group, a position that could still be enough to secure a place in the last 16. Tunisia had appointed former coach Hervé Renard, a two-time Africa Cup of Nations winner, in an attempt to revive their campaign following a 5-1 thrashing by Sweden. However, the North Africans struggled to contain Japan's pace and failed to create meaningful scoring opportunities. Kamada opened the scoring in the fourth minute — the fastest World Cup goal in Japan's history — when he tapped in Keito Nakamura's cross for his second goal of the tournament. Ueda doubled the lead in the 31st minute with a superb long-range strike, driving forward from midfield before curling an angled effort into the left corner. The 27-year-old Feyenoord striker, who finished as the top scorer in the Dutch Eredivisie with 24 goals last season, continued his impressive form by setting up Japan's third goal. In the 69th minute, his flick released Ito, who calmly beat goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen in a one-on-one situation. Ueda then completed his brace in the 83rd minute with a looping header to cap a dominant performance by Japan. Japan, unbeaten against European opponents in regulation time since 2019, will face Sweden in Dallas on Thursday, while Tunisia will take on the Netherlands in Kansas City.