Sports
World Cup 2026: Dembélé scores sensational hat-trick as France beat Norway to top group
France’s final group match against Norway had been billed as a showdown between Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland, but Ousmane Dembélé tore up the script as he scored a hat-trick to seal top spot for Les Bleus in Group I.
The winger scored three times in the space of 25 minutes in the first half to send the 2018 world champions and 2022 runners-up into the knockout phase of this year’s tournament with a spring in their step.
Read moreFrance top group as Dembélé’s first-half treble downs second-string Norway
The France players had promised to go for a win as a tribute to coach Didier Deschamps who has flown home from the United States to attend the funeral of his mother.
By finishing top of Group I, France are likely to meet Sweden in the first knockout round of the tournament. As runners-up, Norway will play Ivory Coast.
Deschamps is due to return to the squad on Saturday to begin preparing for the next phase.
Les Bleus – like Norway – had made sure of a place in the Round of 32 before Friday’s clash but wanted to top the group to take advantage of a lighter travel schedule offered by the tournament’s North American criss-crossing route map.
Their task was made easier by Norway coach Stale Solbakken’s decision to rest all but one of the players who started against Senegal earlier this week, including goal-scoring machine Haaland and captain Martin Odegaard.
France went on the attack from the kickoff.
Kylian Mbappé, who is likely to be challenging Haaland for the World Cup’s Golden Boot top scorer award, slammed an angled shot off the bar with barely 20 seconds on the clock.
Six minutes later Mbappé swept a glorious cross-field pass to Dembélé who cut inside and then outside a defender before blasting an angled shot past goalkeeper Egil Selvik.

Mbappé fed Dembélé again in the 20th minute and the Paris Saint-Germain forward gained a yard of space against his marker once again to score with a dipping shot.
Norway pulled a goal back almost immediately through Thelo Aasgaard before Dembélé became only the third France player to score a World Cup hat-trick – after Just Fontaine and Mbappé – by curling a low shot into the bottom corner in the 32nd.
It was the second-earliest hat-trick ever scored at a World Cup, behind Erich Probst who got three goals for Austria in 1954 against Czechoslovakia after 24 minutes.
Read moreWorld Cup 2026: Group standings
Jorgen Strand Larsen blew a chance to get Norway back into the game early in the second half when his soft penalty was saved by Mike Maignan.
Winger Oscar Bobb forced Maignan into another save as the Scandinavians exposed some vulnerability in their opponents’ back line before Désiré Doué got France’s fourth with a header from a cross by substitute Bradley Barcola in the dying moments.
Norway coach Solbakken said it had been a “no-brainer” to rest so many of his usual starters against France, including Haaland and Odegaard.
“The only argument for not doing what we did is that the fans in Norway and here could have seen Erling and Martin. But then it wouldn’t be a long World Cup, and that’s what we’re here for,” he said. “We’re here to go as far as possible.”
(FRANCE 24 with Reuters)
Sports
ESPN sees 24% rise in MCWS viewership, third most on record
Jun 22, 2026; Omaha, NE, USA; The Oklahoma Sooners celebrate after defeating the North Carolina Tar Heels to win the 2026 NCAA Men’s College World Series Championship at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn Images ESPN’s coverage of the 2026 College World Series earned the third-highest viewership in CWS annals, the network announced Thursday.
Oklahoma’s 13-2 Game 3 win over North Carolina on Monday night to claim the championship averaged 2.5 million viewers and peaked at 3 million. It was the most-watched college baseball game of the season. Game 2 drew 2.3 million viewers on average.
Overall, 2026 NCAA baseball tournament games averaged 1.5 million viewers, an increase of 24% over the 2025 event.
Last year, an average of 2.5 million viewers tuned in to watch the championship series that saw LSU defeat Coastal Carolina in two games.
Prior to the finals, the CWS drew 1.4 million average viewers for a 34% year-over-year increase. The most-viewed contest was North Carolina’s June 14 victory over West Virginia, with 2 million viewers in prime time. It was the only game before the championship series to reach 2 million viewers.
