FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022

Thursday's games are Group G (10:00 GMT) Switzerland v Cameroon and (19:00 GMT) Brazil v Serbia, and Group H (13:00 GMT) Uruguay v South Korea and (16:00 GMT) Portugal v Ghana
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Switzerland at a 12th World Cup, have a best result of reaching the Quarter-finals which they achieved in their first appearance in 1934 as well as 1938 and 1954. Yann Sommer may not be at his sharpest this tournament, having only just recovered from an injury he sustained back in October.

Cameroon in their 8th tournament managed to reach Quarter-finals in 1990. Napoli star Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa is taking a knock into the tournament, but as one of Cameroon's star players he may be risked even if not at 100% sharpness.
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Uruguay the Inaugural hosts and winners of the World Cup 1930, won the tournament again in 1950 (thier second appearance) since then the highest place they've got is 4th in 1954, 1970 and 2010. This will be thier 14th tournament. Their only injury concern is Barcelona centre-back Ronald Araujo, who has been out since late September, and is unlikely to return in time to feature in the competition until at least the semi-finals.

South Korea at a 10th World Cup have a best result of Fourth place at the tournament they joint hosted with Japan in 2002. Tottenham forward and South Korea's captain Son Heung-min is fit to play in the opener, despite wearing a mask after an operation earlier this month having suffering fractures around his left eye in a collision during a Champions League match. Another possible absentee is left-back Kim Jin-su, who is still recovering from a hamstring injury suffered at the beginning of November.
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Portugal will be looking to improve at their 8th attempt on their Inaugural apearence in the tournament in 1966 where they came third. Of the 26 players in the squad, all are fully fit and available for their opening match.
Ronaldo didn't play in the warm-up match against Nigeria and Joao Felix impressed in his place, but the ex-United man is more than likely to play

Ghana making a 4th appearance had not qualified until 2006, reached Quarter-finals at the second try in 2010, but hope to reach that level again after being knocked out in the group stage in 2014 and failing to qualify for Russia 2018. They start with a fully fit group of players, with 17 of them getting some minutes in the 2-0 win over Switzerland.
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Brazil the most successful team on this world stage, have qualified 22 times for the tournament and have reached the final game on 7 occasions, lost on the first attempt in 1950, but have since got a record 5 championships (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002) there other runners up place came in 1998. Bruno Guimaraes and Alex Telles have been dealing with minor issues, but both players are expected to be fit along with the rest of the squad.

Serbia will be represented for a 13th time (9 as part of Yugoslavia, once with Montenegro and 3 as an independent country) Their best result came as part of Yugoslavia with fourth place in 1930 and 1962. But as a soul country have yet to advance from the group stages. The big concern for the team is the fitness of Aleksandar Mitrovic with the Fulham striker not having played in almost a month. Given his lack of game time, he may start on the bench despite his sensational scoring record on the international stage.

Switzerland 1 Cameroon 0

Embolo (48'minutes)

Switzerland's Breel Embolo scored the only goal against Cameroon - the country of his birth - in a hard-fought World Cup Group G opener.



Embolo refused to celebrate when he finished off a slick Swiss attack shortly after half-time.

The Cameroon were unfortunate to lose after an enterprising display at the Al Janoub Stadium in Qatar.

Uruguay 0 South Korea 0

Nothing could separate Uruguay and South Korea in their World Cup opener in Group H despite plenty of attacking quality on show in Qatar.


In front of a vibrant crowd at the Education City Stadium, the South Koreans frustrated Uruguay but did not create many clear-cut opportunities.

Their best fell to Hwang Ui-jo, who fired over the bar in the first half, before Uruguay captain Diego Godin headed a corner against the post.

South Korea had controlled most of the first half but Uruguay began to dominate as the game wore on and they almost won it in the final minute of normal time when Federico Valverde's long-range effort crashed off the post.

There was one last chance for Tottenham striker Son Heung-min - South Korea's star man - but he dragged his shot wide, much to the relief of the Uruguayan supporters.

Portugal 3 Ghana 2

Cristiano Ronaldo (65'minutes pen),
Félix Sequeira (78'minutes),
da Conceição Leão (80'minutes)

A Ayew (73'minutes),
Bukari (89'minutes)

Cristiano Ronaldo became the first man to score at five Fifa World Cups as Portugal began their campaign with a thrilling victory over Ghana.



