FOXBOROUGH, Massachusetts, June 22 : Hydration breaks introduced at this World Cup are affecting matches more than initially thought and break the momentum of a game, England coach Thomas Tuchel said on Monday.
FIFA introduced three-minute hydration breaks midway through each half due to sweltering temperatures in host cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico but they have split opinions.
Critics say the breaks, which essentially cut the game down into four quarters, simply allow broadcasters to benefit from commercial breaks for over two minutes and it has been a bone of contention among the sport’s purists.
“I think that it (hydration break) interrupts and changes the identity of the football match, much more than I thought,” Tuchel told a press conference ahead of his team’s Group L match against Ghana on Tuesday.
“So I had, of course, hydration breaks before, when it was really, really hot and needed, but they were shorter and they were just in a few matches. So now it breaks the match almost in four quarters, and I think it changes the characteristic of the match more than I thought.”
Although not all fixtures are played during the day, hydration breaks have been mandated in each game at the World Cup in the interest of fairness and uniformity, even if weather conditions do not really require them.
Temperatures in Boston on Tuesday are not expected to exceed 20 degrees Celsius.
“I like it as a coach, of course, to have influence and have my team together, but overall I think I like football more when it’s played in one go, in one half, because it builds a momentum,” Tuchel said.
“It’s hard to build momentum, and it’s hard to keep the momentum… it plays out in a longer period of time and it just adds to the characteristic of the beautiful game, and it (hydration break) takes away from it.”
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., June 22 : It took Norway 28 years to return to football’s greatest stage, but they are doing things in style with a commanding performance in their 3-2 World Cup victory over Senegal on Monday
The team – who won all eight of their European qualifiers – continue to impress, with a quick attacking side led by striker Erling Haaland and inspired playmaker Martin Odegaard.
“It was a fantastic football match. This is an advertisement for football,” coach Stale Solbakken told national broadcaster NRK after Monday’s match at the New York/New Jersey stadium.
The victory follows a 4-1 win over Iraq in their opener and takes Norway through to the knockout stage.
Thousands of Norwegian supporters occupied the whole central area behind one of the goals in the stadium, performing their famous imitation of rowers in a Viking longboat.
Haaland, apparently emboldened by the vibe from the stands, sailed around Senegal’s defence to score twice and keep himself in the race to win the World Cup Golden Boot.
The Norwegian players joined the supporters after the final whistle, performing the rowing ritual on the pitch.
“It is bloody brilliant,” said striker Alexander Sorloth. “Today I am almost a bit moved.
“We played against Senegal, who are a fantastic team, and I think we were better than them. It’s an insane feeling,” he said.
Norway face France in the last round of the group stage, with both teams on six points. A win would give the Norwegians top spot and a Round of 32 match against a third-placed team.
For Senegal, the chance of advancing to the knockout phase has narrowed. They will need to beat Iraq and see if they get through as one of the eight best third-placed sides.
June 23 : Manchester United have secured the majority of the land needed for their new 100,000-seater stadium, the Premier League club said on Monday.
United had announced plans last year to build the 2 billion pound ($2.65 billion) stadium, which would be the largest in Britain, next to the existing Old Trafford.
The club said it had acquired a 25-acre site, located approximately 350 metres (about a quarter-mile) north-west of Old Trafford, from industrial space provider Indurent and a Blackstone portfolio company.
“Being able to build so close to Old Trafford allows us to preserve the heritage, traditions and rituals that are so important to our fans,” Collette Roche, the CEO of United’s new stadium development, said in a statement.
“We are committed to building a world-class stadium with our supporters, not just for them, with atmosphere, affordability and accessibility at the heart of our thinking.
Old Trafford has been home to the 13-time English Premier League champions since 1910. The stadium, which seats more than 74,000, has not undergone any major redevelopment since 2006 and has also faced issues including a leaking roof, inadequate drainage and rodent sightings.
Minority owner Jim Ratcliffe, who holds a roughly 29 per cent stake and oversees football operations, has favoured building a brand-new stadium over renovating Old Trafford.
United CEO Omar Berrada said in March last year the investment in the new stadium could affect squad spending and competitiveness for five years.
After struggling to replicate the success achieved under Alex Ferguson on and off the pitch, United’s finished third in the recently concluded season under Michael Carrick, securing a berth in the Champions League for the first time in two seasons.
EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey, June 22 : Senegal are in a precarious position after two World Cup defeats, but coach Pape Bouna Thiaw said his side’s hopes of progress at the tournament are not dead.
