Sports

Teboho Mokoena’s penalty kept South Africa’s dream of reaching the World Cup knockout stages for the first time alive after a 1-1 draw with the Czech Republic in Atlanta on Thursday.

Super subs Johan Manzambi and Ruben Vargas fired Switzerland to a 4-1 win over 10-man Bosnia-Herzegovina in a late rush of goals in Los Angeles on Thursday.

Argentine forward Lionel Messi opened his record-breaking sixth World Cup with a hat-trick to become the tournament’s joint all-time top scorer on Tuesday as holders Argentina launched their bid for back-to-back titles with a dazzling 3-0 rout of Algeria.

Erling Haaland struck his first World Cup goals as Norway beat Iraq 4-1 on Tuesday in their first game at a major tournament in 26 years.

France launched their World Championship campaign with an impressive 3-1 victory over Senegal on Tuesday, thanks to a second-half masterclass inspired by captain Kylian Mbappe.

Spain’s ghosts of recent World Cup horror shows reappeared in Atlanta as the European champions were held 0-0 by debutants Cabo Verde in their opening game on Monday.

Iran twice battled back for a 2-2 draw with New Zealand on Monday in their frenetic opening match of a World Cup campaign that has been utterly overshadowed by war, politics and protests.

Belgium and Egypt drew 1-1 in their World Cup opener on Monday after a second-half Belgian equalizer spoiled Mohamed Salah’s 34th birthday.

The United States and Iran agreed a peace deal and an “immediate and permanent” end to military operations on all fronts including Lebanon, mediator Pakistan said, in the strongest sign yet that more than three months of war in Middle East is drawing to a close.

Japan scored an 88th-minute equaliser as they twice fought back to rescue a 2-2 draw with the Netherlands in front of 69,285 in Texas on Sunday to open their World Cup campaigns.