Uzbekistan, making their debut at the World Cup, finished their Group K campaign with three defeats from three games, while also conceding 11 times and scoring twice. 

Following defeats to both Colombia and Portugal, Uzbekistan's elimination was already confirmed ahead of facing DR Congo in their final group game at Atlanta Stadium. 

And with only pride to play for, Eldor Shomurodov gave Uzbekistan the lead in the 10th minute, but an inspired second-half display from Yoane Wissa turned the game around.

Wissa netted a 68th-minute penalty before Fiston Mayele clipped a smart finish over Abduvokhid Nematov 10 minutes later, with the Newcastle United striker sealing the victory, and a spot in the knockout stages, in stoppage time. 

Cannavaro, a World Cup winner with Italy, defended his players, but spoke of the harsh realities of competing on the world's biggest stage at international level. 

The World Cup is brutal," he said. "They gave everything? Yes. ​They are sad in the changing room. Wow, my friend, believe me. They suffer more than ​anyone in Uzbekistan.

When asked why he was smiling after the full-time whistle, Cannavaro explained, "You think I'm not nervous, ⁠I'm not angry? I don't feel good because I don't like to lose.

"We ​made some mistakes, of course, but I cannot complain about my players.

"I will never complain ​about my players because I know, and I told you, you were in the press conference, and you know what I said the first day when we saw the draw."

Cannavaro added that Uzbekistan as a country must invest further in order to compete at another World Cup, adding: "We have ⁠to understand ​that Uzbekistan football needs to improve.

"Uzbekistan football needs ​to continue investing money in academies, investing money in youth players, because it's the only way to try to have ​Uzbekistan in the World Cup in the next 20-30 years."

Yoane Wissa in clutch mode for Congo DR ‍#FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/gP7FUZEomi

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 28, 2026

For DR Congo, however, they became the 11th African nation to advance from the group stage at a World Cup and the fifth to do so for the first time in 2026, after Ivory Coast, South Africa, Cape Verde and Egypt. 

They scored two goals in a 10-minute span in the second half after having scored one goal in their first five-and-a-half matches at the World Cup (including as Zaire in 1974).

Wissa also made history, too. He equalled Ismael Saibari and Ismalia Sarr as the top scoring players for an African country at this year's World Cup (three goals). 

He netted DR Congo's first two goals at the tournament as well. The only other player to score an African nation's first two all-time World Cup goals was Abdelrahman Fawzi for Egypt in 1934.

DR Congo's victory saw them advance as one of the best third-placed teams, and their reward is a tie against Thomas Tuchel's England, who won Group L. 

"We'll start work ​immediately on preparing," DR Congo boss Sebastien Desabre said of his team's upcoming meeting with the Three Lions. 

"We've got a few players in the squad ​who play at clubs in the English league, so they ⁠will help us, but we'll prepare in the best way we can ​for what is going to be a very big match for us."

Desabre lauded his team for their achievement, reminding his players to enjoy what they had achieved before turning their attention to England. 

"I'd like to congratulate my ​players for their work. It's a squad that's been together for four years, and we ‌have ⁠always kept on believing.

"The win means a lot to the country, and the victory was quite wonderful. It's very positive, and we showed a good image of Congo."

The post Uzbekistan’s World Cup exit was ‘brutal’, says Cannavaro appeared first on SoccerNews.

Canada are into the knockout stages of the World Cup for the very first time after finishing second in Group B, with Davies missing all three of those matches through injury.

The Bayern Munich defender sustained a series of hamstring injuries towards the end of the 2025-26 campaign, but is now fit and available to feature for Canada. 

Davies has made 58 appearances for Canada since his international debut in 2017, scoring 15 goals, and is widely considered as his nation's best player in the current team. 

And Marsch believes that his presence both on and off the pitch will help morale within Canada's ranks as they look to continue their impressive start at the World Cup. 

