Spain’s unheralded aces end Deschamps’ France romance with World Cup dream of success
Spain edged its opponent for completed passes, but had only two shots on target compared to France’s three. Both attempts counted, with Mikel Oyarzabal converting an early penalty after Lamine Yamal was fouled by Lucas Digne, before Porro added a second following a one-two with Dani Olmo.
Return to sender: Lethargic and indifferent Brazil dumped out of World Cup and sent hom by Norwegian predator Haaland’s two goals
After being a non-factor for much of the afternoon and having limited touches, Haaland turned it on when it mattered most, getting the right side of his head on the ball after a perfect setup by Andreas Schjelderup, who entered at halftime.
Who will be greatest? France star Mbappé and Argentina’s Messi in a race for World Cup record scorer
With 18 goals in 18 World Cup games, Mbappé has scored at an even faster clip than Messi, who has played in 29 games at the tournament. Mbappé was substituted in the 85th minute against Sweden.
How new role, learning to love tap-ins and not ‘cheating’ propelled Ousmane Dembele to Ballon d’Or
Following Mbappe’s exit, Dembele had been assured by the PSG hierarchy that he would be “the leader of the attack”, according to a source close to the player. He was subsequently disappointed to discover that central midfielder Vitinha, and not he.
