Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic has eulogized Ghana legend Asamoah Gyan ahead of their decisive 2026 World Cup Group L showdown against the Black Stars.The 2018 World Cup finalists head into the crucial encounter needing a positive result to keep their hopes of progressing to the Round of 32 alive, while Ghana have already secured qualification following impressive performances against Panama and England.Speaking ahead of the highly anticipated showdown, Dalic reflected on his time working

Croatia star Ivan PeriÅ¡iÄ? insists his outfit must be prepared for every possible challenge when they take on Ghana in a decisive 2026 World Cup Group L encounter on Saturday.The encounter in Philadelphia is expected to be fiercely contested despite Ghana already securing qualification to the knockout stage, with Croatia needing a positive result to keep their Round of 32 hopes alive.Ghana have amassed four points from their opening two matches after edging Panama 1-0 before

Ghana may have already secured qualification for the Round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but finishing second in Group L could create an unwanted headache for head coach Carlos Queiroz.The Black Stars booked their place in the knockout stage after results elsewhere confirmed that four points are enough to progress under the tournament's expanded 48-team format.However, Saturday's clash against Croatia remains hugely significant because Ghana's final group position

Cape Verde's reward for reaching the FIFA World Cup knockout stages is a dream Round of 32 clash against reigning world champions Argentina and Lionel Messi.The African debutants booked their place in the knockout rounds after finishing second in Group H, becoming the smallest nation ever to reach that stage of the competition.Their unbeaten group campaign included draws against Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia, with those performances enough to send Bubista's side into

Cape Verde have written one of the greatest stories of the 2026 FIFA World Cup after becoming the smallest nation ever to qualify for the knockout stages of the tournament.The African debutants sealed their place in the Round of 32 following a goalless draw against Saudi Arabia, while Spain's 1-0 victory over Uruguay ensured Bubista's side finished second in Group H.It marks a remarkable achievement for the island nation, which has a population of just over half a million

Ghana have officially secured qualification for the Round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup before kicking a ball in their final Group L match against Croatia.The Black Stars' place in the knockout stage was confirmed following results elsewhere in the tournament, which ensured that four points would be enough to guarantee progression under the competition's expanded 48-team format.Carlos Queiroz's side join Egypt, England, Portugal and Paraguay as the latest nations

Cape Verdeâ??s remarkable World Cup journey continues after the debutants secured a place in the Round of 32 with a tense goalless draw against Saudi Arabia in their final Group H match on Saturday morning.The island nation knew a victory would remove any uncertainty, but in the end, the point they earned, combined with Uruguayâ??s defeat to Spain, proved enough to send them through in second place.Cape Verde looked the more dangerous side on the matchday and nearly found

France winger Ousmane Dembele produced a stunning firstâ??half hatâ??trick inside just 32 minutes as Les Bleus thrashed Norway 4â??1 to seal top spot in Group I at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.His rapid treble is the second earliest a player has scored three goals in a World Cup match, behind only Erich Probst of Austria, who netted in the 4th, 21st and 24th minutes against Czechoslovakia in 1954.Dembele opened the scoring in the 7th minute after latching onto a diagonal ball

Senegal's 5-0 demolition of Iraq produced a rare and historic statistic, with three players - Ismaïla Sarr, Pape Gueye, and Iliman Ndiaye - all scoring a goal and providing an assist in the same match.The feat is the first time a team has had three players achieve a goal and an assist in a FIFA World Cup match since Germany's unforgettable 7-1 victory over Brazil in the 2014 semi-finals, where Toni Kroos, Sami Khedira, and Thomas Müller accomplished the same.Ismaïla

Senegal forward Iliman Ndiaye has written his name into the FIFA World Cup record books, becoming the first substitute to score, assist, make five touches in the opposition box, and complete five dribbles.Ndiaye entered the fray against Iraq in the 57th minute and made an immediate impact, producing a performance that will be remembered for years to come. His goal and assist came in the closing stages of the match, contributing to Senegal's historic 5-0 victory.According to

