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The United States men’s national team’s opponent for the first World Cup knockout round has been confirmed, with Bosnia-Herzegovina lying in wait for the co-hosts in Santa Clara, California, on Wednesday. That matchup was confirmed by results in Group F on Thursday, where Sweden‘s 1-1 draw against Japan meant that Bosnia would be the third-place team to face off with the U.S. – Why every round-of-32 team will, won’t win…

ARLINGTON, Texas — Daizen Maeda gave Japan the lead and Anthony Elanga took it away six minutes later, giving Sweden a 1-1 draw Thursday night that sent both teams to the knockout round of the World Cup. Japan are advancing out of the group stage for the third consecutive World Cup and fifth time in seven tries since first reaching the round of 16 as co-hosts in 2002. The Japanese…

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – United States men’s national team attacker Christian Pulisic remained on the bench for the Americans’ group-stage finale against Türkiye. The U.S. lineup was announced just over 75 minutes before game time, with Pulisic listed among the substitutes. Brenden Aaronson took Pulisic’s usual spot at left wing, with only Weston McKennie and Ricardo Pepi keeping their spots in the lineup from the previous game against Australia. There were…

SANTA CLARA, California — Nestory Irankunda and Cristian Volpato have both been named to start for the Socceroos against Paraguay as Tony Popovic swings six changes in pursuit of a spot in the FIFA World Cup knockouts. Irankunda and Volpato enter the XI alongside Connor Metcalfe, Lucas Herrington, Aziz Behich and Jackson Irvine, with Mohamed Toure, Cameron Burgess, Nishan Velupillay and Paul Okon making way alongside the injured duo of…

GUADALAJARA, Mexico — Spain coach Luis de la Fuente called Mikel Oyarzabal “a great among greats” on Thursday, saying the forward is “finally” getting the praise he deserves after his World Cup brace against Saudi Arabia. Oyarzabal, 29, scored twice and created the opener for Lamine Yamal in Sunday’s 4-0 victory in Atlanta to get Spain back on track in Group H, ahead of Friday’s clash with Uruguay at the…

Midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni says France are on a mission to make absent coach Didier Deschamps proud by securing top spot in World Cup Group I. Deschamps will miss Friday’s clash with Norway in Foxborough after returning home following the death of his mother. Les Bleus and Norway are level on six points and have already secured progression to the knockout stages thanks to respective victories over Senegal and Iraq. “On…

José Mourinho has denied that he wants to oversee a dressing room overhaul at Real Madrid, saying he wants the team’s top players to stay and turn their form around. Madrid have already signed Marc Cucurella, Bernardo Silva and Ibrahima Konaté for Mourinho ahead of next season, while president Florentino Pérez also made signing Denzel Dumfries one of his election promises. The LaLiga giants have gone two seasons without winning…

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Gonzalo Plata poked the ball past Manuel Neuer in the 77th minute, and Ecuador advanced to the knockout stage of the World Cup by rallying for a 2-1 win over Germany on Thursday. Germany, who clinched first place in Group E with victories in their first two games, went ahead on Leroy Sané‘s second-minute goal. Nilson Angulo scored Ecuador’s first goal of the tournament in the…

Czechia forward Patrik Schick announced his retirement from international soccer on Thursday, just hours after his team was eliminated from the World Cup. “Today, my national team chapter is coming to an end,” the 30-year-old Bayer Leverkusen player said in a statement on Instagram. Schick made his debut in May 2016 against Malta in a friendly and won 56 caps, totaling 26 goals. He scored on his debut, but didn’t…