Scotland’s miracle – From Iran’s VAR offside call that knocked Scotland further adrift to France’s demolition of Norway and Belgium’s ruthless rout of New Zealand, today’s World Cup slate is loaded. Lionel Messi is confirmed for a late role as Argentina close out against Jordan, w
By the time the sun was fully up across North America. the World Cup had already drawn new lines in the sand for Scotland — and it wasn’t even their game. In Seattle. Egypt and Iran played out a 1-1 draw in Group G after protests outside the stadium and another round of boos for Iran’s anthem. The timing of the match. falling on the scheduled date for FIFA’s Pride match. ensured the night carried weight off the pitch as well as on it.
On the pitch. Iran believed they had grabbed a late winner. but Shoja Khalilzadeh’s effort was ruled out by VAR for offside. Egypt didn’t wait to make their mark: Mahmoud Saber put the Egyptians ahead inside five minutes. Ramin Rezaeian levelled for Iran. and the result put Iran into the knockout stage as things stand — dealing a blow to Scotland.
Scotland’s position was already fragile after earlier group results, and this draw pushed them outside the top eight third-place qualifiers. As things stand, Scotland are currently 10th with 3 points, having played 3 matches: 1 win, 0 draws, and 2 losses, with a goal difference of -3.
The third-place list. as it stands from the tournament’s group form. has Sweden in first among third-placed teams on 4 points. followed by Ecuador. Bosnia & Herzegovina. Paraguay and Senegal — while Iran sits sixth among that list with 3 points. Croatia are 7th with 3 points after only 2 matches, and Korea Rep are 8th with 3 points. Algeria are also 9th on 3 points with 2 matches played. Uruguay are 11th on 2 points.
From there, Scotland’s path is brutally specific. They are currently in 10th and need results to go their way. Their only lifeline: Croatia to lose by three goals against Ghana, Algeria to lose by two goals against Austria, and Uzbekistan to prevent DR Congo winning.
The emotional stakes are obvious in every permutation, but the sense of inevitability grows as the wider picture keeps tightening. Senegal underlined that ruthlessness in Group I by overwhelming Iraq 5-0, nailing their place in the conversation around who can still climb into the knockout berth.
Senegal needed less than four minutes to dent the possibility of Scotland’s route through third-place. Habib Diarra got the last touch on Abdoulaye Seck’s header in the fourth minute. and the game swung further after Rebin Sulaka was sent off for pulling back Sadio Mane by his shorts. The punishment began as a yellow card from English referee Anthony Taylor. but VAR sent him to the monitor and the card was upgraded to a red.
Senegal’s goalkeeper Ahmed Basil kept the score in check before forced changes arrived at the interval. His replacement, Jalal Hassan, was beaten four times in the second half. Senegal’s final haul included Ismaila Sarr. who benefited after former Manchester United player Zidane Iqbal lost the ball to Lamine Camara; substitute Pape Gueye added a pair of emphatic left-foot finishes; and Iliman Ndiaye scored the fifth. Ndiaye also provided the burst that made the scoreline feel decisive, with him scoring and registering an assist.
In Group G, Belgium’s late-overturning rhythm didn’t stop either. Belgium hammered New Zealand 5-0, topping Group G on goal difference after a complete onslaught that produced 35 shots. Leandro Trossard scored twice. Kevin de Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku added goals, before Alexis Saelemaekers made it five late on. Belgium’s win and Egypt’s draw meant Rudi Garcia’s side finished top by two goals and will play their first knockout game on Wednesday at 9pm UK time in Seattle. with the opponent yet to be determined.
Uruguay, though, lived a nightmare in Group H. They were eliminated after losing 1-0 to Spain in a match that turned sharply on the cusp of half-time. Alex Baena received a cross in the box and guided it towards the bottom right corner. Uruguay’s goalkeeper Fernando Muslera couldn’t control it and the ball went into the back of the net. Muslera was substituted at the interval.
There was another painful moment moments earlier: Manchester United midfielder Manuel Ugarte was brought off on a stretcher. Uruguay couldn’t recover, and the defeat confirmed Cape Verde as the smallest nation ever to reach the knockout stage.
Cape Verde’s own story was one for celebration. The island nation. with a population of fewer than 600. 000. held Saudi Arabia to a 0-0 draw in Group H to finish second behind the Saudis. The match ended in Houston with a full-body release: Uruguay’s 1-0 loss to Spain opened the door. and Cape Verde players celebrated on the pitch as fans in the stands jumped for joy. Back home, videos of supporters dancing went viral as the country cheered. Their manager. Bubista. was lifted into the sky by his staff while players raced over to share the glory with fans inside NRG Stadium.
Next up for Cape Verde is Argentina.
France’s momentum in Group I only added to the feeling that the tournament’s serious contenders are starting to separate. Norway’s trip ended in a 1-4 defeat. despite Kylian Mbappe almost opening the scoring within the first few seconds after kick-off. France didn’t wait long after that. Ousmane Dembele scored in the seventh minute, a tone-setting strike that began a brutal run. Dembele went on to produce a 32-minute hat-trick. and Thelo Aasgaard grabbed a wacky consolation goal moments after Dembele scored his second.
Norway had their chances trimmed by key moments too. Jorgen Strand Larsen saw his penalty saved by Mike Maignan in the second half. Desire Doue then made it four for France in injury time.