Senegal produced a historic offensive masterclass on Saturday, thrashing Iraq 5-0 in their final Group H match, but the Teranga Lions now face an agonising wait to discover if their record-breaking performance will be enough to secure a place in the knockout stages.The emphatic victory rewrote the African record books at the World Cup. Firstly, their eight goals at the group stage is the most ever scored by an African nation in a single World Cup campaign (and group stage).Their

Ivan Toney has insisted that he has not been brought to the World Cup by Thomas Tuchel just to take a penalty for England, as the striker awaits his first minutes at the tournament.Toney was a surprise wild-card pick in Tuchel's 26-man England squad, with the head coach describing the striker as a "specialist". However, the forward has pushed back against the assumption that he is only in the United States in case England are involved in a penalty shoot-out."I

England right-back Reece James will miss at least the next two World Cup matches as he fights to recover from a hamstring injury, leaving manager Thomas Tuchel with limited options in the position.The Chelsea captain reported tightness after England's 0-0 draw against Ghana in Boston on Tuesday. He did not train with the squad in Kansas City on Friday and will miss Saturday's final group game against Panama, as well as the last-32 tie that could follow.James has a history

Senegal kept their FIFA World Cup 2026 qualification hopes alive in emphatic fashion on Friday night after producing a dominant 5-0 victory over 10-man Iraq in their final Group I encounter.Both nations entered the contest knowing only a win would keep their slim hopes of progression alive after suffering defeats in their opening two group stage matches.However, Senegal quickly took control and never looked back against an Iraqi side reduced to ten men early in the game.The Lions

Sports and Recreation Minister Kofi Adams has hinted that Ghana could extend the contract of Black Stars head coach Carlos Queiroz but insists any discussions about his future will only take place after the 2026 FIFA World Cup.Queiroz has overseen an impressive start to Ghana's World Cup campaign, guiding the Black Stars through their opening two matches unbeaten. Ghana currently sit second in Group L with one match remaining against Croatia on Saturday.The Portuguese tactician

Ghana captain Jordan Ayew has characterized the Black Stars' 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign in Qatar as an unpredictable and unexplainable journey, lamenting the team's narrow misses despite their best efforts.  Speaking to FIFA, the 34-year-old forward revisited the dramatic group stage matches from four years ago, highlighting the fine margins that led to their ultimate elimination."The 2022 World Cup, we were unlucky," Ayew explained. "First game against

Ghana captain Jordan Ayew has credited his challenging experience at the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil with shaping his long-standing international career, stating that the tournament provided him with vital foundational lessons.Speaking to FIFA, the 34-year-old forward recalled the profound impact of entering the global stage over a decade ago as a young player."I came to the national team when it was really at the top. That was around 2010. There was someone Kevin [Prince-Boateng],

Ghana captain Jordan Ayew has declared he has no intention of retiring from international football anytime soon, vowing to represent the Black Stars for as long as he remains physically capable of performing at the highest level.Speaking to FIFA, the 34-year-old forward reflected on his extensive international career, describing it as a highly demanding yet rewarding experience."As long as I can perform and help the country and the team, I will always be there because it's

Ghana striker Antoine Semenyo has indicated that he is not frustrated by the lack of goals at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.The forward bagged 17 goals in the 2025/26 English Premier League season and earned his place in the Black Stars squad for the tournament as the most in-form player.Despite featuring in the opening matches against Panama and England, Semenyo is yet to find the back of the net.Speaking to the press ahead of Ghanaâ??s final Group L encounter against Croatia, the

Black Stars head coach Carlos Queiroz has insisted Ghana will approach Saturday's decisive FIFA World Cup clash against Croatia with only one objective: to be better than their opponents.The Black Stars head into the final Group L fixture in a strong position after collecting four points from victories over Panama and a draw against England, leaving them on the brink of the Round of 32.Although a draw would be enough to secure qualification, Queiroz says his players are focused