Ronaldo scored the opening goal from the penalty spot, hammering in after being tripped in the box by Ghana's Southampton defender Mohammed Salisu.

Captain Ronaldo had a couple of chances early on but a low shot was smothered by Lawrence Ati-Zigi and he also headed wide at the far post.
The forward had a goal disallowed for a push on Alexander Djiku while at the other end, Ghana did not have a single shot in the opening period.

The Africans improved in the second period as Mohammed Kudus drilled narrowly wide of the far post and got their reward when Andre Ayew equalised from close range.

But Portugal responded with two goals in two minutes to seal the points - Joao Felix converting a delightfully clipped finish and substitute Rafael Leao coolly stroking in just seconds after coming on.

Osman Bukhari headed in a late consolation for Ghana and there could have been real drama in the ninth minute of stoppage time.

Goalkeeper Diogo Costa put the ball down, seemingly unaware Inaki Williams was behind him, but after racing to intercept the ball, the Ghana forward slipped at the crucial moment and a scuffed shot was cleared off the line.

Brazil 2 Serbia 0

Richarlison (62'minutes, 73'minutes)

Richarlison scored twice - including a stunning overhead volley - as five-time winners Brazil opened their World Cup campaign by beating Serbia.



Brazil had to play a patient game to break down an organised Serbia rearguard but forced the breakthrough after 62 minutes when Tottenham striker Richarlison turned home a close-range finish after Vanja Milinkovic-Savic saved Vinicius Junior's effort.

Richarlison's crowning moment came 11 minutes later, at first mis-controlling a pass from Vinicius but readjusting brilliantly to take the aerial route and fire home an acrobatic right-foot finish.

It was no more than Brazil - backed by the massed ranks of their yellow-clad fans - deserved as they dominated throughout, with Alex Sandro and Casemiro hitting the woodwork and Milinkovic-Savic also saving superbly from Fred.

Brazil's performance made ominous viewing for their rivals, as did the sight of Gabriel Jesus, Antony and Gabriel Martinelli coming off the bench in a powerful show of squad strength, although there was the worrying sight of Neymar going off after taking a knock.

Friday is the start of the second round of fixtures. The games are Group A (13:00 GMT) Qatar v Senegal and (16:00 GMT) Netherlands v Ecuador, and Group B (10:00 GMT) Wales v Iran and (19:00 GMT) England v USA
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Both Wales and Iran will be looking for better results as they meet each other.

Wales needed a late penalty to rescue a draw against the United States. Joe Allen has started training again, which is a boost, although he still remains a doubt for this game. Ethan Ampadu and Harry Wilson are also doubts after coming off against the United States.

Iran were thrashed by an England side that took their foot off the gas in the closing stages. Star forward Sardar Azmoun wasn't fit enough to start against England but came off the bench. However, Mehdi Taremi scored twice and isn't likely to be dropped.
Hossein Hosseini is set to continue in goal in place of Alizera Beyranvand following the concussion he suffered against England.
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The World Cup is not yet over for Qatar or Senegal. But victory, in what each will now likely see as their most favourable fixture, is crucial going into the final round of group games.

Qatar were outplayed by a vibrant Ecuador 2-0 in the tournament's curtain raiser, and will need to up their game to get anything out of the match, with is probably unlikely. The good news for them is the team are fully fit, with no injuries reported after the Ecuador game.

Senegal lost 2-0 against a mostly underwhelming Netherlands, and showed potential till conceding late in the game. Cheikhou Kouyate and Abdou Diallo both had to go off injured in the opener and could be doubts for this one. The obvious absence of Sadio Mane, who withdrew from the squad four days before the Netherlands game, is still a bitter blow.
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The Netherlands and Ecuador go toe-to-toe looking to maintain their perfect starts. Another win for either side will all but secure their place in the knockout stages.

Netherlands were unimpressive for the most part but managed to find two late goals to beat Senegal. Van Gaal made a couple of surprising calls for the Netherlands' opener against Senegal which he is likely to reverse here. Matthijs de Ligt admitted post-match that Jurrien Timber was probably better off starting at right centre-back, so the Ajax man may be given the nod. Vincent Janssen was largely ineffective up front alongside fellow Tottenham alumni Steven Bergwijn, meaning Memphis Depay should return.

