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PHILADELPAHIA, June 25 : Ivory Coast coach Emerse Fae said comments from World Cup winner Bastian Schweinsteiger could be labelled racist after the ex-Germany midfielder described African football as “wild” and “unorthodox”.

Schweinsteiger is a pundit at the World Cup for German broadcaster ARD. Last week, before Germany beat the Ivorians in their second Group E fixture in Toronto, he said that Germany needed to be “prepared for it to be unpredictable at times”.

He said Ivorians played “African football”, which he characterised as “a bit unorthodox sometimes, a bit wild, not quite as tactical”.

Schweinsteiger was not immediately reachable for comment through his representatives or through ARD on Thursday.

Asked for a reaction after Ivory Coast beat Curacao 2-0 on Thursday to finish runners-up behind Germany and advance to the last 32 at the World Cup, Fae told reporters he was disappointed by Schweinsteiger’s comments.

“When you know football the way he knows it, then it’s odd that he would speak that way … which we could call racist if we were calling a spade a spade,” said Fae.

“But that’s the way it is. Nowadays, we live in a world where everybody is free to say what they think.

“I can’t change his perspective. I can’t change the way he talks. But all I can do is show on the pitch that Africa is not just the physical game. We are very technical as well and very tactical.”

Schweinsteiger has not publicly addressed the backlash over his comments about Ivory Coast’s style of play, according to multiple media reports. 

Fae said he had been a fan of Schweinsteiger’s playing style when he was in his prime at Bayern Munich and Manchester United, so much so that one of his friends nicknamed Fae “Bastian”.

“All I can hope is that this was just a clumsy statement that it wasn’t particularly reflective of what’s in his mind, but, you know, such is life, that is football today.

“Nowadays, there are a lot of pundits, a lot of former players who are also looking to create a buzz.

“He was a worldwide star but has kind of been forgotten a little bit, so he’s trying to create a buzz. Good for him, if that’s what he thinks. He’s free to do so. But we will move forward and we’ll try to ignore that,” Fae added.

Winger Anthony Elanga struck his second goal of the World Cup to give Sweden a 1-1 draw with Japan that sees them into the knockout stage as one of the best third-placed teams in the group stage but they again flirted with disaster along the way.

After opening with a 5-1 win over Tunisia and then losing to the Netherlands by the same scoreline, Swedish supporters were left wondering which team would turn up in Arlington, Texas to take on Japan as the final placings in the group were decided. 

Those fans have not had it easy the last few years. Sweden’s World Cup qualifying campaign was an unmitigated disaster that saw coach Jon Dahl Tomasson lose his job after four of their six games, and if it was not for a lifeline offered by winning their Nations League C group, they wouldn’t have been here at all. 

Graham Potter, Tomasson’s replacement, was effectively playing with house money when he steered the Swedes to playoff wins over Ukraine and Poland, but once his side got to the World Cup expectations rose considerably. 

With little time with his players, Potter has simplified what Sweden do, but they are yet to recover their traditional reputation as a solid unit in defence with some potent attacking power and on Thursday went behind to a sublime Japan goal that sliced through the soft centre of their defence. 

As things stood, Sweden were still among the eight best third-placed teams but the Dutch disaster was fresh in the memory, and the concession of any more goals would have seen them slide alarmingly down the standings. 

Instead Anthony Elanga, who was given the chance to start after netting a consolation goal against the Dutch, cut in from the right and curled a superb equaliser past the unsighted goalkeeper to level as Potter’s decision to pick him paid off.

“You make a change and we lose and you guys (journalists) are coming after me, that’s the life,” Potter said. “But, at the same time, I’ve been doing this for quite a while and you have to do what you think is right, and I’ll live and die by that.”

In the end, Netherlands topped the group on seven points, with Japan second on five and the Swedes a point further back in third and, though it will take a while before Sweden’s next opponents are decided, Potter was in no hurry to find out. 

“We were just delighted to be there and then, whoever we meet, we know we meet a top team, so we have to be ready,” he said.

GUADALAJARA, June 25 : Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa said they are treating Friday’s World Cup match against Spain as a final in order to get the win they need to be sure of a place in the round of 32.

