World Cup LIVE: Mo Salah stars for Egypt as Belgium wobble and presenter suspended

World Cup LIVE: Mo Salah stars for Egypt as Belgium wobble and presenter suspended Departing Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah helped Egypt make history at the World Cup while Belgium drew and Lamine Yamal was on the scoresheet for Spain Hello and welcome to the Mirror's live coverage of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Monday, June 22. Cape Verde stunned Uruguay as they fought back to earn a respectable 2-2 draw. The minnows took the lead through Kevin Pina's long-range free-kick. The South American's hitback with a quickfire double on the stroke of half-time through Maxi Araujo and Agustin Canobbio. But the Cape Verdians capitalised on a defensive mishap with Helio Varela equalising just three minutes after coming on as a substitute. Mohamed Salah, meanwhile, scooped the Player of the Match award on a historic day for Egyptian football as they won their first-ever World Cup match. The Liverpool icon scored and assisted as they came from behind to beat New Zealand 3-1. In the first of Sunday's games, Spain dominated Saudi Arabia in Group H with a 4-0 win. That was followed by a bit of a bore-draw between Belgium and Iran in Group G - though there was a controversial red card given. For the latest updates and news from the World Cup, stay with us at Mirror Football for your fix of stories from across the pond. Key Events Jeremy Doku missed Belgium's goalless draw with Iran with a chest infection but he remains in the headlines after being targeted for his reasons for potentially leaving the World Cup early next month. The Man City forward is expecting the birth of his first child in the second week of July. However, L'Equipe presenter France Pierron took aim at his decision to leave the competition early to attend the arrival. She has since been suspended for her outburst, according to reports in France. You can read the full story here. History made for Egypt. Mohamed Salah stars with a goal and an assist as Egypt win 3-1 and move TOP of Group G. They fell behind to Finn Surman but New Zealand regressed, invited the pressure and it proved costly. Zico scored and assisted, Salah too, providing Trezeguet with the winner. That should be that in Canada. Mohamed Salah the provider this time, his corner is nodded home by Trezeguet. Criminal defending from New Zealand and they have squandered another lead at this World Cup. The Pharaohs on the cusp of World Cup history now. It just had to be him, Mohamed Salah. He has fired Egypt in front and now he is within one goal of the record to become all-time Pharaohs scorer. New Zealand aren't happy after a player was down in the Egyptian half but they were caught napping. Egypt stream forward, Salah plays a neat one two and fires low. Game on, Egypt are level and it has been coming. Zico powers a header home that Max Crocombe can't keep out. The forward, named after the Brazil icon, has his moment on the world stage. New Zealand lead at the break and they are just 45 minutes from a historic first-ever win at the World Cup. Finn Surman's header is the difference. Egypt have been applying pressure but they haven't found the breakthrough with Mohamed Salah going close with a free-kick curling wide. But hey, at least it's not goalless. Bukayo Saka trained fully to give England a major fitness boost ahead of the World Cup clash with Ghana. Arsenal winger Saka did not train with the rest of the squad on Saturday and followed his own fitness programme to manage an ongoing Achilles issue. But Saka took part in the closed training session at England's base in Kansas City on Sunday in the build-up to Tuesday’s game in Boston. Saka has to manage the issue in Arsenal’s title run-in but is adamant he is fit and it has not deteriorated. England boss Thomas Tuchel said last week that he may not risk Saka until the final Group match with Panama. First blood to New Zealand! It has been an equal opening 15 but the big centre-back Finn Surman rises like a salmon and nods them in front. The corner swings in, Surman loses his marker and towers home the opener. No real surprises for either New Zealand or Egypt but the incentives are there for both, win and they go above Belgium. Kevin de Bruyne and co. drew 0-0 earlier with Iran and now, the opportunity is there. New Zealand have never won at a World Cup and neither have Egypt. Chris Wood starts and captains New Zealand, as does Liverpool icon Mohamed Salah. Ralf Rangnick is the latest manager to take on mission impossible. When he leads his Austria team into battle with Argentina and Lionel Messi in Dallas. Messi is walking on water so far, having scored a hat-trick in his side’s opening win over Algeria. But former Manchester United manager Ragnick has adopted a different tactic in an attempt to put the brakes on the Messi juggernaut. By paying the footballing icon a backhanded compliment, which makes little sense! Rangnick said: “Lionel Messi, maybe he doesn't put in the same legwork as in the past. “He likes to stay on the sides and sometimes he likes to stop in front of the goal in the offside position. “And that doesn't mean that they have one man less. “But they have one man less that works in the counter pressing - but that makes him so dangerous. “Because he might be in a free position. So we need to be prepared for that.” Most United fans were baffled with most of what Rangnick did and said during his time at Old Trafford. And now the rest of the world know how they felt. What. An. End. Uruguay try to win it. Cape Verde almost snatch it. It's another landmark point for Cape Verde in a monumental performance. Uruguay will hold another inquest after their draw with Saudi Arabia in the group opener. Uruguay now face Spain in their final match while Cape Verde face Saudi Arabia. Backs to the wall for the minnows but they survive in another historic display. It's a bizarre twist as Uruguay think they are back in front. It's a mess. Cape