Other notable average viewership marks:
Georgia’s win over Texas on June 16: 1.8 million
Oklahoma’s win over Georgia on June 17 that clinched a spot in the finals: 1.7 million Oklahoma’s win vs. Georgia on June 15: 1.64 million
North Carolina’s win over Ole Miss on June 12: 1.45 million
Troy’s win over Ole Miss on June 14: 1. 4 million
The Regional round saw a 38% increase in viewership year over year, while the Super Regionals grew 31% year over year to mark their highest viewership since 2009. –Field Level Media
Sports
Uruguay vs Spain LIVE: Latest World Cup score and updates as Group H reaches thrilling climax
Uruguay 0-0 Spain
18 mins: That’s a nice move from Spain. They work it quickly across the pitch after a throw in on the right.
It comes to Baena who slips a first time pass into the box for Oyarzabal.
Oyarzabal’s run is well timed but he’s forced wide and the ball is poked out for a corner.
Mike Jones27 June 2026 01:21
Uruguay 0-0 Spain
15 mins: Yamal twists his way down the right side of the pitch and wins a corner.
Baena swings it into the penalty area and onto the head of Rodri but he can’t guide the ball towards goal.
Mike Jones27 June 2026 01:17
Uruguay 0-0 Spain
12 mins: Oh wow! Baena makes a poor pass after Spain recover the ball inside their own half.
He gives it away to Valverde who looks for a one-two with Nunez to get himself into the area but the return pass is intercepted and Spain clear.
This is better from Uruguay.
Mike Jones27 June 2026 01:15
Uruguay 0-0 Spain
9 mins: Uruguay haven’t quite gotten themselves into the contest yet and are finding it tricky to play through Spain, especially in midfield.
Spain are enjoying plenty of the ball but the South American side are employing a decent press.
Mike Jones27 June 2026 01:11
Uruguay 0-0 Spain
6 mins: Uruguay win a free kick over on the left side of the pitch and swing in a cross.
The ball is headed straight up from the initial delivery and Unai Simon comes to claim it.
Instead, he drops and fumbles it causing the ball to come loose inside the six yard box.
Luckily for Spain the nearest player is a defender who hooks it clear before any damage is done.
Mike Jones27 June 2026 01:08
Uruguay 0-0 Spain
3 mins: A poor pass back from Bentancur feeds the ball into the path of Lamine Yamal. He skips out of a tackle and slides the ball over to Oyarzabal.
The attacker shoots from the left side of the box and wins the first corner of the game.
Mike Jones27 June 2026 01:04
Kick off! Uruguay 0-0 Spain
Spain get the ball rolling in Mexico and send it back to Unai Simon.
He’s put under pressure by a pressing Darwin Nunez and hooks the ball out of play on the right side of the pitch.
Mike Jones27 June 2026 01:02
Uruguay v Spain
The players make their way out onto the pitch at the Estadio Guadalajara.
Spain still have some work to do and must ensure they win tonight in order to top Group H.
Uruguay will be out if they don’t at least draw with Spain.
In the other game of Group H, Cape Verde are attempting to reach the knockout rounds when they face Saudi Arabia.
How will it all play out? We’re about to find out…
Mike Jones27 June 2026 00:54
Why imperfect perfectionist Marcelo Bielsa and Uruguay were doomed to fail at World Cup
It has not been a model World Cup for him, either: draws with Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde leave Uruguay requiring at least a point against Spain to avert an ignominiously early exit, and with it the end of Bielsa’s reign.
Richard Jolly27 June 2026 00:48
Will Spain top the group?
Spain won their final group stage match at every World Cup between 1986 and 2014.
However, La Roja failed to do so in each of the last two editions, drawing 2-2 with Morocco in 2018 before losing 2-1 to Japan in 2022.
Which way will tonight’s match go?
