Lionel Messi is now the all-time leading goalscorer in World Cup history after a double against Austria took him past Miroslav Klose and Argentina into the knockout rounds.
Messi’s 17th and 18th goals arrived despite a missed penalty in Dallas as the defending champions confirmed their place as Group J winners. Joining them in the last 32 are France and Norway, with Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland again to the fore despite weather threatening their games and delaying France’s success against Iraq by two hours.
Hoping to join their fellow heavyweights in progressing are England, who have arrived in Boston as they prepare for a meeting with Ghana. A vibrant 4-2 win over Croatia represented an excellent start for Thomas Tuchel’s side but the manager will be wary of a recent tournament trend of scruffier second showings. Will Bukayo Saka be fit to play some part? Is the battle for No 10 settled? Victory would be enough to ensure England top the group.
Follow all of the latest news and updates from the 2026 World Cup with our live blog below:
World Cup news LIVE
- World Cup 2026 continues with another busy day of group stage action
- Lionel Messi becomes all-time leading tournament goalscorer to help Argentina into knockout rounds
- France and Norway reach last 32 as Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland star
- England preparing for meeting with Ghana and chance to top Group L
- Thomas Partey set to feature having been denied entry into Canada
World Cup 2026 fixtures, results and group tables
12:45 , Harry Latham-Coyle
The World Cup rolls on – here’s a reminder of all of the results so far and fixtures still to come in North America:
World Cup 2026 fixtures, results and group tables
What will Bukayo Saka's role be?
12:30 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Bukayo Saka again enters England’s clash with Ghana under something of a fitness cloud, with the Arsenal winger unlikely to be fit to feature fully in Boston. Will be be used off the bench? Or might Thomas Tuchel save him for games to come?
Water-gate: Fifa’s lucrative World Cup breaks are ruining the spectacle
12:10 , Harry Latham-Coyle
It’s meant to be in the mid to late teens, cloudy and a little bit wet in Boston today – not sure the hydration breaks are going to be that necessary. Lawrence Ostlere made a persuasive case for getting rid of them earlier in the tournament.
Water-gate: Fifa’s lucrative World Cup breaks are ruining the spectacle
Thomas Tuchel criticises unpopular World Cup hydration breaks for changing football’s ‘identity’
12:00 , Harry Latham-Coyle
England boss Thomas Tuchel has added his voice to the chorus criticising hydration breaks at this summer’s World Cup, saying they take away a “characteristic of the beautiful game”.
Fifa has introduced compulsory three-minute breaks at the halfway point of each half, in theory to help teams cope with sweltering temperatures across much of North America throughout the tournament.
However, the fact that they are applied to games regardless of temperature and the way they break up the flow of games, as well as provide opportunity for yet more advertising, has proved unpopular with everyone from fans to coaches, including Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa.
Tuchel criticises World Cup hydration breaks for changing football’s ‘identity’
Ghana boss sends World Cup warning to England: ‘They have three lions... we have 33 million’
11:45 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Ghana’s coach Carlos Queiroz has issued a defiant challenge to England ahead of their crucial World Cup encounter.
Ghana boss sends World Cup warning to England
How England's system dominated Croatia
11:35 , Harry Latham-Coyle
It was highly impressive from England against Croatia. Adam Clery examines how Thomas Tuchel’s system worked a treat.
Marcus Rashford says England must ‘fight for each other’ amid fierce competition for starting places
11:25 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Thomas Tuchel appears to be getting closer to settling on his first-choice XI, though there may still be a couple of places up for grabs. Marcus Rashford hopes to forge a friendly competitiveness within the squad.
Marcus Rashford says England must ‘fight for each other’ amid competition to start
Ollie Watkins urges England to top group but World Cup contenders wary of Antoine Semenyo threat
11:15 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Can England join France in the last 32? A win over Ghana would all-but-confirm their place as table-toppers in Group L, though they must be wary of Antoine Semenyo’s threat.
Watkins urges England to top group but World Cup contenders wary of Semenyo threat
How France finally found the perfect supporting cast for Kylian Mbappe
11:00 , Harry Latham-Coyle
There has been a lot of attention, naturally, on Kylian Mbappe after France’s first two games, but Chris Wilson has been just as impressed by the supporting cast in their opening fixtures.
How France finally found the perfect supporting cast for Kylian Mbappe
Fifa quietly scrubbed logos off World Cup stadiums – so one brand turned the cover-up into a marketing campaign
10:45 , Lawrence Ostlere
There is a physical perimeter around every stadium at this World Cup and once you pass through, there are rules. Welcome to Fifa-Land. No large banners. No political imagery of any kind. No offensive symbols. No commercial material. No inflatables. No musical instruments taller than 12cm. No binoculars. No significant quantities of paper, which is left open to interpretation. No frisbees. No detonators, which is reassuring.
Inside, organisers have gone to extraordinary lengths to cleanse stadiums of all unofficial branding in order to meet Fifa’s “clean-site” policy, a kind of sanitised insanity that feels entirely in-keeping with the general ethos of football’s global governing body.
Fifa scrubbed logos off World Cup stadiums – so one brand has got creative
Is there a problem with the World Cup ball? Why goalkeepers are struggling with the Trionda
10:30 , Harry Latham-Coyle
It’s been a relatively high-scoring World Cup so far, which is perhaps not a surprise after tournament expansion. But could the ball also be to blame? Will Castle looks at why some goalkeepers may be struggling with the Adidas Trionda.