Ecuador easily downed hosts Qatar on opening night. There a some concerns on the fitness of star striker Enner Valencia, who scored a brace against Qatar before being withdrawn with an injury. Should they want to bring in a natural number nine, then Michael Estrada could be shifted centrally with Brighton's Jeremy Sarmiento granted a start out wide.
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England and the United States will continue their World Cup journeys when they butt heads on Friday at Al Bayt Stadium.

England come in feeling great after they thumped Iran 6-2, climbing to the top of Group B and needing just one more victory to book their spot in the knockout stages of the tournament. Manager Gareth Southgate is confident that the ankle injury Harry Kane picked up against Iran was nothing serious, while he also confirmed that centre-back Harry Maguire was dealing with an illness when he was substituted, rather than a concussion. James Maddison is yet to return to training as he deals with a hamstring injury, but there is hope that Kyle Walker could make his first appearance of the tournament after making it to the bench last time out. Callum Wilson, who came off the bench against Iran, also missed a training session on Tuesday.

USA gave up a lead to draw 1-1 with Wales in their opener and, with their first opponents up against Iran earlier in the day, they could find themselves needing a big result here to keep up the pace. Midfielder Yunus Musah limped off the field against Wales with what appeared to be a toe injury, while another US midfielder, Weston McKennie also appeared to tweak his groin in the same game. Sergino Dest was also substituted after initially being a doubt to start the Wales game, so he may not be risked so soon after a surprise outing. Gregg Berhalter also overruled Gio Reyna's declaration that he was fit enough to play by benching the Dortmund man, who will hope to see his first minutes of the tournament here.

Wales 0 Iran 2

Hennessey (Dismissed at 86'minutes)

Cheshmi (90'+8minutes),
Rezaeian (90'+11minutes)

Wales' first World Cup for 64 years looks set to end at the first hurdle after they suffered a heartbreaking - but deserved - last-ditch defeat against Iran in Qatar.


As they did in their opening draw with the United States, Wales started poorly and had VAR to thank for disallowing a goal from Iran's Ali Gholizadeh for offside.

Iranian were extremely unlucky not to score early in the second half as Sardar Azmoun and Gholizadeh both struck the post within the space of a few seconds.

Wales were utterly ragged and, as they pushed forward in search of the late winning goal they desperately needed, a long ball over the top left the defence exposed and their onrushing goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey was sent off - after a VAR check - for a reckless challenge on Mehdi Taremi.

Substitute Rouzbeh Cheshmi struck from 20 yards deep into added time, before Ramin Rezaeian finished off a counter-attack to seal victory for a revitalised Iran side who have renewed hope of reaching the knockout stages for the first time in their history.

Qatar 1 Senegal 3

Muntari (78'minutes)

Dia (41'minutes),
Diédhiou (48'minutes),
Dieng (84'minutes)

Senegal become the first African team to win a game at this World Cup. Qatar will exit the competition if the Netherlands draw avoid defeat against Ecuador



the African champions are up and running courtesy of Boulaye Dia breaking the deadlock four minutes before half-time, slamming home to punish Boualem Khoukhi's miscued clearance.

Looking to hit back in the second period, Qatar's hopes were dashed when former Bristol City striker Famara Diedhiou rose to flick in a glorious header just three minutes after the break.

Qatar felt they should have had a first-half penalty when Akram Afif was bundled over in the box by Sarr, but Spanish referee Antonio Lahoz pointed only for a goal-kick, much to the anger of the home supporters.

Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy made stunning reflex saves to deny Almoez Ali and Ismaeel Mohammad but he could do nothing about Mohammed Muntari's powerful header.

Qatar were searching for the equaliser, but Bamba Dieng stroked in to deflate the home following and leave Qatar bottom of the group without a point after two games played.

Netherlands 1 Ecuador 1

Gakpo (6'minutes)

E Valencia (49'minutes)

Enner Valencia scored his third goal of the World Cup before being taken off on a stretcher as Ecuador drew with the Netherlands to leave Group A wide open.



