As the match finished in a heated, physical battle between the two teams. France beat Paraguay 1-0 with Kylian Mbappé’s 70th minute penalty.

The first half of the match ended 0-0. It has billions of dollars’ worth of talent. France on the field had no success with goal scoring but created five goal attempts with 75 % ball possession, while counterpart Paraguay had just 24% ball possession with two goal attempts.
In two minutes of added time in the first, Mbps made very poor decisions, faced with having two defenders in front of him, and he had several passing options around him, but decided to place the ball between the two defenders.

Starting from the beginning of the second half, Paraguay were an aggressive, managed attacking force of France. Although they didn’t even have any good attack against France, they still balance on 0-0 until the quality of movement of the Desire Doue of France penetration into Paraguay’s defense made Diego Gomez of Paraguay concede a foul which led to penalty taking by Kalian Mbappé’s which making him second in 2026 golden race as haven Messi in first. Below is the comprehensive list of golden boot races.

7 goals: Lionel Messi, Argentina
7 goals: Kalian Mbps, France
5 goals: Erling Haaland, Norway
5 goals: Harry Kane, England
4 goals: Vinícius Junior Brazil
4 goals:Mikel Oyarzabal , Spain
4 goals: Ousmane Dembélé, France
4 goals: Ismail Sarr , Senegal.

How many goals will he end up with during this year’s campaign ? He’s the second Lionel Messi’s top goalscorer in world history. Here is a chart of the top goalscorers in World Cup History.

Top goalscorers in World Cup history:

🇦🇷 Lionel Messi — 20 goals
🇫🇷 Kylin Mbps — 19 goals
🇩🇪 Miroslav Klose — 16 goals
🇧🇷 Ronaldo — 15 goals
🇩🇪 Gerd Müller — 14 goals
🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Harry Kane — 13 goals
🇫🇷 Just Fontaine — 13 goals

Apart from the fact that France won today’s game. I still see Paraguay as a very competitive team who lost a game without no yellow card.

Co-host Canada’s World Cup 2026 dream ended as they lost 3-0 against Morocco to exit the competition in the round of 16 after two goals scored by Azzedine Ounahi.

However, Morocco is the first African nation ever to reach the quarter-finals of two World Cup tournaments in 2022 and 2026.

Although the damage had already done to Canada’s ambition, how did the whole thing happen?

Canada was the better team during the first half and failed to use opportunities against Morocco, creating any clear-cut chances, which it appeared the Morocco team came out slow.

The first half ended with both teams engaging on momentum swinging the float of the football, but neither side was able to impact the scoreboard.

Morocco had a strong chance after the break while three of them were converted to goals.

The first goal was scored by Ounahi as a result of received a free kick from Achraf Hakimi and fired a right-footed shot through traffic from outside the box into the bottom right corner.

Momentum of the game still continued till the 82nd minute when Ounahi receive a pass from Brahim Diaz through a quick counterattack using his right foot to shoot the ball from the middle of the box and Soufiane Rahimi added the third in the 90+ 8 minute of stoppage time, assisted by Brahim Diaz again.

Morocco have now beaten Canada in back-to-back World Cups — having defeated them in the 2022 group stage — and are unbeaten in five meetings.

Substitute player from both sides.

Morocco have brought on Soufiane Rahimi ,Marwane Saadane and Samir El Mourabet to replace Ismael Saibari due to Potential InjuryIssa, Diop and goalscorer Azzedine Onehunga.

Canada, meanwhile, have brought on Jonathan Osorio and Jayden Nelson in place of Niko Sig and Tajon Buchanan.

Can history made by the Atlas Lions as the first African country to enter semi-finalists at Qatar 2022 improve to title winners ?

Let’s see if Morocco face the winner of France vs Paraguay in the World Cup quarter-finals on July 9th in Boston and if Morocco reaches the Semifinals, the next opponent could be one of the following teams: Portugal, Spain,Belgium or the United States.