"Now that we have Alphonso back and healthy and ready to perform, I think it's a big moment for the team and a big boost for the team," Marsch said.

"I think in general, all the players that came into camp with little injuries are now close to 100% and ready to perform at the highest level and be at our best in these matches."

Marsch added that Davies was not rushed through injury protocols in order to have him at the peak of his powers for Canada's knockout campaign. 

"For me to go tell our best player, and a guy that is a huge piece of everything that we do, that we have to wait, was also painful," Marsch added.

"But we've done this in the best interests of Alphonso and his career and his health, so it's nice now that we can have a plan that leads to him being back on the pitch."

Full-circle moment for AD19 #CANMNT pic.twitter.com/sUEyvxUMUM

— CANMNT (@CANMNT_Official) June 27, 2026

Davies scored Canada's first World Cup goal in Qatar four years ago, finding the back of the net after just 68 seconds in a 4-1 defeat to Croatia in Group F. 

The 25-year-old was unavailable for Canada's first three group games at this year's World Cup, all of which came on home soil, with Marsch's men playing their clash against South Africa at Los Angeles Stadium after losing home advantage following their defeat to Switzerland on MD3. 

While Davies said it was tough to watch on from the sidelines, he credited Marsch for his approach to his injury situation at the tournament. 

"Obviously, it was painful," Davies said. "The only thing you want to do is play football. That's what I'm really passionate about.

"The first game, watching it, I was eager to be on the pitch. Second game, even more so.

"The third game, I went to him before the game and asked him, 'Do you think I can get a couple of minutes?'. 

"He could have said, 'Yeah, we'll just throw you in there,' but obviously he cares about me and the team as human beings as well, so he sat me down, and I thought about it, and I said, 'He's right.' It was kind of hard to hear."

Marsch did not confirm how many minutes or what part Davies would play against South Africa, who are also in the last 32 of the World Cup for the very first time. 

It is the first time two teams are facing each other in their first knockout match since the 2002 tournament, when Turkiye beat hosts Japan 1-0. 

But the venue holds significance for Davies. He sustained a serious knee injury in the third-placed match of the CONCACAF Nations League in the same stadium in March 2025, which sidelined him until December of last year. 

"Could have happened anywhere," Davies said. "Coming back to the stadium, I get to finish something I started a year ago in March.

"I really enjoy playing in this stadium. The first time, it was beautiful. It was cut short, but that happens. It's football."

The post Marsch: Returning Davies a huge boost for Canada’s World Cup hopes appeared first on SoccerNews.

Scotland were dumped out of the competition following Croatia's victory over Ghana, with Clarke's departure announced shortly afterwards. 

The 62-year-old had only signed a new four-year deal a month ago and leaves as Scotland's longest-serving manager in terms of the number of games managed. 

Clarke was appointed in 2019 and took charge of a side that had not reached a major international tournament since the 1998 World Cup. 

During his time at the helm, Clarke led Scotland to consecutive appearances at the European Championships while also ending the nation's 28-year wait for World Cup football. 

Scotland's campaign in North America began with a 1-0 victory over Haiti, their fifth triumph at the World Cup and their first since a 2-1 win over Sweden in 1990. 

They were then beaten by Morocco but were still in a good position to reach the knockout stages as one of the best third-placed teams, but an error-strewn display in a 3-0 defeat to Brazil all but ended their hopes of advancing to the next round. 

"The most emotional part of this goodbye is for my players, without whom we wouldn't have had any of the memories that we've accumulated from 2019 until now," said Clarke.

"They deserve all the praise and adulation that they receive, and it was truly an honour to be called their gaffer. Thanks for having me and good luck to my successor."

Scotland Men’s Head Coach Steve Clarke has stepped down from his role.

Our most successful National Team Head Coach has called time on his seven years in charge following our participation at the FIFA World Cup 2026.