PSV Eindhoven forward Cody Gakpo had given the Netherlands the lead after just five minutes and four seconds - the quickest goal so far in Qatar - when he struck a shot beautifully into the top of the net.

But the Dutch struggled to build on their lead, with Ecuador's Pervis Estupinan having a goal disallowed on the stroke of half-time.

Ecuador fans were bouncing with excitement throughout the second half at the Khalifa International Stadium as they equalised just after the break and continued to create chances against a rattled Netherlands side.

The entire Ecuador squad ran over to the corner flag to celebrate with Valencia after he poked in the rebound from Estupinan's parried shot in the 49th minute - and Gonzalo Plata hit the crossbar with a long-range effort shortly after.

Captain Valencia, who scored both goals in Ecuador's victory over hosts Qatar on the opening night of the World Cup, was a constant threat but his night was cut short due to injury.

The former West Ham and Everton striker went down in the final minute of normal time and was taken off on a stretcher, but was seen hobbling to his seat in the dugout.

England 0 USA 0

England laboured to a drab draw against the United States to miss the chance to seal qualification for the World Cup knockout stage.



Gareth Southgate's side were second best for long periods as they failed to match the energy and intensity of the USA, who have their own hopes of making the last 16.

England, with Harry Maguire outstanding in defence, were unimpressive and rode their luck when Weston McKennie missed an easy chance and Christian Pulisic struck the bar in the first half.

Mason Mount brought a fine save from USA goalkeeper Matt Turner just before the break but this was an undistinguished display that carried none of the attacking verve that saw the Three Lions thrash Iran in their opening game, and leaves them heading into their match against Wales with their fate undecided.

Saturday's games are Group C (13:00 GMT) Poland v Saudi Arabia and (19:00 GMT) Argentina v Mexico, and Group D (10:00 GMT) Tunisia v Australia and (16:00 GMT) France v Denmark
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This is a fixture both Tunisia and Australia would have targeted as a prime opportunity for all three points

Tunisia held the Danes to a riotously spirited 0-0 draw in their first game. Backup goalkeeper Bechir Ben Said overcame a muscular strain which threatened to hamper his involvement on the eve of the tournament. While he was not used it means they should have all 26 members squad to select from.

Australia took the lead against France but could only cling to that advantage for 18 minutes, before conceding and falling to a 4-1 loss. They had to manage various injuries on the eve of the tournament, confirming the departure of Martin Boyle on the opening day of the World Cup. Marco Tilio replaced the Hibernian winger but didn't get off the bench against France.
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Poland played out a goalless stalemate against Mexico. They arrived in Qatar with a fully fit squad at his disposal. Despite the disappointment of an opening day draw, Poland appear to have emerged from their tie with Mexico unscathed - although, centre-back Kamil Glik did sustain two blows to the head.

Saudi Arabia are riding high from an earth-shattering World Cup opener. The 2-1 toppling of Argentina will forever have a place inscribed alongside the tournament's greatest upsets, and was so historic, a Saudi Arabian national holiday was declared in its honour. A sour note in the match occurred when Goalkeeper Mohammed Al-Owais collided forcefully with his teammate Yasser Al-Shahrani in the second half. Before departing on a stretcher, Al-Shahrani gave a double thumbs-up but he reportedly fractured his jaw and left facial bones. Salman Al- Faraj also limped off on the cusp of half-time with a hamstring injury.
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Reigning world champions France face a fancied Denmark side in one of the group stage's heavyweight clashes.

France came from behind against Australia to kick off their title defence with a convincing victory. In the same move which led to Craig Goodwin's well-taken opener, France lost Lucas Hernandez to a knee injury. An MRI scan confirmed it was an ACL tear for the Bayern Munich defender, ruling him out of the tournament. His brother, Theo Hernandez, is expected to replace him, while Manchester United centre-back Raphael Varane is fit to start. Winger Kingsley Coman sat out Friday's training session because of a hip issue.

Denmark for the second tournament in a row, were held to the first 0-0 draw of the World Cup. While Tunisia took a share of the spoils earlier this week, France were on the other side of the stalemate in 2018. Thomas Delaney fell victim to Tunisia's robust approach in their group opener, limping off with a knee problem on the cusp of half-time and could be ruled out for the rest of the tournament
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Argentina face Mexico still smarting from one of the World Cup's great shocks.

