Sport Updates
Same-day match highlights, records, team news and results from across the sports you follow.
Paraguay's underdog run continues against France today
Paraguay's surprise World Cup run continues today in Philadelphia, where they face France in the Round of 16 on a day that also carries extra weight as part of the tournament's Independence Day schedule in the United States. Paraguay have already gone further than almost anyone predicted before the tournament, and they got here the hard way — needing penalties to see off Germany 4-3 in the Round of 32 after normal time finished 1-1. That result alone said a lot about this team: they're not the most talented side left in the competition, but they've shown they can grind out results even when they're not playing their best football, and that they don't panic under pressure. France, by contrast, arrive here as one of the most dangerous attacking teams left in the tournament and go into this game as heavy favourites, with players capable of deciding a match in a moment of individual brilliance. On paper, this looks like a straightforward night for France. But football at this stage of a World Cup rarely goes exactly to plan, and a Paraguay side with nothing to lose can be a genuinely awkward opponent for a team that's expected to win comfortably. There's very little pressure on Paraguay here — reaching the Round of 16 was already beyond most expectations, so anything from this game is a bonus rather than a target they need to hit. That kind of freedom can sometimes bring out a team's best performance, especially against opposition that might be tempted to take the game for granted. For neutrals, it's exactly the kind of fixture that makes World Cup knockout football compelling: a heavy favourite against an underdog who has already shown they can handle high-pressure moments when it matters. Whatever happens tonight, Paraguay's run so far has already given their fans and neutrals around the world a story worth following, and a good performance against France — win or lose — would only add to that.
Switzerland's first World Cup knockout win since 1938
Switzerland beat Algeria 2-0 in the Round of 32, and in doing so recorded their first World Cup knockout-stage win since 1938 — an 88-year gap that finally came to an end. It wasn't a flashy performance, but it was an efficient one: Switzerland controlled long stretches of the game, limited Algeria's attacking threats, and made the most of the chances that came their way. Algeria pushed for a way back into the game in the second half but couldn't break down a Swiss defence that, once it settled into the match, gave almost nothing away. For a team that's often flown under the radar at major tournaments, this result is a real statement. Switzerland have now gone through the group stage and into the knockout rounds without a loss, a run that few people outside their own camp were predicting before the tournament started. There's a quiet, disciplined quality to how this Swiss side plays that doesn't always draw headlines, but results like this one are starting to make people take notice. Switzerland now face Colombia in the Round of 16 on July 7, and this is likely to be a much tougher test of whether their run has real staying power. Colombia have played with more pace and flair through the tournament so far, and it's a different kind of challenge to the more containable games Switzerland have faced up to this point. If Switzerland can bring the same discipline and game management that got them past Algeria, they'll give themselves a real chance. If Colombia are allowed to play at their preferred tempo, though, this could be the game where Switzerland's run finally meets its match.
USA cruise past Bosnia and Herzegovina, set up Belgium clash
The USMNT beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 2-0 in the Round of 32, one of the more convincing performances from the hosts so far in a tournament where they've had to earn some tougher results than expected. The win eased some of the pressure that had built up after a shakier group stage, and it was exactly the kind of performance a home crowd wants to see heading into the knockout rounds. Bosnia and Herzegovina never really found a foothold in the game and struggled to create clear chances of their own, while the USMNT looked comfortable in possession and clinical when the openings came. The USA now turn to Belgium in the Round of 16 on July 7, a fixture that carries some unfinished business of its own. Belgium have looked dangerous in patches throughout the tournament without ever fully clicking as a team, and this is the kind of game where a well-organised opponent can cause real problems if the USA aren't at their sharpest. A strong performance here would also go some way to settling the ongoing conversation about who's actually been the USA's most important attacking player this tournament. Playing at home adds another layer to this one. Expect a big, loud crowd behind the USMNT, and for a team that's shown it can raise its level under pressure, that support could matter. Getting past Belgium and into the quarterfinals would already be one of the better World Cup runs in the program's history, given how the bracket has opened up elsewhere.
Messi extends World Cup scoring record past Cape Verde
Lionel Messi and Argentina came within a whisker of a genuine World Cup upset against Cape Verde, needing extra time to get past them 3-2 in the Round of 32. Cape Verde, playing in their first-ever World Cup, matched Argentina for long stretches and twice came back to level the score, only for Argentina to eventually find a way through once the game went to extra time. Messi got the goal that mattered and, in doing so, took his career World Cup tally to 20 — now just one behind Kylian Mbappé, who closed the gap himself with a brace in France's group game against Sweden. The two of them chasing the tournament's all-time scoring record has quietly become one of the more interesting subplots of this World Cup, and every round either of them survives keeps that race alive. For Cape Verde, there's no shame in how this one went. A team from a nation of roughly half a million people took the reigning champions to extra time and were unlucky not to force penalties, and it's the kind of run that will be remembered back home for a long time regardless of how the rest of the tournament goes for Argentina. Argentina now move on to face Egypt in the Round of 16 on July 7. It's a game that looked like it would be routine when the draw was made, but Egypt's own run to this stage — including a penalty shootout win over Australia — means it's no longer the formality it might once have seemed. If Argentina want to go all the way again, they'll likely need a cleaner, more controlled performance than the one they just produced.
Ronaldo, Ramos send Portugal past Croatia in stoppage-time drama
Cristiano Ronaldo was on the scoresheet as Portugal beat Croatia 2-1 in the Round of 32, but it was Gonçalo Ramos who settled it with a goal deep into stoppage time. Croatia thought they'd found a way back into the game in the thirteenth minute of added time, only for the goal to be ruled out after a VAR review using the tournament's new sensor-based offside system — one of the most closely watched calls anywhere in the competition so far. It capped off a tie that was far closer than most people expected given how comfortably Portugal had played through the group stage. Croatia pushed hard in the second half and created enough chances that a different result wouldn't have been a surprise, and Portugal's defence had to work harder than it has all tournament to hold on. Ronaldo's goal kept his record intact as one of the most reliable finishers this World Cup has seen, and at this stage of his career it's another reminder of just how long he's been doing this at the highest level. Ramos, meanwhile, continues to look like exactly the kind of player Portugal need alongside him — direct, confident in front of goal, and unafraid of the big moment. Portugal now move on to face Spain on July 6, which is shaping up to be one of the standout fixtures of the Round of 16. Ronaldo has been open about this likely being his final World Cup, and every round Portugal survive adds another chapter to what's already one of the most decorated careers the sport has seen.
Egypt's first-ever World Cup knockout win
Egypt beat Australia 4-2 on penalties in the Round of 32, after normal time in Dallas ended 1-1. It's the first time in the country's history that Egypt have won a knockout-stage match at a World Cup. Mohamed Salah was involved in most of Egypt's better moments and looked sharp throughout the ninety minutes, even though neither side managed a second goal in open play. The shootout went all the way to sudden death before Egypt finally converted the winning kick, and celebrations back home reflected just how long fans had waited for a moment like this. Australia will feel they let this one slip, having matched Egypt for large parts of the game before missing two of their five spot kicks. For Egypt, reaching the Round of 16 already puts this campaign ahead of the expectations most people had before the tournament started, when they were seen as one of the weaker sides in an expanded 48-team field. The shootout also showed a level of composure under pressure that hasn't always been associated with this Egypt squad at big tournaments. Now they face a much sterner test: Argentina in the Round of 16 on July 7. On paper it's a huge step up, but Egypt have already shown they don't fold under pressure, and a penalty shootout win against a well-organised Australia side is not nothing. If Egypt can keep things tight defensively and get anything at all from Salah in the final third, this has the makings of one of the more interesting ties of the round.