The Manchester City striker turned in from close range to give Norway the lead on 29 minutes in Boston, but Aymen Hussein's header brought Iraq level.

It was as if the Spanish Armada had descended upon Atlanta Stadium on Monday, where reigning European champions Spain took on World Cup debutants Cape Verde in their Group H opener widely billed as one of the biggest mismatches of the tournament.

Serena Williams suffered a straight sets defeat in the Berlin Open doubles on Tuesday, hours after the confirmation of her return to Wimbledon to play alongside her older sister Venus.

France shook themselves awake after a sleepy first half on Tuesday to beat Senegal 3-1 in the New York/New Jersey Stadium for a perfect start to their World Cup campaign.

Brazil forward Neymar, who was diagnosed with a right calf injury in late May, trained at the World Cup for the first time Tuesday in a sign he may be nearing a return.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said on Tuesday that one million fans have so far attended matches at the World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.

Sports can be very cruel. Often, it is the final image that leaves the deepest imprint on fans’ minds.

New Zealand have picked Henry Nicholls to replace retired star Kane Williamson in the second Test against England on Wednesday.

England defender Tino Livramento has been ruled out of the World Cup after suffering a calf injury and replaced by Trevoh Chalobah on the eve of the team's opening match against Croatia.

Monday’s World Cup matches proved that the spotlight does not always need to fall on record-breaking forwards, even when the most compelling stories unfold inside the penalty area.

Women's International Master (WIM) Wadifa Ahmed began her campaign at the World Youth Chess Championship with a defeat, losing to Poland's FIDE Master Klara Szczotka in the Girls' Under-18 category in Montesilvano, Italy, on Monday.

Amid worries over fitness of several key players and a series of shocking results involving some of the tournament’s heavyweights in the opening days of the FIFA World Cup, Bangladesh’s veteran defender Topu Barman is still expecting a winning start for defending champions Argentina when they take on a formidable Algeria side on Wednesday morning.

The Tigresses opener is keen to replicate the aggressive mindset that defined her performance in the opening Group 1 victory over the Netherlands, where her quick-fire half-century gave her side the decisive edge.

Remember Szymon Marciniak? The bald-headed Polish referee who officiated the thrilling FIFA World Cup final between Argentina and France three and a half years ago at the Lusail Stadium.

The Argentine coach has reportedly experimented with both a 4-4-2 and a 3-5-2 formation during training, keeping opponents guessing ahead of Group J's opening match.

Dhaka engulfed in blue smoke alongside the Bangladeshi flag. Even our four-legged friends are getting into the frenzy. Bound by a unified dream for World Cup glory, global fans have proven that love for Argentina knows absolutely no borders.

Haaland, who scored 16 times in eight qualifying games, double the tally of anyone else in Europe, looks to be back in top form after being given a bit of rest by Manchester City at the end of the English Premier League season and by Norway in the run-up to the World Cup, Solbakken said.

Defending champions Argentina are set to launch their World Cup title defense mission when they take on Algeria in their opening Group J match at the Kansas City Stadium in Missouri on Wednesday morning. The match is scheduled to start at 7:00 am (Bangladesh time).

Bangladesh are sweating over the fitness of T20 captain Litton Das ahead of the opening match of the three-match T20I series against Australia, which begins tomorrow at the Bir Shrestha Shaheed Flight Lieutenant Matiur Rahman Cricket Stadium in Chattogram.

Scaloni emphasised the need for calm ahead of the opener.