Hello and welcome to Daily Mail Sport‘s World Cup Breakfast from day 14 at the tournament – your one-stop shop for everything you’ve missed overnight in North America.
For all the latest news, viral moments and what to look out for, stay right here.
OVERNIGHT ACTION
This is what happened while you were asleep…
Portugal 5-0 Uzbekistan (Group K)
‘I’m back, I’m back’, those were the words roared by Cristiano Ronaldo as Portugal hammered Uzbekistan.
After a week of soul-searching, in-fighting and ugly social media fall-out, Ronaldo put his stamp on the World Cup and answered his critics with a superbly taken brace in this rout.
The first was a razor-sharp piece of movement and first-time finish in the box. He was central to Portugal’s second as well, showcasing his acting skills as he stood over a free-kick only for Nuno Mendes to hammer home.
Ronaldo’s second, Portugal’s third, was a lovely finish on an angle after a trademark Bruno Fernandes through ball.
This has been a tournament for the superstars and with Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane all on fire, Ronaldo was never going to fade quietly into the background.
The Uzbekistan goalkeeper, Abduvohid Nematov, had a hopeless game and practically threw in Portugal’s fourth before Rafael Leao made it five.
Roberto Martinez’s men are up and running and Ronaldo showed he’s not exactly the waste of space some made him out to be. Whether he can still offer the same level of threat against the top sides aged 41 is likely to define Portugal’s tournament.
READ RIATH AL-SAMARRAI’S REPORT HERE
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Cristiano Ronaldo scored a brace for Portugal in their 5-0 demolition of Uzbekistan
England 0-0 Ghana (Group L)
Vintage Carlos Queiroz-ball. England huffed and puffed but were not able to blow the house down, or even wobble it.
Ghana’s low block, excellent organisation and tenacity in defence thwarted Thomas Tuchel’s side in a drab stalemate.
The best chance of the game fell to Harry Kane, who headed against the bar late on before uncharacteristically hammering the rebound over the bar.
Ghana offered precious little heading the other way but occasional breaks gave their Group L rivals enough to keep them honest.
Tuchel was extremely animated on the touchline, clearly unhappy with aspects of his side’s play.
The attack was ponderous and perhaps highlighted the lack of creative passing options in the squad, though Bukayo Saka and Morgan Rogers made an impact off the bench.
England advance to their final group game against Panama as heavy favourites to top the group, which as it stands would see them face Algeria in the last 32 according to OPTA’s bracket prediction.
The bracket then sees England in a last-16 clash with either Mexico or Scotland and then a quarter final with either Brazil, Japan, Ivory Coast or Norway, should they progress.
After that, should all the favourites win, England would meet Argentina in the semi-final and then one of France or Spain at the MetLife Stadium on July 19.
Getting the job done against Panama is crucial for Tuchel’s side, as OPTA’s predictor has Croatia to beat Ghana and finish second in Group L before meeting Portugal in the last 32 and either Spain or Austria in the last 16.
READ OLIVER HOLT’S FULL MATCH REPORT HERE
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Harry Kane blazed a brilliant chance over the bar late in the game as England were held
Panama 0-1 Croatia (Group L)
Panama were knocked out of the tournament before their clash with England on Saturday night as Croatia kept their World Cup hopes alive with a slender 1-0 win in Toronto.
Substitute Ante Budimir scored Croatia’s winner early in the second half, finding space at the back post to tap home after Josip Stanisic flashed a dangerous ball across the face of goal from the right flank.
Luka Modric etched his name further into the history books by recording his 200th appearance for Croatia, playing 81 minutes before being substituted to a rapturous reception at BMO Field.
He was also thrown into the air by team-mates during post-match celebrations, with Croatia keen to mark the occasion for their all-time great.
After the match, Croatia boss Zlatko Dalic said: ‘He is still influencing matches and to play for your country 200 times, that is a lot. We need to be very happy to have him in the team.
‘Luka is very humble and this is why he is not for major celebrations. But I am very glad we marked this today in front of our fans.’