Mike Jones27 June 2026 00:36
Sports
NHL Draft 2026 picks, order, results and tracker: Maple Leafs take Gavin McKenna at No. 1
The Toronto Maple Leafs have selected Gavin McKenna with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. One of the most dynamic playmakers in this draft class, McKenna should give the Maple Leafs an offensive boost immediately.
McKenna just wrapped up his freshman season at Penn State, and the transition from junior hockey to the collegiate level wasn’t a smooth one initially. However, after a slow start, McKenna found his groove and finished the season with 15 goals and 36 assists 35 games. His 51 points ranked third in the Big Ten, and McKenna led the Nittany Lions to the NCAA Tournament, where they lost to Minnesota-Duluth in the first round.
Prior to his career at Penn State, McKenna posted gaudy numbers with the Medicine Hat Tigers in the WHL. In 2024-25, McKenna tallied 41 goals and 88 points in 56 games while helping the Tigers capture a WHL title. McKenna and Medicine Hat fell just shy of a Memorial Cup title, losing to the London Knights in the championship game.
It might be a bit much to ask McKenna to ride shotgun alongside Auston Matthews right out of the gate, but he has the skill to make an instant impact. Can McKenna land among the best No. 1 picks of this century? If he can, that would be a huge boost to a Toronto offense that finished in the middle of the league last year.
With the No. 2 overall pick, the San Jose Sharks took Swedish winger Ivar Stenberg, who pushed McKenna to be the top selection in this draft. San Jose adds yet another elite offensive weapon to its arsenal with Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith already there. Stenberg will help replace William Eklund, who was recent traded to the Ottawa Senators.
After trading defenseman Bowen Byram to the Chicago Blackhawks for the No. 4 overall pick, the hometown Buffalo Sabres replaced Byram with Daxon Rudolph, one of the best playmaking defensemen in this class. Those moves will be analyzed for years to come.
Stay tuned here with CBS Sports as the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft continues. We’ll have the full results and analysis once the opening round concludes.
Round 1
1. Toronto Maple Leafs — Gavin McKenna (LW, Penn Sate, NCAA)
2. San Jose Sharks — Ivar Stenberg (RW, Frölunda, SweHL)
3. Vancouver Canucks — Caleb Malholtra (C, Brantford, OHL)
4. Buffalo Sabres — Daxon Rudolph (D, Prince Albert, WHL)
5. New York Rangers — Alberts Šmits (D, Jukurit, Liiga)
6. Calgary Flames
7. Seattle Kraken
8. Winnipeg Jets
9. San Jose Sharks (via Florida, Ottawa)
10. Nashville Predators
11. St. Louis Blues
12. New Jersey Devils
13. New York Islanders
14. Columbus Blue Jackets
15. St. Louis Blues (via Detroit)
16. St. Louis Blues (via Washington)
17. Los Angeles Kings
18. Washington Capitals (via Anaheim)
19. Utah Mammoth
20. Buffalo Sabres (via Edmonton, San Jose)
21. Philadelphia Flyers
22. Pittsburgh Penguins
23. Utah Mammoth (via Boston)
24. Vancouver Canucks (via Minnesota)
25. Ottawa Senators (via Tampa Bay, Seattle, Florida)
26. Vegas Golden Knights (via Dallas, Carolina, New York Rangers)
27. San Jose Sharks (via Buffalo)
28. Montreal Canadiens
29. St. Louis Blues (via Colorado, New York Islanders)
30. Calgary Flames (via Vegas)
31. Carolina Hurricanes
32. Ottawa Senators
Sports
Argentina make major Lionel Messi call for group stage finale against Jordan
Lionel Messi will start on the bench for Argentina football against Jordan to complete their World Cup 2026 group stage.
The Albiceleste are defending their title and have started in magnificent form behind Messi’s prolific run of five goals from two games in victories over Algeria and Austria.
Messi is the leading contender to win this year’s golden boot, one clear of France forwards Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele.
Messi (18) is also two clear of Mbappe (16) as the tournament’s all-time record goalscorer, but that record could be threatened with Lionel Scaloni opting to hold the 39-year-old back for the Group J finale.