Bielsa told reporters on Thursday that no detail would be overlooked for the Group H clash in Guadalajara, after draws against Saudi Arabia and Cape Verde left their hopes of reaching the knockout phase hanging by a thread.

While a draw would still leave Uruguay with a slim chance of advancing through the third-place route, Bielsa said they would try to remove all doubt by winning on Friday.

“We are approaching tomorrow’s match as a final,” said Bielsa, adding that they must show dynamism and initiative against Spain, while denying their opponents possession.

Uruguay do not intend to simply retreat behind the ball, he added.

“One of the best ways to defend is to make sure the opponent has the ball for less time.”

Bielsa said the European champions were playing “exquisite” football under his counterpart Luis de la Fuente, and that finding a way to shackle Lamine Yamal will be key to Uruguay’s chances.

“He is a player who can unbalance a match. I am not saying anything new… He is a destabilizing and decisive player,” Bielsa added.

KANSAS CITY, Missouri, June 25 : A mid-tournament coaching gamble failed to save Tunisia’s World Cup as much-travelled Frenchman Herve Renard could not succeed where Sabri Lamouchi had failed, with a 3-1 defeat by the Netherlands on Thursday sealing a miserable, winless exit.

Arriving on the sport’s global stage full of optimism having conceded no goals in qualifying, the North Africans’ miserable tournament spiralled from disappointment into disarray and left plenty of questions about the future of the national team.

“We weren’t up to par,” Renard said. “We are not at the level for this World Cup, this is clear, there is no discussion.

“Now the federation of Tunisia needs to sit down, analyse everything, it’s important. At the moment, everyone will go home, rest a bit, and they will have time to make a decision for the future.”

Their 12 goals conceded in the group stage from the expanded 48-team tournament format was a World Cup record, topping the previous record of 11 set by Costa Rica at the 2022 World Cup, when the tournament featured 32 teams.

A 5-1 thrashing by Sweden in their opener exposed alarming defensive frailties and prompted the dismissal of Lamouchi after one match.

The mid-tournament change failed to halt the slide.

Tunisia followed up with a 4-0 defeat by Japan that Renard said left him feeling “ashamed,” before falling to the Dutch in their Group F finale, leaving them with three defeats.

Defensive mistakes became a recurring theme. Against the Netherlands, Tunisia fell behind in the third minute when Ellyes Skhiri turned Denzel Dumfries’ cross into his own net.

They never recovered, despite briefly reducing the deficit through Hazem Mastouri’s second-half header that did not even bring a smile from Renard, who remained rooted to his seat as the small contingent of Tunisia fans celebrated.

Players who spoke confidently before the tournament looked increasingly devoid of belief as the losses mounted, and neither the coaching change nor tactical adjustments helped tighten a defence that was repeatedly punished by clinical opponents.

Tunisia’s World Cup ended much as it began – chasing the game, making costly errors and searching in vain for answers.

Their early flight home will trigger a period of reflection after a tournament that quickly turned into a nightmare.

The 57-year-old Renard, who stepped in to coach his fifth African national team, has said his future is uncertain.

KANSAS CITY, Missouri, June 25 : Tunisia coach Herve Renard left his future open after his side’s 3-1 defeat by the Netherlands on Thursday, saying the federation would review its options after a short-term deal that followed Sabri Lamouchi’s sacking.

Renard took charge of the North African team after their 5-1 demolition by Sweden in their opener but did little to change their fortunes, with further losses to Japan (4-0) and the Dutch.

• “The federation called me for a very short mission… It wasn’t enough, but thank you very much to the federation for calling me,” Renard said.

• The 57-year-old French coach was uncertain about his future and urged patience from decision-makers after the early exit.

• “Everyone will go back home and we’ll see what the future will be made of,” Renard said.

• “The federation of Tunisia needs to sit down, analyse everything. It’s important taking a bit of time, because sometimes to make a decision quickly is not the best,” he added.

• Renard said he did not regret taking the job, and praised his players for coping under difficult circumstances.