Senegal were expected to be strong contenders at the World Cup in North America but lost their opening Group I fixture 3-1 to France and went down 3-2 to Norway on Monday.
“I think that it was a difficult game for us against a very strong Norwegian side that put us into very difficult situations as they were very efficient,” said Thiaw.
“We conceded goals at probably the worst time that we could have, just before half-time and then just after we came out for the second half.
“But we need to congratulate Norway, and I’m encouraging my players not to be despondent because it wasn’t easy. We were looking for a positive result and looking to go away with three points, but this just didn’t happen for us this evening.”
France, who beat Iraq 3-0 earlier in Philadelphia, and Norway are both on six points and through to the next round.
The best Senegal can do is take one of the eight slots for the best third-placed finishers, but need to beat Iraq in their last group game in Toronto on Friday to stand any chance.
“We’ve got one match to go, and we need to focus on this last game, and try it and get three points and then cross our fingers,” Thiaw said.
“I think it’s a little bit too early to say that we failed. We’re not dead. We’re not in a good position, and it is true that it’s the first time that Senegal has started a World Cup campaign with two defeats.
“But we’ve still got a chance to qualify, and we’re going to focus on the last game. We want to try and get those three points and hope that we can go through.
“Once you’re in the next round, then it’s another tournament that starts,” he added.
SANTA CLARA, California: Algeria stormed back to beat Jordan 2-1 and eliminate the World Cup debutants with a match to spare on Monday (Jun 22) thanks to second-half goals from substitute Nadhir Benbouali and Amine Gouiri.
Benbouali’s header cancelled out Nizar Al-Rashdan’s first-half opener and Gouiri poked home in a goalmouth scramble eight minutes from time to revive Algeria’s campaign after their opening 3-0 loss to Argentina.
The victory put Algeria level with Austria on three points in Group J, while ensuring defending champions Argentina will go through to the next round as group winners following their 2-0 win over the Austrians earlier on Monday.
Algeria coach Vladimir Petkovic put veteran attacker Riyad Mahrez in his starting 11 after benching him against Argentina, and he proved influential in breaking down a Jordan team that defended in numbers and were quick on the counterattack.
Mahrez blew an early chance when he ran onto a sublime lofted pass from Hicham Boudaoui but lost the ball under his feet. He then latched onto another long ball from Boudaoui to be one-on-one with Yazeed Abu Laila but the Jordan goalkeeper got a hand to his chipped shot.
Jordan, who lost their opener 3-1 to Austria, went ahead in the 36th minute following clever link-up play and a touch of fortune when Algeria midfielder Ramiz Zerrouki turned the ball over in defence.
Mousa Al-Tamari’s shot went sideways to Al-Rashdan, who drilled home first-time into the bottom right corner.
Petkovic brought on Nabil Bentaleb and Benbouali at the break, and Algeria lifted their intensity.
Surrounded by Jordan defenders, Benbouali rose highest to meet a Mahrez corner and sent a glancing header bouncing into the corner of the net in the 69th minute.
Thirteen minutes later, Algeria took the lead from another setpiece.
Substitute Anis Hadj Moussa curled in a corner kick and a deflection off Jordan goalscorer Al-Rashdan allowed a gleeful Gouiri to poke in the winner.
For Algeria, it sets the stage for a grudge match against Austria, 44 years after the “Disgrace of Gijon”.
At the 1982 World Cup, Austria and West Germany were alleged to have colluded in a group match against each other to ensure both would advance at the expense of eliminated Algeria.
West Germany and Austria denied wrongdoing and FIFA cleared them.
Algeria can take a measure of revenge against Austria when they face them in Kansas City on Saturday, while Jordan face Argentina and superstar Lionel Messi, who has scored all five of their goals at the World Cup so far.
LAWRENCE, Kansas, June 22 : Algeria’s win over Jordan on Monday was a boost to the North African side’s World Cup hopes and a shared triumph for the small U.S. college city that has embraced the team as its own.
In Lawrence, a city of about 96,000 people and home to the University of Kansas, fans gathered for a watch party that turned downtown into a sea of green, white and red as the team secured their first group match victory.
The city has served as Algeria’s base camp during the tournament, with the African team attracting huge attention even as global heavyweights Argentina, England and the Netherlands set up around 40 miles (64.4 km) away in Kansas City.
Locals have gone viral online in recent weeks for their enthusiastic welcome of the team, a reception that coach Vladimir Petkovic said had given his players a lift.