Norway’s day carried a specific kind of dignity as well. A poignant tribute in the French dugout was left in place by Norway for Didier Deschamps. who flew back to France on Thursday following the death of his mother Ginette. FIFA did not allow the French team to sport black armbands during the match or honour their request for a minute’s silence before kick-off; instead. the silence was dedicated to victims of the tragic earthquakes in Venezuela. Flowers in the dugout stood in place of the moment France couldn’t have.
Spain and Uruguay ended one thread. and another raw moment in the tournament is already going viral for all the wrong reasons. Uruguay manager Marcelo Bielsa was captured exploding in rage on live TV. shouting: “Dale de una vez!” before an interview after his side were dumped out. Bielsa later said he didn’t manage to fully harness Uruguay’s talent to get the team to show more presence in attack. and he insisted it was not him who brought Fernando Muslera off at half-time: “No. no. it was a decision made by Muslera himself.” He added that his thinking behind bringing off Federico Valverde was “to go to a 2-9 formation and have more chances in attack”.
There was even more entertainment from the tournament away from the pitch. In a fanzone in Seattle. Ian Herbert described searching for clues about Scotland’s destiny after the Norway/France broadcast included pessimistic talk about Scotland’s survival hopes. The road trip route carried him through Roswell. New Mexico — the ‘UFO capital of the USA’ — where a visitor centre has a notice that reads ‘Open to Humans (and their furry friends.’ Herbert wrote that a psychic had said before the Scotland Brazil game that aliens would invade the pitch and abduct the players. and he wanted to know whether aliens would target Scottish players. He reported he got close to the “aliens” but was “none the wiser,” with no players abducted.
Still, the real focus now is on what comes next.
Argentina’s match against Jordan will decide whether Messi can change the mood in the way only Messi does. Lionel Scaloni confirmed: “I’ll hold off on the final starting line-up. but Leo Messi will come in later. ” when Argentina take on Jordan. Messi is the World Cup’s top scorer. and the reminder from the schedule is that this is still a group stage moment with knockouts looming — so how many minutes he gets matters. particularly because the article notes it would be “incredibly foolish” if the maestro were to suffer any kind of injury ahead of the knockout rounds. Messi is set to be among the substitutes.
England’s day will be shaped by the question of how bold Thomas Tuchel goes after injuries. England are expected to try to top the group, but the tournament is now too serious for guaranteed rotation. Kobbie Mainoo. Ivan Toney. Ollie Watkins. Jordan Henderson and Dan Burn are described as eager to play their part against Panama. who are already eliminated and aren’t a happy camp after a scrap in training on the eve of the final game.
Reece James is the latest injury casualty for England with a hamstring issue, and the article also flags that both Declan Rice and Reece James are injury doubts for the final group stage match.
Croatia vs Ghana comes with a direct link back to Scotland’s miracle. Croatia need at least a win to make sure they progress. while Ghana frustrated England and will look to do the same again. Another draw would lock Ghana into second place. Croatia’s negative goal difference is a worry. and Zlatko Dalic’s ageing side has struggled for attacking fluency. so the match becomes a test of whether a possible shock upset can happen.
England vs Panama is scheduled next at 10pm (ITV) in New Jersey, with Daily Mail Sport’s prediction a win for England.
Then come the night’s follow-on games: Colombia vs Portugal at 12.30am (BBC) in Miami, DR Congo vs Uzbekistan at 12.30am (BBC) in Atlanta, and Algeria vs Austria at 3am (BBC) in Kansas City. Jordan vs Argentina is also set for 3am (BBC) in Arlington.
For Colombia vs Portugal. a win for Portugal would knock Colombia off top spot in Group K. though the day’s wider picture suggests nothing is guaranteed after Portugal’s earlier shock draw with DR Congo. Roberto Martinez’s side had thumped Uzbekistan 5-0. giving Ronaldo the chance to respond to his critics after Portugal’s earlier uneven showing. The article points out Colombia’s motivation too: Nestor Lorenzo’s side are chasing their strongest run at a World Cup finals since 2014.
DR Congo vs Uzbekistan is framed as a straight path: third-placed DR Congo have kept their goal difference to just -1. and should they beat Uzbekistan. that would catapult them into the top eight third-place teams. But only a win will do so; a draw would put qualification out of reach. After DR Congo’s defeat to Colombia. the article suggests spirits may have dipped. while Uzbekistan have nothing left to play for after two defeats.
And Algeria vs Austria at 3am shapes another piece of Scotland’s puzzle. The article describes a “Disgrace of Kansas City” narrative twist after referencing the ‘Disgrace of Gijon’ in 1982. with two of the three teams involved in the old match now meeting again in Kansas City. A draw is described as suiting both third-placed Algeria and second-placed Austria. Austria are said to have minimal motivation having already tightened their grip behind first-place Argentina. while Algeria could become one of the highest-ranked third-placed sides with only one point.
With all of that landing in one early-morning digest, the tournament’s message is clear: for Scotland, it’s no longer about what happens on their side of the bracket. It’s about every match elsewhere clicking into place — and how quickly everything can change.
World Cup Scotland Iran Egypt VAR Marcelo Bielsa Messi Argentina Jordan France Norway Senegal Iraq Belgium New Zealand Uruguay Spain Croatia Ghana England Panama Ronaldo Portugal DR Congo Uzbekistan