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PRAIA: Cape Verde’s soccer squad were given a heroes’ welcome by thousands of fans when they returned home on Sunday after a fairytale run at the World Cup that ended in a 3-2 defeat by Argentina in the round of 32.

Hundreds of flag-waving fans were waiting at the airport to greet the players when they landed in the nation’s capital Praia and more lined the streets as they made their way to Quebra Canela beach on an open-top truck for a homecoming celebration. 

July 5 is Cape Verde’s Independence Day and there was a holiday atmosphere as the Blue Sharks and their charismatic coach Bubista danced to pumping music on a stage in front of a sign reading “Obrigado! Cabo Verde”. 

“What’s up Praia!” goalkeeper and social media sensation Vozinha shouted through a microphone to huge cheers.

A collection of 10 volcanic islands with a population of some 500,000 off the coast of West Africa, Cape Verde did not play a World Cup qualifier until the start of the century and were ranked 67th in the world coming into this year’s tournament.

They stunned the football world by holding two former champions, Spain and Uruguay, to draws in the opening round and became the least populous nation to reach the knockout stages of a World Cup. 

They cemented their place in the hearts of football fans around the world with a fearless display of defiance against reigning champions Argentina in Miami last Friday, going down 3-2 after extra time in a pulsating match.   

DALLAS: Cristiano Ronaldo admitted this World Cup will be his last and stressed he leaves with no regrets ahead of Portugal’s last-16 clash with neighbours Spain in Dallas on Monday (Jul 6).

The 41-year-old, playing at a record sixth World Cup, made the comment at the end of a press conference in which he insisted he would end his trophy-laden career on his own terms.

“Let this be my last World Cup; it is my last World Cup, and I hope tomorrow won’t be my last match,” he said before departing to a round of applause from journalists.

The former Manchester United and Real Madrid forward had earlier refused to confirm the tournament would be his last, even though he will be 45 when the next tournament is played in 2030.

“I will finish when I choose. You always ask the same question: is this the last one? We will see. I don’t want to draw attention to this, the most important thing is to play well tomorrow,” Ronaldo initially told reporters on Sunday. 

“I’m going to be perfectly honest, regardless of what happens tomorrow, Cristiano is going to be 1000 per cent leaving with a clear conscience. 

“I have given all I could to football, it’s my passion to play for so many years. I didn’t do it out of need, I’m doing well out of life. It’s about passion. I play for the national team and I love to play football. 

“Regardless of what happens tomorrow I’m not going to exert pressure on myself that I must win. 

“You have to enjoy every match at a huge competition like the World Cup. I think I’m not doing so bad. I’ve scored three goals, others have done better but I think I’m doing not so bad.”

RELAXED RONALDO

A relaxed Ronaldo admitted to having enjoyed the current tournament more than his previous five World Cups and was confident Roberto Martinez’s side could prevail against a Spain side who have improved as the finals have progressed.

“If we didn’t have this belief we wouldn’t be here,” he said. “It’s been a beautiful experience, we’re getting better in every match. 

“We know this is a tough competition and it’s impossible to always do well. Some good teams have been eliminated and that says everything. The team is well, calm and well prepared. We’re going to face a difficult team but I think we will be prepared.”

Ronaldo will be making his 233rd appearance for Portugal if he features against Spain, a nation he has a close connection to after spending nine seasons with Real.

His scoring record against Portugal’s Iberian neighbour, however, is limited with only four goals against the Spanish. That total includes a hat-trick in a 3-3 draw during the group phase of the 2018 World Cup. 

“Spain is always a contender to win the Euros, the Nations League, they have already won this competition,” he said. 

“Spain is the favourite. They have more titles than Portugal but this is a different competition with different players. There are injuries, there’s the heat.

“I like playing against Spain, my record is quite good. I’ve played them 10 or 11 times and it’s quite balanced. It will be won on small details. I have this feeling we are going to win.”

July 5 : Norwegians flooded onto the streets to celebrate their national team’s stunning 2-1 win over Brazil at the World Cup on Sunday to reach the quarter-finals for the first time.