DALLAS, June 25 : Sweden coach Graham Potter made several changes to his line-up for Thursday’s World Cup match against Japan and was rewarded with a 1-1 draw that sees his side through to the knockout stage as one of the best third-placed teams.

Following their 5-1 defeat by the Netherlands in their previous game, Potter replaced goalkeeper Kristoffer Nordfeldt with Jacob Widell Zetterstrom and moved captain Victor Lindelof into midfield.

His decision to start Anthony Elanga also paid off when the winger netted the equaliser.  

“Everyone’s been active in the organisation of the team, so it didn’t feel too much of a change for me, although I understand when you change the goalkeeper and you move Victor into midfield, it can be (a big change),” Potter told a news conference. 

“If you’ve got the players with you, if you’ve got support from people outside, then you’ve got a chance.”

Potter had to do more shuffling during the game.

An injury to centre-back Isak Hien saw him replaced in the first half, with Lindelof dropping into defence and Lucas Begvall coming into the midfield.

Lindelof then succumbed to cramp late on and had to be swapped out for Carl Starfeldt. 

Elanga’s equaliser ensured that the Swedes finished on four points, with the Netherlands winning Group F on seven points and Japan runners-up on five.

Sweden’s opponents in the round of 32 will only be decided in the coming days but Potter said he was just happy they were in the knockout phase. 

“It’s a tricky one, because you can second guess – until we know, we won’t know,” he added. “We have to probably recover the players first and make sure that physically we’re in a good place for whoever we play.

“If you’d have said to me when we first came that that would be the challenge we face, I would have absolutely taken it, so we’re looking forward to it.”

DALLAS, June 25 : Brazil are one of the world’s top teams but Japan will not be pushovers when the two sides meet in Houston in their World Cup last-32 clash, coach Hajime Moriyasu said on Thursday after his side finished runners-up in Group F.

Moriyasu added that a 3-2 comeback win over the Brazilians in Tokyo last October to notch their first-ever victory against the five-times champions showed Japan will go into the match on Monday looking to do more than put up a good fight.

“Last time we proved to Brazil that we aren’t a pushover,” Moriyasu said. “That is great progress for us. The Brazilian team is a top team in the world and we greatly respect them.

“In the match we don’t know what is going to happen. We will have a chance to win as well.”

Japan booked their date with Brazil after drawing 1-1 with Sweden on Thursday in Dallas as Daizen Maeda opened the scoring before Moriyasu’s side conceded minutes later. The result earned Japan second place in the group behind the Netherlands.

Moriyasu said he was disappointed to concede but once the game was level he elected to bring on defensive players to preserve the point and notch second place in the group.

“We conceded a goal and in the world of football that is how it goes,” he said.

Japan’s result is also good for Asian football, Moriyasu said, adding that his side were representing the sporting ambition of the broader region while advancing to the knockout rounds shows the growth of football in his country.

“That is what we wanted to do from the beginning of the competition and this is proof in the growth of Japanese football,” he said.

KANSAS CITY, Missouri, June 25 : Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman was taking nothing for granted after his side sealed top spot in Group F with a 3-1 win over Tunisia on Thursday, warning that next opponents Morocco would provide a formidable test in the World Cup round of 32.

The Dutch finished the group stage with seven points and 10 goals scored, but Koeman said attention had already turned to Monday’s knockout clash in Monterrey, Mexico, where any thoughts of a favourable path through the tournament would be put aside.

“I’m not sure if we are the favourite in the match against Morocco,” Koeman told reporters. “We need to prepare for Morocco, because it’ll be a big game. It’s a good team with a lot of quality, and they can score easily.”

Koeman brushed aside questions of what might await beyond Morocco.

“I don’t think we’re in a situation yet to think about that,” he said. “We’re going towards our real test, and that’s what we’re going to prepare for.”

Despite their comfortable progress into the knockouts, defensive improvements remain on Koeman’s agenda after his team conceded for a seventh consecutive game.

“We do pay attention to that,” he said. “One or two players are not in the right position, people aren’t getting blocked, and that’s the sort of thing we’ll discuss with the players.”

