Sports
CR7, Portugal under pressure as Uzbekistan test World Cup response
Portugal arrive in Houston under immediate pressure to stabilize their World Cup campaign when they face Uzbekistan on Tuesday, with Roberto Martinez’s side already needing a sharper response after a flat opening performance left them searching for rhythm and authority in Group K.
Portugal national football team opened their 2026 FIFA World Cup journey with a 1-1 draw against DR Congo national football team, a result that felt heavier than the scoreline suggested given their early lead and late drop in intensity. Joao Neves put them ahead inside six minutes, but Yoane Wissa’s equalizer exposed familiar lapses in game management and left Portugal third in Group K after the opening round.
The performance quickly shifted focus onto structure, tempo, and leadership, with Martinez openly facing questions about balance between control and aggression in midfield and attack. While Portugal spent long stretches in possession, they struggled to turn territory into sustained pressure, a concern that has followed them into the second matchday.
Attention, however, has also centered on Cristiano Ronaldo, whose influence became the dominant talking point after a subdued outing in which he failed to register a shot on target from three attempts and rarely found decisive space in the final third. At 41, his role continues to divide opinion, especially in high-tempo matches where Portugal’s attacking rhythm depends heavily on quick combinations around him. The scrutiny intensified following a tense on-field exchange involving Bruno Fernandes, adding another layer of pressure to an already scrutinized frontline.
For Martinez, the challenge is no longer about selection alone but about restoring cohesion in a team still widely considered among the tournament contenders. Defensive stability also remains under review, with Rúben Dias a potential return after missing the opener due to fitness concerns. His availability could influence how aggressively Portugal push their back line, particularly against opponents likely to sit deeper and counter.
The opponent, Uzbekistan national football team, arrive with their own urgency after a 3-1 defeat to Colombia in their first-ever World Cup match, a debut that mixed historic breakthrough with structural fragility.
Under coach Fabio Cannavaro, Uzbekistan showed early nerves, failing to register a single touch inside the opposition penalty area in the first half while posting an expected goals figure of just 0.02 before the break. Yet their response carried historical weight. In the second half, sustained pressure led to their first World Cup goal, finished by Abbosbek Fayzullaev after a sequence involving Dostonbek Khamdamov and Eldor Shomurodov, offering a glimpse of attacking potential once they settled into the pace of the tournament.
That brief momentum did not last. Colombia’s quick counterattacking quality restored control almost immediately through Luis Diaz, exposing defensive gaps that Uzbekistan struggled to close for the remainder of the match. Still, the debut was not without value, giving Cannavaro a clearer picture of where his side can compete and where they remain vulnerable against elite opposition.
Tuesday’s meeting in Houston carries added historical context. It is the first-ever clash between Portugal and Uzbekistan, and Portugal’s recent World Cup record against AFC opposition adds subtle caution, with no wins in their last two such encounters. While the gap in experience and squad depth is clear on paper, Uzbekistan’s unpredictability in their debut appearance introduces an element of uncertainty Portugal cannot afford to ignore.
Team selection remains a key talking point for Martinez. Portugal are weighing whether to reinstate Rúben Dias into the starting lineup or continue managing his workload, while Ronaldo is expected to retain his place despite external criticism. The wider debate within the squad centers on tempo and fluidity, particularly how quickly Portugal can transition from midfield control into decisive final-third actions.
For Uzbekistan, continuity appears more likely. Cannavaro is expected to stick with much of the side that faced Colombia, with Utkir Yusupov set to continue in goal and the defensive pairing of Abdukodir Khusanov and Rustam Ashurmatov likely retained. The focus will be on tightening structure early and limiting the spaces that proved costly in their opening defeat.
The possibility had been the talk of tennis since Serena Williams announced nearly three weeks ago that she would return to professional competition after nearly four years away from the sport.
Even so, the official confirmation still came as a shock.
In a brief announcement Sunday, the All England Club revealed that the 23-time Grand Slam champion had been awarded the final women’s singles wild card for Wimbledon, just eight days before the tournament begins.
“Serena Williams (USA) receives the final ladies’ singles wild card,” the statement read.
At 44, Williams is set to compete in both singles and doubles at Wimbledon. She had already accepted a wild card into the doubles draw, where she will partner with her older sister, Venus Williams.
“This is not a drill,” Wimbledon said on its social media accounts Sunday.
