Welcome to the World Cup blog, the 24/7 location for the rolling news stories of everything that happens across America, Canada and Mexico from the big kick-off to the final in New York on Sunday, July 19.
Key updates
World Cup Diary: Dan & Seán catch-up from Miami and Kansas World Cup Diary: Dan & Seán catch-up from Miami and Kansas World Cup Diary: Dan & Seán catch-up from Miami and Kansas
Tony Considine
Day 23 fixtures
Round of 32
Australia v Egypt (7pm)
Argentina v Cape Verde (11pm)
Colombia v Ghana (2.30am)
Day 22 results
Round of 32
Spain 3 Austria 0
Portugal 2 Croatia 1
Switzerland 2 Algeria 0
You can keep up to date with all the latest results, fixtures and tables throughout the tournament at this link.
Round of 32
Australia v Egypt (7pm)
Argentina v Cape Verde (11pm)
Colombia v Ghana (2.30am)
Day 22 results
Round of 32
Spain 3 Austria 0
Portugal 2 Croatia 1
Switzerland 2 Algeria 0
You can keep up to date with all the latest results, fixtures and tables throughout the tournament at this link.
Ger Keville
England fan who vanished on way to World Cup found watching matches in Spanish bars
An England fan who went missing for 10 days on his way to the World Cup in the United States has been tracked down in Spain.
Michael Hewitt, 65, lost his phone and instead stopped in Barcelona while “blissfully unaware of the search” by his family.
He was only due in Spain for a short layover before travelling on to the US to watch England play Ghana in Massachusetts on June 23.
But when he lost his phone two days earlier, which had all his travel tickets on, he abandoned plans to get to North America.
He had posted pictures of himself at a bar in Barcelona but his family raised the alarm with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) after he stopped contacting them.
His brother Gary told The Sun he had now been found. “He lost his phone soon after arriving in Barcelona, and didn’t know any of the phone numbers stored on it,” he said.
“He didn’t think to go to the Embassy as he still had his passport and money so didn’t think they’d be interested. Instead, he just got on with enjoying Barcelona, watching the England matches in the bars.”
The British Embassy in Spain called relatives to say they had tracked down the fan’s hotel through his card payments. He was located and put in touch with his loved ones.
Relatives wrote on Facebook: “Fantastic news! Little Mick is safe and well in Barcelona, and was blissfully unaware that the world was searching for him!
“As a family, we desperately wanted an embarrassingly simple but happy ending to this horrendous episode and we now have that.”
Earlier this week a Mexican dog missing for a month was reunited with her owner after she appeared in footage of wild crowd scenes.
Ale Garcia’s dog, Gorda, ran off on May 24 in the Lomas de Guadalupe neighborhood of Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas.
However, Gorda was spotted in videos of fans taking to the streets following Mexico’s 3-0 victory over the Czech Republic.
Alan Waldron
Pico Lopes and Cape Verde will go up against Argentina in just over 12 hours in the city that Lionel Messi now calls home. Daniel McDonnell is in Miami setting the scene after a remarkable few days for the wider Lopes family, explaining how Irish connections helped them get to the round-of-32 game by private jet.
Alan Waldron
Fifa says ‘heartbeat graphic’ from data inside ball got Croatia VAR call correct
Fifa has confirmed that Croatia’s equaliser against Portugal was correctly ruled out for offside due to technology housed inside the World Cup ball.
Goncalo Ramos’ header put Portugal 2-1 up in the fourth minute of added time, but it looked like Croatia had scored a dramatic equaliser when Josko Gvardiol nudged them level nine minutes later.
Ivan Perisic sent a ball into the box, which bounced off Renato Veiga and into the path of Mario Pasalic, and his touch teed it up for Gvardiol who slid home.
The goal stood on the field, and it appeared from TV replays that Croatia’s Igor Matanovic missed his header as he attempted to flick it on, which would have meant Pasalic was onside before setting up Gvardiol.
However, referee Espen Eskas was sent to the VAR monitor and Fifa’s technology inside the Adidas Trionda ball – similar to ‘Snicko’ – showed that Matanovic did get a slight touch which meant Pasalic was offside in the build-up.
When the ball was next to Matanovic, replays showed a graphic with a slight spike which suggests that he did touch it, ultimately putting an end to Croatia’s World Cup hopes and sending Portugal through to the last 16.
The graphic displayed by Fifa on replays is similar to technology which is used in cricket to determine whether a batter has edged the ball or not, but the ‘Connected Ball Technology’ comes from a chip which is stored inside the balls used at the World Cup.
Fifa explained the decision in a post on X which read: “According to the data provided by Connected Ball Technology housed within the @adidasfootball Trionda, the official match ball of the @FIFAWorldCup, it was proven that contact was made by Croatia’s #20 Igor Matanovic in the build-up to the goal against Portugal, allowing the referee to correctly determine offside and disallow the goal.