Police in the capital Oslo said more than 90,000 people had poured into the city centre to celebrate their progress thanks to Erling Haaland’s double. 

Tens of thousands more gathered at the Ullevaal stadium where Norway play home games, watching on giant screens from long bar tables and benches, and throwing their drinks in the air at the final whistle. 

Needless to say, the rowing celebration that has become synonymous with Haaland and the team was featured on the pitch after the game, and in the streets and squares of Norway as the country celebrated perhaps its biggest victory in international sport. 

“I wish I was on those streets. I wish I was involved in it,” Haaland said. “Everyone has to enjoy themselves. All of Norway has to enjoy themselves. It’s one of the sickest days ever in Norwegian history. You just have to enjoy it, because this is sick.”

As fireworks exploded overhead at Ullevaal, the crowd began to chant: “we’re going to the castle”, and when they got to the city’s royal palace they were greeted by Crown Prince Haakon, who came out to greet them with a Norway football scarf draped around his neck. 

The Norwegians will now meet the winners of Sunday’s clash between England and Mexico in the quarter-finals.

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey: Erling Haaland may have scored the goals but it was Norway’s out-of-contract goalkeeper Orjan Nyland who laid the foundations for their side’s stunning 2-1 over Brazil on Sunday, saving a penalty in a World Cup last-16 game he probably would have started on the bench if it was not for a FIFA decision over another player’s eligibility. 

Bodo/Glimt keeper Nikita Haikin has been tearing it up between the sticks for the past couple of seasons and when he was granted a Norwegian passport this year, the writing looked to be on the wall for 35-year-old journeyman Nyland, whose contract with Spanish club Sevilla ran out after this past season. 

However, in May FIFA turned down Israeli-born Haikin’s request to switch his international allegiance from Russia, where he played two games at Under-21 level, to Norway due to residency rule requirements, opening the door for Nyland’s spectacular display.

He saved an early penalty from Bruno Guimaraes, and from there he grew into the game, thwarting Vinicius Jr. and Emerick and preventing what would have been a spectacular own goal from Kristoffer Ajer, flinging himself backwards to touch the ball onto the far post and away to safety. 

ON THE BENCH

Coming into the World Cup on the back of a season with Sevilla in which he was often on the bench, few would have believed Nyland capable of such heroics, but when his country called he answered. 

“It’s great to be here in the World Cup, in the most important match in my life, and I just have to thank everyone who has been there for me – my wife Tine, who has been helping me when I need it the most, and my three fantastic kids, who have been there too, on both the uphills and downhills, and the rest of the family,” he told reporters. 

Nyland finished the game in a verbal spat with Neymar after Brazil were awarded a late penalty, and though the Brazilian scored from the spot, the goalkeeper had the last laugh when the final whistle went moments later. 

The keeper revealed that he had not received any offers from other clubs but that he intended to continue his career. 

“No, I’ve not checked my phone – now I’m going to join the doping control, that’s the boring stuff that I have to do first, and then obviously I’m going to enjoy this moment. It’s been the most important game of my career,” he said. 

Norway will meet Mexico or England in the quarter-finals in Miami on Saturday. 

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey : Norway coach Stale Solbakken paid tribute to his squad after an energy-sapping, nerve-jangling 2-1 win over Brazil on Sunday that sent them into the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time where they will face co-hosts Mexico or England. 

Norway’s rowing celebration has become ubiquitous during the tournament, but they had to navigate shark-infested waters against the Brazilians, as well as survive a late penalty from Neymar deep into stoppage time that could have capsized them. 

“This is a great group, they love being together, they train well, they help each other and protect each other. We have a strong culture and we give the opportunity to let people to be themselves and say whatever they want, and that’s a very important part of the whole thing, when things go well and when things go not so well,” Solbakken told reporters. 

SELFLESS RUNNING

Haaland struck both goals in a sensational 2-1 win to dump the Brazilians out of the tournament, and the selfless running of every player in red and the outstanding goalkeeping of out-of-contract Orjan Nyland set the scene for Norway’s g

With the job done, the fans and team did their rowing celebration, echoing the scenes of joy back home as tens of thousands of fans flooded the streets to celebrate. 