The WTA Tour commented: “Name a more iconic return … we’ll wait.”
Wimbledon held open the eighth and final women’s singles wild-card spot until Williams made up her mind. As recently as this week, after losing a doubles match in Berlin, she appeared uncertain about the decision.
“Oh my gosh, there are some left?” she replied when told there was still a wild-card spot available.
Wild cards are special invitations handed out by tournament organizers that allow former champions and others access to the main draw without meeting the usual entry requirements. But Williams then questioned whether she was ready.
“Do you think I’m ready for singles?” she asked a reporter before turning to doubles partner Karolina Muchova for her opinion.
“I think I would be interested in it,” the Czech player responded.
“That’s the question of the hour, right?” Williams said. “I don’t know. I don’t know. I wonder why there’s … I don’t know.”
Now that Williams has made up her mind, the biggest remaining question is how she will physically handle singles competition after such a long absence.
Williams’ most recent singles match was a loss to Ajla Tomljanovic in the third round of the 2022 U.S. Open. At the time, she said she did not want to use the word “retiring” and instead declared that she was “evolving” away from tennis. Her second daughter was born in 2023.
“Just finished a mean game of duck duck goose,” Williams wrote on X after the wild-card announcement.
Of Williams’ 23 Grand Slam singles titles, seven came at Wimbledon: 2002, 2003, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2015 and 2016. She also won 14 Grand Slam doubles titles, all with Venus, including six at Wimbledon.
Williams also swept the singles and doubles titles with Venus at the 2012 London Olympics, when the tennis competition was held on the grass courts of the All England Club.
In her most recent Wimbledon appearance in 2022, Williams lost in the first round to then-No. 115 Harmony Tan in her first match since being forced to retire less than a set into her opening-round contest at the All England Club the previous year because of an injury.
Williams won a doubles match with partner Victoria Mboko at Queen’s Club last week, but the pair later withdrew after Mboko injured her knee in a singles match.
In another doubles match at the Berlin Open on Tuesday, Williams and Muchova lost to Giuliana Olmos and Erin Routliffe.
As of Sunday, Williams had not entered the singles draw of any grass-court warmup tournament before Wimbledon.
She will learn her first-round opponent Friday when the Wimbledon singles draws are held.
While Williams is No. 593 in the doubles rankings following her victory last week, she does not have a singles ranking after such a lengthy absence.
Iga Swiatek is the defending Wimbledon champion, while Aryna Sabalenka is ranked No. 1.
Because Williams is unranked, she could potentially face Swiatek, Sabalenka or another top-ranked player in the opening rounds.
Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei said Saturday that U.S. authorities had informed him travel restrictions affecting his team would be eased in time for Iran’s third World Cup group match, but criticized the treatment his players have faced, saying it had negatively affected their performances on the field.
The Iranian squad arrived at the World Cup with their country still at war with co-hosts the United States, and have been based in Mexico while playing all their games in the U.S.
That has required frequent cross-border travel and U.S. authorities have only permitted the team to remain in the country for a few hours after each game, with restrictions frequently shifting at the last minute.
After playing Belgium in Los Angeles last Sunday, Iran’s final group game will take place in Seattle next Friday against Egypt.
Ghalenoei Saturday said he had been told his team would have more flexibility for their final match, before quickly adding that it would have been “justice” for his team to have the same treatment for its first two games.
“They said in Seattle, you can do what you want, you can act the way you want to, and you can come earlier,” he told a press conference, without specifying who exactly the information had come from.
“But what I want, my problem is, why didn’t they let us come earlier for the first two games as well?”
“I just know for the last game, yes, they’ve allowed us to decide, to make our own decisions with regards to planning the travel,” he said.
“But unfortunately, for the first two games, others made these travel arrangements for us, and the timing for us.”
Last week, Iran drew 2-2 with New Zealand, the tournament’s lowest-ranked team, with sloppy defending twice allowing the All Whites to go ahead before Team Melli equalized.
“There were errors, individual ones and also with regards to this defense we had, and I think we were playing … we were doing too many passes,” said Ghalenoei.
“And I think, because we have been flying too much, commuting, as a result of this long commute, we’ve been tired.”
The manager said restrictions on his team had been even more onerous for Sunday’s game against Belgium, Group G’s highest-ranked team.
Ghalenoei said his team had arrived in the U.S. on Saturday, less than 24 hours before kickoff, despite being briefly told by FIFA on Friday afternoon that they might be able to travel that day.