“IMU sensors housed within the Trionda ball are capable of determining any slight contact, displayed to viewers in the broadcast as a ‘heartbeat graphic’, and allowing officials an unprecedented level of data to make fast, accurate decisions.”
“IMU sensors housed within the Trionda ball are capable of determining any slight contact, displayed to viewers in the broadcast as a ‘heartbeat graphic’, and allowing officials an unprecedented level of data to make fast, accurate decisions.”
Sean O'Connor
Day 22 overnight wrap
Portugal 2-1 Croatia
Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup dream remains alive after his Portugal side edged Croatia in a rollercoaster Round of 32 tie where there was drama at both ends at the death.
Ronaldo’s second-half penalty - his first World Cup knockout goal - levelled the tie after Ivan Perisic put the 2018 runners-up ahead just after the restart. A superb Goncalo Ramos header in the 94th-minute then put Portugal on the brink of the next round, but Josko Gvardiol poked the ball into the net on 103 minutes to send the Croatia fans wild in Toronto as extra-time loomed.
However, the celebrations were cut short as a VAR check found that Mario Pasalic, who assisted the goal, was offside. Portugal breathed a huge sigh of relief while Luka Modric’s Croatia were left heartbroken in the most dramatic fashion.
The reward for Roberto Martinez’s side is a Round of 16 clash against Spain in Dallas on July 6, while Croatia, who also finished in third place in 2022, pack their bags for home.
Ronaldo was awarded Man of the Match, and could have had two goals but his cool 60th-minute finish was also ruled offside. Minutes later though, the 41-year-old had his moment as he dispatched from the spot for his first World Cup knockout goal at the ninth time of asking. It was his 11th World Cup goal in total.
For the first time at this summer’s finals, the former Manchester United man was substituted off in the 81st-minute and couldn't hide his frustration, with the scoreline 1-1 at the time. However after emerging with the victory, there were touching scenes at full-time as Portugal commemorated the late Diogo Jota, their former teammate, with today marking the first anniversary of his passing.
For Vatreni, it was heartbreak while for Modric (40), it was likely his final World Cup appearance, having won his 200th cap in their group stage win over Panama.
Switzerland 2-0 Algeria
Meanwhile, Switzerland have booked a Round of 16 clash with either Colombia or Ghana after comfortably seeing off Algeria in the early hours of this morning.
Rennes striker Breel Embolo put the Swiss in front on 10 minutes before Nottingham Forest’s Dan Ndoye doubled the advantage moments after the restart.
Seven of Algeria’s last eight World Cup goals have come after the hour mark but there was no late comeback for Riyad Mahrez and Co in Vancouver, with Switzerland now one win away from a first quarter-final spot since 1954.
It was also the first time since 1954 in which the Swiss had scored twice in a World Cup knockout match. Murat Yakin’s side will now face the winners of Colombia and Ghana, who face off in Kansas City in the early hours of tomorrow morning. That Round of 16 tie takes place in Vancouver on July 7. - Seán O'Connor in Kansas City
Portugal 2-1 Croatia
Cristiano Ronaldo’s World Cup dream remains alive after his Portugal side edged Croatia in a rollercoaster Round of 32 tie where there was drama at both ends at the death.
Ronaldo’s second-half penalty - his first World Cup knockout goal - levelled the tie after Ivan Perisic put the 2018 runners-up ahead just after the restart. A superb Goncalo Ramos header in the 94th-minute then put Portugal on the brink of the next round, but Josko Gvardiol poked the ball into the net on 103 minutes to send the Croatia fans wild in Toronto as extra-time loomed.
However, the celebrations were cut short as a VAR check found that Mario Pasalic, who assisted the goal, was offside. Portugal breathed a huge sigh of relief while Luka Modric’s Croatia were left heartbroken in the most dramatic fashion.
The reward for Roberto Martinez’s side is a Round of 16 clash against Spain in Dallas on July 6, while Croatia, who also finished in third place in 2022, pack their bags for home.
Ronaldo was awarded Man of the Match, and could have had two goals but his cool 60th-minute finish was also ruled offside. Minutes later though, the 41-year-old had his moment as he dispatched from the spot for his first World Cup knockout goal at the ninth time of asking. It was his 11th World Cup goal in total.
For the first time at this summer’s finals, the former Manchester United man was substituted off in the 81st-minute and couldn't hide his frustration, with the scoreline 1-1 at the time. However after emerging with the victory, there were touching scenes at full-time as Portugal commemorated the late Diogo Jota, their former teammate, with today marking the first anniversary of his passing.
For Vatreni, it was heartbreak while for Modric (40), it was likely his final World Cup appearance, having won his 200th cap in their group stage win over Panama.