Verde appeals for an offside from a Uruguay corner, but play continues, and the ball is drilled into the box, flicked goalwards, comes off the post and is spilt by Vozinha. It falls to Araujo who deftly chips home but after a VAR check, the offside stands. Marcelo Bielsa has turned to former Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez. Oh my word, Uruguay have been stunned again. It's a gift for the Cape Verdians, there's players on the pitch. A throw-in to Oliveira is sliced, Muslera is in no man's and Varela, who only came onto the pitch three minutes ago, plops the ball into an empty net. It sounds easy but he still had so much work to do. Uruguay will go into the break ahead, with a goal deep into stoppage time. It's a great cross from deep into the box and Araugjo heads it back across the six-yard-line where Canobbio is on hand to place the ball past Vozinha, who had no chance. Uruguay have been pushing, and now they've equalised. There's some protests from Cape Verde, who had a man down with cramp. Vinas was actually helping him, but when Uruguay got the ball he quickly ditched efforts to join the attack. The ball is swung into the box and a header cannons back off the post, only for Araujo to nod into an empty net with a diving header. Kevin Pina hits a thunderbolt of a free kick from around 30 yards out to give Cape Verde the advantage. That was absolutely incredible! Uruguay 0-1 Cape Verde Speaking on ITV after the match, Keane said: "The time to judge a player is when you give him time on the ball. It's almost easier for Iran when they were sitting and defending. "When they had the extra man, they almost didn't know what to do with it. In terms of the quality of the game, I thought it was rubbish. Really bad. Obviously, Belgium had a couple of really good chances, but the standard in terms of the passing, movement, decision-making...so poor." Here's the Uruguay starting line-up to face Cabo Verde in the World Cup this evening. Lamine Yamal has reflected on scoring his first World Cup goal in Spain’s 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia. In an interview with DAZN, Yamal said: It's special.I've always dreamed about being at a World Cup, and being able to score in my first start is a dream.I watched the last World Cup in class at school. Here's how things stands in Group G after tonight's goalless draw between Belgium and Iran. Egypt and New Zealand will go head-to-head later tonight, with each team having a chance to climb to the top ofthe group. There goes the final whistle with Belgium and Iran being forced to settle for a point each after a goalless draw here in Los Angeles. Belgium will now prepare to face New Zealand in their final Group G game, while Iran will face Egypt, who will be expected to have Mohamed Salah in their squad. All to play for in Group G, it seems! Even though they're down to 10 men, Belgium should have the lead thanks to an effort from Maxim De Cuyper. However, the strike from the Brighton defender goes straight at Iran goalkeeper Alireza Beiranvand from close range. Entering the final five minutes and it's still goalless here in Los Angeles. Drama in Los Angeles as Belgum are down to 10 men with Nathan Ngoy shown a red card for denying a goal scoring opportunity. The sending off means Iran will have an extra player for the rest of the game and will have some confidence of being able to get a late winner. Still 0-0 on 68 minutes. We're 10 minutes into the second half and still it remains goalless between Belgium and Iran. Belgium are in danger of failiing to win either of their opening two World Cup group games if something doesn't change in the next half an hour. There will also be belief from Iran that they will be able to get a victory in this game the longer it remains goalless. Other than the goal from Mehdi Taremi being disallowed for offside, it's been a relatively quiet fist half between Belgium and Iran. Iran thought they had opened the scoring, but Taremi's effort was ruled out, and there is still no goals on the score sheet in this Group G contest. All to play for in the second half here in Los Angeles. Some drama here in Los Angeles as Iran believe they have opened the scoring against Belgium. Mehdi Taremi thought he had put Iran in front only for the effort to be ruled out following a VAR check. Both Iran and Belgium remain level at 0-0 as the first hydration break of the match takes place. Here's a reminder of the line-ups in today's match between Belgium and Iran: Belgium starting line-up: Courtois, Mechele, De Cuyper, Meunier, Ngoy, De Bruyne, Tielemans, Saelemaekers, Raskin, Lukaku, Trossard Iran starting line-up: Beiranvand, Hardani, Hajisafi, Kanani, Nemati, Rezaeian, Ezatolahi, Mohebbi, Ghoddos, Taremi They're European champions for a reason, you know? After Monday's shock 0-0 draw with Cape Verde, a fired-up Spain had a statement to make., reports Nathan Ridley. If there were any concerns that this would be another painstaking affair for Luis de la Fuente's side, they were quickly dispelled inside 24 minutes, as Saudi Arabia were put to the sword. Lamine Yamal's first World Cup goal opened the floodgates before a brace from Mikel Oyarzabal put the game out of sight. England fans will reluctantly recognise the Real Sociedad forward, who scored the winning goal against Gareth Southgate's team in the final of Euro 2024. Celebrating his 65th birthday, De la Fuente made four changes to La Roja's starting XI and he was vindicated with victory. With Spain claiming a convincing win over Saudi Arabia, the second World Cup match of the day is about to get underway. Belgium and Iran go head to head to head in Los Angeles as both teams look to get their first win of the tournament after being held to draws in their opening fixtures. Spain claim a 4-0 victory over Saudi Arabia to get their World Cup campaign back on track. Mikel Oyarzabal scored a brace while Lamine Yamal was also on the score sheet, while there was also an own goal from Hassan Altambakti.