“I think that the whole nation is rowing together, and with that, I mean that we are having a great party here and in Oslo and in all the other big and small cities all the way through Norway,” Solbakken said. 

“The rowing is in a way a symbol of that, and that we are all together. So I think it’s great days, it’s a great summer to be a fan – I think it’s better to be a fan than a coach,” he grinned. 

Surprisingly, it was Norway who dominated possession in the game, but Solbakken said it was always the plan for his side to try to hold onto the ball in the afternoon heat. 

“We just wanted to have as much possession as possible of the ball. They are not all comfortable if we can have long spells with the ball, they have players who are good in their positions, but maybe they don’t like chasing the ball,” he said. 

Leaving the podium less than 10 minutes before England were due to kick off against Mexico, Solbakken appeared uninterested in that result. 

“I have no preferences for who are going to meet in the next game. If it’s Mexico, it’s Mexico, if it’s England, it’s England. I think in many phases we played up to our best today against a very good team, we had to be at our best,” he said. 

“I said that yesterday if we’re going to win, and I think we were close to our best (today).”

EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey: The World Cup has seen superstars, pitch invaders, heartbreak and joy across its 96 years — and, on Sunday, it got a robot. 

Atlas, an advanced humanoid robot, stepped pitchside to deliver the match ball to the referee at halftime at New York New Jersey Stadium, where Brazil were playing Norway in the round of 16. Its moves include imitating a few uncanny goal celebrations — including Norwegian striker Erling Haaland’s meditation pose.

“We always looked at human skill as a way to like motivate us and challenge us to push forward what robots can do,” said Alberto Rodriguez, director of robot behavior at Boston Dynamics.

The robot, presented by tournament sponsor Hyundai Motor, has previously danced and engaged in parkour.

But to deliver the match ball — and pull off a few sweet moves — Atlas had to navigate challenges unique to the World Cup. 

Standard Wi-Fi communications with Atlas were out of the question, with tens of thousands of fans surrounding the pitch with cellphones, so a new communications channel was established with a radio device attached to the robot’s back.

“And grass has its own peculiarity,” said Rodriguez. “We had to change the way that Atlas learns to walk and learns to jump and run so that it’s more robust.”

Hyundai has been aggressively pursuing mass production of the robots, announcing this year that it plans to deploy them at its U.S. manufacturing plant in Georgia starting in 2028, in an effort to automate high-risk and repetitive tasks.

“I tried, I tried … Now it’s over!” said Neymar after Brazil exited the World Cup with a 2-1 loss to Norway. 

EAST RUTHERFORD: Neymar suggested he may have played his final match for Brazil after scoring in their defeat by Norway in the World Cup round of 16 on Sunday (Jul 5).

The forward converted a stoppage-time penalty in Brazil’s 2-1 loss, a result that eliminated the five-time champions and extended their wait for a sixth World Cup title.

Speaking briefly after the match to Bruno Formiga, a pundit for Brazilian channel ge tv, Neymar indicated that his tenure with Brazil had come to an end.

“I tried, I tried … Now it’s over! I started here, I finished here,” Neymar said, referring to the stadium in New Jersey, where he made his Brazil debut in a friendly against the United States in 2010.

The 34-year-old was moved to tears after the match. It was the national team’s worst World Cup performance since 1990.

Brazil are now heading towards their longest spell without a World Cup title since they first won the tournament. By 2030, they will have gone 28 years without lifting the trophy.

If Neymar confirms his international retirement, he will end his Brazil career with 80 goals and 58 assists in 130 appearances.

Neymar has won multiple titles at club level but his only senior trophy with Brazil was the 2013 Confederations Cup.

RIO DE JANEIRO: For Brazilian fans gathered at Rio de Janeiro’s iconic Copacabana beach, the stunning seaside setting did little to ease the disappointment of watching their team suffer a sixth consecutive early World Cup exit.

The 2-1 defeat by Norway in the last 16 on Sunday ended the record five-times world champions’ quest for a sixth title, 24 years since they last lifted the trophy. 

Instead, the team known nationwide as “Selecao” added to an unwanted run of results. The loss marked the worst finish for Brazil in a World Cup since 1990 and extended their longest title drought to six consecutive tournaments.

