Diallo fires late as Iran, Egypt, Spain await

Amad Diallo’s 90th-minute winner shocks Ecuador, while Japan and the Netherlands trade late goals and Germany thrash debutants Curacao 7-1. As Iran face New Zealand after visa setbacks, Mohamed Salah marks his 34th birthday leading Egypt against Belgium and Sp

A World Cup morning with teeth: one late goal that ends a run. another set of late swings that refuses to let anyone settle. and a slate of matches coming thick and fast before the afternoon crowds settle in. By the time Dallas and Houston had finished talking. the tournament had already delivered more than enough talking points—and today’s fixtures promise to pile on.

The standout overnight moment came in Group E. Ivory Coast edged Ecuador 1-0. with Manchester United winger Amad Diallo striking in the 90th minute to end Ecuador’s two-year unbeaten run. Diallo was surprisingly omitted from Emerse Fae’s starting line-up, then made the difference anyway with a pinpoint first-time finish. The African side. in their first World Cup match since 2014. were also spared by the bar on three separate occasions as Ecuador pressed.

It felt like it might become another grinding Ecuador 0-0. The South Americans had eight goalless games in their 18-match qualifying period. and their attack—despite being linked with Liverpool target Yan Diomande—was kept under control. But Ivory Coast kept finding openings on the counter. The deciding move was fuelled by a run from Wilfried Songo and finished by Diallo. leaving Ivory Coast in a strong position to escape the group.

Earlier in Group F. Dallas hosted a match that delivered exactly what the pre-match billing promised—and then went beyond it. The Netherlands drew 2-2 with Japan in their Group F opener. Virgil van Dijk broke the deadlock by heading in a cross from Cody Gakpo. with the moment coming in the second half after an underwhelming first period. Japan responded quickly: Keito Nakamura equalised six minutes later. producing a superb burst of space on the edge of the box before a snap shot found the bottom corner of Bart Verbruggen’s net.

Crysencio Summerville restored the Netherlands’ lead. cutting onto his left foot and finishing into the bottom corner of Zion Suzuki’s net. But the Dutch couldn’t protect the advantage. In the closing stages, Ronald Koeman switched to five at the back, yet Japan still found a way. Koki Ogawa rose to head a late corner goalwards; it struck his team-mate Daichi Kamada on the way into the net. and the match swung back to parity again.

Another country making an impact with ruthless efficiency was Sweden in Group F. Sweden thrashed Tunisia 5-1. delivering the kind of clinical finishing that reminds everyone the World Cup can be punishing from the first chance. Yasin Ayari bookended the match with two thunderbolts from outside the box—both the kind of goals you immediately replay. He didn’t celebrate the first as his father is Tunisian. then after his stoppage-time strike he was too ecstatic to hold it in.

Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres both scored for Sweden and combined to set each other up in the attacking display. Mattias Svanberg also got on the scoresheet after a lengthy VAR check, taking Sweden’s tally to five from 13 shots. Omar Rekik scored a header for Tunisia, but it wasn’t enough to change the flow of the match.

Germany’s statement arrived with force in Group E. Germany beat Curacao 7-1, cruising to a dominant victory after being rocked early. The four-time champions took an early lead through Felix Nmecha. then Curacao—World Cup debutants and the smallest nation to feature at the tournament—answered when Livano Comenencia’s deflected shot levelled the game.

Germany regrouped fast. Nico Schlotterbeck and Kai Havertz, who scored from the penalty spot, put Germany 3-1 ahead at half-time. Jamal Musiala added a fine finish in the opening minutes of the second half. effectively turning the game into a rout. Nathaniel Brown, Deniz Undav and Havertz with a second completed the scoring in a crushing win.

Despite the size of the defeat, Curacao’s moment mattered. Their players were celebrated by their fans after scoring their historic first World Cup goal.

Outside the matches, the tournament kept moving like it has a life of its own. Ahead of the Netherlands’ meeting with Japan in Dallas, fans turned the streets into a spectacle. Japan’s supporters became known in recent years for cleaning up rubbish after matches to keep the stands spotless. and Dallas Stadium saw blue plastic bags raised en masse before kick-off. Dutch fans swarmed in orange ahead of the game, with thousands joining an organised ‘Orange Walk’ featuring songs and chants. Even a double decker bus—orange of course—was shipped to Texas for the World Cup.

