World Cup 2026: Six nations advance as Argentina awaits Romero fitness update

Argentina faces a critical wait on defender Cristian Romero’s fitness ahead of Tuesday’s 2-0 win over Austria, where he aggravated the same knee injury that kept him out for two months at Tottenham Hotspur after a collision with Brian Brobbey of Oranje and Sunderland in April. Argentine sources now fear his World Cup may already be over, with the team set to rest him against Jordan before a potential return in the round of 16. Six nations have already secured their spots in the next round of the World Cup co-hosted by Canada, the United States and Mexico, including hosts Team USA and Mexico, as well as Germany, France, Norway and Argentina. Norway and France meet in their final group game to decide the group winner, while the other four nations know their knockout-stage opponents: Argentina will face a runner-up from another group, while Germany, France and the USA await an as-yet-unknown third-placed team. Norway’s Erling Haaland scored twice in a 3-2 victory over Senegal, securing their knockout berth, and the team now meets France on Friday at 21:00 CET to determine who tops Group I. Haaland downplayed the stakes, stating: "It doesn’t matter to me. The French will beat us anyway. They’ll probably win the whole tournament." Weather conditions disrupted play in the United States on Monday, with France’s match against Iraq in Philadelphia halted at halftime due to approaching storms, while Spain canceled training in Chattanooga, Tennessee, because of severe weather. France had earlier beaten Saudi Arabia 4-0 in their second group game.

Spain lead 4-0 after own goal as Saudi Arabia trail at World Cup

Argentina’s Lionel Messi made history in their 2-0 win over Austria, with images showing a 100-year-old fan moved to tears in the stadium, describing it as if the entire venue had turned into an Argentina celebration. Meanwhile, Senegal’s Édouard Mendy was replaced after an hour against Norway due to a suspected ankle ligament injury, raising concerns over his availability for the final group game against Iraq. Belgium, meanwhile, sit with just 2 points from two games after a draw with Egypt and face New Zealand with their World Cup fate hanging in the balance. Former US international Marcelo Balboa criticized Belgium’s performance, saying: "It was just enormously weak. There was no creativity, the flow wasn’t there, the final pass was never good, they couldn’t shoot on target. It hurts to see them like this, especially after what we saw a few months ago against the USA." Iran’s match against the USA became a platform for political expression, as Iranian supporters displayed the pre-1979 lion-and-sun flag and chanted slogans like "Free Iran," despite FIFA’s attempts to ban such symbols. The match proceeded without incident, though the atmosphere was charged with protest.

Argentina hit with two unpunished fouls in World Cup win over Austria

Germany’s Nico Schlotterbeck is ruled out of the World Cup after suffering an ankle ligament injury in the first half of their 6-0 win over Ivory Coast, with Antonio Rüdiger set to replace him. Schlotterbeck will miss at least two months of action. France secured their knockout spot with a 3-0 win over Iraq, though the match in Philadelphia was interrupted for over two hours due to storms, while Norway’s 3-2 win over Senegal, featuring two goals from Haaland, ensured their progression.