“Leo Messi will be on the bench against Jordan. He will have minutes in the second half,” said Scaloni.
Sports
2026 Travelers Championship leaderboard: Scottie Scheffler flirts with history in Round 2
Scottie Scheffler has spent much of the 2026 season looking just a bit off, admitting as much ahead of last week’s U.S. Open when he described his game as being a little “dull” and lacking the same sharpness we’ve grown to expect from the World No. 1.
While that sharpness didn’t arrive in time to capture the career grand slam, Scheffler seems to have found something at TPC River Highlands, where he’s off to a red-hot start to grab the 36-hole lead at 16 under thanks to a 10-under 60 on Friday. Overnight rain delayed the start of the second round by 30 minutes, which softened the course and gave players the green light to attack. No one took that opportunity better than Scheffler, who has positioned himself at the top of the leaderboard entering the weekend in pursuit of his second win of the season.
Scheffler began his day birdie-bogey-birdie, but ripped off four straight birdies late in his front nine to go out in 30. He’d add another stretch with four consecutive birdies in the middle of his back nine to get to 10 under on his round and arrived at the 17th hole needing one birdie in the last two holes to break 60 for the second time in his career.
After hitting 15-of-16 greens in regulation coming into the 17th, Scheffler had a rare miss from the fairway from 162 yards, tugging his approach — with Scheffler saying he got gusted — off the left side of the green. After a poor chip from the fairway cut, he made a tough 8-footer for par to keep the 59 dream alive going to the 18th. There, he missed his first fairway of the day, finding the left bunker, but drew a good lie and was able to put an approach 20 feet below the hole to give himself a run.
Scheffler said after his round it was a tricky read, with the ball moving right on him early and ending up too far outside before taking the sharp break late, leaving a tap-in par to post a 10-under 60. Had Scheffler managed to make that putt, he could’ve joined Jim Furyk as the only players to break 60 twice on the PGA Tour. That record remains with Furyk, who Scheffler joked in his press conference somewhat ruined shooting a 59 at TPC River Highlands.
“It was kind of funny. It was like, yeah, it would be cool to shoot 59, but somebody has already shot 58 here, so it’s not even the course record,” Scheffler remarked. “So it’s not like…you know, Jim kind of takes away a little bit of the special 59 when you are losing still.”
TPC River Highlands is always a course where players can go out and attack, and that’s especially the case on a day like Friday when the wind is negligible and the course is softened by rain. However, the difference between Scheffler’s first round 64 and his 60 in the second round came down, largely, to more putts falling.
“Yeah, I’d say in golf the line is always pretty fine. I’m sure if you looked at today’s round versus yesterday’s round, it’s probably pretty similar from a ball-striking perspective,” Scheffler explained. “It’s a matter of holing a few putts. Some days they’re kind of hanging on the edge and not quite going in, and then other days they’re finding the bottom of the cup. Today was a day definitely which most of them were finding the bottom of the cup.”
The stats back that statement up, as Scheffler holed just over 145 feet of putts on Friday after holing 95 feet in his still excellent opening round 64. While he would’ve loved to see one more putt of length drop on the 18th hole, he’s most concerned with snapping out of his winless drought that’s currently sitting at 17 weeks.
Scheffler opened his season with a bang, winning the American Express in his first start of 2026. Since then, he’s been unable to put together four complete rounds, with slow starts becoming a frustrating trend in the middle of his season. Numerous furious comebacks on the weekend to finish just off the lead prove he still has that top gear, but finding those levels for 72 holes has been a challenge.
Through 36 holes at the Travelers, he’s got that sorted out and looks like the player who has dominated the PGA Tour for the last four years. He’ll have to keep that up on the weekend, as TPC River Highlands always leaves the door open for players to go low and try to chase down the leader. If he can convert his 36-hole lead into his 21st PGA Tour victory, he’ll change the question from why can’t he win right now to why can’t go on a winning streak through the summer.