Switzerland 2-0 Algeria
Meanwhile, Switzerland have booked a Round of 16 clash with either Colombia or Ghana after comfortably seeing off Algeria in the early hours of this morning.
Rennes striker Breel Embolo put the Swiss in front on 10 minutes before Nottingham Forest’s Dan Ndoye doubled the advantage moments after the restart.
Seven of Algeria’s last eight World Cup goals have come after the hour mark but there was no late comeback for Riyad Mahrez and Co in Vancouver, with Switzerland now one win away from a first quarter-final spot since 1954.
It was also the first time since 1954 in which the Swiss had scored twice in a World Cup knockout match. Murat Yakin’s side will now face the winners of Colombia and Ghana, who face off in Kansas City in the early hours of tomorrow morning. That Round of 16 tie takes place in Vancouver on July 7. - Seán O'Connor in Kansas City
Ger Keville
FULL TIME - Spain 3 Austria 0
Ger Keville
GOAL FOR SPAIN
Spain 3 Austria 0
Cucurella once again finds space and swings in a curling low cross for Oyarzabal who makes no mistake to bag his second and Spain's third.
Spain in their way to the last 16.
Spain 3 Austria 0
Cucurella once again finds space and swings in a curling low cross for Oyarzabal who makes no mistake to bag his second and Spain's third.
Spain in their way to the last 16.
Ger Keville
GOAL - Spain 2 Austria 0
Cucurella involved again as he slips in Baena down the left and his pinpoint cross was smashed home by the head of Pedro Porro
Cucurella involved again as he slips in Baena down the left and his pinpoint cross was smashed home by the head of Pedro Porro
Ger Keville
The second half is underway at the SoFi Stadium. Spain lead Austria 1-0 thanks to Mikel Oyarzabal's 36th minute goal
Ger Keville
HALF TIME - Spain 1 Austria 0
Why not catch up on the latest from Sean O'Connor in the US
In the latest World Cup check-in, Sean reflects on his behind the scenes look at The Rest Is Football's New York set as he shared space with Gary Lineker, Luke Littler and Juan Mata at work!
Why not catch up on the latest from Sean O'Connor in the US
In the latest World Cup check-in, Sean reflects on his behind the scenes look at The Rest Is Football's New York set as he shared space with Gary Lineker, Luke Littler and Juan Mata at work!
Ger Keville
GOAL FOR SPAIN
Mikel Oyarzabal fires into the bottom corner after a neat square ball from Cucurella - who had a goal of his own chalked off moments earlier.
Spain 1 Austria 0, 36 minutes
Mikel Oyarzabal fires into the bottom corner after a neat square ball from Cucurella - who had a goal of his own chalked off moments earlier.
Spain 1 Austria 0, 36 minutes
Ger Keville
Spain take on Austria
European champions Spain continue their pursuit of global glory as they face a potentially tricky World Cup test against Austria in the round of 32.
That match is kicking off now.
European champions Spain continue their pursuit of global glory as they face a potentially tricky World Cup test against Austria in the round of 32.
That match is kicking off now.
Daniel McDonnell
Private plane company swoops in to bring Pico Lopes’ wife and family to Miami
Dan McDonnell checking in from Miami here.
While Pico Lopes’ parents are being flown here by Aer Lingus to watch their son do battle with Lionel Messi and Argentina tomorrow, it was a little more complicated for his wife Leah, son Diego and her family and friends who have been on their own adventure across America.
They decided to stay over in Houston after last Friday’s draw with Saudi Arabia and met with complications trying to find a manageable route to Miami after extending their stay in Texas.
The campervan that they employed to make their way across the States for the group matches wasn’t a workable option this time around.
But the Cape Verde story has stirred the interest of the Irish-American community in Florida. The African side have been based in Tampa throughout the competition with local man Sean O’Cuinneagain (born in Dublin before moving out here) reaching into his network to try and make things happen.
At the last minute, Barry Shevlin, the Irish-American CEO of Fly USA, a private jet provider, came through to deliver the Irish party of seven their own personalised flight to Florida.
At the last minute, Barry Shevlin, the Irish-American CEO of Fly USA, a private jet provider, came through to deliver the Irish party of seven their own personalised flight to Florida.
Here they are on the runway before taking off. Leah (right) and Diego have travelled with her parents Martin and Barbara, her brother Christopher and close friends Nadine and Shannon.
Ger Keville
American husband supporting Brazil! Brazilian wife converted his football allegiance but he's happiest welcoming people to the US for the World Cup.
"It's wonderful to have everybody from other countries here."
"It's wonderful to have everybody from other countries here."
Alan Waldron
"Parisians hate Mbappe - but they don’t know football!"
France fans had plenty to say to Seán O'Connor when they met him on Times Square after their 3-0 win over Sweden
France fans had plenty to say to Seán O'Connor when they met him on Times Square after their 3-0 win over Sweden