— Scotland National Team (@ScotlandNT) June 27, 2026

Clarke took charge of 81 matches during his time in charge of Scotland, winning 36 of those (D16 L29), averaging a win percentage of 44.4%.

"While we are all disappointed to have exited the World Cup at the group stage, we must not lose sight of the undeniable progress made during Steve's seven years in charge," said Scottish FA chief executive Ian Maxwell.

"From starting as a pot four team in 2019 to topping our World Cup qualifying group, he has more than delivered on the remit to take Scotland back to a major tournament.

"We thank Steve for his record-breaking contribution and know that when the disappointment of World Cup elimination subsides, the Scotland supporters will be thankful for the memories of marching with pride at major tournaments once again."

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Croatia headed into their clash at Philadelphia Stadium level with England in the group, and Sucic handed them the lead in the 31st minute with a brilliant shot from distance.

But after threatening an equaliser, Ghana got themselves level through Derrick Luckassen's 73rd-minute strike, but it would be Croatia who had the final say in the match. 

Modric's corner was headed in off the post by Nikola Vlasic seven minutes from time, helping Croatia secure a date with Portugal in the knockout stages on July 3.

With his assist, Modric, aged 40 years and 291 days old, became the oldest player on record (since 1966) to provide an assist at the World Cup. It was also his 22nd appearance at the tournament, while he also won his 200th cap against Panama last time out. 

Since his World Cup debut in 2006, only Cristiano Ronaldo (25) and Lionel Messi (29) have made more appearances in the competition than Modric, though Sucic believes that the Croatia captain still has plenty more in the tank. 

"That's his character and his energy. He was to be substituted a couple of times. But he was getting better and better," Sucic said.

"He knows this is his last World Cup, and he is trying to leave with his best impression. I told him after the game, you playing like you're 20. He was incredible today.

"He runs a lot. He was so good with the ball. He's our leader, our best player, and we are so happy that he can lead us in this World Cup. He can play until he wants."

40 – Aged 40y 291d today, Luka Modric has become the oldest player to provide an assist at the World Cup on Opta record (since 1966).

Timeless. pic.twitter.com/Pv8S1W8br3

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 27, 2026

Modric also finished with team-high totals for chances created (four), touches (102), accurate passes (82) and passes in the final third (21), earning praise from Zlatko Dalic. 

"Luka was truly fantastic," Dalic said. "He made an assist and stopped a goal twice. That's his character and his energy. He never gave up.

"He's been substituted a couple of times [in the first two games] but he is getting better and better. He was a role model of how things should be.

"He is aware that this is his last World Cup, and he's trying to do his best. I hope he stays healthy as long as possible."

Croatia's win sees them reach the knockout stages of the World Cup for the fourth time, doing so on each of the last three occasions (2018, 2022, 2026). 

But despite defeat, Ghana also progressed to the last 32 as one of the best third-placed teams, with a tie against Group K winners Colombia their next encounter. 

For the third time in their history, Ghana have reached the knockout stages of a World Cup, though Carlos ​Queiroz questioned whether the expanded 48-team competition had enhanced the tournament. 

"With so many teams qualifying ​for the World Cup, I think the value of the competition in terms of being rare to be in the World Cup, is, in my opinion, still debatable," he said. 

"Even the ​qualification matches in Europe and Africa, they start to lose significance, meaning, because everybody is qualified."

On Ghana's defeat, Queiroz said that defensive mistakes cost his side, but believes the team will learn from those errors in the next round. 

"The best thing about this game is what we learned from the game. We learn a lot ⁠of things ​in terms of our evolution, our progress," Queiroz added. 

"We have a clear picture about the performance of some players, what we can do differently in the ​next coming games."

The post ‘He can play until he wants’ – Sucic backs Modric to continue Croatia career appeared first on SoccerNews.

Thomas Tuchel's side were largely frustrated for the first hour at New York New Jersey Stadium, with Marcus Rashford seeing a couple of chances go begging.

