Neymar has been working his way back to fitness from a calf injury and managed a little over 15 minutes in the 3-0 victory over Scotland last time out.

He came on for a cameo appearance, playing just 36 minutes. Yet that was all he needed to steal the spotlight.

The 25-year-old trained separately from the squad during Sunday's session that was open to the media, but Moriyasu later dispelled any hopes of the winger featuring against the five-time world champions.

Eustaquio lost both of his parents in little more than a year, his mother in April 2023 and his father in May 2024.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti is hopeful he will have Neymar available for more minutes in Monday's World Cup round of 32 fixture against Japan in Houston, and believes his Brazil side are ready for anything in what will be a tough knockout fixture.

Stephen Eustaquio's stoppage-time winner fired Canada to a 1-0 win over South Africa on Sunday in the first match of the World Cup knockout rounds, as the co-hosts advance to the last 16 for the first time in their history.

Some of the country's most respected football figures have urged stakeholders to use the renewed public interest to revive the nation's football through long-term planning, improved infrastructure and collective responsibility.

England got the job done, but they will not earn extra points for style after a grafting 2-0 victory over Panama in their final Group L match at the FIFA World Cup in New Jersey yesterday.

From late-game rescue acts to the raw, unbridled euphoria of supporters living out a dream, the opening phase perfectly encapsulated the unpredictable spirit of the game.

Uzbekistan manager Fabio Cannavaro knows all about the beauty of the World Cup, having led Italy to success as captain, but after seeing his side lose all three games and exit the tournament, he reminded people of his warning about how brutal it can be.

No side has suffered more at Neymar’s hands. He has scored nine goals against Japan, with Peru (six) next on his list, followed by Bolivia, Ecuador and the USA (five each).

Co-hosts Canada and South Africa will both make World Cup history when they meet in the opening game of the knockout round on Sunday.

Only three teams won all three group matches: Argentina, France and Mexico

"It's a little bit of an uncomfortable situation when people ask me that and I don't know what to say," Scaloni said when quizzed once again about Messi's performance.

Cape Verde have captured the imagination and secured a World Cup showdown with Lionel Messi's Argentina, but they are just part of a success story for African football as the group stages come to a close.

With Argentina beating Jordan 3-1 and Algeria and Austria playing out a dramatic 3-3 draw in the final Group J matches, the group stage of the ongoing FIFA World Cup 2026 came to an end on Sunday.

Argentina topped the group, while Austria finished second and will face Spain in the knockout stage. Algeria advanced as one of the best third-placed sides and will meet Switzerland.

Captain Lionel Messi came off the bench to score from a trademark freekick as defending champions Argentina beat Jordan 3-1 in their dead-rubber Group J World Cup clash in Dallas on Sunday, with the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner becoming the first player to score in seven successive World Cup matches.

Captain Lionel Messi came off the bench soon after Argentina conceded for the first time at this World Cup, with Jordan pulling one back to make it 2-1 in a dead-rubber Group J clash in Dallas on Sunday.

Jude Bellingham said England had achieved their immediate objective after sealing top spot in their World Cup group, but warned there was still significant room for improvement ahead of the knockout stage.