“I found it incredibly disappointing from start to finish,” said Patricia Ramalho, one of the thousands of fans at Copacabana.

Fans also largely agreed on the reasons behind another World Cup exit, pointing mainly to missed opportunities throughout the match. Midfielder Bruno Guimaraes, for example, failed to convert a penalty early in the first half.

HAALAND STRIKES TWICE

Norway, by contrast, capitalised on their biggest chances. Striker Erling Haaland, now tied for the most goals in this World Cup with seven, scored twice in the second half.

The Selecao started well. They missed two scoring chances—a penalty and a near-goal by Endrick. Soccer punishes you. If you don’t score, you get scored against, and we ended up getting scored against,” Renan Moreira, an actor, said.

Brazil’s Italian manager Carlo Ancelotti, leading them for the first time in a major tournament, also drew criticism from fans, who questioned his tactical approach and in-game decisions. 

“Ancelotti has a defensive tactical approach – he doesn’t go on the attack. Our entire generation always played on the attack, scoring goals, controlling the ball,” said Bruno Rangel, an advertising worker.

Ancelotti, who took charge of Brazil just over a year ago, is set to have another chance to win the trophy in four years after the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) announced it had renewed his contract in May.

Until then, however, questions are likely to persist over whether the decorated manager is the right person to lead the national team.

“I disagree with renewing his contract for the next World Cup. We have to terminate the contract and let him go,” Rangel said.

MIAMI: FIFA will allow United States striker Folarin Balogun to play in their World Cup last-16 clash with Belgium on Monday (Jul 6) after suspending his ban for a red card in the previous round, citing Article 27 of the world ruling body’s Disciplinary Code.

Here’s what you need to know about Article 27.

Article 27 allows FIFA to suspend the implementation of a disciplinary sanction. The sanction itself remains in force but does not have to be served immediately unless the suspension is later revoked.

The article allows FIFA’s judicial bodies to suspend the implementation of all or part of a disciplinary sanction.

However, the code does not mention the circumstances in which a judicial body may decide to suspend a sanction. FIFA’s judicial bodies include the Disciplinary Committee and the Appeal Committee.

The sanctioned player is placed on a probationary period of between one and four years. If the player commits another infringement of a similar nature during the probationary period, the suspended sanction is automatically reactivated in addition to any new disciplinary sanction.

Balogun’s match ban was suspended for a probationary period of one year.

The only disciplinary measures that cannot be suspended are those related to match manipulation.

The Disciplinary Committee is composed of a chairperson, a deputy chairperson and additional members. The chairperson and deputy chairperson must be qualified lawyers. The committee takes its decisions in the presence of at least three members.

Committee members are elected by the FIFA Congress for terms lasting four years and for a maximum of three terms. Mohammad Al Kamali of the United Arab Emirates is currently the chairperson of the Disciplinary Committee.

The article was previously Article 26 when the Disciplinary Code was updated in 2019. It became Article 27 in 2023.

MEXICO CITY, July 5 : England survived a spirited Mexico fightback to secure a 3-2 win on Sunday and book their place in the World Cup quarter-finals, ending the co-hosts’ deepest run at the tournament in 40 years despite playing most of the second half with 10 men at the Azteca Stadium.

• Jude Bellingham put England ahead, striking twice in the space of a minute, finishing a Bukayo Saka cross before tapping in Harry Kane’s pass to stun the home crowd.

• Mexico’s Julian Quinones pulled one back before halftime, reacting quickest to a loose ball in the box to fire into the roof of the net and revive the co-hosts’ hopes.

• England were reduced to 10 men in the second half after Jarrell Quansah was sent off following a VAR review, but Harry Kane restored England’s two-goal lead with a penalty after goalkeeper Raul Rangel fouled Anthony Gordon.

• Mexico’s Raul Jimenez reduced the deficit with another penalty after a VAR review confirmed a foul from Kane on Brian Gutierrez.

• The match was delayed by one hour due to adverse weather conditions around the Azteca Stadium.

• England will face Norway in the last eight in Miami on Saturday.