Daniel Munoz fired ⁠Colombia into the ​World Cup Round of 32 on Tuesday, sealing a 1-0 win over DR Congo in Group ​K after goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi had threatened to turn the match into a night of frustration.

Read moreWorld Cup 2026: Group standings

Munoz struck the winner from the right side of the penalty area in the 76th minute, finally ​beating Mpasi ‌who had repeatedly denied Colombia with an inspired performance.

Colombia, who opened ⁠their World Cup campaign with a 3-1 win over Uzbekistan, commanded possession and created numerous chances.

James Rodriguez, making his 10th World Cup ‌appearance to equal the Colombian record jointly held by Freddy Rincon and ⁠Carlos Valderrama, forced Mpasi into action with a powerful strike in the 11th minute.

The goalkeeper stood firm, repelling efforts from Jhon Arias and winger Luis Diaz, who ​came close to breaking the deadlock in the 18th minute, controlling a ‌chipped pass inside the penalty area, turning smartly, and firing a shot goalwards, only for Mpasi to save with his foot.

The African side, buoyed by their opening 1-1 draw with Portugal, threatened sporadically ‌through Edo Kayembe, Cedric Bakambu and Yoane Wissa but lacked a clinical finish.

By halftime, Colombia had registered 15 shots, including six ​on target, with nine of their 10 outfield players attempting efforts.

In the stands, DR Congo had support from Michel Nkuka Mboladinga, the team’s famous “living statue” fan, who made his World ​Cup debut after missing the opener against Portugal because of Ebola quarantine requirements.

Colombia resumed on ​the front foot after the break, Diaz forcing another fine ​save from Mpasi in the 51st minute before Arias dragged the rebound wide.

Wissa almost snatched the lead for DR Congo in the ​73rd minute when his shot from Simon Banza’s assist was blocked, but Colombia struck shortly after through Munoz.

Diaz later thought he had doubled the advantage with a finish into the top corner, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside.

Read moreWorld Cup 2026: Portugal and record-breaking Ronaldo outshine Uzbekistan

Colombia moved to six points from two ⁠matches and guaranteed their progress to the knockout stage ahead of their final group game against Portugal, who beat ⁠Uzbekistan 5-0 earlier ​on Tuesday.

DR Congo remained on one point and will need a result against Uzbekistan to keep their qualification hopes alive. 

(FRANCE 24 with Reuters)

McDonald Jones Stadium will play host to Sunday’s
Round 17 NRL game between Newcastle Knights and
Wests Tigers. The game kicks off at 4:05 pm with Newcastle Knights heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Newcastle Knights vs.
Wests Tigers
game and give you our free tips and bets.

When: Sunday June 28, 2026 at 4:05 pm

Where: McDonald Jones Stadium

Bet 💰: Bet On This Match HERE

Newcastle Knights vs Wests Tigers Odds

Newcastle Knights vs Wests Tigers Preview

Newcastle will aim to continue its push towards the finals when it hosts the Wests Tigers on Sunday evening.

The Tigers receive a timely boost with Adam Doueihi returning to the side after injury. His experience and versatility have been sorely missed, particularly with injuries disrupting both edges of the defensive line in recent weeks.

Newcastle enters the match in encouraging form, built on a simple but effective formula. The Knights have defended strongly, managed games well and found consistency that was lacking earlier in the season.

Bradman Best and Fletcher Sharpe continue to provide strike power for the home side, while the Tigers will hope Doueihi can help unlock an attack that has struggled for points.

The Knights have won six of their past seven meetings with Wests and will be confident of extending that record at home.

South Africa head coach Hugo Broos has fired back at his critics after Bafana Bafana secured a place in the FIFA World Cup knockout stage for the first time in their history.

South Africa defeated South Korea 1-0 on Wednesday to finish second in Group A behind co-hosts Mexico, who won all three of their matches.