Weekend contenders
2. Viktor Hovland (-14)
T3. Akshay Bhatia, Eric Cole (-13)
T5. Matt Fitzpatrick, Bud Cauley, Ben Griffin (-10)
T8. Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, J.J. Spaun, Patrick Cantlay, Maverick McNealy, Brian Campbell (-9)
T14. Wyndham Clark, Sam Burns, Keegan Bradley and five others (-8)
It’s not often you shoot 65-61 in the first two rounds of a tournament and don’t have the lead going into the weekend, but Viktor Hovland has done just that. His best start to a week this season has been overshadowed by Scheffler’s return to dominant form. Hovland showed some strong form two weeks ago in Canada before a missed cut at the U.S. Open, but back on a golf course where you must attack, he’s once again looking like a threat and keeping Scheffler from running away from the field.
Bhatia hasn’t notched a top 10 since his win at the Arnold Palmer, but he got the putter warmed up again on Friday to shoot a 62 that jumped him into a tie for third. He proved earlier this year what he’s capable of when he gets hot on the greens and TPC River Highlands is a course known for having friendly greens. He’s tied with Eric Cole, who continues his blistering pace of late as he’s primed for another weekend in contention in pursuit of his first PGA Tour title.
Matt Fitzpatrick had it rolling again in the middle of his back nine but cooled off a touch late and dropped a shot on the 18th to slide back into a tie for fifth. Even so, he finds himself on the first page of the leaderboard once again heading into a weekend and is arguably the biggest threat to Scheffler, even six off the pace. Cauley, who picked up his first win two weeks ago in Canada, is still riding that high and playing extremely well once again this week. The same can be said for Ben Griffin who has returned to quality form after a slow start in 2026.
Given who is in the lead, it’s hard to imagine Scheffler helping out the rest of the field this weekend, which means those not yet at double-figures under par have serious work to do on the weekend. That’s certainly possible at a course like TPC River Highlands, but Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, Sam Burns, defending champ Keegan Bradley and U.S. Open winner Wyndham Clark will all be feeling like they need to post scores of 64 or better on Saturday and Sunday to have a chance at winning.
Cameron Young’s dip in form continues
After winning The Players, contending at the Masters and winning again at the Cadillac Championship, Young was the hottest player on the PGA Tour and was seemingly making up ground on the Scheffler-Rory McIlroy tandem in the Tour’s top tier. However, Young hasn’t been nearly as sharp over the past month-plus dating back to the PGA Championship and that slip in form has been extremely evident to start this week as he’s one of just five players who have yet to break par in the first two rounds.
Young’s hot streak was buoyed by some phenomenal putting on top of his excellent ball striking, but he has cooled off on the greens of late. Young is 70th out of 72 players in the field this week in strokes gained putting, losing more than five shots on the greens so far. Maintaining an elite level of play is the hardest thing in golf and Young’s proving just how challenging it is. His talent is undeniable, but his recent dip underscores just how remarkable a run like Scheffler’s is when we’re concerned about his form when he’s only posting top 10s most weeks and not winning.
Sports
Artur Beterbiev says world champion is ‘ducking’ him: “You can see he doesn’t want to fight”
Former undisputed light-heavyweight world champion Artur Beterbiev is keen to return to action as soon as possible, but he believes that one of the current world champions is ‘ducking him’.
Beterbiev knocked out Enrico Koelling to capture the IBF light-heavyweight title back in 2017 and, after defending the belt against Callum Johnson and Radivoje ‘Hot Rod’ Kalajdzic, the Canadian-Russian unified the titles by halting WBC champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk.
Once again, two defences followed, as Beterbiev continued his 100% knockout streak with wins against Adam Deines and Marcus Browne inside of the distance, before adding the WBO strap to his collection by knocking out Joe Smith.
Then, for a third time, Beterbiev made two further title defences before colliding with Dmitry Bivol in a legendary undisputed showdown in October 2024, where his knockout streak came to an end in the crowning moment of his career – going the distance for the first time but claiming a majority-decision win.