Germany’s own storyline had a more curious touch. During their match against Curacao, Julian Nagelsmann was spotted changing his outfit at half-time. The 38-year-old wore a striped shirt in the first half, then swapped to a short black t-shirt for the second. On the opposition bench. Dick Advocaat—now the tournament’s oldest manager at 78—was seen wiping away tears ahead of kick-off as Curacao had taken him back to the World Cup.

Advocaat stepped back from the role after qualification to care for his ill daughter, who was receiving treatment for cancer. Her improving condition led to him agreeing to return as manager. The tears came after he was shown again wiping away emotion during his return. and Curacao fans were later seen celebrating the moment their team scored their first World Cup goal.

Japan’s coaching staff also sparked attention with their approach to added time. As the clock ticked down, staff were seen holding up whiteboards showing the number of minutes remaining as their players were about to be asked to manage the final stretch.

And then there was the celebrity thread running through the Ivory Coast-Ecuador game. Legendary American rapper Jay-Z was in attendance in Philadelphia as Ivory Coast faced Ecuador in Group E. He was presented with a shirt by Ivorian Football Federation President Yacine Idriss Diallo pre-match. Jay-Z also greeted Ivory Coast’s rising star Yan Diomande. with the RB Leipzig winger a transfer target this summer from clubs including Liverpool.

The greeting ties into Diomande’s off-pitch shift: he signed with Jay-Z’s agency Roc Nation Sports in February. His previous representatives. Maxidel Management. have taken legal action claiming he is still under contract to them. a dispute that adds another layer of tension to a match that already had enough drama on the pitch.

Germany also wrote a headline in the background while the tournament turned over in real time. The 7-1 victory over Curacao made Germany the all-time top scorers at the FIFA World Cup, with 239 goals—one more than five-time champions Brazil.

Today’s slate brings three storylines that feel loaded from the first whistle.

Iran’s first match after an extraordinary build-up is the headline act. Their participation at the World Cup has been in doubt for months because of the conflict with the United States. which began in February with US-Israeli airstrikes. Despite threats not to participate, Iran will play. They changed their training base to Mexico last month and are scheduled to fly to the United States a day before their matches before leaving immediately after their games.

Iran touched down in Los Angeles last night ahead of their opening match against New Zealand in Los Angeles. Several staff are absent because they were denied visas. and the reception will be one to watch given how politically charged their involvement is. On the eve of the match, Donald Trump announced a peace deal with Iran is now ‘complete’.

Egypt’s storyline comes with a birthday and a missing moment from Salah’s side. Mohamed Salah will mark his 34th birthday by leading Egypt out into their fourth World Cup appearance in their eighth match. Egypt have never won a World Cup match and were deeply underwhelming in their previous appearance in 2018. finishing bottom of their group after losing to hosts Russia. Uruguay and Saudi Arabia. Salah missed Egypt’s opening match against Uruguay because he was recovering from the shoulder injury he suffered in the Champions League final against Real Madrid. He did play and score in their subsequent two matches, but both ended in disappointment. Their campaign starts against Belgium.

Spain, the European champions, also have history to answer for. Spain have disappointed at the past three World Cups since lifting their trophy for the first time back in 2010. with a shock group stage elimination in 2014 followed by last-16 exits in 2018 and 2022. One question now is whether success in the European Championship in 2024 can become the springboard to World Cup glory. as it did in 2010 after claiming the continental crown two years earlier.

The spotlight will fall on Lamine Yamal as he hopes to make his mark in his first World Cup. He is not expected to start Spain’s opening match against Cape Verde because he is working his way back from injury. Luis de la Fuente has a star-studded squad at his disposal looking to set an early marker.

For matchday itself, Spain begin against Cape Verde in Atlanta at 5pm, with Belgium vs Egypt in Seattle at 8pm, and Saudi Arabia vs Uruguay in Miami at 11pm. Iran then face New Zealand in Inglewood at 2am.

The tournament’s message overnight was simple: you can’t look away. Diallo’s late finish closed the door on Ecuador’s unbeaten stretch. Japan refused to let the Netherlands lock the game down. Germany turned a scare into a rout. And as players step into today’s fixtures—whether under political scrutiny. under birthday pressure. or under the weight of expectation—there’s no shortage of reasons to be watching when the whistles start again.

World Cup Amad Diallo Ecuador Ivory Coast Japan vs Netherlands Germany vs Curacao Sweden vs Tunisia Iran vs New Zealand Mohamed Salah Egypt vs Belgium Spain vs Cape Verde