The African side, appearing at the World Cup for the fourth time, had been heavily criticised after losing 2-0 to Mexico in their opening game. However, they bounced back with a draw against the Czech Republic before sealing qualification with a vital win over South Korea in Monterrey.

Thapelo Maseko scored the only goal of the match in the second half to send South Africa through.

Speaking after the game, Broos said the victory was the perfect response to those who doubted his team.

“I’m very proud of the performance of my team and I think we gave an answer to all those big mouths of the last weeks that thought that we had to change something,” Broos said.

“We just did what we did. We just did what I wanted to do and this is the result.”

The 74-year-old Belgian, who has been in charge of South Africa since 2021, described the achievement as one of the most emotional moments of his coaching career.

“I said it already in the past that probably it will be one of the last games of my career and when you can end a career like I had in this way, I think every coach dreams of it,” he said.

Broos also praised the strong bond he shares with his players and revealed that he never lost faith in them despite the criticism.

“Between me as a coach and them as players is maybe something unique. I’m the coach, but I’m not only a coach,” he said.

“I think I’m a friend of theirs. So the relationship between the players and me is very good.”

South Africa will now face Canada in Los Angeles on Sunday, with a place in the World Cup quarter-finals at stake.

Broos is confident his players will be ready for the challenge.

“I just know that the players will be ready again and try to achieve the third round,” he said.

“It should be even more historic. Those players want to prove to everyone and show that they are a good team. We will see on Sunday if we can go further.”

Switzerland prevailed 2-1 over Canada on Wednesday in Vancouver to claim top spot in Group B and secure their knockout progression in this World Cup 2026. Nati made a dominant start to the second half, with Vargas striking with a low drive that bounced off the left post.

With the top two teams in the pool meeting in Vancouver, both knew that a victory would ensure first place in the group and, in theory, a kinder draw in the knockout stages.

Vargas and Manzambi’s second-half strikes were enough to ensure the Swiss finished on seven points, while Promise David pulled a goal back in the final 15 minutes for Canada but they finished up three points behind their opponent but reach the last 32 for the first time in their history.

“I know our team has heart. We have a group that will give everything at every moment,” Canada coach Jesse Marsch said.

Prior to the 2026 edition, the North Americans had never won a match at a finals but with their second-placed finish in the pool they will play the runner-up from Group A on Sunday in Los Angeles.

Read moreWorld Cup 2026: Colombia battle past DR Congo to reach round of 32

Switzerland will return to Vancouver to meet one of the best third-placed sides next week.

“We just wanted to continue the energy that’s taken place here in Canada. That’s the disappointment: building on one big win is so important,” Marsch added.

“I’m so thankful for the energy and the country. But we’re going to go to LA and we still want to electrify our country. We’re exactly where we wanted to be — in the knockout phase.”

Bosnia-Herzegovina wrapped up third in Group B thanks to a 3-1 win over Qatar and will face an anxious wait to see if their four points are enough to extend their stay at the World Cup.

Prior to kick-off, Canada midfielder Ismael Kone entered the pitch in a wheelchair after suffering a leg break in Canada’s 6-0 demolition of Qatar last week and was treated to a standing ovation by the spectators at BC Place Vancouver.

Manzambi’s revelation

Breel Embolo was presented with a golden chance to open the scoring for the Swiss after 10 minutes but could only fire straight at the goalkeeper before Manzambi struck the rebound into the chest of a defender.

Canada had two chances going into half-time but Swiss goalkeeper Gregor Kobel repelled them on both occasions.

After an entertaining first half, the match sparked into life seconds after the interval as Vargas gave Switzerland lift-off.

A simple ball down the line released Manzambi, whose cross from the right evaded everyone until the 27-year-old popped up in acres of space at the back post and took an excellent first touch before rifling past Maxime Crepeau.

