World Cup 2026 news LIVE: Curacao goalkeeper makes history, Egypt coach denies rift with Salah, another team crashes out

Curacao goalkeeper Eloy Room wrote his name into World Cup history by making 15 saves to earn the tiny Caribbean nation their first ever point at the tournament with a 0-0 draw against Ecuador.

Room, 37, broke the record for the most saves in a 90-minute World Cup match since records began in 1966. Only the USA’s Tim Howard has made more stops in a World Cup game, with 16 in an extra-time defeat to Belgium in 2014.

Curacao is home to just 156,000 people, making them the smallest country to compete at the World Cup, and Room is the latest veteran goalkeeper to make his mark at the tournament following the performance of Cape Verde’s Vozinha in the 0-0 draw against Spain.

“I think I need a statue in Curacao now,” Room said.

Meanwhile, in Kansas City, one of the happier tourists in the England camp is Dan Burn. The Newcastle man is enjoying what promises to be his first and only World Cup at 34 years of age. And he told Senior Football Correspondent Richard Jolly just what it’s like to be a squad player for Thomas Tuchel at a major tournament. Beyond the training, to ensure he is fit and ready to feature against Ghana or Panama, Burn has taken in a Kansas City Royals baseball match, an Ella Langley concert and even dressed up as a cowboy. Burn’s impact on the pitch may be minimal, but it’s all part of Tuchel’s masterplan to blend different personalities and ensure harmony in the champ.

Germany weathered a storm as the Ivory Coast gave them a fright before another unlikely star striker delivered the firepower to secure a knockout place for the first time since 2014. Julian Nagelsmann was thrilled to see super-sub, and former Brighton forward, Deniz Undav provide the spark needed to rally from behind against the Elephants. Is Kai Havertz’s place at risk? Well, it could prove a fascinating issue for Germany as they prepare for the last 32 with a final group stage game against Ecuador. “Maybe he can start next time,” said the Germany boss.

Egypt coach Hossam Hassan dismissed talk of unrest ​involving talisman Mohamed Salah, insisting there were no issues within the squad as they prepare to face New Zealand in their crucial World Cup Group G match at BC Place.

Salah, 34, scored nine goals in the qualifying campaign and provided an assist for Emam Ashour in their opener with Belgium. But he was substituted in the 76th minute of that 1-1 draw in Seattle, with highly-rated teenager Hamza Abdelkarim coming on.

“Salah is an important player for our squad, and the 26 players who are here with me are ⁠very important,” Hassan told reporters. “Every player who has worked with me knows I ​deal ⁠with them in a professional manner. ‌I do not have favourites.

“Salah is a great player who helps his teammates. He has a lot of discipline and is a role model.

“If he starts … or ‌if he gets substituted, it’s fine. It is ‌his role as a player. Everyone knows that I am working for the benefit of the team and the national side.

“Rumours are being spread about stars, about players, about teams. But Salah is someone who is very disciplined,” he added.

“He trains with us. He’s the first player that would also say yes to my decisions as a technical director. So I think he will be very positive tomorrow.”

The Netherlands have lift-off at this World Cup after a devastating performance in Houston to ease past Sweden 5-1 and it was led by a surprise protagonist. Brian Brobbey outshone everyone, as Lawrence Ostlere gathered inside the air-conditioned NRG Stadium, with the Sunderland man emerging as a secret weapon for Ronald Koeman. Solid at the back and midfield, with Cody Gakpo grabbing a brace, too, and Crysencio Summerville banishing bad memories from the past season with West Ham, the Oranje are finally dancing to the trance tunes of their army of supporters and threaten to go far.

Deniz Undav put himself in pole position to start for Germany moving forward at the World Cup 2026 after he scored two goals off the bench a thrilling comeback to beat Ivory Coast.

The 2-1 victory in their World Cup Group E match on Saturday secured their place in the knockout stage for the first time since they won the title in 2014.

And Germany boss Julian Nagelsmann conceded Undav may now start against Ecuador on Thursday in New York.

“Maybe he can start next time,” said the Germany coach. “⁠I think that every player would love to be in ​the ⁠starting lineup, but I ‌think he’s very happy as it is right now.

“In the end, we deservedly won it. The boys invested a lot. I’m very happy for the whole team.”

5pm BST – Spain 🇪🇸 v Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦 (Group H) – BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website

8pm BST – Belgium 🇧🇪 v Iran 🇮🇷 (Group G ) – ITV 1, ITV X, STV, STV Player

11pm BST – Uruguay 🇺🇾 v Cape Verde 🇨🇻 (Group H) – BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website

2am BST – New Zealand 🇳🇿 v Egypt 🇪🇬 (Group G) – ITV 1, ITV X, STV, STV Player

ITV pundit Emma Hayes received an upgrade to the set used for her tactical analysis after the kitchen-esque design initially sparked something of a sexism row at World Cup 2026.

Hayes, who is the current US women’s team manager and whose seven Women’s Super League titles during her time at Chelsea made her one of the most highly-respected tacticians in world football, delivered tactical insights during England’s impressive opening 4-2 win over Croatia on Wednesday.

But viewers were left baffled and distracted by ITV’s decision to station her away from the main punditry in a part of the set that resembled a show kitchen, with a chalkboard affixed to a brick column, surrounded by cupboards and drawers that looked as if they should contain cutlery and crockery.

Gakpo was criticised for his form at Liverpool this season but he comes alive in a Dutch shirt and delivered again on the World Cup stage as the Netherlands thrashed Sweden, reports Lawrence Ostlere from Houston

Curacao coach Dick Advocaat saluted his players and the tiny Caribbean island after holding Ecuador to a 0-0 draw to earn their first ever point at the World Cup.

Advocaat, 78, said the Curacao supporters deserved praise after the nation, which is home to just 156,000 people, were thrashed 7-1 by Germany in their opening game.

The people on Curacao have given us their support from the of outset,” Advocaat said. “Particularly last week, after the 7-1, people ⁠were still celebrating on the island and people were ​full ⁠of joy.

“It was a mad house tonight. So I think that for people whose life is not always that easy, I really wish them to celebrate `this success.

“Maybe Germany came too early,” he added. “That day they were simply out of our league, but today the team was standing as it should have been standing.

“They were fighting like lions and then you see what ‌you can achieve against a team that’s ⁠playing on a very high level with very high individual levels of the ⁠players.”