However, Bellingham made the crucial breakthrough in the 62nd minute as he found the bottom-left corner from Bukayo Saka's out-swinging corner. 

Bellingham turned provider for England's second five minutes later, as his delivery was glanced into the back of the net by Harry Kane, who became England's all-time leading goalscorer at the World Cup with 11 goals, overtaking Gary Lineker (10).

In fact, aged 22 years and 363 days, Bellingham became the youngest England player on record (since 1966) to both score and assist in a World Cup match, and the fourth overall for the Three Lions.

And the victory means England, who had already sealed their place in the last 32 prior to kick-off, finished top of Group L and will face DR Congo in the next round.

Speaking to reporters after the game, Bellingham said: "The first job [is] achieved. We came here to do it in sections, and now we've achieved that first objective: to get through the group and to top it as well. 

"We knew what level we wanted to achieve, and we did it second half. Every game we've got to improve, and it's up to us to achieve that. 

"The assist was a good combination of play, and the [England World Cup goalscoring] record is everything Harry Kane deserves."

A Bellingham breakthrough #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/tDF3ms5Hcc

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 27, 2026

Meanwhile, Panama will exit the World Cup on the back of three straight wins, but despite being eliminated before their last game, they gave England a stern test.

The Central American side became just the sixth team to lose their first six games at the World Cup, with 50% of those nations reaching the milestone at this edition (also Haiti and Iraq). 

Thomas Christiansen's side defended brilliantly for the majority of the game, looking to counter England whenever they could, but they eventually conceded just after the hour mark.

Speaking to RPC Radio after the game, Panama winger Jose Luis Rodriguez said: "Very happy with the team's performance. In the end, we didn't get the results we expected, but we competed until the end. 

"We didn't give up. Perhaps in the first few matches, we need to be more clinical in front of goal, like we were in this game.

"But I'm very happy with how we played in the matches because, in the end, we fought, we didn't give up, and we're left with that.

"We tried to close down the spaces well, try to play on the counter-attack. Obviously, in the second half we decided to take a few more risks, but in the end it's football, and I want to thank my teammates for fighting until the end."

The post ‘First job achieved’ – Bellingham thrilled to clinch top spot in Group L appeared first on SoccerNews.

After Marcus Rashford missed a couple of good chances in the first half, Thomas Tuchel's side began to become frustrated in front of goal. 

However, Real Madrid star Bellingham made the crucial breakthrough in the 62nd minute as he found the bottom-left corner from Bukayo Saka's out-swinging corner. 

Bellingham turned provider for England's second five minutes later, as his delivery was glanced into the back of the net by Harry Kane, who became England's all-time leading goalscorer at the World Cup with 11 goals, overtaking Gary Lineker (10).

The result sees England top Group L and progress to the round of 32 where they will either face DR Congo or Senegal. 

Speaking to reporters after the game, Bellingham said, "The first job achieved. we came here to do it in sections and now we've achieved that first objective to get through the group and to top it as well. 

"We knew what level we wanted to achieve and we did it second half. Every game we've got to improve and it's up to us to achieve that. 

"The assist was a good combination of play and the [England World Cup goalscoring] record is everything Harry Kane deserves."

A Bellingham breakthrough #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/tDF3ms5Hcc

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) June 27, 2026

Meanwhile, Panama will exit the World Cup knowing they tried their best against the Three Lions. 

The Central American side came into this contest after losing 1-0 to Ghana and Croatia in their opening two World Cup fixtures. 

Thomas Christiansen's side defended brilliantly for the majority of the game, looking to counter England whenever they could, but they eventually conceded midway through the second half.

Speaking to RPC Radio after the game, Panama winger Jose Luis Rodriguez said, "Very happy with the team's performance. In the end, we didn't get the results we expected, but we competed until the end. 