“We waited till 7 p.m., nothing happened, and they said, ‘Sorry, we weren’t able to do that,” said the coach.
“That’s going to affect us mentally, especially me as a head coach, because I want to focus on technical stuff,” he said.
Iran had only been able to do half of its usual pre-game training session, Ghalenoei complained.
All four teams in Group G currently have one point, with only the top two guaranteed to reach the knockout stages.
A majority of third-placed teams across all groups will also progress, depending on their performance.
Defending champions Argentina national football team can move closer to the World Cup knockout stage when it faces Austria national football team in its second Group J match on Monday, with both sides seeking to build on convincing opening-round victories.
Lionel Messi inspired Argentina’s title defense with a hat-trick in a 3-0 win over Algeria, drawing level with Germany’s Miroslav Klose as the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history, while Austria beat Jordan 3-1 to set up a meeting between the group’s two early leaders.
A victory would leave Argentina on the brink of the Round of 32 and could secure top spot in the group if Jordan fail to beat Algeria in the day’s other Group J match.
Austria arrive with ambitions of their own after an impressive opening performance under coach Ralf Rangnick and can also move into a commanding position in the group if they overcome Argentina and Algeria do not beat Jordan.
Alaba wary
Much of the attention will again fall on 38-year-old Messi, whose clinical display against Algeria reinforced Argentina’s status as one of the favorites to retain the trophy, a threat Austria captain David Alaba acknowledged after watching his opener.
“We definitely watched their game before we left,” the defender said after their opening win.
“It’s incredible that Messi started such a tournament with a hat trick. Absolutely insane … Let’s hope he doesn’t (do it) next week.”
Alaba was quick to stress that Argentina’s quality extends well beyond their talisman.
“We know what kind of opponent we’re up against, what kind of quality they have in their ranks, even besides Messi, but also what they’re capable of as a team,” he said.
Austria will hope their organised pressing game can disrupt Argentina’s rhythm and strengthen their credentials as potential group winners.
Argentina assistant coach Pablo Aimar warned that Austria would pose a different challenge to Algeria, describing Rangnick’s side as a physical team capable of causing problems despite Argentina’s impressive start.
“Austria is a very tough team, as we’re seeing with the vast majority of the teams participating in this World Cup,” he said in a FIFA interview.
The build-up has also been coloured by Algeria’s complaint to FIFA’s refereeing commission over several decisions in Argentina’s opening victory, including an incident in which Messi escaped punishment after a challenge on captain Aissa Mandi before going on to score his hat trick.
Argentina have not publicly commented on the complaint and will be focused on extending their winning start.
Seven-time MotoGP champion Marc Marquez claimed victory at the Czech Grand Prix in Brno Sunday, extending his winning streak to two races after a dominant triumph in Hungary two weeks earlier.
Pole sitter Ai Ogura of Japan finished second ahead of Marquez’s factory Ducati teammate Francesco Bagnaia.
Championship leader Marco Bezzecchi sat out the race as a penalty for slapping a track steward in the face following a crash in Saturday’s sprint.
But the Italian on a factory Aprilia still leads the MotoGP rankings with 180 points, ahead of his teammate Jorge Martin with 172, Fabio Di Giannantonio on a Ducati with 157 and Marc Marquez with 140.
On a scorching hot day in the second Czech city of Brno, pole sitter Ogura on an Aprilia took the lead on the first lap with Bagnaia and Marquez tucked behind him.
Bagnaia struck first in the second lap and Marquez followed seconds later, the two factory Ducatis settling down at the top with Ogura third.
Marquez circled patiently behind Bagnaia, narrowing his gap on his teammate to a tenth of a second by the 11th of 21 laps.
The seven-time MotoGP champion struck in lap 16, overtaking Bagnaia and immediately getting away to seal his fifth MotoGP victory on the Brno circuit.
Moments later, Bagnaia also gave in to mounting pressure from Ogura.
Ogura closed in on Marquez in the final laps but settled for second, while Bagnaia held off Di Giannantonio in fourth.
The three also topped Saturday’s sprint won by Bagnaia ahead of Ogura and Marquez.
“A super important victory,” said Marquez. “Super happy.”
‘A tough one’
Marquez came back to racing in Hungary after sitting out two Grand Prix with a broken foot and ahead of Brno he admitted he was not entirely fit yet.