The coach was keen to put the issue into perspective, noting the potency of his attack.

“Getting a goal against is part of the game, and we have scored 10 goals in three games as well,” he said.

Koeman identified greater compactness and sharper transitions as areas where his team can still develop.

“The pace, the positions, to create more, to get more people in between the lines, and without the ball, we can be more compact sometimes,” he said. “We need to transition faster, or go back, or forwards, all of us together, so there’s room for improvement.

“You never stop learning in football. There are always moments in a game where, as a trainer, you think there’s room for improvement.”

The Dutch will remain at their base camp in Kansas City until Sunday before heading to Mexico, where hot conditions await.

“It’s fine by me. It’s a football country. It’s interesting. It’ll be hot,” Koeman said. “We’ll prepare really well.”

Koeman praised the Dutch supporters who painted Kansas City Stadium in a sea of orange on Thursday.

“You see so many orange shirts, and the songs that are being sung, and that gives you a fantastic feeling when you enter the stadium,” he said.

Now, however, his attention is fixed firmly on Morocco and the unforgiving nature of knockout football.

“We’ll play well and win the match, because now if you lose you go home and if you win you stay in the tournament,” he said. “And of course we want to go far in this tournament.”

INGLEWOOD, California, June 25 : The 2026 World Cup became the highest-scoring edition in the tournament’s history during the United States’ Group D match against Turkey on Thursday, with Auston Trusty’s early opener producing the record-breaking 173rd goal and eclipsing the previous mark of 172 set at Qatar 2022.

• Four more goals were scored after Trusty’s opener, with Turkey snatching a last-gasp 3-2 win to lift the tournament total to 177 goals.

• The record was broken in the 59th match of the 2026 World Cup.

• By comparison, the previous record of 172 goals was accumulated over all 64 matches at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

• The 2026 tournament features 104 matches, 40 more than the 64 played at Qatar 2022, following FIFA’s expansion from 32 to 48 teams.

• “Surpassing the previous highest of 172 goals from Qatar underscores the excitement and attacking prowess that have already made the 2026 @fifaworldcup so unforgettable,”  FIFA president Gianni Infantino said on Instagram.

VANCOUVER, June 25 : Belgium winger Jeremy Doku is not ready to play the full 90 minutes against New Zealand in their crucial Group G World Cup match after returning from illness and his brief absence for the birth of his son, coach Rudi Garcia said on Thursday.

The 24-year-old had drawn criticism from L’Equipe TV presenter France Pierron for leaving the squad mid-tournament to attend the birth of his son, Praise, who was born on Monday.

Doku featured in Belgium’s opening 1-1 draw against Egypt but missed their goalless draw with Iran due to breathing issues in training.

“Jeremy came back three days ago. So, he only participated in the practice today. He did a little more, but he did not train during seven days and that’s not insignificant,” Garcia told reporters.

“So, we’re thrilled to have him back. He’s probably not going to play for 90 minutes. But we know that he can make the difference once on the pitch.

“But all our game is not based upon one player. It’s the collective spirit. That’s the true force of Belgium.”

Striker Romelu Lukaku, still searching for his first goal of the tournament, is also unable to play a full match.

“Lukaku cannot handle 90 minutes,” Garcia added. “If he starts, he will be substituted. If he doesn’t start, he can help us from the bench. But he’s fit.”

Belgium centre back Brandon Mechele said the players were pleased for Doku.

“It’s lovely news that he became a father and that he was also present with his wife to help her. So, everybody was happy. It gives a boost for him, but also for us that he’s back, that he can help the team,” Mechele said.

Despite being widely tipped to top the group, Belgium head into Friday’s match in third place with two points.

Egypt lead with four, while Iran also have two points but are above Belgium on goals scored. New Zealand, still seeking a first World Cup victory, are bottom with one point.

“We need to match their intensity. If we manage that, I don’t see a problem for us,” defender Mechele added.

“On paper, we have more quality than New Zealand with all due respect to them.

“We might have lacked that intensity a bit in the previous match, but that was a wake-up call. I think we will be ready tomorrow.”