"We didn't give up. Perhaps in the first few matches we need to be more clinical in front of goal, like we were in this game. But I'm very happy with how we played in the matches because, in the end, we fought, we didn't give up, and we're left with that.

"We tried to close down the spaces well, try to play on the counter-attack, obviously in the second half we decided to take a few more risks, but in the end it's football and I want to thank my teammates for fighting until the end."

The post ‘First job achieved’ – Bellingham reacts to England’s 2-0 win over Panama in final Group L game appeared first on SoccerNews.

England defeated Panama 2-0 on Saturday, as Jude Bellingham scored the opener before assisting Harry Kane in a five-minute spell after the hour mark.

Bellingham (22y 363d) became the youngest England player on record (since 1966) to both score and assist in a World Cup match and the fourth overall for the Three Lions.

England, meanwhile, finished top of their group in consecutive World Cup appearances for the first time, while seven points is their joint-most in a group stage (also in 2006 and 2022).

The Three Lions were not at their best in New York, with their 17 shots worth just 1.4 expected goals (xG), though Tuchel believes his side will improve against better opponents.

"We did what was needed," Tuchel told ITV Sport.

"It was what we expected: a tough match against a physical opponent. They are a difficult team to score against and we were the only team to create this amount of chances and score twice.

"The tournament starts again now in the knockouts. Now we collect our strengths and energy and build on what we have – we have the team spirit, fighting and belief. We will step up. The bigger the games get, the bigger we will get.

"Three days, then the next match in four days. It's not a problem, we love that and are good at that."

11 – Harry Kane has become England's all-time leading goalscorer at the FIFA World Cup with 11 goals, overtaking Gary Lineker (10).

Crisp. pic.twitter.com/AB2hNBoTcv

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) June 27, 2026

Kane's goal saw him become England's all-time leading goalscorer at the World Cup with 11 goals, overtaking Gary Lineker (10).

Kane has also scored four goals against Panama at the World Cup, the most by any England player against a single opponent in the competition.

"It is a proud one for sure. 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," Kane told BBC Sport.

"It is always hard to take in. I just want to enjoy this moment with the team, enjoy being top of the table. I never take these moments for granted. Another good milestone to hit and I hope it is not the last one in this tournament."

The post Tuchel insists England ‘will step up’ for knockout rounds appeared first on SoccerNews.

After Derrick Luckassen cancelled out Petar Sucic's opener for Croatia, Modric's corner was headed in by Nikola Vlasic with seven minutes to go as Zlatko Dalic's side leapfrogged their opponents into second, with Ghana ending the group stage in third.

After neither side managed a shot in the opening 15 minutes, Croatia started to click into gear as Vlasic struck the left post with an attempt from distance before Ivan Perisic's header was comfortably saved by Benjamin Asare.

The breakthrough eventually came just after the half-hour mark through Sucic, who picked out the bottom-left corner from outside the box following a clever move from Mateo Kovacic.

Ghana's only shot in the first half came through Antoine Semenyo, who fired narrowly wide of the post from a tight angle, while Abdul Fatawu's long-range strike flew over the bar after the break.

The Black Stars controlled proceedings after the break, however, and found their leveller in the 73rd minute as Luckassen side-footed past Dominik Livakovic from Ernest Nuamah's brilliant free-kick.

The equaliser seemed to wake Croatia up, and Mario Pasalic saw a fierce shot tipped over the bar by Asare, only for Vlasic to head in from the resulting corner and clinch all three points.

THERE IT IS! With a victory over @GhanaBlackstars, #Croatia reaches the @FIFAWorldCup second round!  #CROGHA #WorldCup | #PokažiSrce | #HrabarBroj | #Family | #Vatreni pic.twitter.com/C1b96lQlPp

— HNS (@HNS_CFF) June 27, 2026

Write Croatia off at your own peril

Despite finishing second and third, respectively, at the last two World Cups, Croatia were seen as a team who were past their best, especially after their opening defeat to England at this year's edition.