Morocco progressed to the last 16 of the World Cup in a thrilling penalty shootout victory over the Netherlands after the sides drew 1-1 in Guadalupe, Mexico.

Morocco edged past the Dutch 3-2 on penalties.
Remember Morocco has qualified for the FIFA World Cup on seven occasions, which were in 1970, 1986, 1994, 1998, 2018, 2022 and 2026 when they finished in fourth place in 2022 to become both the first African and Arab nation to reach a semi-final at a World Cup.

Three African countries teams crashed out at ongoing FIFA World Cup from 80th minute above goal after two of them have been taking leading

In the match between the Ivory Coast and Norway, Erling Haaland scored the deciding goal in the 86th minute as Norway won their first ever World Cup knockout match, advancing to the round of 16 with a 2-1 victory over the Ivory Coast on Tuesday.

Although in this game it was Norway who first scored goals and later equalized in the 74th.

How the leading goal was scored

The goal was scored when three defenders converged on Patrick Berg as he moved into the penalty box with the ball, and he kicked it over to a wide-open Harland for him to score the winning goal.

England came from behind to beat Congo DR after a 7th minute goal from Brian Cipenga to be the first time they had won a World Cup match after conceding their first since 1966. England looked paralyzed until Gordon lifted over a cross from the left and Kane’s header just had too much for MPasi , setting up a box office conclusion at 75 minutes. It was a magical moment in the 86th minute when Kane received the ball on the edge of the box and smartly made space to unleash a fierce drive into the roof of the net.this is how DR Congo crashed out in Atlanta at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

In the game between Belgium and Senegal

Belgium were 2-0 down and ended up winning 3-2!

Senegal converted their pressure into a lead after Sarr once again hit the woodwork. Mane served a beautiful inswinging cross and Sarr outjumped the Belgium centrobaric, before Diarra was the quickest to the rebound 24 minutes and got their second shortly after the break with Senegal Centre-back Moussa Niakhate fired a precise long ball to locate Sarr and Sarr was able to bring down with his chest as he broke past the Belgium centrobaric, before firing past Courtois.

Belgium appeared to be down, but Thomas Meunier and Romulus Lukaku combined moments to give Lukaku their 86th goal and a fantastic cross from Leandro Trossard , well collected by Tie lemans in the 89th minute, a draw beckoned Belgium to extra time. The game drama continued before Tielemans was brought down in the box and, following a VAR review, awarded a penalty to Belgium at 125 minutes, which marked an end for the third African country at the round 32 in FIFA World Cup 2026.

This particular loss sends a lot of signs to the African continent in their tactical awareness of both players and technical crew .

WHY CONGO LOST:
!Could not maintain the early intensity
!Lost defensive shape under pressure
!Missed the chance to close the game out

For instances Congo might have snatched a second goal when Yoane Wissa turned Wan Bissaka’s low centre against the post.

Look at the second goal of Norway three defenders converged on Patrick while the other side of the field was a bit free.

Harry Kane rescued England from a shock World Cup dream that ended with two late goals to beat the Democratic Republic of the Congo 2-1 in Atlanta and secure a place in the last 16.

From the beginning of the game, Dr Congo stood their ground against a star-studded England team with a goal scored by Brian Cipenga in 7 minutes. It was an impressive game for the Dr Congo hold team who paraded super footballers like Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice, just to mention a few.
They have a very solid defense ably led by Danceable, who is blessed to have a very good goalkeeper who has very good reflexes.
England failed to use their quality till the 75th minute. Here are the game statistics