Argentina may have shed their invincible tag, but the 36-match unbeaten sequence Argentina took into the competition can't be entirely brushed aside. While their reputations were certainly dented, they appear to emerge from the humbling loss without any fresh injury concerns. Paulo Dybala was one of several attacking options overlooked on Tuesday, leaving Lautaro Martinez, Angel Di Maria and Messi on for the full 90 minutes

Mexico who were disappointed to only take a point against Poland, feel indebted to veteran goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa for saving a Robbert Lewandowski penalty. Henry Martin was selected ahead of Raul Jimenez against Poland, introducing the Wolverhampton Wanderers striker for the final 20 minutes. Eased back to fitness following his injury-riddled start to the campaign, Jimenez could be in line for his first competitive start since August

Tunisia 0 Australia 1

Duke (23'minutes)

Australia held on to a narrow first-half lead to pick up a crucial victory over Tunisia that keeps alive their hopes of qualifying for the World Cup last 16.



Knowing defeat would see them make an early exit from the competition, Graham Arnold's side came out of the blocks full of energy and intent.

Mitchell Duke took advantage of their positive start when he superbly flicked Craig Goodwin's cross into the far corner to put them 1-0 up after 23 minutes.

Australia held their nerve to survive a desperate onslaught from Tunisia in the second half, with Youssef Msakni forcing goalkeeper Mathew Ryan into a save at his near post, though that came moments after Mathew Leckie had come inches away from connecting with Goodwin's cross at the other end. To claim their first victory at a World Cup since 2010.

Stoke City defender Harry Souttar put in a superb performance, making several key blocks and tackles as Australia dug in.

Poland 2 Saudi Arabia 0

Zielinski (39'minutes),
Lewandowski (82'minutes)

Robert Lewandowski scored his first World Cup goal as Poland earned a crucial victory over Saudi Arabia that leaves Group C wide open.



Piotr Zielinski had given Poland a first-half lead from Lewandowski's cutback, but Saudi Arabia were awarded a penalty five minutes later for Krystian Bielik's foul on Saleh Al Shehri.

Wojciech Szczesny kept out Feras Al Brikan's effort before producing a sensational one-handed stop to prevent Mohammed Al Burayk from burying the rebound.

Saud Abdulhamid was denied by Sczcesny and Al Brikan shot over the bar in the second half, while Arkadiusz Milik and Lewandowski were both denied by the woodwork as Poland sought to double their lead on the counter-attack.

Lewandowski's late strike ended Saudi Arabia's hopes of building on Tuesday's remarkable victory over Argentina and boosts Poland's hopes of reaching the last 16 for the first time since 1986, when they were beaten 4-0 by Brazil in the first knockout round.

France 2 Denmark 1

Mbappé (61'minutes, 86'minutes)

Christensen (68'minutes)

Kylian Mbappe scored twice for France as the defending champions laid down a World Cup marker by beating Denmark to become the first team into the knockout stage.



Mbappe stole the show once again with second-half strikes to take his side through. He broke the deadlock just past the hour mark, exchanging a fine one-two with Theo Hernandez before stroking in.

Denmark equalised just seven minutes later with their first effort on target as defender Andreas Christensen headed home at the far post after France failed to clear a corner.

France keeper Hugo Lloris made a sharp stop to keep out Tottenham team-mate Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg's first-time shot, while Martin Braithwaite agonisingly fired into the side netting.


And with four minutes left, Mbappe snatched the winner, sneaking in at the far post to convert Antoine Griezmann's cross.

Argentina 2 Mexico 0

Messi (64'minutes),
Fernández (87'minutes)

Lionel Messi produced a moment of trademark magic to help keep Argentina's World Cup hopes alive with victory in a tense encounter against Mexico.



The tension was mounting as Mexico frustrated Messi in an attritional game, especially in a first half littered with fouls and stoppages that never allowed Argentina to gain any momentum.

Messi changed all that after 64 minutes when he took one touch to control a pass with his left foot before drilling an unerring finish past Mexico keeper Guillermo Ochoa into the bottom corner from 20 yards.


Enzo Fernandez added a superb second with a curling shot into the top corner three minutes from time but it was Messi who made the breakthrough and the difference.