Read moreAll guns blazing as Messi, Mbappé and Haaland lead World Cup Golden Boot race

Manzambi then put the cherry on a fine performance as the 20-year-old netted his third of the tournament on 57 minutes, profiting from some poor goalkeeping to squeeze in a right-footed shot after decent hold-up play on the edge of the box by Embolo.

Jonathan David, who scored a hat-trick in Canada’s last outing, turned sharply in the Swiss box and fired an effort at goal as the co-hosts tried to get a foot back in the match before the second hydration break, but Nico Elvedi flung himself in the ball’s path.

But moments after the three-minute break, Promise David, who had just entered the field, gave Canada hope as he stretched to turn in a sublime ball from Nathan Saliba.

The goal set up a grandstand finish with a leveller for Canada certain to send them through as group winners.

The Canadians came close from a couple of set-pieces at the match’s climax but Switzerland held on to claim top spot.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

Devdutt Padikkal enjoyed a stellar IPL 2026 season as Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) lifted a second successive title. Batting at No. 3, Padikkal smashed 464 runs in 15 innings at a strike-rate of 168.72, powering RCB in the powerplay and middle overs. After a few difficult seasons, Padikkal has been at home again in Bengaluru, the city in which he has played most of his cricket. Reflecting on his campaign, RCB Director of Cricket Mo Bobat heaped praise on Padikkal, even touting him as a potential future captain.

Mo Bobat praised Padikkal for continuing the intent at the top of the order, following on from the momentum set by openers Phil Salt and Virat Kohli.

“We wanted him to really push the boundaries of his intent, and to really deliver an impact. We had Salty (Salt) and Virat going pretty hard at the top, and we wanted Dev (Padikkal) to continue that momentum when he came to the crease. And to his credit, he’s totally bought into that and embraced that. And he’s batted very selflessly, and I think that’s huge credit to Dev,” Bobat said, speaking on the ‘RCB’s Trophy Quest’ documentary on the team’s official YouTube channel.

Bobat then went on to explain why Padikkal could be a leadership option in the future for the franchise.

“I’ve also been really impressed with him as a character. I think he’s very leaderful, actually. I think he’s a potential captain of the future,” Bobat further added.

While Rajat Patidar has led RCB admirable to its first two IPL titles in history, he is eight years older to Padikkal.

Still only 25, Padikkal is yet to hit the peak of his cricket career. Having already spent five IPL seasons with RCB, he could be a natural fit for captaincy in the years to come.

“He’s been an extraordinary performer. First, he’s the only one in this team having the pleasure of being a local. He represents Bengaluru. And he’s a thorough Bengaluru man. He embodies it. He’s able to assess and understand game situations exceedingly well for a man of his age,” said RCB mentor and batting coach Karthik on Padikkal.

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Oscar Onley has been ruled out of next month’s Tour de France with a shoulder injury, his team Netcompany-Ineos have confirmed.

The 23-year-old Scottish rider sustained the injury after crashing on stage six of the Tour Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes in France.

Onley’s team first announced he had dislocated his shoulder but further tests revealed he had suffered a “significant shoulder injury”.

Last year, Onley finished fourth in the Tour de France to equal the best result by a Scottish rider, previously achieved by Philippa York (then known as Robert Millar) in 1984.

“I’m gutted not to be able to line up for the Tour de France this year,” said Onley.

“My focus is now on recovering and getting my shoulder in a good place, but I’m really motivated to try and make something out of this season.”

In a statement, Netcompany-Ineos added Onley has begun rehabilitation and is making encouraging progress.

The Tour de France starts in Barcelona on 4 July and ends at the Champs-Elysees in Paris on 26 July.

Morocco has the youngest squad among the top 10 Fifa-ranked teams competing in this year’s World Cup, with an average age of 25.92 years and seven of its 26 players below the age of 23, according to a study by UK-based Lane Clark & Peacock (LCP).

The study, led by Amlan Roy, investment partner for global macro research at LCP, examined the macro demographics of participating countries in the ongoing tournament.