Just four months later, Bivol reversed the result in their rematch with a majority decision triumph of his own, but there has been no rubber match since that meeting 16 months ago, much to the disappointment of 41-year-old Beterbiev,
Speaking with The Ring, Beterbiev declared that Bivol is ‘ducking’ a third fight, despite the ‘loose agreement’ which is understood to be in place.
“There is a very short time after the first fight and third fight, even with that I accepted this fight, expecting to have the third fight within five/six months. You can see that he doesn’t want to fight, he is ducking me, I thinks so.”
To add to Beterbiev’s concerns, Bivol will be made to face mandatory challenger Callum Smith in the near future, unless he is willing to relinquish the WBO world title.
Sports
Paris Diamond League To Go Ahead With Safety Measures Amid Historic Heat Wave
This weekend’s Diamond League track and field meeting in Paris will go ahead as planned despite the historic heat wave gripping the country and stretching emergency services, organizers said on Friday. Hours after Paris police authorities said they wanted the event canceled, the French athletics federation (FFA) confirmed that it would take place on Sunday at Charlety Stadium, in agreement with the police prefecture. Citing the exceptional heat that has affected Paris since June 21, the police prefecture had asked organizers of the meet, and other events scheduled this weekend including a music festival and a Pride march, to cancel.
The prefecture said it would be forced to comply with the order if they didn’t agree voluntarily as emergency services needed to concentrate their efforts on protecting the most vulnerable people.
Noah Lyle, Femke Bol and Mondo Duplantis are among the athletes expected to compete in Paris.
The FFA, which organizes the meet, said it would be staged in “an adapted format designed to ensure the safety of all participants.”
Only competitions involving professional athletes will be held, with all other activities cancelled.
“Since the beginning of this extreme weather event, the French Athletics Federation has been closely monitoring the situation in constant coordination with government authorities. The safety of athletes, coaches, volunteers, officials, spectators and all staff involved remains our highest priority,” the FFA said.
Among the measures put in place to mitigate the effects of the heat, the FFA cited delaying the opening of the stadium gates to the public, reinforcing medical and emergency services and providing additional drinking water stations and shaded areas.
The average temperature recorded at 30 weather stations by the Meteo France weather agency on Thursday reached 30 degrees C (86F) again, matching the record for the hottest day nationwide set the previous day.
More than three-quarters of France has been placed under a red weather alert for the first time.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Sports
Alex Tuch excited to join Capitals after losing to team in ’18 Stanley Cup Final
It was Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final in 2018. Tuch, then a member of the Vegas Golden Knights, swept the puck toward an open net — only for Capitals goalie Braden Holtby to make a stupendous save with a desperate reach of his stick and blocker. Washington held on to win 3-2, knotting the series on the way to a five-game triumph.
“I talked to Holtby in the line afterward and he said it was the luckiest save of his life,” Tuch said Friday. “So that made me feel a little bit better — but not really at the same time, because he was shaking my hand after winning the Cup.”
Tuch was in his first full season that year. Now he’s a three-time 30-goal scorer the Capitals acquired in a trade this week with Buffalo. He spent four seasons with Vegas and then five with the Sabres.
His arrival in Washington brings plenty of hope for Capitals fans, plus some great memories that aren’t quite as fond to Tuch. When asked about Holtby’s save, he responded by thanking the questioner “for asking the question I’ve been trying to avoid for a long time.”
“That was an incredible save, but at the same time it was an incredible experience for me,” Tuch said. “I hated that I came up short. It bothers me to this day that we didn’t win that Stanley Cup, but I was just so grateful. I was grateful that entire year to just be in the NHL.”
Tuch won’t be playing with many of the guys who beat him in 2018, but Tom Wilson is still with the Capitals. Alex Ovechkin’s status remains unclear for next season.
“If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em I guess,” Tuch said.
Sports
World Cup 2026: Senegal crush 10-man Iraq to remain in hunt for knockout spot
Senegal crushed 10-man Iraq 5-0 on Friday to remain in the running for a place in the round of 32 and end their opponents’ hopes of reaching the World Cup knockout stages.