Despite a 3-0 opening loss to reigning champions Argentina in Kansas City, Lawrence has doubled down on its support.
Fans will have another chance to see the team up close when Algeria face Austria in a decisive Group J match in Kansas City on Saturday, with many planning to attend.
The city’s embrace has extended beyond matches, with streets and storefronts carrying Algerian decoration and even trees illuminated in the nation’s colours.
The surge in enthusiasm has also provided a boost to local commerce. Restaurants have expanded halal offerings, while Algeria-themed merchandise has flown off the shelves.
Morgan Fellers, who has been selling Algeria T-shirts, said demand has far exceeded expectations.
“Sales have been great,” she said. “It has been honestly just magical, kind of bringing the team and Lawrence together and making them feel at home.”
Fellers said she had to reprint her initial order of 100 shirts multiple times.
“We print them here locally in town. I think all in all, we sold around 400, 450 shirts. My printer is having panic attacks every time I text him,” she said.
For many, the connection is personal. Djamila Iadadeni, an Algerian who has lived in the U.S. for 18 years, said she plans to attend the Austria match.
“I am so excited to see our team here… I am so happy with what they did in Lawrence for our team,” she said. “Every two years or three years we go to visit our country, but this time they come here to us, visit us here in Kansas.”
Artists and community leaders have also played a role in welcoming the team. Kansas earthwork artist Stan Herd created a large Algerian flag display near the Lied Center, part of what he described as a broader effort to bring cultures together.
“We want the world to know that most of the people in this country right now totally embrace everything about them. We want to know about their culture,” he said.
Fans were on tenterhooks when Nizar Al-Rashdan opened the scoring for Jordan in the first half on Monday, but exploded in joy as Nadhir Benbouali and Amine Gouiri’s second-half goals secured Algeria the win.
As Algeria head into their decisive clash with Austria, Lawrence will be watching.
“They’re the home team, so we’re going out and we’re supporting them,” said fan Matt Munoz, who will be at the Kansas City stadium on Saturday. “Very excited. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime thing.”
PHILADALEPHIA: Kylian Mbappe scored his second double of the tournament as France eased into the last 32 with a 3-0 victory over Iraq on Monday in the first match of this World Cup beset by a lengthy weather stoppage.
Mbappe’s goals came nearly three hours apart after thunderstorms in the region delayed the second-half kickoff by a shade under two hours.
“The first half was good,” said France manager Didier Deschamps. “In the second half, we picked up where we left off, bearing in mind that it wasn’t easy given what happened, and we managed to put the game beyond reach. That’s a very good thing.”
Mbappe now sits on 16 all-time World Cup goals, pulling him level with Germany’s former record holder Miroslav Klose.
Earlier on Monday, Lionel Messi set a new benchmark of 18 World Cup goals with a brace in Argentina’s 2-0 win over Austria.
Mbappe’s four goals also put him one behind Messi in the 2026 World Cup Golden Boot race.
All-time top goalscorers in FIFA World Cup
Updated: Jun 23, 8am (SGT)
Player
World Cups played
Goals scored
Matches played
Lionel Messi Argentina
6
18
28
Miroslav Klose Germany
4
16
24
Kylian Mbappe France
3
16
16
Ronaldo Brazil
4
15
19
Gerd Muller West Germany
2
14
13
Reigning Ballon d’Or winner Dembele scored after halftime for twice champions France, who will face Norway on Saturday with Group I top spot on the line. The Norwegians beat Senegal 3-2 on Monday to move level on three points with the French.
Dembele had faced criticism for what some regarded as a poor performance in France’s 3-1 opening win over Senegal.
“There’s no issue,” Deschamps said. “Ousmane is confident in himself. He can sometimes get people talking, but I have complete faith in him. He’s still finding his bearings because his role is different from the one he has at his club.”
Iraq remain alive for one of the eight third-place spots.
They will probably need a win in their group finale against Senegal and help elsewhere. They could be without Aymen Hussein, who scored in their 4-1 opening defeat by Norway but came off in the 26th minute on Monday with an apparent injury.
World Cup 2026: Race for the Golden Boot
In the event of a tie, players are ranked by assists and then by fewer minutes played.
Updated: Jun 23, 10.30am (SGT)
Ranking
Player
Goal Scored
1
Lionel Messi Argentina
5
2
Kylian Mbappe France
4
3
Erling Haaland Norway
4
4
Deniz Undav Germany
3
5
Jonathan David Canada
3
6
Crysencio Summerville Netherlands
2
7
Mikel Oyarzabal Spain
2
8
Maxi Araujo Uruguay
2
9
Ayase Ueda Japan
2
10
Cody Gakpo Netherlands
2
MBAPPE’S MOMENT OF EXCELLENCE
“You have one moment of excellence from one of the best players in the world,” said Ali Al-Hamadi, who replaced Hussein.