Statistics for the first half

The statistics are not bad for a debutante team in the World Cup.
58% to Congo DR 48%.
England had 8 with only 4 shots on target to Congo DR 3 to 1.
Congo DR is 1 goal ahead of the England team. A very balanced team from defense, midfield to attack.
As the first half was very, very exciting, and expecting an exhilarating outcome for the African team in the second half, just towards the end of the game, England showed a classic display. Possession reads 59 to 41 for England, while passes are 277 to 198 and accurate passes 253 to 170. England’s final‑third entries are 41 to 20, and their final‑third phase completion sits at 82% against DR Congo’s 75%. Long balls are even in volume at 9 completed apiece, with England a touch cleaner at 53% to 45%. Crosses underline the pattern too, with England completing five and DR Congo yet to hit one of their six at 75 minutes to crowd their contribution: a goal from Harry Kane for them to make their equalizer. England continued pushing until the same pair combined once again with four minutes left on the clock as Gordon recycled the ball after Bellingham had yet another shot saved by MP’s and Kane unleashed an unstoppable finish from the edge of the penalty area to secure victory for England at 86 minutes from Harry Kane, which makes him surpass Pelé with 13 World Cup goals. Both goals were assisted by Anthony Gordon. Congratulations to the England team who won by 2-1.

Players with wonderful performances at today’s games

England’s central defenders only misplaced two passes vs DR Congo:

◉ 70/72 — Ezra Konya
◉ 68/68 – Marc Guéhi

The Dr Congo goalkeeper made more saves in today’s game.

England had plenty of chances to score against DR Congo but Lionel Mpasi came up heavy.
From Harry Kane to Mpasi : “Congo goalkeeper… congrats. Credits to him. He made some great saves”.

Anthony Gordon, after a summer of criticism of poor displays, delivered when it mattered most, coming in to have two assists for Harry Kane to help England turn the game around.

Harry Kane keeps scoring goals to keep his statement

“I spoke before the tournament about the World Cup being the biggest competition we play as professional footballers, so to get to 11 goals is a proud feeling.

Two against Panama.
Two against Dr Congo

Too great for England’s all-time leading scorer.

The FIFA World Cup saw another record-breaking day by day, as this time when many stepped up their game and made their own following.

Hakimi has now created 21 chances in the World Cup, trailing only Ivory Coast’s Yaya Toure (23) among African players since 1966.

This is the first time South Africa have reached the Knockout stage of a World Cup.

Vinícius Junior’s header score against Scotland was his first Vinícius Junior header score in his international career.

Carlo Ancelotti is the first Italian manager to reach the knockout stages of the FIFA World Cup since Fabio Capello did so in 2010 for England, 16 years ago.

Ismael Saibari is the first ever Moroccan player to score in all three group games at a single World Cup tournament.

⚽ vs. Brazil
⚽ vs. Scotland
⚽ vs. Haiti

Cr 7, at 41 years, 138 days, becomes the second-oldest goalscorer in World Cup history — behind only Cameroon’s Roger Milla, a goalscorer in 1994 against Russia at the age of 42yrs.

Cristiano Ronaldo: The first man to score at six FIFA World Cup tournaments.

Haiti’s have their first FIFA World Cup goal since 1974! Against Morocco.

There are still FOUR teams yet to concede a single goal at the World Cup

🇲🇽 Mexico
🇪🇸 Spain
🇦🇷 Argentina
🇬🇭 Ghana

Apart from the fact that the World Cup produces iconic moments that fans will remember forever, this is the ultimate event which brings people together, even at work or in the streets people are talking about.
As 195 recognized countries in the world today which just 48 countries are competing in the current FIFA World Cup has expanded from the previous 32 countries, making this year’s edition of special events more interesting.
As of today 12, teams have booked their spot in the round of 32.
Remember the top two teams in each of the 12 groups, along with the eight best third-place finishers, advance to knockouts.

Who has qualified for the World Cup 2026 knockout stage round of 32?

Mexico 🇲🇽

Mexico from Group A who happened to be the hosts of this year’s World Cup, were the first to qualify for the knockouts by topping Group A with 9 points. The 1-0 win over South Korea on Thursday, June 18. The Mexicans started their campaign with a 2-0 win over South Africa in a chaotic tournament opener.