The victory means Croatia will confirm a top-two place in Group L if they beat Ghana on Saturday, while England will face a Panama side who know there’s nothing they can do to remain in the tournament.
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Luka Modric made his 200th cap for Croatia as they narrowly beat Panama 1-0 in Toronto
Colombia 1-0 DR Congo (Group K)
Colombia have ensured they will top Group K if they earn a result against Portugal on Sunday after narrowly beating DR Congo 1-0 in Guadalajara.
Crystal Palace defender Daniel Munoz scored the only goal of the game in the 76th minute to earn Colombia victory, finally breaking the deadlock after his side missed a catalogue of good chances.
Latching onto a tight pass from Juan Fernando Quintero, Munoz darted off the wing and struck the ball with his left foot past Congolese goalkeeper Lionel Mpasi, who was wrong footed after the strike took a deflection off the defender.
Two minutes after scoring, match-winner Munoz nearly added a second when he bundled the ball into the net after following up his initial header, but the goal was disallowed for a marginal offside.
DR Congo will need victory against Uzbekistan in their final group stage game to have any chance of progressing to the knockout stage, while a draw would be enough for Colombia to top the group when they face off against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal on Sunday.
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Daniel Munoz’s deflected strike handed Colombia a 1-0 victory over DR Congo in Guadalajara
VIEW FROM THE GROUND – CRAIG HOPE
As England’s players filed out of the Boston Stadium last night, one thing I noticed was the first man to leave, some time before his team-mates.
That was Marcus Rashford. Hood up, he walked past us reporters and did not seem overly chipper. I understand why.
Rashford did not come on until the 84th minute of the goalless draw with Ghana. It was crying out for his intervention long before that, especially on the back of such an impressive cameo against Croatia last week.
Maybe it was that the glute problem he felt after that game reduced his scope for involvement, but he was bright enough during his time on the pitch to suggest otherwise.
Rashford was warming up with his fellow subs when Thomas Tuchel waved for his first round of changes in the 66th minute.
To our surprise – and no doubt to his – Rashford was not among them. Rather, when Anthony Gordon came off, Tuchel switched Noni Madueke to the left.
Gordon did not have his best game, much like in the opener against Croatia, and his place is now under threat.
If so, it should be Rashford who comes in for his first start since the first warm-up game in Tampa. He was electric that day and, while it feels like a long time ago now, he has never looked anything but razor sharp when I have seen him out here, be that in matches or training.
Time for change, Thomas.
TEAM OF THE DAY
Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes impressed as Portugal thrashed Uzbekistan 5-0
CELEBRITY WATCH
England football royalty, Sir David Beckham was on smiling and waving duty on Tuesday night.
His singer son, Cruz, 21, sat to his left and they had plenty of air time on the big screen, especially in the first half while the game itself was drab and without any major moments of excitement.
The Beckhams split their time between houses in London, the Cotswolds and Miami.
The former Man United, Real Madrid, PSG and LA Galaxy man also saw one of his international records passed.
Harry Kane moved beyond Beckham’s 115 England caps to rank third in the all-time list.
Only Wayne Rooney (120) and Peter Shilton (125) are ahead of the Bayern Munich striker now, while Jordan Pickford made his 14th World Cup appearance to take him joint-second beyond Beckham.
David Beckham is pictured in the stands at Gillette Stadium with his son Cruz
VIRAL MOMENT OF THE DAY
IShowSpeed (Darren Jason Watkins Jr), the American influencer, Gianni Infantino’s Gen Z mate and Cristiano Ronaldo superfan, was in tears at he Portuguese star’s heroics.
Having made his love of Ronaldo a formative part of his brand, the 21-year-old’s hate watch of Lionel Messi on Monday night was a bit of a flop.
But he was front and centre on a live stream watch along of the Portugal game when Ronaldo delivered a punchy response to his critics, scoring a brace.
IShowSpeed’s reaction to the second strike in particular went viral, with the goal provoking an emotional outburst of such violence that snot was seen dangling from his nose. Deeply strange behaviour.
IShowSpeed was reduced to tears of joy by Cristiano Ronaldo’s two-goal performance
PICTURE OF THE DAY
There was a flashpoint at the end of the first half between England and Ghana.