“And then we have to go inside and wait for an hour and a half. You know, it’s really difficult to come out and keep the same intensity against these great players. And in the end I think we made too many mistakes again,” he added.
France dominated the early stages and Mbappe capitalised in the 14th minute.
After an innocent-looking sequence on the right, the striker received Michael Olise’s pass, took one touch to his left and, with defenders affording him space, unfurled a powerful strike from the edge of the area that sailed beyond Ahmed Basil’s dive.
The weather delay could have served as a recovery period for Iraq, who spent most of the first half chasing the ball. Instead, they gifted France and Mbappe a second in the 54th minute after a dreadful mistake from a goal kick.
Basil was unable to control a short goal-kick from defender Zaid Tahseen and Dembele was on hand to set up Mbappe’s simple tap-in. Dembele scored himself 12 minutes later after controlling Olise’s incisive pass and finishing low past Basil.
With the outcome never really in doubt, the weather provided most of the drama.
After referee Drew Fischer blew his halftime whistle as the storms were already beginning, the skies opened up further and spectators were told to seek shelter in the stadium concourses.
The players finally re-emerged for warm-ups about one hour and 40 minutes later and, even then, the restart was delayed further as stadium personnel used squeegees to shuttle standing water off the east side of the pitch.
Goals from Nadhir Benbouali and Amine Gouiri steered Algeria to a 2-1 win over Jordan in Group J, completing their second-half comeback.
Algeria stormed back to beat Jordan 2-1 and eliminate the World Cup debutants with a match to spare on Monday thanks to second-half goals from substitute Nadhir Benbouali and Amine Gouiri.
Benbouali’s header cancelled out Nizar Al-Rashdan’s first-half opener, and Gouiri poked home in a goalmouth scramble eight minutes from time to revive Algeria’s campaign after their opening 3-0 loss to Argentina.
The victory put Algeria level with Austria on three points in Group J, while ensuring defending champions Argentina will go through to the round of 32 as group winners following their 2-0 win over the Austrians earlier on Monday.
Algeria coach Vladimir Petkovic put veteran attacker Riyad Mahrez in his starting 11 after benching him against Argentina, and he proved influential in breaking down a Jordan team that defended in numbers and was quick on the counterattack.
Mahrez blew an early chance when he ran onto a sublime lofted pass from Hicham Boudaoui but lost the ball under his feet. He then latched onto another long ball from Boudaoui to be one-on-one with Yazeed Abu Laila, but the Jordan goalkeeper got a hand to his chipped shot.
Jordan, who lost their opener 3-1 to Austria, went ahead in the 36th minute following clever link-up play and a touch of fortune when Algeria midfielder Ramiz Zerrouki turned the ball over in defence.
Mousa Al-Tamari’s shot went sideways to Al-Rashdan, who drilled home first-time into the bottom right corner.
Petkovic brought on Nabil Bentaleb and Benbouali at the break, and Algeria lifted their intensity.
Surrounded by Jordan defenders, Benbouali rose highest to meet a Mahrez corner and sent a glancing header bouncing into the corner of the net in the 69th minute.
Thirteen minutes later, Algeria took the lead from another setpiece.
Substitute Anis Hadj Moussa curled in a corner kick and a deflection off Jordan goalscorer Al-Rashdan allowed a gleeful Gouiri to poke in the winner.
For Algeria, it sets the stage for a grudge match against Austria, 44 years after the “Disgrace of Gijon”.
At the 1982 World Cup, Austria and West Germany were alleged to have colluded in a group match against each other to ensure both would advance at the expense of eliminated Algeria.
West Germany and Austria denied wrongdoing and FIFA cleared them.
Algeria can take a measure of revenge against Austria when they face them in Kansas City on Saturday, while Jordan face Argentina and superstar Lionel Messi, who has scored all five of their goals at the World Cup so far.
Senegal fought back until stoppage time but couldn’t draw level and must beat Iraq for a chance to progress.
Erling Haaland scored his second World Cup brace in a row as Norway beat Senegal 3-2 at New York New Jersey Stadium to secure their place in the last 32.
Norway substitute Marcus Holmgren Pedersen struck late in the first half, before Haaland doubled the lead shortly after the break in the Group I fixture on Monday.