USA 🇺🇸

The United States from Group D
Were the second team to secure a spot in the knockouts with a 2-0 win over Australia and their 4-1 win over Paraguay in their opening campaign really helped them be the champions of group D.

Germany 🇩🇪

The 7-1 win against Curacao and 2-1 win on Saturday, June 20 over Ivory Coast give them chances to proceed to the next stage of Group E .
Remember this is a country that failed to get out of the group stage in Russia 2018 and Qatar 2026.

Argentina 🇦🇷

Argentina got their ticket to the knockouts with a Lionel Messi hat-trick goal which gave them a 3-0 win over Algeria in the opening game and a 2-0 victory over Austria on Monday, June 22 to
Top Group J, although they still have one game to play at the group stage.

France 🇫🇷

France was amazing, beating Senegal 3-1 in their kick-off game and Iraq 3-0 on Monday to secure a place in the round of 32.

Norway 🇳🇴

Norway beat Senegal 3-2 in their second game of the tournament and Iraq 4-1 to get their place in the knockout stage since the last campaign at the FIFA World Cup.

Colombia 🇨🇴

Colombia have booked their spot in round 32 with 6 points by beating Uzbekistan 3-1 in the opening game and DR Congo on Tuesday, June 23, 1-0.

Switzerland 🇨🇭

Switzerland finished top of Group B with seven points, unbeaten with a 2-1 victory against co-host Canada on Wednesday, June 24 in Vancouver.

Bosnia and Herzegovina 🇧🇦

Bosnia and Herzegovina’s case for a place in the last 32 was confirmed with a commanding 3-1 win over Qatar. The team finished third in Group B as one of the best third-place qualifiers.

Brazil 🇧🇷

Yesterday, June 24, Brazil advanced to ⁠the knockout stages of the World Cup with seven points and a +6 goal difference after a 3-0 win over Scotland in their final group stage game.

South Africa 🇿🇦

Banana’s unexpected 1-0 win against South Korea on Wednesday, June 24, officially advanced the African nation to the Round of 32. It’s the first time South Africa will take part in the knockout rounds.

Morocco 🇲🇦
Morocco came second to qualify in the same group as Brazil on goal difference after beating Haiti 4-2.

Cristiano Ronaldo delivered a statement performance at the FIFA World Cup, marking his display with a defiant message to his doubters and a set of fresh records. At 41 years old, the Portugal forward made clear he had no intention of fading quietly from the game’s biggest stage.

The World Cup Numbers: Messi Still Out in Front

For all Ronaldo’s heroics, the overall World Cup records still show Lionel Messi leading the way in goals, assists and games played. The comparison, as reported, reads:

• Lionel Messi: 28 games, 18 goals, 8 assists
• Cristiano Ronaldo: 24 games, 10 goals, 2 assists

The gap reflects two extraordinary careers measured against each other at the highest level. Messi’s tallies keep him ahead across the board, but Ronaldo’s latest contribution added meaningfully to his own World Cup legacy.

“They Said I Should Retire… But I Am Here”

What stood out most was Ronaldo’s determination. Even with his side holding a four-goal lead, he could not be substituted off, and his words afterwards captured his mindset. “They said I should retire… but I am here,” he declared — a pointed response to the outside voices questioning his future.

He also spoke about handling criticism as a team. “The noise from outside is always like this, but we can’t control it. We keep going and we are united,” Ronaldo said. Asked directly by a reporter whether he had said “I’m back” to the camera during the game, his answer was simple and defiant: “Yes, so that they do NOT forget.”

(General football context) For a player of Ronaldo’s stature and longevity, motivation of this kind is nothing new. Throughout his career he has often used external doubt as fuel, and his response here fit a familiar pattern — turning criticism into a driving force on the pitch.