Is there a problem with the World Cup ball? Why goalkeepers are struggling
Why imperfect perfectionist Marcelo Bielsa and Uruguay were doomed to fail at World Cup
10:15 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Careering towards an early exit from a tournament that looked to promise much are Uruguay. Richard Jolly examines why manager Marcelo Bielsa might always have been a mismatched fit in his role:
Why imperfect perfectionist Bielsa and Uruguay were doomed to fail at World Cup
HAVE YOUR SAY: Who will win the World Cup golden boot?
10:00 , Harry Latham-Coyle
World Cup 2026 golden boot standings as Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland lead race
09:55 , Harry Latham-Coyle
The chase for the golden boot is hotting up:
World Cup 2026 golden boot standings including Messi, Mbappe and Haaland
Erling Haaland leads iconic Norway celebration after double downs Senegal to secure World Cup progress
09:45 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Joining Argentina and France in the last 32 are Norway, with Erling Haaland leading the charge both on the pitch and afterwards as he and the rest of the squad celebrated a 3-2 win against Senegal.
Haaland leads iconic Norway celebration after World Cup progression
What is Fifa’s weather protocol for World Cup 2026 amid risk of long delays due to lightning?
09:35 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Probably worth keeping this one saved for the rest of the tournament – there could well be more delays at this World Cup:
World Cup 2026 matches face prospect of long delays due to lightning
Kylian Mbappe makes a statement as France overcome two-hour storm delay to beat Iraq at World Cup
09:30 , Harry Latham-Coyle
It was a wet and wild night for France and Iraq as a two-hour weather delay impacted their World Cup clash. Kylian Mbappe kept calm amid the chaos, though, as Chris Wilson explains:
Kylian Mbappe makes a statement as France overcome two-hour storm delay to beat Iraq
Austria coach Ralf Rangnick rages at Lionel Messi goal and double standards in Argentina defeat
09:20 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Back to Lionel Messi, then, and Austria boss Ralf Rangnick was not best pleased about what he perceived as double standards, believing a foul from Argentina to have gone unspotted in the build-up to the Argentina captain’s first goal:
Austria coach rages at Lionel Messi goal and double standards in Argentina defeat
10 men and a statue: Portugal are sacrificing another World Cup for Cristiano Ronaldo’s ego
09:10 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Is Cristiano Ronaldo a help or a hindrance to Portugal at this World Cup? Richard Jolly would argue the latter:
Portugal are sacrificing another World Cup for Cristiano Ronaldo’s ego
Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo? The debate was always absurd
09:00 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Cristiano Ronaldo will return to action a little later as Portugal take on Uzbekistan – but Miguel Delaney thinks we can consider the debate over he and Lionel Messi decisively settled:
Lionel Messi vs Cristiano Ronaldo? The debate was always absurd
Lionel Messi’s historic World Cup moment sheds light on a vital quality
08:50 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Into the last 32 with a record-breaker in their ranks are Argentina, with another two goals for Lionel Messi taking him past Miroslav Klose as the all-time leading World Cup scorer. Jack Rathborn was there:
Lionel Messi’s historic World Cup moment sheds light on a vital quality
Thomas Partey to make World Cup appearance when Ghana meet England in Boston
08:40 , Lawrence Ostlere
Thomas Partey will make his first appearance in the 2026 World Cup when Ghana play against England on Tuesday. Partey was refused entry to Canada forcing him to miss Ghana’s opening match in Toronto, and he could be booed by spectators when he finally takes to the field in Boston.
The former Arsenal midfielder has been charged with seven counts of rape and one count of sexual assault by London’s Metropolitan Police and is awaiting trial. He has pleaded not guilty to, and denied, all charges.
Thomas Partey to make World Cup appearance when Ghana meet England in Boston
Coming up today...
08:30 , Harry Latham-Coyle
England’s encounter with Ghana is one of four World Cup matches in another busy spell of action over the next 24 hours or so. Here is how you can watch it all in the United Kingdom
Portugal vs Uzbekistan (Group K) – 6pm BST – ITV 1, ITV X, STV, STV Player
England vs Ghana (Group L) – 9pm BST – BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website
Panama vs Croatia (Group L) – 12am BST – BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website
Colombia vs DR Congo (Group K) – 3am BST – ITV 1, ITV X, STV, STV Player
How ‘Tournament Thomas’ embraced the World Cup and changed England’s culture
08:20 , Harry Latham-Coyle
Richard Jolly, meanwhile, has spent the week with Tuchel and England in Kansas City, and found the atmosphere rather different – and encouraging:
How ‘Tournament Thomas’ embraced the World Cup and changed England’s culture
The concerning trend England must address in World Cup clash with Ghana
08:11 , Harry Latham-Coyle
England’s recent tournaments have been characterised by one common theme – subpar showings in their second outings. Miguel Delaney explains how Thomas Tuchel is aiming to address a worrying trend.
The concerning trend England must address in World Cup clash with Ghana
World Cup 2026 LIVE
08:08 , Harry Latham-Coyle
A very good morning. It’s another bumper day of World Cup action with England looking to secure their place in the knockout rounds and top Group L as they face Ghana. A 4-2 win over Croatia was an excellent start for Thomas Tuchel’s side – can they join Argentina, France and Norway in booking their spot in the last 32?