Ismaila Sarr cut the deficit for Senegal, only for Haaland to punish more slack defending as Norway progressed to the knockout rounds with a game to spare, despite a late consolation from Sarr.
Manchester City forward Haaland now has four goals in two games at the tournament, hot on the heels of Lionel Messi’s double earlier in the day, which carried him to a record 18 World Cup goals. Not to be outdone, Kylian Mbappe scored another brace, too, as France beat Iraq 3-0.
Norway have lost only once in their last 18 matches and will take on France in a compelling battle for top spot in the group in Boston on Friday.
Senegal must beat Iraq, who are also without a point, in their final game to stand a chance of avoiding an early exit.
Led by the unstoppable Haaland, who increased his astonishing international goals tally to 59 in 52 games, Norway recorded back-to-back wins at the World Cup for the first time.
They added weight to the belief they can do serious damage at these finals with a dominant display against a Senegal side that paid heavily for their errors.
Norway quickly set the tone as Kristoffer Ajer’s header forced Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy into a terrific save with his legs at a corner, but they lost full-back Julian Ryerson to injury early on.
Captain Martin Odegaard skied over an inviting cut-back from the right for Norway, as Nicolas Jackson looked to be Senegal’s most dangerous threat.
Mendy again came to Senegal’s rescue with a superb block to deny Odegaard, after Haaland cushioned down Antonio Nusa’s chipped cross into the box.
But Mendy allowed Pedersen’s low drive to creep under him after a dreadful mistake from skipper Kalidou Koulibaly gave the ball to the replacement right-back on the edge of the box.
Haaland rolled against the post from a tight angle after Mendy got in a tangle, but he made amends three minutes into the second half as Norway sliced Senegal apart on the counterattack.
Odegaard surged upfield and slid a pass through to Haaland, who buried an emphatic finish past Mendy to add to the two goals he scored in Norway’s opening 4-1 victory over Iraq.
Senegal clawed their way back as Sarr showed great composure to poke home after tumbling to the ground following a clever flick into the area by Sadio Mane.
However, Koulibaly was at fault once more, failing to clear as Haaland steered a volley in off the crossbar from Patrick Berg’s cross, delighting Norwegian fans, who provided a colourful backdrop with their viral, rowing chant.
Mory Diaw came on for the injured Mendy in goal, but only a headed goal-line clearance from Pathe Ciss prevented Oscar Bobb from netting Norway’s fourth.
Sarr’s second of the night set up a tense finish, but Norway held on to join France in the next round and leave Senegal’s hopes hanging by a thread.
Sarr also became the first Senegalese player to score at two different World Cups.
The first move of the 2026 offseason was made ahead of the draft, with the Oklahoma City Thunder sending Aaron Wiggins to the Atlanta Hawks for two second-round picks.
It should be a busy offseason for trades, and the year-long wait for the Giannis Antetokounmpo saga with the Milwaukee Bucks finally came to an end as the two-time MVP was traded to the Miami Heat for four players, four draft picks and a pick swap. Antetokounmpo likely won’t be the superstar finding a new team this offseason, former All-Stars such as Ja Morant and Domantas Sabonis could potentially on the move, so stay tuned in.
More action happened less than 24 hours ahead of the 2026 NBA draft. The Minnesota Timberwolves sent Julius Randle and the No. 28 pick in the draft to the Brooklyn Nets for the No. 33 pick in the second-round of the draft. The Nets also sent Nic Claxton to the Chicago Bulls in the deal.
Here are the details of every trade that has happened this summer.
June 22: Giannis traded to the Heat for multiple players and picks
Miami Heat get:
F Giannis Antetokounmpo F Bobby Portis
Milwaukee Bucks get:
G Tyler Herro C Kel’el Ware F Jaime Jaquez Jr. G Kasparas Jakučionis 2026 first-round pick (No. 13) 2031 first-round pick 2033 first-round pick 2030 pick swap 2033 second-round pick
June 22: Randle traded to Nets in three team deal involving Chicago
Brooklyn Nets get:
F Julius Randle 2026 first-round pick (No. 28)
Chicago Bulls get:
C Nic Claxton
Minnesota Timberwolves get:
F Mo Gueye 2026 second-round pick (No. 33)
June 21: Thunder trade Wiggins to Hawks for picks
Atlanta Hawks get:
G Aaron Wiggins
Oklahoma City Thunder get:
2030 second-round pick 2032 second-round pick (least favorable of LAL/ATL)