“You know that I never give up, in the last laps I was suffering a lot. The bike was there but I was empty and then I just tried to keep the pace,” said the 33-year-old Spaniard.
“I saw that Ogura was pushing, but not enough to catch me. They were the longest six laps of the year,” he added.
Ogura said the race was “a really tough one.”
“I think I got a good pace towards the end but he (Marquez) has something more,” the 25-year-old Trackhouse MotoGP Team rider said.
“Overall the quality of the weekend was a lot better than the other races so we can be happy about that. Time to celebrate!”
Bagnaia, the world champion in 2022 and 2023, said he had a hard time holding on to Marquez and Ogura after they had overtaken him.
“I needed to slow down a bit and then the last three laps I tried to be back on my pace to try to control (Di Giannantonio) who was arriving very fast,” the 29-year-old Italian added.
It was a dark weekend for the Aprilia Racing team – besides Bezzecchi’s ban, Martin finished ninth after serving two long-lap penalties for causing a crash in the Hungarian GP in which he took out four riders including Bezzecchi.
The MotoGP circus has two races to go before the summer break, resuming in the Netherlands next weekend.
Earlier Sunday, Spain’s Ivan Ortola took his maiden win in the Moto2 class despite serving a long-lap penalty, while Malaysia’s Hakim Danish also relished his first-ever win in the Moto3 category.
Türkiye’s 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign came to an abrupt end early Saturday after a 1-0 defeat to Paraguay, a result that left the Crescent-Stars without a point and eliminated before the final round of Group D matches.
Despite dominating possession for long stretches and playing against 10 men for the entire second half, Türkiye failed to find a breakthrough as Paraguay defended resolutely and capitalized on an early defensive mistake.
The match, officiated by El Salvador’s Ivan Barton, began disastrously for Türkiye.
Just minutes after kickoff, defender Abdülkerim Bardakcı’s attempted clearance fell kindly to Julio Enciso, who quickly fed Mathias Galarza.
The midfielder took advantage of the space outside the penalty area and unleashed a low strike that beat goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır, giving Paraguay a 1-0 lead.
The early goal immediately put Türkiye on the back foot.
As they had in their opening defeat to Australia, Vincenzo Montella’s side controlled possession and dictated the tempo, but they struggled to convert territorial dominance into clear-cut scoring opportunities. Paraguay sat deep, remained compact and forced Türkiye into increasingly difficult attacking positions.
Türkiye’s best chance of the first half arrived in the 35th minute.
Hakan Çalhanoğlu delivered a dangerous free kick into the penalty area, where Mert Müldür rose highest to meet it. His powerful header struck the crossbar, bounced onto the post and somehow stayed out, leaving Turkish players and fans stunned.
The game took a dramatic turn deep into first-half stoppage time.
Following a challenge involving forward Pitta, Paraguay star Miguel Almiron was seen speaking to Mert Müldür while covering his mouth with his hand. Under FIFA’s newly introduced regulations, intentionally concealing speech during an on-field exchange is punishable by a red card.
After a VAR review, Barton was sent to the monitor and subsequently dismissed Almiron in the 45th minute, reducing Paraguay to 10 men before halftime.
Even with the numerical advantage, Türkiye could not find the goal that would keep their World Cup hopes alive.
The second half became an extended siege of the Paraguayan penalty area.
Kenan Yıldız threatened shortly after the restart, while Merih Demiral and substitute Deniz Gül both squandered promising opportunities. Türkiye pushed higher, committed more players forward and spent much of the half camped inside Paraguay’s territory.
Mert Müldür remained a constant threat, while Can Uzun injected energy and creativity from the bench. Yet every attack seemed to end in frustration as Paraguay’s defense held firm.
Türkiye’s final opportunity came in the 89th minute.
Barış Alper Yılmaz drove down the right flank and delivered a low cross into the box. Can Uzun’s effort was brilliantly saved by goalkeeper Gill, and Deniz Gül could only send the rebound wide of the post.
It proved to be Türkiye’s last realistic chance.
When the final whistle sounded, Paraguay celebrated a hard-fought victory while Turkish players were left to reflect on another night of missed opportunities.
Following a 2-0 defeat to Australia in their World Cup opener, Türkiye’s loss to Paraguay leaves them rooted to the bottom of Group D without a point, ending their 2026 World Cup campaign before a final group-stage clash against host nation the United States.