‘F*** you man, f*** you’, Ghana boss Carlos Queiroz yelled at Jude Bellingham, pursuing the England man down the touchline.
Bellingham had made an uncompromising challenge that sparked a furious reaction from the opposition bench, led by Queiroz.
The Real Madrid man kept his cool and headed down the tunnel while all hell broke loose around him.
There was a flaspoint at the end of the first half between Jude Bellingham and Carlos Queiroz
STAT OF THE DAY
England had so much of the ball against Ghana but were held at arm’s length incredibly effectively.
One particular star damns the lack of creativity and cutting edge…
England’s 78.8% possession was the most on record (from 1966) by any side in a World Cup game without managing to score.
It was also the first game of this World Cup not to have a single shot on target for the entire first half.
Nobody will be in a rush to watch the replay and it’ll be a mission to get the highlights package over five minutes!
THREE THINGS TO LOOK OUT FOR TODAY
1) Will Scotland play for a draw against giants Brazil?
Steve Clarke’s side know a point in Miami is enough to reach the knockout stages, while even a narrow loss could see them advance to the last 32 as one of eight best third-place teams.
But playing for a draw is risky business – one false step or mistake and it could be curtains for the tournament.
Speaking on the psychological challenge facing his country, former Scotland manager Craig Levein told BBC Scotland: ‘I don’t believe Steve will be playing for a draw because there’s a dangerous element to that.
‘Because you’re in a mode where if you do lose a goal then getting shifted out of that mind space is difficult. I’ve been in that situation on a number of occasions.
‘One of them was the Czech Republic game, the 4-6-0 [in 2010], where a draw would have been a really good result. The game wasn’t great and neither team threatened, but we lost the goal to a set-piece.
‘So you can plan all you want to play for a certain outcome, but football is so random that you’re not guaranteed to get that.’
Scotland were cagey and unimaginative during their narrow 1-0 defeat by Morocco in their second group game. Maybe releasing the shackles against Brazil is the answer for Clarke’s men to advance.
Scotland must be wary about playing solely for a draw when they face off against Brazil
2) Neymar’s World Cup return
A interesting sub plot to Scotland’s crucial clash against Brazil in Miami is the return of 34-year-old icon Neymar.
Carlo Ancelotti revealed to the media that Neymar, who has been nursing a calf injury since touching down in the United States, is ready for action and could see his first minutes of the tournament against Scotland.
The former Barcelona and PSG superstar was recalled by Ancelotti after almost three years away from the national side and will send Selecao fans wild if he finally makes his comeback in Miami.
Brazil team-mate Gabriel Martinelli said on Monday: ‘He’s performing at a very high level and you could see the intensity in today’s training session. You could see how keen he is to be with us, and his quality is unquestionable.
‘Whether he’ll play or not is a question for the manager, but I think he’s in great shape.’
Brazil will reach the last 32 as group winners if they win or draw against Scotland and Morocco fail to beat Haiti.
Neymar could make his return after Carlo Ancelotti revealed the Brazilian icon is available
3) Who will top Group B?
Switzerland and Canada face off in a head-to-head to see who tops Group B at 8pm BST, after both sides chalked up four points from their opening two matches.
Both sides started the tournament modestly as the Swiss drew 1-1 with Qatar and the World Cup hosts were held to the same score by Bosnia and Herzegovina.
But they each kicked into gear in their second matches with Switzerland triumphing 4-1 over Bosnia and Herzegovina and Canada serving Qatar a 6-0 thumping.
With attacks fully on top ahead of the best-of-Group B match, neutrals should be in for an enjoyable match.
Jonathan David, who netted a hat-trick for the hosts last time out, will be keen to add to his account in Vancouver, as will Switzerland’s Johan Manzambi, who struck twice against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
TODAY’S GAMES
Bosnia & Herzegovina vs Qatar (8pm, Seattle, ITV)
Hope is still just about alive for these two heading into their final group game.
Bosnia & Herzegovina’s draw with Canada and Qatar’s unlikely point against Switzerland has set this one up as a winner takes all.