Spain follows Morocco, with an average squad age of 26.19 years. France is third at 26.58 years, while England is fourth at 26.62 years. Each team has a squad of 26 players and a coach.

Among the top 10 ranked teams, the oldest squads are from Latin America. Brazil has an average squad age of 28.65 years, followed by Argentina at 28.62 years. Argentina’s squad includes 39-year-old Lionel Messi, who has already scored five goals in two matches in the tournament.

Among all 48 teams playing in the World Cup this year, Ecuador has the youngest squad, with an average age of 25.58 years and seven players below 23.

The study also looks at which countries have the highest concentration of professional footballers and clubs, a measure that reflects not only the sport’s popularity but also the opportunities available to players.

Mexico tops the table among the 48 participating countries. It has 9,464 professional footballers and 244 professional football clubs, the highest in both categories.

Spain follows with 8,560 professional footballers, while England has 5,582. Turkey is fourth, with 3,917 professional players.

The growing popularity of football in the US is also striking, particularly because the country is one of the venues for the current World Cup. Once seen largely as the land of American football, the US now has more than 101 professional football clubs, the fourth-highest among the 48 countries. It also has 2,971 professional footballers.

Saudi Arabia, too, is flexing its football muscle. It has the third-highest number of professional football clubs among participating countries, while 1,505 players in the country have turned professional.

Source: LCP’s 2026 World Cup Countries’ Macro Demographics report 

  Football strength does not follow income rankings 

Source: Source: LCP’s 2026 World Cup Countries’ Macro Demographics report

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi‘s family, and the rest of India, would be looking forward to the team sheet on Friday when the side gets down to action against Ireland in the first of two T20Is in Belfast. If Sooryavanshi is named in the XI, he will be the youngest cricketer (15 years, 91 days) to play for the Indian cricket team. Sooryavanshi has also been selected for the India T20I series against England that starts next month, and his chances of making an India debut are high.

Sooryavanshi might be making his India debut before reaching the age of just 16, but his journey has been long and arduous. In fact, it did not even begin with him; it began with his father, Sanjiv, who was a club-level cricketer from the village of Motipur, according to a deep-dive story on Sooryavanshi by The Athletic. He could not fulfill his dream but invested everything when cricket coaches said his son had the potential to make it big.

Brajesh Jha was Sooryavanshi’s first coach. “When he first came, there were very few children playing cricket in Samastipur district,” Jha says. “There was this tiny child among all the seniors… as soon as he was told something, he followed the task very quickly – how to take a stance, how to run, whatever was explained to him.”

He saw Sooryavanshi’s meteoric rise from close quarters. “When we took him to Patna for trials, in the whole area, the news spread that there was a small left-handed batter from Samastipur who had exceptional talent,” Jha says. “He was selected in the state Under-17 team at the age of eight-and-a-half.”

Batting was always his first love. “The level of toughness that he had in his practice sessions – the more I increased it, the more easily he adapted to it,” Ojha says. “His adaptability was amazing.”

“When Vaibhav used to train, if you sent him for fielding, within 10 minutes he would come and say his head was hurting. But if you asked him to even bat at night, he would never say he was tired.”

“Today, Vaibhav is scoring the fastest hundreds in T20 cricket, but I have seen the day when he played 100 balls and scored only 30 runs,” says Jha, recalling Sooryavanshi at the age of nine. “I was so happy because playing 100 balls meant he had the capacity to play 100 balls. He was facing state bowlers sometimes more than twice his age. He wasn’t making runs because he didn’t have the power yet, but he was playing 100 balls.”

Soon, from Samastipur, Sooryavanshi and his father travelled to Patna, Bihar’s capital. He went on to make his IPL debut at the age of 12. Then, at the IPL auction in 2024, Rajasthan Royals secured him for INR 1.10 crore. While many thought it a marketing move, RR knew they had found a gem and played him. He scored a 35-ball ton against Gujarat Titans. There has been no stopping Sooryavanshi since then

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