However, as they often do time and time again, Croatia have proved they cannot be taken lightly, bouncing back from that loss to the Three Lions with back-to-back wins and securing second place in the group.

Not much more needs to be said about Modric, who created a match-high four chances while recording the most touches (102) and accurate passes (82) of any player, with his assist, at 40 years and 291 days, putting him into the history books.

Martin Baturina did much of the dirty work, as the Como midfielder won the most duels of any Croatia player (eight), while also recovering possession most often for his side (six) and drawing the most fouls (five).

As things stand, Croatia are set to face Portugal in the round of 32, and Ghana, who have secured progression despite their defeat, will go up against Colombia, though they could switch opponents depending on the outcome of Portugal's clash with Colombia later on.

The post Croatia 2-1 Ghana: Modric makes history to help clinch second in Group L appeared first on SoccerNews.

The 19-year-old has completed a reported €25m (£21.6m) to the Etihad Stadium, with both teams part of the City Football Group.

The forward scored three goals and provided five assists for Troyes in Ligue 2 in 2025-26 as they earned promotion back to the top-flight as champions of the second division.

In the league, Detourbet completed more dribbles than any of his team-mates (44), while he directly contributed to the joint-third most goals (eight).

𝐔𝐧 𝐞𝐧𝐟𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐝𝐮 𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐛 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐞𝐧𝐯𝐨𝐥 

Après avoir fait toutes ses classes à l’ESTAC, 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗵𝘆𝘀 𝗗𝗲𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗯𝗲𝘁 poursuit son chemin vers Manchester City.

Un symbole fort du travail de formation du club, et une immense fierté pour toute la… pic.twitter.com/YXvoF633Ad

— ESTAC Troyes (@estac_officiel) June 27, 2026

Detourbet, who joined Troyes' youth setup at the age of eight, is reportedly set to spend the 2026-27 season on loan with Monaco.

"Troyes is particularly proud to have supported Mathys' growth both as a player and as a man," said the club.

"The whole club warmly thanks him for his commitment and professionalism."

The post Man City sign youngster Detourbet from Troyes appeared first on SoccerNews.

Roy took charge of Brest in January 2023 and stayed in charge up until his death earlier this month, having been battling pancreatic cancer for three and a half years.

In his first full season in charge of the club, he clinched European football for the very first time in Brest's history, finishing third in Ligue 1 to qualify for the Champions League.

He took charge of 142 games in total, winning 60 of those (D33 L49), finishing with a win rate of 42.3%, though they finished the 2025-26 season in 12th, just seven points above the play-off place.

Lachuer, who has signed a two-year contract with the club, served as Roy's assistant from his arrival in 2023 and was his predecessor's choice to step into the dugout.

𝗝𝘂𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻 𝗟𝗮𝗰𝗵𝘂𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗮𝗻𝘀 𝗹𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗲́ 𝗱’𝗘𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗥𝗼𝘆

Le Stade Brestois est heureux d’officialiser la nomination de Julien Lachuer au poste d’entraîneur de l’équipe professionnelle pour les 2 prochaines saisons.
Souhaitée par Éric Roy avant sa… pic.twitter.com/a0VNbBwmk3

— Stade Brestois 29 (@SB29) June 27, 2026

"Stade Brestois is pleased to officially announce the appointment of Julien Lachuer as head coach of the professional team for the next two seasons," they said in a statement on X.

"Wished for by Eric Roy before his passing on June 17, the responsibility of continuing the work of the Nicois technician has been accepted by Julien Lachuer, just days before the scheduled resumption on Thursday, July 2.

"A mission, like a natural legacy, that he will approach with a perfect knowledge of the club gained over the years spent at Stade Brestois."

This will be Lachuer's first head coaching job, with his first match of the season coming against newly promoted Le Mans.

Lachuer was a goalkeeper as a player, and finished his career at Brest, playing for them between 2005 and 2010.

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