Interestingly, the European side are yet to beat Qatar, having drawn and lost a couple of friendlies.
It would be remarkable for Julen Lopetegui’s side to recover from the hammering by Canada, in which they went down to nine men.
Homam Ahmed and Assim Madibo are both suspended after their red cards.
Neither side boast a free-flowing attack and with so much at stake in this Seattle showdown, it looks likely to be a nervy, close affair.
Prediction: Bosnia & Herzegovina win
Julen Lopetegui will want to see a reaction from Qatar after they were thumped 6-0 by Canada
Switzerland vs Canada (8pm, Vancouver, ITV)
Top spot in Group B is on the line, with both Switzerland and Canada level on four points.
The co-hosts have only played the Swiss once before, a 3-1 win way back in 2002.
Will Johan Manzambi start having come off the bench to score twice against Bosnia & Herzegovina last time out?
Freiburg will hope their man is given another chance to showcase his talents and add a few pounds to his transfer value.
If Switzerland manage to top the group it will be the first time since 2006 that they’ve managed it but Canada have played themselves into form with the demolition of Qatar.
Jesse Marsch’s men will of course be without Ismael Kone, who broke his leg in that win and the former Watford midfielder will be a significant loss.
Prediction: Canada win
Morocco vs Haiti (11pm, Atlanta, BBC)
Haiti are just playing for pride having already been knocked out after defeats by Scotland and Brazil.
Morocco are effectively through on four points already and the Atlas Lions look like they’ll present a real headache for any side unfortunate enough to be pitted against them in the knockouts.
A rest may be afforded to 18-year-old Ayyoub Bouaddi, who is of interest to Arsenal and Liverpool, and has already established himself as one of the brightest young stars at the World Cup.
Achraf Hakimi and Brahim Diaz may also be given a break. Both sides have a completely clean bill of health for this one.
Prediction: Draw
Morocco’s 18-year-old sensation Ayyoub Bouaddi has lit up the World Cup so far
Scotland vs Brazil (11pm, Miami, BBC)
What a game, what an occasion for the Tartan Army.
They’ve marched south from Boston, where the fans drunk the city dry and were immensely popular with locals, to Miami.
The heat of Florida might be a bit out of the Scots’ comfort zone but the Brazilians will feel right at home.
Scotland could still progress even if they lose but there’s no guarantee. Steve Clarke and Co know a draw would do the job but the Selecao improved ominously in their second encounter, the 3-0 win over Haiti.
Scott McTominay’s duel against his old Man United team-mate Casemiro will be fascinating and Ben Doak must surely start to give the Scots a direct threat on the break.
Clarke’s men haven’t quite hit their straps yet and will need to raise their performance level to earn anything from their final group game. Will this be the end of the road for the Scots? The World Cup has been far more colourful for their presence, so we hope not.
Prediction: Draw
Czechia v Mexico (2am, Mexico City, BBC)
There’s a party atmosphere sweeping Mexico after their perfect record of two wins from two so far.
They host Czechia in the nation’s capital with one eye already on the knockouts to come.
Czechia know this one is do-or-die, needing a victory against the host nation to see them advance. Javier Aguirre’s Mexico have been an entertaining watch and perhaps we’ll see more of 17-year-old attacking midfielder Gilberto Mora.
Aguirre may well give the wonderkid a start and rest his big names like Edson Alvarez, Julian Quinones and Raul Jimenez.
Prediction: Mexico win
Raul Jimenez (top) and Mexico will be looking to finish the group strong after a perfect start
South Africa vs South Korea (2am, Monterrey, BBC)
South Africa have been arguably one of the most disappointing teams in the tournament so far but can still sneak through to the knockouts.
Having managed a draw with Czechia in their last game, a win here against an impressive South Korea would see them burgle their way into the last 32.
The Bafana Bafana are in dire form with three draws and three defeats in their last six – their last win coming in December 2025.
South Korea have a dusting of real quality with Son Heung-Min and PSG’s Lee Kang-In spearheading the attack and the Taegeuk Warriors are strong favourites in Monterrey.
Prediction: South Korea win
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