The West Africans enjoyed a dream start when Abdoulaye Seck’s header directed off teammate Habib Diarra and into the Iraqi net in the fourth minute.
Read moreWorld Cup 2026: Group standings
Iraq went down a man in the 12th minute when the referee decided after a VAR review to send off defender Rebin Sulaka for pulling down Sadio Mane as the Senegalese striker was through on goal.
Senegal, who ran riot after the break with goals by Ismaila Sarr, Iliman Ndiaye and a double from Pape Gueye, must wait to see if they will advance as one of the eight best third-placed teams.
Read moreWorld Cup 2026: Mbappé becomes France’s record scorer as Les Bleus down valiant Senegal
Sports
FIFA World Cup Knockout Round Guide: Everything You Need to Know
For all the fun of the new 48-team World Cup format so far, there is a sense that the tournament is a little too forgiving, with 32 teams surviving the initial group phase.
But there’s good news for those of you who need bit more cruelty with your sporting spectacle: That all ends after Saturday, when the new, and obviously larger and better (this is America after all) knockout phase begins Sunday with Canada facing South Africa.
Here’s everything you need to know about the business end of the World Cup, which begins to look a lot more like the playoff formats we know and love in American sports.
Who gets in?
Every team that finishes first or second in group play gets into the knockout phase. Of course, that would only be 24 teams, so in this expanded World Cup, the top eight third-place group finishers also receive a berth.
Those third-place teams are ranked by points they earn in their respective groups. For those finishing on the same number of points, the tiebreakers go in this order: Total goal difference, total goals scored, best discipline record (yellow and red cards), and then FIFA World Rankings.
The first- and second-place finishers have dedicated, pre-determined slots in the bracket. Those third-place teams that qualify are sorted into the remaining spots by that Ghanaian witch doctor who put a curse on Harry Kane.
OK, so they’re actually sorted by a complicated formula that merely feels like a creation of sorcery. But for American fans, the important thing to know is the U.S. men’s national team will face Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 1 in Santa Clara, Calif.
How does it work?
Unlike the group stage that may feel foreign to fans of American sports, this is good, old-fashioned, single-elimination knockout play. The winner moves on. The loser goes home, though the wealthier players might stop off for a confusingly unappealing vacation in July in South Florida.
Also, the bracket is completely fixed, similar to the NCAA Men’s and Women’s Basketball tournament, rather than the NFL, NBA or NHL Playoffs. There is no re-seeding after each round.
What if the match finishes tied?
In single-elimination matches in the World Cup and most other major competitions, teams play 30 minutes of extra time to decide a tie after 90. Teams switch ends after 15 minutes plus stoppage time, but it’s only a momentary pause.
Extra time is not a sudden-death format In other words, play continues after a goal, allowing a losing team to tie the match again or the winning team to add insurance.
For example, in the 1966 final, England defeated West Germany 4-2 in a final that was tied 2-2 after 90 minutes, and England’s fourth goal lives on as one of the most iconic moments in their national team history.
In the 2022 final, Argentina and France each scored in extra time before Argentina eventually won on penalties following an enthralling 3-3 draw.
The match goes to penalties if still tied after 120 minutes.
What happens in penalties?
Usually, Emi Martinez. Or Croatia.
Oh, the format. Each team takes five kicks from the spot, and the team that makes more moves on. If tied after five kicks, they go to a sixth, seventh, and so on in a manner similar to extra-inning baseball, where each team gets an additional attempt until there is a winner.
How long does this all take?
With the knockout phase doubled in size, there is an additional round and the process takes a little bit longer. The bracket and schedule is designed so that, at a minimum, every team has three off days between its last match and its next one (with the exception of the third-place match played a day before the World Cup final).
Unlike the NCAA Tournaments or the NFL Playoffs, the bracket so the games feel continuous. The first truly unscheduled day of the tournament won’t come until July 8. And there will only be five idle days in total until the final on July 19.
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