The Records Set on the Day

Ronaldo’s performance brought a cluster of notable milestones. According to the details reported, he:

• Ended a 10-match goal drought for Portugal at major tournaments
• Became the first player ever to score 10 goals at both the World Cup and the European Championship
• Confirmed his place as Portugal’s all-time leading World Cup goalscorer
• Set the record as the oldest player ever to score a World Cup brace

(General football context) Records that combine longevity with production are among the hardest to achieve in football. Scoring at the very top level well into a player’s forties requires not only enduring quality but years of dedication to fitness and preparation. Milestones like the “oldest to score a World Cup brace” speak to a career sustained far beyond the norm.

Conclusion

Ronaldo’s outing was about far more than a single scoreline. Ending a tournament goal drought, breaking new ground across the World Cup and European Championship, and setting an age record for a World Cup brace, he answered his critics in the most direct way possible. Messi may still lead the all-time charts, but on this day Ronaldo’s message was unmistakable — and, in his own words, delivered “so that they do NOT forget.”

With his assist for Kylian Mbappé’s goal, Michael Olise is now joint-top of the most assists at the 2026 World Cup:

As the thrill of a football match lies in the pursuit of one ultimate objective: scoring goals, but it is is very difficult to score goals in a match without being assisted by a team mates, mostly those who assist might also score them but looking for who is best position to do needful. Apart from Michael Olise scoring 27 goals in two seasons at Bayern Munich, back-to-back Bundesliga titles and a Player of the Season award, his creative role for France at the World Cup 2026 was amazing to check how Olise was full of energy as it France opened with a 3-1 win over Senegal at MetLife Stadium. He played the full 90 minutes and was man of all moments as an effective creator, laying on a goal and creating four chances in all, with two shots of his own, eight passes into the penalty area and five corners. Kylin Mbappé scored twice and Bradley Barcola added another as France made a strong start, with Olive’s creativity central to the win and also turned magic in their game against Iraq having two assists, 59 touches, 6 touches in opposition. Box, 6 duels won, 5x possession won, 3 chances created,3 shots and
3 successful take-ons. These are all that led him to join top of the most assists in the ongoing 2026 World Cup with assist.

The names of the top assistants presently are listed below.

🇫🇷 Michael Olise — 3
🇸🇪 Alexander Isak — 3
🇩🇪 Joshua Kimmich — 2
🇪🇸 Brahim Díaz — 2
🇳🇱 Denzel Dumfries — 2
🇩🇪 Deniz Undav — 2
🇪🇬 Mohamed Salah — 2
🇵🇾 Julio Enciso — 2
🇳🇿 Chris Wood — 2
🇳🇱 Ryan Gravenberch — 2

Kylian Mbappé is closing in on Lionel Messi’s FIFA World Cup goal record after another brilliant performance for France.

The French captain scored twice as France defeated Iraq 3-0 in their FIFA World Cup match, strengthening his standing among the greatest goalscorers in World Cup history. His latest goals moved him level with Miroslav Klose on 16 World Cup goals, while Messi remains ahead with 18.

Mbappé has already established an outstanding World Cup legacy. From his breakthrough at the 2018 FIFA World Cup to his unforgettable hat-trick in the 2022 final against Argentina, the French forward has become one of the most dangerous players in the tournament’s history.

The big question now is whether Mbappé can overtake Messi before the tournament ends. With France still in the competition and Mbappé in strong scoring form, the race for the all-time FIFA World Cup goals record is becoming one of the biggest stories of the tournament.

All-Time FIFA World Cup Top Scorers

1. Lionel Messi — 18 goals
2. Kylian Mbappé — 16 goals
3. Miroslav Klose — 16 goals
4. Ronaldo Nazário — 15 goals
5. Gerd Müller — 14 goals

Mbappé’s consistency on the biggest stage has placed him among football’s greatest forwards. At his current rate, he has a strong chance of becoming the highest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history.

For now, Messi leads the race, but Mbappé is closing the gap.

Can Kylian Mbappé overtake Lionel Messi to become the greatest goalscorer in FIFA World Cup history?