Saudi Pro League star Quinones gets World Cup goal tally started
RIYADH: Al-Qadsiah winger Julian Quinones got FIFA World Cup scoring off the mark as he netted the tournament’s first goal and helped co-host Mexico defeat South Africa on Thursday.
FIFA World Cup 2026 Sport News
Mexico beat South Africa to kick off World Cup
MEXICO CITY: Mexico ignited their World Cup party with a dominant 2-0 victory over nine-man South Africa on Thursday as the biggest ever edition of the global footballing showpiece kicked off at the iconic Estadio Azteca. Julian Quinones scored the opening goal of the tournament and veteran striker Raul Jimenez added a second as the co-hosts’ bid for qualification from Group A got off to smooth start. South Africa meanwhile never looked like spoiling the opening day fiesta, and finished with only nine men after Sphephelo Sithole and Themba Zwane were sent off. The Mexican-colored red, green and white smoke from pre-game fireworks had barely dissipated before Quinones fired the hosts into the lead on nine minutes, drilling a low shot through the legs of South Africa’s goalkeeper and captain Ronwen Williams. A deafening roar cascaded down from the stands of the Azteca, the footballing cathedral that became the only stadium to host games at three different World Cups. South Africa coach Hugo Broos had warned his players to be ready for the intimidating atmosphere created by a capacity 80,824 crowd at the imposing concrete arena. But South Africa’s players looked to have a bad case of stage fright as Mexico’s fans greeted each completed pass with a raucous chorus of “Ole!” in the opening minutes. Sithole seemed particularly affected, being caught in possession trying to play out of the back for Quinones’ opening goal. Sithole’s miserable afternoon ended with a 49th minute dismissal after bundling over Mexico’s Brian Gutierrez when clean through on goal. Mexico rammed home their advantage in the 67th minute, with a fine counter attack culminating in Roberto Alvarado crossing for Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Jimenez to nod
Japan captain Endo withdraws from World Cup due to injury, retires from internationals
TORONTO: Japan captain Wataru Endo has withdrawn from the World Cup squad due to injury in a blow for the Samurai Blue, with the midfielder also announcing his retirement from international football. Endo, who endured an injury-hit season with Liverpool, has been replaced by Borussia Moenchengladbach striker Shuto Machino, the Japan Football Association said in a statement. “Since my injury, I’ve done everything I possibly could up to this point, so I have no regrets whatsoever,” Endo said in a social media post. The 33-year-old said he was frustrated at not being able to participate in the showpiece event but took pride in the team’s growth since the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. “With this campaign, I will be retiring from the national team.
Qatar seek redemption vs. Swiss after woeful debut
SANTA CLARA, California: Qatar take on Switzerland in their World Cup opener on Saturday eager to shake off the pressure of expectation, coming in as back-to-back Asian champions with an urgent need to make amends for a dismal debut as hosts of the 2022 tournament.
Haiti alter World Cup uniforms following FIFA pushback
PORT-AU-PRINCE: Haiti World Cup uniform manufacturer Saeta Sports has altered the Caribbean nation's home, away and third jerseys three days prior to kickoff of their first World Cup match in response to concerns from FIFA that visual imagery on the shirt could be interpreted as a political message. The original designs from the Colombian manufacturer included imagery that appeared to show soldiers carrying the Polish national flag, presumably a tribute to Polish Legionnaires who defected from Napoleon's French army to aid the Haitians during the Haitian Revolution from 1802-04. The revised tops shown in FIFA's official team portraits have the same collar and sleeve patterns but with solid colors beneath them rather than the imagery at the bottom of the shirts.
Hong Kong customs seize $20m in fake goods ahead of the World Cup
HONG KONG: Just hours before the World Cup kicked off, Hong Kong authorities announced they seized 230,000 suspected counterfeit items worth an estimated $20 million, including jerseys tied to the tournament. The seizure included about 30,000 jerseys, some so finely made that they’re hard to distinguish from authentic team shirts, Wayne Chung, senior inspector at Hong Kong ‘s customs department, said Thursday. Most were copies of authentic player jerseys that are generally more expensive than fan-edition versions because they’re better designed and made of higher-quality materials, he said. All were destined for overseas markets, with nearly 80 percent set to be shipped to the Americas, where the World Cup is being jointly hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada. Mexico and South Africa play the tournament opener on Thursday. Footwear, watches, speakers and handbags were also seized in the operation, part of which took place at logistics centers from late May to early June. Goods modeled on Louis Vuitton’s handbags and Rolex watches were showcased at a news conference Thursday. Chung said he believed these other seized items were possibly meant to serve tourist demand elsewhere.
Somali ref Artan picked for showpiece UEFA game after being barred by US from World Cup
GENEVA: Somali referee Omar Artan who was barred by the United States from the World Cup was picked on Thursday for the showcase UEFA Super Cup game in August. European soccer body UEFA said Artan will referee the Aug. 12 game between Champions League winner Paris Saint-Germain and Aston Villa, the Europa League winner. The game will be in Salzburg, Austria. “Football is made to connect people and UEFA wants to show its respect to Omar and his outstanding officiating skills,” UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin said in a statement. Artan got a hero’s welcome returning to Somalia on Wednesday, days after he was refused entry in Miami and questioned for 11 hours by US authorities despite being picked by FIFA for World Cup duty. He was sent away on a flight to Turkiye.
French city imposes curfew for under-16s during ‘high risk’ World Cup matches
TOULOUSE: Authorities in the French city of Toulouse on Thursday announced a curfew for under-16s during “high risk” World Cup matches, after unrest marred celebrations of the recent Paris Saint-Germain Champions League victory. The matches in question are those involving France, games played by Morocco against Brazil, Scotland and Haiti, as well as a match between Tunisia and the Netherlands, the mayor said. The curfew will be in force from 10:00 p.m.