Mexico capitalized on a costly defensive mistake by South Korea to secure a 1-0 victory on Thursday, becoming the first team to book a place in the World Cup knockout stage and sparking celebrations across the country.
The result marked a significant turnaround for Mexico, which failed to advance beyond the group stage in 2022. Playing on home soil, El Tri have now claimed back-to-back victories in front of passionate home crowds. Players gathered at midfield after the final whistle, applauding supporters who filled Estadio Akron with chants and songs throughout the match.
The celebrations quickly spread beyond the stadium. In Mexico City, mariachis began performing at the Angel of Independence as thousands of fans converged on the landmark from all directions. In Guadalajara, streets echoed with car horns as supporters waved Mexican flags, sang and celebrated a milestone victory that sent the host nation into the knockout rounds.
Luis Romo scored in the 50th minute after South Korea goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu collided with defender Lee Gi-hyeok and dropped the ball inside the area. Romo easily found the open net after collecting the loose ball.
The South Koreans nearly equalized in the 87th minute when Mexico goalkeeper Raul Rangel stopped a header from close range by Cho Gue-sung, then made an even better save on Yang Hyun-jun’s rebound attempt, extending his right arm to keep the ball from crossing the line.
“It was very quick, it was pure reaction,” Rangel said. “I couldn’t really tell you what I saw because I remember the moment of impact with my teammate and me having the ball.”
Mexico leads Group A with six points from two matches, three more than South Korea and five more than the Czech Republic and South Africa, which drew 1-1 earlier Thursday in Atlanta.
The top two teams from each group advance to the knockout stage, along with the eight best third-place teams. A round of 32 is being played for the first time after the tournament expanded to 48 teams.
“We’ve been doing very well,” Mexico coach Javier Aguirre said. “It wasn’t a great match, but I think our opponent didn’t let us do too much. But we still were able to score on that mistake, in addition to creating another two or three opportunities.”
Aguirre said it felt good for the players to guarantee their place in the next round at home.
“It relieves some of the pressure,” he said. “But not for me, for the players. They are euphoric, they are very happy.”
Mexico opened with a 2-0 win over South Africa, while South Korea rallied for a 2-1 victory over the Czech Republic.
Mexico closes group play Wednesday against the Czech Republic in Mexico City, while South Korea takes on South Africa in Monterrey.
Mexico had never won a World Cup match on home soil outside Mexico City. Before 2026, all but one of its nine World Cup matches at home, spanning the 1970 and 1986 tournaments, had been played at Estadio Azteca, where it went 5-0-3. When it played in Toluca in 1970, it lost 4-1 to Italy in the quarterfinals.
Thursday’s match got off to a lackluster start, with neither team creating significant scoring opportunities. Both squads were loudly booed at halftime.
Mexico, ranked No. 13, was eliminated in the group stage four years ago in Qatar. That followed seven consecutive eliminations in the round of 16.
South Korea star Son Heung-min had another disappointing game and was substituted in the 57th minute.
The 33-year-old Son is looking to become South Korea’s leading World Cup scorer and the highest-scoring Asian player in tournament history. The former Tottenham star, now with Los Angeles FC, entered with three goals across three previous World Cups.
Kim kept Mexico from adding to its lead by making a difficult save on a close-range shot by Raúl Jiménez in the 75th minute.
South Korea pressed until the end but could not find an equalizer.
South Korea, ranked No. 22, is making its 11th consecutive World Cup appearance and 12th overall, the most by any Asian nation. Its best result was a fourth-place finish at the tournament it co-hosted with Japan in 2002. Since then, it has not advanced beyond the round of 16.
“The mistake that we made was unfortunate,” coach Hong Myung-bo said.
This time, there were not many empty seats in Guadalajara, unlike the earlier match between South Korea and the Czech Republic. FIFA had blamed fans standing in the concourses for the appearance of empty seats. Thursday’s crowd was announced at 45,522 for the 45,664-capacity stadium, which was hosting the national team for the first time.
Fan zones across Mexico were packed ahead of the game. In the largest one, in Mexico City’s Zocalo, chants of support for the national team and cries of “Olé!” with every pass mingled with a homophobic chant. This one-word slur literally means male prostitute in Spanish, which has previously led to sanctions against Mexico and could trigger further punishment from FIFA.
There were also peaceful protests in Guadalajara, organized by the families of Mexico’s 130,000 missing people.
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